9
votes
Folding bike recommendations
Hi Tilderinos! I am doing a study abroad program in Bordeaux, France. I am considering buying myself a folding bike for my time there. I just started doing some online research, and Brompton, Tern, and Dahon have popped up so far. The Brompton bikes are a bit more than I really want to spend, but I could spend that much if it was worth it. Do you have any recommendations on brands, models, or things to look for? Thanks!
Although I haven't ridden it myself, one of my friends has a https://helix.ca/ , and absolutely loves it.
https://www.reddit.com/r/foldingbikes/comments/xtv1uu/helix_bike_has_anyone_here_purchased_one_recently/ for a relatively recent discussion about them.
I’ve had a Dahon Speed Uno for a long time, so long they don’t even make the model anymore. I got mine for 500$ brand new. My spouse has a Dahon also but a 21 speed version. I really like the bike and I’ve put over 1000 miles on it easy. The only downside I can think of is the handle bar mechanism can be problematic if you do a lot of heavy riding where you may need to stand and pump hard. The handle bars fold down at the “neck” area and it is just one joint holding them up. It will wear down overtime and the handle bars will become loose. However, Dahon customer service might just be the best on the planet and they have lots of authorized dealers all over the place which is nice.
I don’t know anything about the other brands as they are way out of my price range but they do seem like a good choice if you can fork out the dough.
Have you considered a second hand one? https://www.leboncoin.fr is France’s Craigslist and it’s pretty amazing. I’ve bought a bunch of stuff in the past and it’s always fun to meet some local folks that way!
Otherwise, Decathlon is big in France and they have affordable bikes, also. They will not be Bromptons, but great for getting you from a to b.
People are very active on the site and I’ve only dealt with trustworthy people, so don’t worry too much about meeting up with people. The French do tend to ask at the higher end, so don’t feel bad haggling. Hope you can find a bike you like!
I had considered second hand, but I didn’t really know where to start. Thanks for linking that website. Looking at some of the prices, I think that is probably going to be the route I will take. I can get cheap ones for less than 100€, and pretty nice ones for less than 250€.
I am sure you gave it some proper consideration. But, just as a sanity check, why a folding bike specifically? Folding bikes can be great if you use a lot of public transport where the last mile is not covered. But, in general as bikes, they kind of suck.
So if you are intending to generally get around on a bike (it looks like Bordeaux has pretty decent biking infrastructure) I'd go for a regular bike. And by regular bike, I mean something along the lines of what we in the Netherlands call city bikes.
Well, a folding bike for a few reasons. First, because they seem cool and I have always been interested in them. Not the greatest reason, I know.
Second, I haven’t been to Bordeaux yet, but my general plan was to use public transit primarily, and, like you said, use the bike for last mile transport. Also possibly for transporting groceries from the store.
Last, I am hoping to try and immigrate to France or another EU country, but if I have to come back to the US, and if I decide to keep the bike, it would be much easier to fly a folding bike back to the US. That being said, that bike you linked looks pretty nice, so if I find a good deal, I will definitely consider it.
One cost factor in Berlin for people is the bike ticket for public transportation and folding bikes dont require the special ticket, so you save 150€ every year. If Bordeaux has similar rules, that’s another reason to get a folding bike.
Oh I hadn’t thought about that. Thanks for the info, I’ll do some more research.
Fair enough, certainly for the public transport role folding bikes are excellent. Bringing it back to the US is also pretty valid.
One last thing I'd like to raise is "why not both?". Of course, this entirely depends on your budget and living arrangements. It might even be my Dutch bias here, but most people here with a folding bike also have a regular bike. Simply because a regular city bike is much more convent for grocery shopping, chaining to something when you can't bring it inside, etc.
You'd also be surprised how easy it is to just take the bike for slightly longer distances and just skip public transport entirely. Again, this might be just my Dutch bias shining through again. Basically, for in city travel, a lot of us just use bikes.
I am not familiar with the French second hand bike prices, but I can't imagine that a decent second hand city bike will cost more than 100 euros.
I would recommend a used Brompton, you may be able to find one for under a thousand. You can resell it for basically the same price once you’re done. Other folding bikes don’t have a great resell price.
But that also means you can get an old Dahon or Strada that works great for 250€.
The Brompton is ridiculously compact and high quality. I’m very happy I got myself a used Brompton (bought it this year - made in 2015).
Hey! I’m currently in Bordeaux although I can’t tell you about bikes since I don’t use one.
If you have questions or interested in meeting up, feel free to send a message.
Sweet, yeah I would love to meet up! I don’t go until September, but I’ll send you a message once I get settled there.
Do you use public transit? My only time in France was like 4 days in Paris, and the metro was so comprehensive that I basically never felt the need for a car/bike/anything else. Is the transit in Bordeaux similar? Would a folding bike even be needed if I am primarily using public transit?
Yeah I use public transit. Super convenient. And super walkable! Comparable to Paris but of course a bike could bring you to less frequented corners.
Highly depends on where you want to regularly go and where you plan on staying imo. I live 30 mins by foot from the center so I have the choice of walking or taking a bus. Your mileage may vary.
There’s also the official app called TBM where you can buy tickets and look at the prices to see whether it makes more sense to get a bike or not.