Why Everyone Needs a Folding Bike

What's so great about folding bikes and why do we sell them here at Rapid Transit Cycleshop?

All bikes excel at something. You know, cruisers are great for the beach, recumbents for long-distance touring. Here are our favorite applications of folding bikes:

In the city:

• Urban commuting, using combination of transit and biking
• Bike-assisted walking (This is like when you want to go for a walk, but you want to increase your range a little bit. I may have to post on that separately.)

Any time you travel, and need transportation when you get there:

• Car-based road trips
• Business trips
• Car or train weekend trips
• International travel
• Airline personnel
• Boating/private aircraft (OK, few of us have these, but if you do, get a folding bike)

Aside from providing instant and flexible transportation, folding bikes offer numerous advantages over conventional bikes in certain situations:

• easy to store at home or at the office
• relatively easy to take in and out of buildings, and thus...
• does not need to be locked outside
• easy to transport
• fits a wide variety of riders, and thus...
• can be shared by different household members (I suppose this could be a disadvantage)
• easy to get on and off
• maneuverable & zippy
• good climbing

Yes, like most other things, folding bikes have a few disadvantages:

• You can get a performance folder, but you'll have to pay a lot.
• If you fall outside of average height and weight limits, you will not be able to buy and off the shelf model. You can have one custom-made, but, again, it'll cost you.
• Carrying a folding bike, no matter how compact, is awkward and cumbersome. The bike never seems as small on your back as it did on the showroom floor.
• Many standard accessories, such as racks and fenders, will not fit, and have to be special-ordered from the manufacturer.

If ordinary bikes give you freedom to move around the city with ease and sidestep traffic woes, folding bikes crank that freedom up another notch. For the urban commuter, they offer the ultimate in versatility and flexibility, allowing you to combine biking with transit, taxi cabs, and giving you access to storage and security options unavailable to standard bikes. For the traveler with a folding bike, the world is your oyster.

Comments

[Jennifer]

On your back? Am I missing something, or am I just a wimp?

[Justyna]

Oh, I just said that because those carrier bags sometimes have backpack-type straps. I've actually seen people with folding bikes on their backs, but I think you may have to be a little taller than 5'3" to attempt that. I just lug it by the handle myself.

[Strida]

To experience the disk brakes Black, Skin Wall, Reflective Stripe Alloy, Cold Forged SS, Four Spider Cast Aluminum, Welded AL Mount Internal, Rear Hub Freewheel in your strida