How to Choose a Folding Bike
You’ve thought it over and you’ve decided you are ready to buy a bike. Perhaps your reasons have to do with getting more exercise. Maybe you’d like to just do your part to reduce road traffic or cut down on commuting costs.
Now that you’ve decided to get a bike you’re faced with issue of storage. Perhaps you do not have the luxury of a large garage or storage area and you’ve decided that, after much consideration, that a folding bike is your best option. So, which folding bike do you choose and why?
First, a few things to get out of the way. If you aren’t quite sure what a folding bike is, here’s a simple definition. Folding bikes are those that collapse into a relatively compact bundle of parts that usually remain connected. While a few models require removing a pedal or wheel, most enable everything to fold while staying on the bike, making unfolding and reconstructing the full bike a rather quick endeavor. Folding bikes can stay in a closet or car trunk when not in use.
Now, consider this: There are several folding bikes to choose from. Folding bikes come with several different wheel sizes and frame configurations, including full-size bikes with 26-inch wheels, and down to small frame bikes with 16-inch wheels. They also come in different sitting positions too, so, depending on whether you like to sit upright or lean forward, you should be able to find a folding bike that is comfortable and fits your riding style. Most folding bike manufacturers may also extend offers to modify their folding bikes for you, for example, by putting in a special seat or wider tires.
Set a budget for your bike. As of 2010, folding bikes range from under $200 to top-of-the-line models costing into four digits.
Once you begin comparing the different makes and models of folding bikes it’s important to keep in mind why you’ve selected the folding bike option. Consider how fast you need to be able to ride, how much the bike should weigh, what sort of trips you’ll be making, what kind of storage you have for the bike and if you need to take it on public transportation. The more of these factors you have worked out in advance, the more comfortable and happy you will be with your new folding bike.
Be sure and check out the weight and sturdiness of each model of folding bike you investigate and how well the folding connections re-lock and stay locked. If you have the opportunity to test the bike first, ride it around and practice folding and unfolding it to make sure the process is something you can handled repeatedly and with ease. Ride it again after unfolding it a few times to see if the seat and handlebars slip, which would indicate the latches need adjustment.
One of the best things you can do when you find a bike is, before you pay for it, find out what the retailer’s policy is on returns. This is particularly critical if you intend to buy your bike online and can’t take it out on a test ride beforehand. Your folding bike could look fine when you take it out of the box not do so well once you have it unfolded and ready to go.
The true level of your folding bike’s portability will be determined mostly by your strength. While some folding bikes are configured so that you can roll them along even when folded, many are not. Sometimes you’ll also have to walk up flights of stairs with your bike, making rolling ability a moot point. If you can’t carry the bike without excessively straining or feeling like you’re about to pass out, don’t buy it. Also, watch how well the bike stays folded and be sure you don’t have parts unfolding and banging into your legs as you try to carry the bike up.
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