Folders! Foldable bicycles; love or hate? do you own/use one? Minivelos and demontables added

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

Foldable bicycles: I have always found them interesting, from the seventies on, when we saw these shapes in the Netherlands. Every reputable firm built them, this is a Batavus:

I guess you know them as folding shoppers.

Then came the Bromptons, with their quick fold, and the Dahons, Terns, Airnimals, Birdies and Mezzos. Moultons are not quite folders but some are divisible.

In this thread I want to share some interesting folders from the past, and you are invited to share your thoughts on foldable bicycles, be it good, bad or indifferent. If you own a folder, please share a picture, I would like to see it, and hopefully there are more who do. There have been a few threads on folders over the years, but I thought a new one may be worthwhile. S&S couplers! Oh, and what about Rinko? Anyone into that?

The Batavus is lovely.

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

Love folders and small wheeled bikes.

 

[grantoury]

Love folders and small wheeled bikes.View attachment 687462View attachment 687464

Why does the Mezzo have that solid looking stay on the front fender?

 

[Mod-Master]

I love the dura ace rear mech

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

Why does the Mezzo have that solid looking stay on the front fender?

I will take a pic folded and half folded so you can see, hard to explain.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

I would love to try a Montague Paratrooper
They are not playing pretend

 

[Mod-Master]

I like the hummer foldable full sus ones, there was one for sale on eBay not long ago.

 

[novocaine]

I have one(actually 2) but I don't get on with it really. It has it uses, fits in the boot of my little car etc. But I have never found it comfortable to ride and its slow.

Both are modernish, 98 and 2010 ish.

 

[greencat]

I learned to ride on a Raleigh folding bike back in the 70s, and it quickly became my first off road bike too.

Used to use a Brompton regularly at both ends when I was commuting to London from N.Wales. Mine is pretty old now (dates from the early 90s), They are an amazing piece of design, but not always great engineering. Parts have an unpleasant habit of fatiguing then snapping. Admittedly, expecting a 25+ year service life from a part might be a stretch, but equally no-one expects a break lever to snap while going downhill either. Even so, I often used to think - if I could have only one bike, it would be a Brompton.

As well as the Brompton, I have a Fiido D1 electric folding bike. It's almost never folded. But has largely been an excellent bike considering it's relatively cheap price. It proved to be an essential recovery tool. I was riding it within two and half weeks of major abdominal surgery, before I could barely walk 100 yards.

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

I learned to ride on a Raleigh folding bike back in the 70s, and it quickly became my first off road bike too.

Used to use a Brompton regularly at both ends when I was commuting to London from N.Wales. Mine is pretty old now (dates from the early 90s), They are an amazing piece of design, but not always great engineering. Parts have an unpleasant habit of fatiguing then snapping. Admittedly, expecting a 25+ year service life from a part might be a stretch, but equally no-one expects a break lever to snap while going downhill either. Even so, I often used to think - if I could have only one bike, it would be a Brompton.

As well as the Brompton, I have a Fiido D1 electric folding bike. It's almost never folded. But has largely been an excellent bike considering it's relatively cheap price. It proved to be an essential recovery tool. I was riding it within two and half weeks of major abdominal surgery, before I could barely walk 100 yards.

How do you find the 14" wheels on the D1, never ridden a bike with wheels smaller than 16".