Foldinitis is a cheerful infection, though it has been around for a while, I attribute the naming to Oldy.

I have written about getting folding bikes for a while, to supplement my stable, it is like getting a pony to supplement the stable of thorough bred’s and donkeys. Well once you get the imagery out, I was in two minds for a long while. It is easy to rationalize the need for a bike but having an unused bike is far worse than not having a bike. So I have been putting off my purchase for a long while now.

But lust never disappears fully and now and then, I would be tempted to ‘research’ the updates at the usual haunts and hold back just in time by rational thought. that was until hell broke loose when REI decided to offer a rebranded dahon Mu (downgraded Sport) for an attractive price. That along with the fact that REI sweetened the deal with its annual 20% sale and made it an offer too good to pass.

So, I ordered my Novarra Buzz Flyby and waited for it to come to me. There was the issue of Dahon’s Global recall for handleposts. But I will save that story for another post.

I will write a more detailed impression on the bike later but let me mention that the Flyby is an amazing value.

1. It has a very good choice of gearing,
2. an internal Geared hub (standard 8 speed Nexus),
3. comes standard with fenders,
4. reasonable saddle,
5. nice handlebar grips,
6. good tires,
7. a pump hidden in the seat post,
8. a cute addition of a bell,
9. A kick stand,
10. front and rear reflectors and
11. the plastic foldable saddles.

It follows the basic frame of a Mu and seems to be a lower speced Mu XL Sport, which is a high end model offered by Dahon. To top it, it comes in a color and decent graphics that is not typically Dahon. I think REI did a nice job with the graphics.

Dahon’s bike design has been copied in much of the cheap bikes and hence teh design is usually linked to the cheaper bikes. But it seems to me that though not revolutionary anymore, they have regular updates to the basic components and are constantly improving them. I have ridden the bike before and I knew pretty much what I was getting. But though I was not expecting to be blown away, I was plesantly surprised by the package and the nice thoughtful touches in the bike.

I did mention that Foldinitis is a infection. What happened after a week of getting the bike is that the infection started spreading. A friend of mine laid claim to my bike and another one (in my household) decided to try commuting to his workplace about 6km from home.

This is like giving a candy to a kid, what happens next is obvious to victims. But I will mention anyway. So he rides the bike to work, stuff the bike in the bag, takes it to his office. Then spend a major portion of his day explaining to curious colleagues on why he started biking and what he is riding on, gets a bunch of “thumb’s up” and says to himself, this is cool, I should be doing this daily.

I was checking out my usual haunts and realized that diginexx has a Sale for foldies. A good one at that. I found that the Bike Friday tikit was selling at almost the dealer price. I casually mentioned to the new victim of foldinitis and before we knew it, we were at the shop, signing on the dotted line after a quick test ride. A Bike Friday Tikit, the bike that broke the barriers on how quickly one can fold / unfold a usable bike. A bike that is from a different planet compared to the elegance of the Brompton. A bike I have been lusting over for the past 2 years and now it is in my living room and it is not mine.

Well I am like a kid in a horse ranch, I have the option of choosing what to ride when I have to ride and I have friends who would let me take a ride or two without getting paranoid over their possessions. That I am glad for. But now that I have had close contact with victims and had a whiff of what is in offer, it is going to be a very short while before I will breakdown again and add another pony to the stable. Now, the question is what will it be?