sillymcnasty

Hey! I came to you guys for help picking out my road bike back in 2016, and I am back for some more. For the record, I got a Motobecane Mirage Tour from BikesDirect.

Anywho, I am going to surprise a young lass with a birthday present. It must fold (NYC, 3rd floor walk up, no elevator. Plus just able to bring it indoors for work instead of risking the bike being stolen if locked up outside, also to save space in her small apartment).

Anywho number 2, she is 5'8 and average sized. My priorities are safety and comfort. I would kill myself if I got her a bike and she got hurt on it! I would also say I would like a folding bike with gears to help her out with saving energy. As for tires, I would say closer to hybrid-type tires (sorry for terminology), so she can bike on many terrains. Not looking to race.

I also don't want anything SUPER slow, I want her to be able to enjoy it. It is mainly for short commutes to work, but I don't want it to be so sluggish that she won't want to use it for leisure.

As for weight, I know you get what you pay for. I would say she's in shape in terms of endurance, but not strength. 30lbs might be quite heavy for her... so maybe in the 25 pound range?

I was looking at the Vybe D7, but I came here for a search and see people suggesting Origami bikes. There are many styles, mostly cheaper than the Vybe D7, but for the life of me I could never understand the specs on bikes, to gauge the differences. After hours and hours of being on here for my first bike purchase, I still know nothing about cogs, and gearing, and chain length etc.

Since I was considering the Vybe D7, my price range I suppose is around ~450, so let's say that. I can go over if need be, but that's just a range.

So a run down: Safety is priority number 1, comfortable, foldable, gears, ~450.

Thanks so much!

Diode100

Your lady friend lives on the third floor of a building with no lift and you want to buy her a folding bike that she is going to have to find a home for inside the apartment between humping it up and down the stairs - I have only one question, is she aware of and in outline agreement of your plan, or is it going to come like a bolt out of the blue ?

Joe Remi

You'd be better off telling her what the gift is, then let her pick one.

ThorUSA

3rd floor... every lbs counts......

Pinigis 

Hi, this is Paul from Origami. We do have specs on each bike on our website. For example, the specs for our Crane 8 are here: Crane 8 - origamibicycle and here: Crane 8 - origamibicycle

If there is some piece of information not shown, please ask and I will get it for you.

1nterceptor

I'm 5'8" and live in a tiny NYC apartment. Our building has 2 elevators though.
Some other possibilities:
1. Citibike share if there are stations near her home and job.
2. Standard bike if there is safe parking in her building. Mine
has one but I don't use it; US$25 per month.
3. Stop by BFold on 13th st. They'll have various models that can be test ridden,
carried, etc. Nice folks to deal with. Bought one bike from them before(2013 Brompton);
getting ready to buy another(2017 Bikefriday Pakit).
Citibike New York City by 1nterceptor, on Flickr

Diode100

A genuine on the road ready to go weight of under 25lb is, I think, quite an ask for a medium price folder. A lot of manufacturers somehow or other weigh bikes without saddle, or pedals, etc.

sillymcnasty

lol. She told me she wants a bike, and she said she wants a folding bike. We went over this discussion last summer, and all the reasons I provided are words out of her own mouth.

As far as letting her decide, the questions I asked are the same ones she would ask. She knows nothing about bikes, I know a little more than nothing.

In fact, last year she had me look for one for her to buy, and that's how I found out about the Dahon brand. Looking at Origami/Downtube, I would have no knowledge of comparing them. As far as I know they are just a price and wheel size to me. That's why I came here for help.

As far as letting her pick one, it would be nice if you guys and gals can help me narrow it down to a few and then I can let her make the final decision.

If 25lb is hard to find ready to go then I suppose I'll have to stick with the 30lb range then.

Pinigis 

Yes, that is apparently for all of those folks who enjoy riding without a seat or pedals.


The Origami Dragon is 23.1 lbs (seat and pedal included), but is a bit above your target price. The Crane 8 is 27.2 lbs (including rack, fenders, seat, pedals, etc.) and is right in your price range.

kayakindude

I have the Vybe and it is a good quality starter bike. I just weighed it and it came in at 26.8 pounds. I did make some mods to increase my top end but nothing that would alter the weight by much. You mentioned something that can keep up on the road. The stock setup is good for about 12-13 mph average (similar to mountain bike) depending on cadence.

The price on them actually went up. LL Bean now has them for $450. I bought when it was $399 and another 25% off post holiday sale. If I was to buy a folder for my wife I would buy another Vybe. As for the 3rd floor. Dahon makes (and I am sure there are other options) a carry strap. If that were me that is what I would add to make it more comfortable going up.

Hope that helps.

ThorUSA

some scales from manufacturers are just a tad on the optimistic side. Especially if they are desperate for sales, or so it seems.
generally, you want a alloy frame, the upper pricerange is usually hydroformed alloy tubing, which is a little stiffer than round tubes, but also heavier.
Than there are models like the Dahon Mariner which come with carrier and fenders, take them off and you are in the 25 lbs range.
She is 5.8 meaning a real light 14 inch bike is pushing it a little bit. But weights around 20 lbs are manageable as long as the components are top notch .


Dahon has a new 16 inch bike in the pipeline , which is similar than the old helios bikes. but the price will be shy of 1500 ...

Pinigis 

This is true, that's why we use a medical scale. Always be cognizant of the fine print when it comes to what is included in the posted weight.

sillymcnasty

With the mantis and wasp being cheaper than the Crane8, can you tell me why the Crane8 is worth the extra price compared to those 2?

Or can anyone lol.

@kayak, thanks. I found a site online NYCEWheels that has it for 400.

linberl

Bike Friday PakiT gets under 20 lbs depending on configuration. I am a 5'4" female and I would not want to lug anything heavier than that 3 flights of stairs!

sillymcnasty

That's about 4x my budget lol

linberl

Yes, that's an issue. As weight goes down, price goes up. Any chance there is a basement where she could chain a bike up? My son is on the 3d floor of an old building and keeps his mountain bike chained in the basement; there's a room that has the electrical/power stuff the landlord lets tenant bike owners use. The bike peeps get a key to the room.

Or, what about a minivelo? Doesn't fold but it is only 20 lbs and take little space. https://respectcycles.com/p/bike

sillymcnasty

In NYC so, thieves are about. Shipped an iphone to her house and it was stolen after it was delivered lol. So it has to be foldable. She I think won't fret too much about the weight. But the folding ability is the most essential

Pinigis 

Sure. The main difference is that the Crane 8 has an 8-speed cassette in lieu of the 7-speed freewheels on the Wasp and Mantis. The 8-speed cassette gives a much wider gear range (29 to 92 gear inches vs. 33 to 66 gear inches) and is smoother in operation.

linberl

Check out the Tern Carry On cover....would fit most folders. It will give her a strong carry strap and keep her clothes and the apartment walls clean, without much hassle to put it on. I'm thinking about getting one for my Bike Friday to make hauling it on public transit easier.

badmother

Look for a used Dahon Curve.

icedmocha 

I enjoyed looking through your imgur! A few questions, if your do not mind.


1: do you have an Instagram?
2: well you be comparing the Brompton and the Pakit?
3: in your imgur it looks like your Brompton weighs 10 pounds? Or is that kilos?
4: it also looks like you own a citizen Tokyo. How does that compare to your Brompton and did you buy it first or second?

Thanks for any answers!!!!

1nterceptor

pakiT - (w/8sp Deraileur) Weight: 20.79lbs (9.43kg) Est. Price: $1260.00

1. No, just Flicker & Youtube:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/44332608@N03/ https://www.youtube.com/user/1nterceptor/videos
2. Not yet fully committed to a Pakit; might get a 2nd(lighter configuration) Brompton.
But yes; will do a comparo if I get a Pakit.
3. Kilos:
2013 Brompton S6L-X by 1nterceptor, on Flickr
4. I got the Brompton first. I was planning a trip to Aruba; was expecting to go off road.
Wanted something with wider tires. Was also hoping that the girlfriend at the time would
go on rides with me. She rode it once; never rode it again. I bought it used from Craigslist.
Cheap price; cheap(& heavy) components. Sold it after my trip; got all of my money back.

Hope this helps; anybody.

sillymcnasty

I would prefer a new bike for a gift for someone else lol.

So, Origami Crane 8 vs Dahon Vybe. Can someone give me a head to head reason for one over the other? Which gives me the best bang for my buck? I will let her make final determination but she will probably just tell me to pick. (It will be like asking a girl where she wants to eat lol)

Abu Mahendra

Paul, take this as constructive criticism. No one should be selling bikes with 7-speed freewheels in 2017.

Abu Mahendra

Solorock Spin 5.0
$499
10.5kg
9-speed freehub
no hinge