Weird use-case advice
#51
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I've been commuting on folding bikes from Hoboken to Coney Isl. since 2013.
I rode a Bike Friday Tikit from 2013 to 2017, until I got T-boned by an SUV in the rain.
I tried a friend's Brompton for few weeks, determined that it was too expensive of a bike in case it gets stolen or gets hit by another car.
In attempt to have a lightweight, cheap folding bike, I bought a 16" Citizen Tokyo ($250) from 2017 to 2018, until it got stolen from my locked basement.
Between 2018 & 2019, I tried a few other cheap folding bikes with V-brakes, just didn't car for trueing wheels when I abuse the crap out of them hopping curbs.
I found a $125 Sundeal aluminum folding bike with disc brakes on eBay, back in 2019.. still ride it today.
My bikes gets ridden in all weather, even in the snow, slush, ice, salt covered roads.
Bikes goes on and off the subway, PATH train, get banged against doors, metal posts, curbs, walls, etc..
It certainly takes abuse and require very minimal maintenance.
For $125, it is well worth it, and I don't really care if it gets stolen after 3 years of use.
I rarely lock it, just fold it up next to a bike stand, take off the long seatpost and no one ever messes with it.
I rode a Bike Friday Tikit from 2013 to 2017, until I got T-boned by an SUV in the rain.
I tried a friend's Brompton for few weeks, determined that it was too expensive of a bike in case it gets stolen or gets hit by another car.
In attempt to have a lightweight, cheap folding bike, I bought a 16" Citizen Tokyo ($250) from 2017 to 2018, until it got stolen from my locked basement.
Between 2018 & 2019, I tried a few other cheap folding bikes with V-brakes, just didn't car for trueing wheels when I abuse the crap out of them hopping curbs.
I found a $125 Sundeal aluminum folding bike with disc brakes on eBay, back in 2019.. still ride it today.
My bikes gets ridden in all weather, even in the snow, slush, ice, salt covered roads.
Bikes goes on and off the subway, PATH train, get banged against doors, metal posts, curbs, walls, etc..
It certainly takes abuse and require very minimal maintenance.
For $125, it is well worth it, and I don't really care if it gets stolen after 3 years of use.
I rarely lock it, just fold it up next to a bike stand, take off the long seatpost and no one ever messes with it.
As I'm reading through people's thoughts on this thread, part of me is wondering if the cost of making one bike do too many things is worth it. Honestly if I felt I had the room in my apartment, I'd take my college-age niece's long-unused but perfectly fine full-sized non-folding Schwinn and keep that as an emergency bike then get a cheapo used folding bike plus something like a Xiaomi Scooter as electric and non-electric options for local errands.
Hmm.
#52
Ride more, eat less
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Upcoming legislation, I hope it passes:
New York’s proposed e-bike rebate could slash electric bike and scooter prices by 50%
https://electrek.co/2022/08/31/new-york-e-bike-rebate/
New York’s proposed e-bike rebate could slash electric bike and scooter prices by 50%
https://electrek.co/2022/08/31/new-york-e-bike-rebate/
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#53
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Store closed on the 26th of August. Wonderful person,...he deserves his retirement!
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Last edited by tds101; 08-31-22 at 05:23 PM.
#54
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So I live in the Bay Area so similar bike theft issues. I purchased a Bike Friday pakit customized to my own component specs; it weighs 19lbs and has 8 gears; I electrified it with a friction drive that is no longer available so Swytch would be the obvious choice. I'm old and frail and I can carry it up 3 flights of stairs. I use wax on the chain so it's clean but you can also get a belt drive which eliminates any muss when carrying it. It folds narrower and longer than Brompton but folds just as fast, if not faster; it doesn't roll well but it's so much lighter than a Brompton it doesn't matter. I use a Brompton style velcro frame handle to carry it. It also rides like a full sized bike (except for potholes which can swallow 16" tires so you do have to watch out) and people tour on them. I also bought a cheap used Dahon Mu Uno folder (22 lbs) that I rode if I had to leave the bike outside locked up (some movie theaters, etc.). The BF never ever left my hand. This worked really well for me but if you don't have room for 2 folders it might not work for you.
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#55
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#56
Schwinnasaur
Here is an industry note. Curl is listed on ThorUSA as a retired model, as is Boardwalk!
#58
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He wasn't promoting anything, and was a pillar of the BF community. He definitely deserves to be asked back into the community, but I think he's a bit busy enjoying life right now.
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#59
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My two cents: perhaps worth more or worthless
To the OP,
I’ve gone back and forth on making cheap bikes work vs buying something straight away that I know I’ll like riding. I’ve done both. Sometimes the cheap bike is exactly what you need/want and sometimes the bike you think will be perfect turns out underwhelming.
It’s tough to predict how you’ll jive with any particular bike.
For your purposes, I’m having a hard time making a recommendation, because I don’t know to what extent you value riding for enjoyment. You note some practical reasons for the bike search, but will you ride also for fun? Does riding the bike for the practical purposes sound fun to you?
If you’re simply getting a bike as a tool to accomplish commutes/errands, and a city escape, then get the Brompton. Super compact fold, and proven to be ridable for loooong distances, with and without luggage.
If you’re looking for a compact bike, that can fold, and is a joy to ride, then get a Bike Friday. I’d have absolutely no trouble riding my Bike Friday in the 60+mi range, and folks regularly ride them further. This is the compact bike that I’d get if ride quality and biking fun are prioritized over compact fold and practicality.
This isn’t to say that the Brompton or other would not also be a joy to ride, but at 6’3” with longish legs, the customizability of my Bike Friday is a selling point.
I’ve gone back and forth on making cheap bikes work vs buying something straight away that I know I’ll like riding. I’ve done both. Sometimes the cheap bike is exactly what you need/want and sometimes the bike you think will be perfect turns out underwhelming.
It’s tough to predict how you’ll jive with any particular bike.
For your purposes, I’m having a hard time making a recommendation, because I don’t know to what extent you value riding for enjoyment. You note some practical reasons for the bike search, but will you ride also for fun? Does riding the bike for the practical purposes sound fun to you?
If you’re simply getting a bike as a tool to accomplish commutes/errands, and a city escape, then get the Brompton. Super compact fold, and proven to be ridable for loooong distances, with and without luggage.
If you’re looking for a compact bike, that can fold, and is a joy to ride, then get a Bike Friday. I’d have absolutely no trouble riding my Bike Friday in the 60+mi range, and folks regularly ride them further. This is the compact bike that I’d get if ride quality and biking fun are prioritized over compact fold and practicality.
This isn’t to say that the Brompton or other would not also be a joy to ride, but at 6’3” with longish legs, the customizability of my Bike Friday is a selling point.
#60
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#61
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To the OP,
I’ve gone back and forth on making cheap bikes work vs buying something straight away that I know I’ll like riding. I’ve done both. Sometimes the cheap bike is exactly what you need/want and sometimes the bike you think will be perfect turns out underwhelming.
It’s tough to predict how you’ll jive with any particular bike.
For your purposes, I’m having a hard time making a recommendation, because I don’t know to what extent you value riding for enjoyment. You note some practical reasons for the bike search, but will you ride also for fun? Does riding the bike for the practical purposes sound fun to you?
If you’re simply getting a bike as a tool to accomplish commutes/errands, and a city escape, then get the Brompton. Super compact fold, and proven to be ridable for loooong distances, with and without luggage.
If you’re looking for a compact bike, that can fold, and is a joy to ride, then get a Bike Friday. I’d have absolutely no trouble riding my Bike Friday in the 60+mi range, and folks regularly ride them further. This is the compact bike that I’d get if ride quality and biking fun are prioritized over compact fold and practicality.
This isn’t to say that the Brompton or other would not also be a joy to ride, but at 6’3” with longish legs, the customizability of my Bike Friday is a selling point.
I’ve gone back and forth on making cheap bikes work vs buying something straight away that I know I’ll like riding. I’ve done both. Sometimes the cheap bike is exactly what you need/want and sometimes the bike you think will be perfect turns out underwhelming.
It’s tough to predict how you’ll jive with any particular bike.
For your purposes, I’m having a hard time making a recommendation, because I don’t know to what extent you value riding for enjoyment. You note some practical reasons for the bike search, but will you ride also for fun? Does riding the bike for the practical purposes sound fun to you?
If you’re simply getting a bike as a tool to accomplish commutes/errands, and a city escape, then get the Brompton. Super compact fold, and proven to be ridable for loooong distances, with and without luggage.
If you’re looking for a compact bike, that can fold, and is a joy to ride, then get a Bike Friday. I’d have absolutely no trouble riding my Bike Friday in the 60+mi range, and folks regularly ride them further. This is the compact bike that I’d get if ride quality and biking fun are prioritized over compact fold and practicality.
This isn’t to say that the Brompton or other would not also be a joy to ride, but at 6’3” with longish legs, the customizability of my Bike Friday is a selling point.
I don't commute as I work from home and part of my mental struggle has been that BF and Brompton almost seem like overkill for essentially errands, seeing friends, and having a way out of the city in a public transit emergency. cat0020 made the point about using a cheap bike and not worrying about theft so much (my prime reason for wanting a super-compact folder) and at this point, I'm contemplating getting two bikes: an old 10-speed Schwinn my brother said he'd give to me and which I could use in an emergency plus something like a Fiido D11 or similar (a Swagtron? a Jetson Pro?) which I've seen for around $600ish and lock it up and hope that between the lock and removing the battery and seat (the D11 has the battery in the seat which is appealing in that regard) a thief will decide it's not worth it.
I'm vacillating at this point between going one high-end/compact/no-thieving (since will never leave my side) bike vs 2 low-end/bulkier/thief-risk-but-cheap bikes.
#63
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I don't see myself using this particular bike recreationally. Don't get me wrong; I love recreational biking (my brother and I used to go mountain biking and it was a blast) but NYC with all the traffic and pedestrians and crowded bike lanes... I mean anything can happen, but I just don't see myself using the bike other than as straight-up transportation.
I don't commute as I work from home and part of my mental struggle has been that BF and Brompton almost seem like overkill for essentially errands, seeing friends, and having a way out of the city in a public transit emergency. cat0020 made the point about using a cheap bike and not worrying about theft so much (my prime reason for wanting a super-compact folder) and at this point, I'm contemplating getting two bikes: an old 10-speed Schwinn my brother said he'd give to me and which I could use in an emergency plus something like a Fiido D11 or similar (a Swagtron? a Jetson Pro?) which I've seen for around $600ish and lock it up and hope that between the lock and removing the battery and seat (the D11 has the battery in the seat which is appealing in that regard) a thief will decide it's not worth it.
I'm vacillating at this point between going one high-end/compact/no-thieving (since will never leave my side) bike vs 2 low-end/bulkier/thief-risk-but-cheap bikes.
I don't commute as I work from home and part of my mental struggle has been that BF and Brompton almost seem like overkill for essentially errands, seeing friends, and having a way out of the city in a public transit emergency. cat0020 made the point about using a cheap bike and not worrying about theft so much (my prime reason for wanting a super-compact folder) and at this point, I'm contemplating getting two bikes: an old 10-speed Schwinn my brother said he'd give to me and which I could use in an emergency plus something like a Fiido D11 or similar (a Swagtron? a Jetson Pro?) which I've seen for around $600ish and lock it up and hope that between the lock and removing the battery and seat (the D11 has the battery in the seat which is appealing in that regard) a thief will decide it's not worth it.
I'm vacillating at this point between going one high-end/compact/no-thieving (since will never leave my side) bike vs 2 low-end/bulkier/thief-risk-but-cheap bikes.
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#64
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Thanks. Fiido's website listed a local dealer and I was going to buy from them. I didn't realize the D11 had a frame issue (I'm aware the Fiido X did). Also, not married to the Fiido D11, just an example of the sort of cheaper folding ebike I was contemplating if I go the non-high-end route with this.