The Story of Two Lightweight Folding Bikes

Jessie is a young professional who came from suburb America and now works in the big city. Since 1995, Jessie has lived in the New York City and works in the metropolitan area of the city. He has recently revisited his passion and enthusiasm for cycling, which he had as a little boy. In addition to his commute in the city, Jessie enjoys cycling along the Hudson River to relax after a long day at work. Jessie confesses that he has known about lightweight folding bikes for a while now, but refused to give up his full size bicycle until he decided to bike to work.

Jessie tried a couple different folding bicycles before settling for the lightweight. The first one he tried was the Downtube Shimano-8 speed and the second one was the Mini Shimano – 8 speed. Now Jessie wants you to hear the tale of these two folding bikes.

Downtube 8H Shimano Nexus – 8 speed (Gates Carbon Belt Drive)

The cycling distance from where Jessie lived to where he worked in the big city of New York was roughly 30 miles. He had access to multiple routes when driving by car. He also had the option to take the bus on 41st Street or take the bus and then the train or ferryboat. It would usually take about two hours for Jessie to get to work using these modes of transportation. With this Downtube folding bike, Jessie could cut the time by riding from Midtown to the Battery. In so doing Jessie had to take ride the bike and then fold it and take it onto the bus. After reaching the train, Jessie took one of these lightweight folding bikes onto the train to midtown Manhattan. He then rode to the office. This is the only bike allowed on Jessie’s train during rush hour – a folding bike. You can fold this bike in seconds once you get the hang of it. It only weighs 26.5 roughly and just a little more, if he carried lunch and the rack bag.

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Downtube Mini Simano Nexus – 8 Speed

Jessie purchased one of the Downtube Mini Simano Nexus – 8 Speed lightweight folding bikes recently. This one was fast and efficient and folds in only 15 seconds. There was no issue with improper shifting. It is extremely light and maintenance-free. The brakes are of the highest quality, coordinated with machined sidewalls rims. Lightweight aluminum frames and gates carbon belt and cogs contribute to its ease in carrying around.

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Conclusion

Both of these folding bikes are fun to ride for Jessie. Each of them has its own advantages. It all depends on your personal taste, biking needs and budget. Jessie reports that he feels safe driving both folding bikes, but prefers the lightweight one. He is so happy to be able to commute without the hassle of heavy traffic and obnoxious motorists. Like Jessie, other motorists have switched to lightweight folding bikes gladly because of its ultimate convenience.

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Folding Bicycles for Sale on the Internet

The folding bike market is normally broken into segments by wheel size. We will examine each segment listing the positive features ( pro ) and negative features ( con ) of each.

A. Full Size Wheel Folding Bikes:
The main brands in this segment are Dahon and Montague. The Dahon Jack is one of the most popular choices due to its low cost and excellent component package.

Pro:   

1. They feel like a normal bike, mainly because they are a normal bike that happens to fold in half.
2. They are smaller than a standard bike so they are more portable.
3. They are relatively cost effective compared to some small wheel models.
4. They use standard parts so they are easy to upgrade or fix.

Con:

1. Although they are smaller than standard bikes, they are still big and bulky.
2. You need to select the proper frame size to fit your body. Hence purchasing online may not be a good option.
3. They are heavier than standard bikes due to their folding nature.
4. B. 20" Wheel Folding Bike:
5. The main brands are Dahon and Downtube. The best cost effective choice is probably the Downtube Nova at $299, while the Downtube 9FS with 9 speeds and full suspension is the best bang for your buck.

Pro:

1. They are small enough to pack for airplane,  boat , or RV use.
2. Prices are reasonable with a wide range of possibilities.
3. Lighter than normal bikes because they are smaller.
4. Smaller wheels are more efficient than bigger wheels under 16mph.  Hence this bike is faster on hills and flats.

Con:

1. Many low quality folders with 20" wheels can confuse buyers.
2. They are slower decending downhill.
3. Some models may need a little disassembly to place in regulation size luggage.
4. Some models use proprietary parts.

C. 16" and 18" Wheel Folding Bikes:

The main brands are Brompton and Downtube. The Brompton is a great choice; however at a $1200 price we feel the Downtube mini is better. It is lighter than the Brompton and has a better component package (and it costs less than half as much).

Pro

1. Most are super compact and can fit in regulation sized suitcases without disassembly. Some even fit in overhead bins on airplanes.
2. They are very light due to small size.
3. They are cool looking and you are guaranteed to make plenty of friends riding one.
4. These are little rockets on hills and flats due to higher efficiency of the smaller wheel.

Con:

1. These cost much more than 20" wheel folding bikes.
2. Parts are harder to replace because the size is not standard.
3. Proper gearing is very difficult to configure on small wheels.
4. Less possibility for upgrades due to lack of parts. Especially relevant is the lack of 16" wheel suspension forks.
5. The ride is stiffer than big wheel bikes due to smaller frames which absorb less shock and small wheels also absorb less shock. Hence the rider absorbs more of the road shock. Overall we have to say the Downtube 9FS full size folding bikes is a great choice. It’s comfortable, folds compactly, has a racing quality drive train and costs only $550.

   

History of Folding Bikes

There has been much written about Downtube folding bikes. So what is going on with them? Are they better than their competitors? Let’s list some of their main competitors:

 1. Dahon- They created the folding bike market in the early 80's. They have some very nice models, such as a full suspension Jetstream (MSRP $1300). The Downtube9FS full suspension bike has more speeds and retails for $549. Dahon's base unsuspended bikes are excellent quality options. The Dahon Speed 7 is their base 7sp model and retails for $550. The Downtube Nova has similar components and geometry and retails for under $300. In short Dahon's bikes sell for almost doubleDowntube models with similar components.

 2. Bike Friday- Bike Friday is one of the biggest folding bike companies in the USA. They build their bikes in the USA and have a great reputation. Their bestselling bike is the Tikit 8sp which has a super fast fold retail for a Tikit start at $1698 ( 8sp model ). The Downtube mini's are smaller, lighter have better Shimano Nexus 8sp internal hub drive train for under $600. The Downtube 8H has a suspension fork to increase comfort, and adds a carbon belt drive for $699. They offer all this for less than half the cost of a Tikit. A Tikit with the Shimano Nexus hub and carbon belt drive retails for over $2200. Tikits are great but the price leaves something to be desired.