I don't wear unless I go for a ride along some really busy roads. Other than that, if mostly quiet or residential roads, I won't wear it and just hang the helmet on the bars, so that can enjoy the cooling wind more.

is that a brompton?

Good work!

hah, felt this too.

If you remove the seat posts out from the bike and place it in car front seat, then may just be possible to have two bikes 20 inch rims. Just experiment if with your 20 inch...

but best to have 16 inch rims, so small and compact.

got, i bought my new 16 inch foldie at rm750, an XDS

yes, xds fa 16

what's the best folding bicycle?

i just asked Mr. Google. and the answer ..... ?

it depends, but the core brands keep on coming up...

a lot of people buy cheap foldable bikes in the beginning..

later on with more experience and ... frustrations with the folding mechanisms, quite a few people end up with a brompton.... heh heh..

This post has been edited by budgee: Jul 5 2014, 04:07 PM

... hah hah. .... and some end up ..... getting married to each other ....

some are collectors... ... in singapore ..

This post has been edited by budgee: Jul 5 2014, 11:01 PM


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I do use the Tern carryon cover bag, when I want to take my bike upstairs into multi storey building office. Sometimes, I carry it into the elevators and the security guards hardly know what is inside.

But for the Putra LRT train, I don't use any bag, just fold it and push it onto the train. KTM I don't use so I don't know, but I heard for KTM, you need a bag to cover it otherwise you have to pay RM10 extra.


http://www.ternbicycles.com/gear/carryon-cover

That's great!

Have you tried to bring your foldie onto buses? I am just curious, perhaps can take a bike to Singapore for cycling one day by bus or train.

Its hard not to sweat when you are cycling in KL. The heat from the cars and buses in addition to the humid morning will make you sweat. What I do is to cycle slowly on level roads, if uphill, then use lowest gear and cycle even slower. And once I reach office, I do not go in yet. I will sit down somewhere and cool down somewhere first, preferably with a cold drink and if possible, air cond place. If no such place, then I have a small USB fan to cool myself down with a power bank attached. No USB fan?, then use those chinese foldable fans, which is much lighter, make it a large one to fan yourself. This will take me about 20 minutes to cool down. After cool down, then just change into office wear and go into the rest room to freshen up.

This post has been edited by budgee: Jul 10 2014, 08:52 PM

You cycle to work in KL too? Sweaty or not? but also depends on the distance.

Good lah then. My ride from PJ to KL is about 11 to 14km depending on the route used.

my elusive bike?




What is a good foldable bike for me? It's just my own opinion, so you are free to disagree.


And Why did I choose it?


1. Cycling comfort - this is important.

The feel on the bike should be one where the feel resembles a bigger road bike, in terms of saddle height, handlebar height.

Here most foldable bikes should be able to give you this. The saddle height and fore and aft can be adjusted to different rider height.
Handlebar height is also very crucial for me. It cannot be too low otherwise I will suffer from pain in the elbow from the jarring from bumps and potholes. I got to sit relatively upright which is the most comfortable position for long distances.

My bikes: Tern, XDS 16 inch, FNHON 16 inch are all aluminium so the ride is quite jarring, can feel the bumps quite harsh on the hands and seat. Meanwhile the brompton is made of steel which has the effect of flexing so will give a more comfortable ride over the same stretch of uneven road comparatively.

Winner: Brompton 16 inch (tern P18 is a close second) Brompton has got different handlebars for sporty ride, for long distance rides, for town rides. Just change the handlebars and the whole bike will feel different, this I found out.



2. Compact folding size (can be put into luggage bags for travel on trains, airplanes etc)

My 3 bikes: Tern 20 inch, XDS FA 16, FN HON 16. only the 16 inch wheels are compact, but both the 16 inch bikes are not so easy to transport or push around.

Winner: Brompton 16 inch - the best compact size. Can fit into small cars, under the staircase, under your bed, etc



3. Portability in moving bike on platforms/ terminals
The bike once folded should be able to be pushed around inside train stations or apartments or office buildings.

Tern P18 (big fail because once folded, it can't stay very stable, may tilt over anytime. You want to push it around train station, hah, tried but very uncomfortable)

All time winner: Brompton (the best in terms of design, can push the bike like a shopping cart, buy the front loading brompton front bag) The brompton can stand on its own without falling over.

(The stable small pulley wheels make sure its stays upright. - get the brompton with the rear rack with wheels)



4. Gearing ratios (the gears should be able to give you good climbing ability and good level road speeds... downhill you should be able to crank the pedals as well to further increase speed to save travelling time.

My 3 bikes: Tern, XDS FA16 (big loser), FNHON (ok only)

Co-Winners: Brompton, Tern P18



5. Frame sturdiness and confidence in bike at high speeds
A foldable bike is actually made of two different metal parts connected somewhere in the middle. This means the weakest part is in the joint. If the clamp is not strong enough, guess what, it will mean you are in danger of crashing when you are riding fast when the clamp accidentally opens up.

My bikes: Tern (ok only as the clamps have a pin to lock into place. But this pin can be broken if you force the clamp to open without shifting the pin aside, ouch ... design is not good) XDS and FNHON (just a plastic to keep the clamp in place. er... not good design at all, once a bag which was hanging on the handlebars accidently opened the plastic and the clamp opened up while I was riding! lucky wasn't going fast otherwise, I will be missing my two front teeth.

Winner: Brompton ( the designers used a large turning screw to clamp the joints into place ... the best safety clamp, the clamp will not accidently open up)



6. Chain and deraileur
The rear deraileur and front deraileur makes a big impact on how the bike performs.

Tern got both front and rear deraileur.. why is an issue? the front has got two gears (unnecessary extra weight). Change to bigger and smaller is like a road bike but this is a foldable, which do not have a lot of frame size.

XDS (lose because the front crank cannot be too big otherwise the pedals will hit the ground when you are tilting the bike into a corner. Way out is do not pedal when you are turning corners. But the small front crank makes me seem like cycling air when I want to go faster than 15 kph. I just can't pedal at all when going downhill.

Winner: brompton. Only have one front gear, large enough for the gears.


Tern: The rear deraileur is from a mountain bike, Shimano Tiagra, which will be quite low, almost touching the ground. Disadvantage with this is that it may hit some objects with jut out. Once I rode over a bump with evenly spaced rubber mounds and the rear deraileur hit one. Lucky wasn't damaged. Also too low near the ground will pick up a lot of dust and sand when riding.

Winner: Brompton. They designed the rear deraileur to be far above the ground, to protect it.



7. Weight:

The bike weight should be light enough so that you can cycle uphill without too much effort.
Winner: FNHON at 8.8 kg. Brompton loses as its about 9 to 10 kg.


8. Design and thoughtfulness in designing a foldable bicycle.

No need to talk too much, winner: Brompton. Indeed a lot, a lot, a lot of thought has been put into designing the brompton. The way it folds and stay folded. The Tern once folded can still accidentally come apart, because they use magnets...! apa lah?? magnets to hold the bike weighing about 10 kg together?

Take a look at the folded brompton. Check out where the normally black and dirty chain is. It's cleverly hidden between the two tyres. This means you can't dirty your clothes or other people's clothes with the chain, crank or deraileur if you were to carry it or lug it on board a public train. Thoughtful indeed.

Check out the two different pedals of the brompton.

----------------------------------

So overall winner is Brompton! But while its a winner, there are some things to watch out for.

Wheels are not easy to take out. In case of puncture, the sturmey archer hub cable needs to be disconnected, and no quick release. Solution: buy the puncture resistant Schwalbe Marathon Plus.

Price! Its not cheap, and that's why I am saving up every month to accumulate enough. Still do not have the Brompton yet. Got to place an order at the end of the year and then hope to get it in about 4 months time.
It's a exclusive product so do expect the exclusive prices for the brompton accessories. Unless you can find compatible bags or frame mounts.

Theft: can't leave an expensive bike like this anywhere, so got to bring it everywhere I go... sometimes, its just better to use a cheap bike and lock it up somewhere in the shopping centre car park. can't do that with brompton. Solution: buy a second cheaper bike for those quick rides to the nearby shops.


Handlebars cannot be easily changed. Got to choose which one you want and stay with it. Solution buy 3 bromptons to have 3 different handlebars ...

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By the way, I do not work for any bicycle shop or own any bike shop. still just a working coolie out to scrape out a living, but appreciate good design when I come across it.

-----------------------------------

In the end, you have to ask yourself what are your objectives for getting a foldable bicycle. Just ask these questions and you will find the folder of choice within your budget.

1. Folder just so to get it in car boot, exploratory cycling in remote towns, parks and then back home by car, weekend rides
2. Compact folder, and mix it with using public transport to get around, daily transportation. This is for serious savings of petrol, car parking, avoidance of traffic jams
3. Folder just to get it in car boot going for rides to see the clock timing for fast rides, and then back home by car, normally weekend rides or challenge rides
4. Folder that is used for long distance touring, mixed with public transportation by bus, train in unfamiliar routes
5. Folder that is used for occasional rides to the shops, leisurely slow riding style
6. Folder to join cycling groups
7. Folder to go into off road, rough terrain.





This post has been edited by budgee: Jul 13 2014, 05:29 AM

Hmmmm ... Titan, are you the kong I know on fb?

why? outdoorexplorer can sell B?

LOL ...


hah hah .. once you kena the B poison, you want it to give it to others too, huh?

but agree lah, antidote for the poison is hard to find.