Chicago Bike Blog

Bikes in Shopping Carts

We've always had a soft spot for folding bikes. Having grown up in Poland, where folding bikes were simply what many people rode, I learned to ride on a friend's folding bike, and my own first big bike was also a folder. When Chris and I opened Rapid Transit Cycleshop, we desperately wanted folding bikes to be part of our menu. Unfortunately, back int he early 90's, there were no folding bike manufacturers willing to have a practical working relationship with a bicycle retailer.

At last, in 1997, a company that was then known as Burley Design Cooperative began distributing the German-designed Birdy Bike. Back then, we were publishing a shop newsletter, and we wrote an enthusiastic review of what it was like to use a folding bike around Chicago. Here's the gist of it (from the Fall/Winter 1997 issue):

"For years, I have been keeping a keen eye out for a folding bike that would offer uncompromising performance and easy foldability, and solve two of urban commuters' chief dilammas: how to keep it from getting stolen, and how to bail out because of bad weather or other factors. Until this year, virtually all performance folding bikes were designed primarily for touring. In other words, they ride well, fold compactly, and travel equally well, but the folding and unfolding takes time. A commuter bike should ride and travel well, but the folding should be a snap.
I finally found my prize... The main benefits of the German-designed Birdy are versatility and freedom. It does everything that a high-quality city bike should do. It enables the rider to delicately maneuver in heavy traffic, and to push big gears on an open road. And then it folds into a small package in 20 seconds flat.
The folding feature opens up a lot of unexplored possibilities. The Birdy may fit into your life in completely new and unexpected way. For utility, the bike is unparalleled. You can take the train to the general vicinity of where you want to go, unfold the bike and run errands or go to work. Don't bother with a lock. In less time than it would take to secure it, you can fold it up and bring it inside.
I have personally been all over the city of the Birdy. It's accompanied me inside a barber shop, retstaurants, bars and even traffic court. It's been at parties and get-togethers. I've ridden it on bike paths and in downtown traffic. I've carried it in a shopping cart at Jewel while getting groceries. I've take it it on CTA trains, and thrown it in the back of my car with ease.
The versatility offered by the Birdy is nothing short of liberating. I step outside my house to determine which way the wind is blowing. If it's favorable, I hop on the Birdy for the entire 8 mile commute. If not, I ride two miles to the train and ride the CTA. The bike allows me to get on and off public transit at any time I choose."

Now, nearly eleven years later, folding bikes are available from a variety of manufacturers, and are becoming an increasingly common sight in the city. The Birdy, of course, is still available, with much the same design as the one we reviewed over a decade ago. It's still a good  bike. But it faces stiff competition from companies like Dahon, who innovate like crazy to keep up with growing demand for their product; and BikeFriday, who, having developed what may be the quintessential urban folder, the Tikit, is taking internet marketing to new levels. (But, despite their widely publicized adventures, including putting Tikits in shopping carts, I do believe we were there first...)

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.

Strida Folding Bike Review

There is a very thorough review of a rider's first encounter with the Strida folding bike on the Commute By Bike blog. I am looking forward to an objective review of the actual riding experience. This first installment covers the trials and tribulations of assembling the bike out of the box.

Of course, if you live in Chicago, you can skip that step, as Rapid Transit is part of Strida's fledgling dealer network, an we'll do all that stuff for you, plus teach you how to fold it, so you can just enjoy the ride.
But perhaps, we could do something about posting that instructional assembly video o YouTube? Hm...

5 Top Reasons Folding Bikes Make Great Christmas Gifts

Hello, and welcome again to Chicago's ULTIMATE Cyclist Gift Guide. Let's just jump right in. So, what makes folding bikes such great Christmas gifts?

1. They are unique. It is unlikely that you are going to duplicate anyone else's gift-buying effort (although you may want to team up with another giver). Consider this example:

STRIDA 3.2 ($500). Compact, umbrella-like folding, grease and rust-free belt-drive mechanism make this an excellent choice for short commutes, even for folks who must wear a suit. Bonus: the design of the Strida makes it a fabulous urban fashion accessory on the street, and an instant conversation piece in your living room.

2. They fit a wide range of riders.

This 20" wheel DAHON Speed D7 ($380) will accommodate riders from just under 5 feet to about 6'2". So you don't have to guess the size. Different household members can share the use of the same bike. This is true for most 20" wheel folding bikes across the price spectrum.

3. They are easy to ride and use. The small wheels on most folding bikes give them a low stand-over height, making it easy to get on and off the bike quickly, and maneuver through tight spots and sharp corners. Many folding bikes offer a fairly upright, head-up, riding position, which is great for stop-and-go commuting, running errands, and most other urban riding situations.

This award-winning and accessory-packed DAHON Ciao P8 ($800) is very user-friendly, with it's very low step-through frame, stylish in a European sort of way. Like many folding bikes, it comes with accessories useful to urban cyclists, such as fenders, chainguard, rack and bell (the basket, sadly, is not included, but many other extras are).

With a little practice, most folding bikes fold easily and quickly, and are engineered to stand on their own and hold their shape when folded.

Like this BROMPTON S2L Titanium (this one is, gasp!, $1820, but these English beauties start at about $1000).

Not only that, several models, like the Brompton, Strida, and Tikit, can be wheeled along while walking. Watch the ease of folding and transporting the Tikit:

This BIKE FRIDAY Tikit, the current sensation of the folding bike world, is available for $1195.

4. Folding bikes come in a wide range  prices, from about $350 to $2000, to suit most budgets. That makes them comparable with many other popular gift items, such as, say, cameras. Yet, you get personal mobility, affordable transportation, fitness machine, recreational vehicle, and tons of fun rolled into one neat package. And, oh, BTW, it is a package that...

5. ...fits under the Christmas tree!

And here is a coupon you can use with folding bikes:

(You know the drill: click, print and redeem at Rapid Transit Cycleshop.)

Bike Friday to Visit Rapid Transit

UPDATE TO THE PLANNED GET-TOGETHER: casual ride. We will meet at noon on Sunday, Aug. 5 at Rapid Transit, and proceed to Chinatown for Dim Sum. After lunch, we'll bike to Grant Park to see what's going on there, and return to Rapid Transit for the screening of "Route 66 by Bicycle: Pedaling the Mother Road", a movie shot from the handlebars of the GalFromDownUnder, Bike Friday's Customer Evangelist Lynette Chiang. For details, click link below: