Hunt for a folding bike – addendum
OK. It has been a while since I talked about folding-bikes. I have had some good advice from experienced people and I appreciate the comments as always. With the mild cash crunch going on, the decision to buy the bike has been postponed a bit. But that does not mean that we should stop the research yea.
One of the folding bikes that has been getting a lot of press is the strida. It is an interesting design and seems to be able to get people talking about bikes and riding. That is a good thing. The bike has some things going for it. It is a ‘unique’ design – I would us weird, but unique none the less. It has a very quick fold. Not as fast as the tikit but a nice trouble free fold. The best part is the ability to roll comfortably. That is really cool about this design.
However, I do not like how the bike looks. Note I am not only complaining the aesthetics I am also concerned about the triangle that is “oh, so close” to the crotch. The design also gets very cramped as you raise the seats and not very comfy if you are tall. Finally, it seems to fail in the aspect of ‘rideability’. The bike is twitchy overall ( though common among folding bikes), the strida is a lot more twitchier.
I am sure there might be some people who might find some use for the bike but given the price, a mid-range Dahon might be a much better bet for overall ‘rideability’.
I was surprised to find a nice video comparing the Strida’s to the Brompton. I should say I agree with the observations made in the video.
Related posts:
November 23rd, 2008 18:45
Hi Nat,
I enjoyed watching that review and having owned the Strida and the Brompton, I will say that the comments are pretty spot on.
Having just returned from the mountains of Lao after 600km of hard riding, I have a deeper appreciation of foldies that can climb well. Our Surly LHT of course handled the steep mountain climbs and flew down those passes with bad roads without any issue.
Umm, looks like the search for the ultimate touring foldie begins. BF NWT or Dahon’s TR? Any other suggestions?
Al
November 24th, 2008 09:48
Hi Al:
I have been lurking and reading about your Loas adventure. Good to have you back commenting
I tried the NWT when I was in Eugene this year. It has a good ride and can fold quickly too. The trouble as I saw was that the bike needs a near disassembly to make it compact. On top, it does not roll. Not that this is a problem if you are out touring but not the best solution for riding within the city (to work etc…)
I would think another option to consider for touring (and compact packing) would be the LHT with S&S Couplers. I am sure you have heard of them. You need someone experienced to modify the frame for the couplers (Sulaiman, from Rebound Center comes to mind).
I know one person who has this setup and during a chat I had with him, he was very happy with the conversion and mentioned that the disassembled state is extremely convenient for air-travel.
The flip sides are possibly a more convoluted disassembly process and of course cost (I think the conversion could set you back by 700-800 SGD). Not too bad in the long run, me thinks.
Worth considering, given that LHT is such an amazing ride.
November 26th, 2008 08:23
Thanks Nat. I checked with Sul and its abt S$800, possibly more when you need the special tools, cabling etc. But it sure is cheaper than forking some more dough for yet another bike…
Did you get your LHT from RC as well?
November 26th, 2008 11:52
Pricing wise, I think it is reasonable too… S&S quotes similar figures on their site. Another option I forgot was the Traveler’s check. But then the price works out to building a cross check or LHT with S&S as an after market upgrade.
My other bike is a cross setup (Trek XO) and it is a vey good ride too. It feels less stable than the LHT but very nimble. I have done 100+Km rides on both and feel equally comfortable by the end.
Given you have an LHT that you have built the way you want, I would go by the upgrade route.
I got my LHT from TR (lynten).
November 30th, 2008 18:41
Hi Nat,
On a different note, I met a French 62yo world tourer on a trike in Vientiane. We had breakfast and I was absolutely fascinated by his machine. It had a trailer as well and he had been touring for 7years.
Have you ever ridden one of these? Guess with Spore’s narrow roads, it may not be too practical. His blog (in French but translation option available) for your reading enjoyment.
http://tour-du-monde-en-tricycle.blogs-de-voyage.fr
Al
November 30th, 2008 19:47
So cool. Amazing, at his age too. Whenever I see people riding nifty variants of the ‘standard’ bike, it reminds me that it usually is not the machine but the person and the willingness to haul arse out in the wide world.
Once I met an Aussie guy (mid sixties too). After retirement, he decided to roam the world. Had a nice long chat by the east coast park and that was one of the times it struck me that that is what I would like to do in the long run. Lets see how life deals with me…
December 1st, 2008 22:00
That is what I aspire to do, one day
The French grandpa told me with a big smile on his face, “Arh Alvine, my life is very good. Very happy…”
Agree with you – many people are so obsessed with their bikes and their parts that they forget the simple joy of just cycling, preferably to exotic lands.