Fold up bikes (1 Viewer)

Allanm

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A work colleague of mine had a Brompton fold up bike. It fitted in a bag and sat under his desk while he was at work. Took a few seconds to unfold and he was off home.
I want one.
Well not a Brompton because they are a tad expensive, but one similar that folds up into a bag and at a fraction of Brompton prices.
I need to be able to zip off and get croissants while Mrs A is brewing the coffee in the mornings while we are away.
Any recommendations?

Allan
 

DesRes

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Bought mine from Halfords, an "Apollo", can't remember how much but it was not too expensive. Does just the same job as you want yours for. Bought a few accessories at the same time, including the canvas bag, so got a "three for two" deal. Fits in the garage smashin' and is the emergency vehicule.:thumb:
 

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DesRes

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Hey Allanm, just seen you are ex coastguard, I reckon I must have passed your office a few times over the years...Merchant Navy, not retired...:Smile:

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Puddleduck

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I'll looking for something similar but with electric assist. Hoping to try some out at the Stafford show ::bigsmile:

I had a folder when I was a student, great piece of kit but you need to try before you buy as not all bikes are the same and you will need to find one that fits your physique and style of riding. The bike that is wrong for you will make you ache and you will hate it. The one that is right will make you smile.
 
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Sep 23, 2013
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Well not a Brompton because they are a tad expensive
The Brompton is expensive because because it's optimised for the city gent who commutes by public transport. So a lot of money is spent on making it light weight & making it fold very fast into the smallest possible size. They've also put a lot of engineering effort into making sure that all those criteria don't affect the riding experience too much.

For motorhome use, none of the above are quite so critical. Still important, but there is more leeway. So cheaper bikes will do the job required, so long as you don't plan to bike from campsite to train station, train to city centre & then use a combination of tube, bus & bike to explore.

If it's for nipping into the village & back, concentrate on weight, size & price. If you want to do some more serious riding, but don't want full size bikes on the outside of the M/H, then the ridability of the unfolded bike becomes the key factor - some are not great to ride any distance.

I've got an Airnimal Joey. It doesn't fold all that fast or all that small - it has 24" wheels. It was also quite expensive. But it fits under the bed & it's better to ride than a good few full size non-folding bikes.
 
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Used Bromptons do appear on ebay.

If its a basic three gear model you want, they are reasonably priced, the classic 6 gear models do command a premium price, we sold our Bromptons on ebay and realised almost as much as we paid for them five years ago.

If you go the ebay route, make sure the original purchase invoice is included, HPI checks are not available!!:whatthe:

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Allanm

Allanm

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Hey Allanm, just seen you are ex coastguard, I reckon I must have passed your office a few times over the years...Merchant Navy, not retired...:Smile:

I've probably spoken to you or your skipper then. We used to talk to all the ships that went past, not so now with the new technology, unless there's an emergency.

Thanks for the bike info folks. I had a look at one in Go-Outdoors today. Didn't fold very small and was quite heavy, and pretty ugly. Not been to Halfords yet.
I'll keep scanning the Bay for cheap Bromptons but other recommendations are welcome.
Allan
 

scotjimland

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I've probably spoken to you or your skipper then. We used to talk to all the ships that went past, not so now with the new technology, unless there's an emergency.

Thanks for the bike info folks. I had a look at one in Go-Outdoors today. Didn't fold very small and was quite heavy, and pretty ugly. Not been to Halfords yet.
I'll keep scanning the Bay for cheap Bromptons but [HI]other recommendations are welcome.[/HI]
Allan


when I asked about a Brompton this was recommended by fun member savantuk .. Mezzo.

scroll down to post 8

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Mezzo http://www.mezzobikes.co.uk/
 
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Fireman Sam

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Bought mine from Halfords, an "Apollo", can't remember how much but it was not too expensive. Does just the same job as you want yours for. Bought a few accessories at the same time, including the canvas bag, so got a "three for two" deal. Fits in the garage smashin' and is the emergency vehicule.:thumb:

Don’t want a bike DesRes, but I would like to know where you took the photos. Looks a nice site.

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Allanm

Allanm

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They look very nice, but alas, still the same price as a Brompton, so too dear.
Thanks anyway

Found a nice Daho single speed. Going to look at one in Halfords tomorrow, then if it's ok, I'll get one a lot cheaper online!
Allan
 

DesRes

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Don’t want a bike DesRes, but I would like to know where you took the photos. Looks a nice site.

CC site at Borrowdale, Northern Lake District. Absolutely idyllic, if you want to escape from it all. From that very pitch it's just a few minutes walk down to the shore path around Derwentwater. :Smile:
 

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grumps147

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How about one of these instead .. [ame="http://youtu.be/w0SG3wrVdYs"]http://youtu.be/w0SG3wrVdYs[/ame]

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Bike buying advice from years back still holds. Strong, light, cheap: choose any two!

I have a Dahon Presto Lite, tiny wheels, folds small [but not as small as a Brompton] but half the price. their model range changes rapidly, but if you've found their current singlespeed small wheel folder, that should do the job nicely. Enjoy!
 
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Allanm

Allanm

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I reckon I would last a few seconds on a mono wheel before I landed heavily on my a***e.
Well, Ive looked at just about every folding bike. Not much choice in Halfords and the more I looked the more I released I wanted a bit more quality than the cheaper folders, and most of them were quite big, even folded. The bike needs to fold up enough for me to get it in the side locker where it will be stored under the rear bed. Favourite for a while was a Dahon Jifo, but I found a used black Brompton P type ( I know all the types and specs now!) with 3 speed Sturmey archer hub and puncture proof tyres at a Brompton specialist, cheaper than the Dahon.
It came today, looks new, even though it is 8 years old. It really is surprisingly good to ride with rear suspension and nice high handlebars. Folds into a small bag and fits in the side locker.
Sorted.
Thanks for all the input

Allan

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Sep 23, 2013
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Bike buying advice from years back still holds. Strong, light, cheap: choose any two!!

Spot on! Applies to any bike, but you really notice it with the folders.

It really is surprisingly good to ride

Just how good a Brompton is to ride always comes as a shock. You look at that convoluted mass of tubes all folded up & it's quite a surprise that it even looks like a bike when it unfolds. But those tiny wheels & the low frame, with those long, ungainly looking handle bars - it just looks like a kids toy.

Yet two minutes down the road, you realise where all that money was spent. It's a proper bike & a pleasure to ride. Quite an engineering achievement.

Sounds like you have got a real bargin. You'll love it.
 
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Allanm

Allanm

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I read a lot of rubbish about these bikes, most common seems to be that you wouldn't want to ride it far. I haven't used a bike for a few months, but just got back from a 15 mile ride on mine. I didn't really notice any difference in how I felt from riding my other bike, a Voodoo Hoodoo MTB. Just ordered a good lock, lights and a couple of other bits to bling it up a bit.
Mrs A even liked it and I caught my Mother in Law sitting on it yesterday asking if she could have a go.
Allan
 

Tootles

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I'll looking for something similar but with electric assist. Hoping to try some out at the Stafford show ::bigsmile:

I had a folder when I was a student, great piece of kit but you need to try before you buy as not all bikes are the same and you will need to find one that fits your physique and style of riding. The bike that is wrong for you will make you ache and you will hate it. The one that is right will make you smile.


Fancy an elecy bike myself, BUT, so expensive!.......Got fed up with the folder, it kept kinking cables in the folded position, brakes and gears never seemed to work right after a period of storage.

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Chockswahay

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Allan, I have just read this thread and was getting ready to bang on about Brompton's and then read that you bought one !!

Fantastic!! We have had Bromptons (3 Sp) for 9 years now and we use them every week. We originally had them on a boat (in a locker and all that) then when we bought our PVC last year we put them in the garage under the bed..................

I agree that Bromptons are expensive but they are well made, quick and easy to fold and delightful to ride (which you are now finding out for yourself). We also have two Specialised Crosstrail Hybrid bikes which we use for cycle touring however the Bromptons are the MOST fun!

Three gears are not a problem until really steep hills when we just get off and walk. We think nothing of riding 25 miles on them and have often managed 40 to 50 miles even on bumpy Spanish cycle paths!

We love the fact that we don't have to put them on a rear carrier and that they fold/unfold in about 15 seconds.....

They have been reliable and take a right thrashing. I have only ever had one puncture and that was a complete catastrophic blow out (in Spain) and we had to do a lot of running around to find a replacement so now we carry a spare tyre in the van.

Enjoy your Brompton and the feelings of smugness that will follow :D:D:D
 

Don Quixote

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Not long enough, but a little common sense helps..........
We started out in the MH with Bromptons bikes and went loads of places on them they were 7 years old ( mint condition ) and when we sold them I lost about 50 quid on both from what I paid all those years ago. Well worth the money.
 
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If you want to electrify your Brompton the Nano conversion is one of the best and gets very good reviews. Not cheap though...http://www.nanoelectricbikes.co.uk/
I tried one of those a couple of years ago when I was looking for an electric folder. It is very impressive to ride - puts a silly grin on your face the first time you try it!

There are cheaper ways of getting the silly grin effect. :censored:
 

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