Folding bikes are not bikes that most cyclists give much thought to.
Even when traveling, many riders squeeze their “full-sized” bike into a car or pay extra to take it on a plane or train.
But what is the cycling community at large missing out on? Are folding bikes actually any good?
Advantages Of Folding Bikes
Folding bikes have several advantages, some more obvious than others.
Detailed below are the main reasons you might consider buying one.
Easy To Carry
Of course, portability is a chief benefit of a folding bike.
You can carry one onto trains without having to look for special bike carriages.
Folding bikes tend to be heavier than some other bikes (e.g., modern road bikes).
That being said, they can weigh as little as 6.9 kg in the case of the carbon fiber Hummingbird bike.
🚲 Although folding bikes tend to be heavier than lightweight road bikes, in most cases you can wheel them along.
You only need lift them up if boarding a bus or train.
Here’s one way to carry!:
Looking for a backpack to carry a folding bike!
byu/_uphill_both_ways inManyBaggers
Cheap To Carry
As well as being easy to carry, folding bikes are cheap to transport since they’re usually accepted as hand luggage.
This is why I love my Brompton. It takes way more less room and it‘s not blocking any seats. often there are may more bikes in the train (here s-bahn berlin).
by inBrompton
Even on intercity or international trains, where full-sized bikes attract an extra charge, you will not typically have to pay extra to bring a foldable bike with you.
Easy To Store
Road bikes, hybrid bikes and MTBs all pose storage challenges to cyclists, who don’t always have the space or desire to keep them indoors.
No such problems exist with a foldable bike, which takes up minimal space in a cupboard, under your bed, under a desk or under the stairs.
More Secure
There’s no fretting over where to safely leave a folding bike in many cases.
You can take it with you to your destination, whether it is inside work, café stops, or a friend’s house.
No need to use office bike rack. Fits nicely under desk.
byu/stratman2018 inBrompton
If you’re visiting somewhere where it isn’t possible to keep an eye on your bike, a lock such as the Kryptonite Kryptolok is ideal.
This type of long-shackle U-lock is resistant to bolt cutters and often goes through both wheels, the frame and around an immovable object in one go.
Another benefit of a folding bike is its ability to become compact and lockable without having to detach wheels or other components.
Environmentally Friendly
A bike you can carry to more places with less expense can only be environmentally friendly.
It’ll save you from taking the car, in many instances, providing you have the inclination to cycle.
As the world becomes more eco-conscious, the foldable bike has a greater role to play than ever before.
Good For Your Health
A bike that encourages you to ride more can only be good for your health, even if it’s not designed for epic adventures.
A small amount of exercise every day still has a cumulative effect, even if you do nothing heroic on the bike.
Quirky and Cool
Okay, so you’ll never be mistaken for Julian Alaphilippe or Marianne Vos on a foldable bike, but some foldable bikes are quirky and cool.
There are even fun (yet competitive) bike races held for Brompton bikes.
Disadvantages Of Folding Bikes
Most types of bikes have their downsides, and foldable bikes aren’t any different.
So let’s look at some of them.
Poor For Long-Distance Rides
Foldable bikes are not generally intended for traveling long distances.
Doing so would be a feat of endurance.
The small wheels mean you’ll be slower on average, even though you can pick up fair speed in bursts.
Road Hazards
Bumps, debris, and potholes have a pronounced effect on smaller wheels.
Wheels on bigger road bikes or hybrids traverse these hazards more efficiently, but on a foldable bike they hit a bigger part of the wheel’s circumference.
Potholes!
Lack Of Stability?
Foldable bikes are not innately unstable, but they can be a little overresponsive in their handling and twitchy to ride with their sharp turning radius.
This is something you’ll get used to up to a point.
Sporty Ride
A sporty ride is a euphemistic term for a ride that transmits bumps and lumps in the road.
This is interrelated with other downsides like road hazards and lack of long-distance compatibility. It’s down to the small wheels.
Many of the problems linked to small wheels are secondary considering the bike’s main remit.
A foldable bike is an urban get-about bike, above all. Not many people contemplate riding for two or three hours at a time on them.
Heavy Weight
Anyone that assumes a foldable bike is light is assuming incorrectly.
There are super-light models with carbon frames, but you’ll pay a premium price for those.
Many foldable bikes weigh more than full-sized bikes, with some crossover.
They might weigh up to 35 lb. (more in the ballpark of an old steel touring bike.)
It’s for this reason that foldables are often wheeled along between steps.
They’re medium suitcase weight.
Price
Another notion about folding bikes might be that they’re cheap.
Small bike, small price, right? Wrong!
They’re in the same price range as budget to mid-range road bikes.
Foldables from top brands can set you back over $1000.
There are a few relatively budget folding bikes, however.
You can even pick up folding electric bikes under 1,000 dollars.
Video: Folding Bike – The Good And The Bad
Are Folding Bikes Good For Commuting To Work?
One of the great things about a folding bike versus a full-sized one is the versatility.
🚝🚍 With a folding bike, you can hop on a bus or train without a second thought and fill in the gaps of a journey with a few miles of cycling.
Millions of people worldwide live in suburbs or commuter towns and catch a train into a big city for their work.
Very often, they’ll have to catch another train or a bus before reaching their workplace.
A folding bike is perfect for intermodular travel.
When commuting into a big city, the final leg of a journey is often just far enough away to make it impractical on foot.
On those types of commutes, doing the last leg by bike is a great way of injecting a little exercise into each day.
Read more: Folding bike commuter tips
Video: Commuting To Work On My Brompton Folding Bike
Choice Of Folding Bike For Commutes
Nowadays, e-scooters are a common way to perform these connecting journeys in some cities, but they don’t give you the same level of exercise as either a foldable bike or an e-bike.
You can buy folding e-bikes for commutes, too, though they are heavier unless they have a carbon frame.
You might feel you can tackle a longer commute or hillier terrain with a motor to give you a gentle push here and there.
If the main purpose of a folding bike is for commutes, your best choice is going to be one with small 16” to 20” wheels, which are allowable as hand luggage on different modes of transport.
Read more: Why cycling to work is good for you
Ok, So To Wrap Up…
Folding bikes aren’t designed to cover long distances, but they’re a great way to accumulate fitness on your commute.
They’re also ideal for vacations if you don’t have room to carry a regular bike.
Did you enjoy this article?
You’re welcome to comment, add your own experiences or share the article as you wish.
If you love cycling, a folding bike lets you ride at times when you’d otherwise miss out.
These bikes will help build your fitness just like a full-sized bike does.
Read more: Are folding bikes safe to ride?
How about downtube folding bikes at http://www.downtube.com ?
All verey well written, but never looked into the ICONIC STRiDA folding bike……
Folds in 5 seconds, has clean belt drive, light weight, low maintenance, alloy frame and low price!!!!! Ticks lots of boxes?
There are multiple superb travel and folding bikes that have been left out of the discussion:
Birdy
Brompton
Bike Friday
Moulton
Pacific Reach
Helix
I am privileged to have these bikes. Each one is superb in their own way.
Bike Friday, Moulton, Pacific Reach and Helix are terrific long distance machines.
Birdy and Brompton offer quick folding designs.
So there is a lot of great choices to consider in this niche of the bike world.
Agreed! Thanks for defending the world of “high end” folders…
Game changers when it comes to distance, speed and comfort!!
Modern folding bikes can go the distance equiped with lots of gearing. I used to bike 100kms on a 7 speed Dahon Folding bike. Not a problem. You get to enjoy the scenery on small wheels. And there’s a 24 speed folding bike which can go on touring. Even the well known Brompton can be used for touring.
What more concerns me on folding bike are the folding mechanisms aka the hinges and the parts that folds. Over time, these would be loose without proper maintenance. Branded folders has replacement parts to maintain it.
At the end of the day, getting a folder is fun to ride. Enjoy the sceneries, go from a to b.