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I am looking to make my commute a bit easier by buying a folding bike I can take on the tube - with a mile cycle at each end. I would also use it for times when there is a strike, engineering works etc. I need it to be light and fold small (nowhere to store it if its big 🙁 ) and not cost too much. I don't need fancyness in terms of gears and stuff. Looking online they cost from 150 to 1500 quid, so your help in finding the "sweet spot" between cheap rubbish and over-engineered indulgence is gratefully received
Brompton
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Idley looking at this myself
brompton is the best but £££££
Dahons dont look too bad - about 399 gets you 8 gears and a smallish fold.
*Opens thread again..
Dahon Vitesse 😉
Would you prefer this in the Bike forum?
Cougar - that's a point 🙂 Yes please !
I too have looked at this and keep coming back to Brompton's. They're not cheap but they do seem the best option. And this is from someone who is very, very reluctant to spend that much on a bike that will only ever do 500 miles a year (about 250 working days, 1 mile each way) at most.
Before I got it, I would often roundly abuse Bromptons, because the gears, brakes etc are not very good and everything is bespoke Brompton so you have to go back to them for spare anythings and they are not the most joined up company in the world (with the notable exception of their Tech/Warranty guys who were always very good).
But now I own one.....I've got to admit I like it.
Get the 44T chainring up front...it makes the bike more useable when you get to a hill.
I've got a Dahon speed 7 for sale in the, erm, for sale forum...
£140 posted... if that sways you 😉
DrP
Kansi did a good range of folding bikes which we were very impressed with - they're super-light and the quality is excellent, at better pricing than Brompton.
They have now been discontinued but some shops may have the odd one left. (Cheeky plug - we do!).
I've got a couple of little-used Dahons in the garage that I'm supposed to be selling for my in-laws, something I've singularly failed to even try to do. They were bought to take in a caravan but age and infirmity meant the bikes only got used a coupe of times!
I'm pretty sure they're Helios P8s, like [url= http://www.evanscycles.com/products/dahon/helios-p8-folding-bike-ec013624 ]this[/url]. I'm London based, drop me an e-mail if interested.
I am another huge fan of Bromptons - actually just picked up one today for the missus on the CTW scheme.
Really well designed pieces of kit. I would say worth the full value let alone the CTW amount.
The sweet spot is a used Mezzo. Almost as good without the cachet. I've had both. Bromptons are great, especially the 2-speed with luggage block. But the Mezzo is as capable, doesn't carry the cachet (and hence used price) and would be my budget recommendation. If you can afford a new Brompton, buy that, if not then the Mezzo. For full disclosure...
I've also had an Airnimal Rhino
And an Airframe
And a Bickerton
And an A Bike
And a Raleigh 20
And a Moulton
And a ... problem 😉
😳