10 votes

Smallest folding bike suggestions

Posted by llehsadam (edited )
Tags: ask.recommendations, bicycles.folding, commuting, cycling, brompton, dahon, tern

I am currently doing some research into small folding bikes and it is surprisingly difficult to find comparisons online. Reviews are not that great and it seems the folding bike world has Brompton-mania.

My location

I live in Berlin. Traveling with train and bike would reduce my current commute time from 45 minutes to 25 and I also use car-sharing, often end up picking up friends to drop them off home and being able to go somewhere on the bike and return with a car would help reduce my costs even further. My apartment is tiny, bikes get stolen from the inner courtyard... so... I want to get a portable bicycle that I can just take with me.

Size

I am 192cm tall though. I tried a Tern Eclipse and the rid comfort was incredible for a folding bike, but it does not fold into a compact backpack-sized bundle. It Is cumbersome to carry up stairs to the train. I also tried a Brompton and even though comfort is reduced, it is still decent even with 16" wheels.

Price

I am currently deciding between the Tern BYB with 20" wheels for 1899EUR, the Brompton C Line for 1550EUR and a Dahon Curl i4 for 1080EUR. I don't see much difference between the Brompton and the Dahon, so I am leaning towards Dahon because of the price. There is a new one coming out this year with disc brakes though... I may wait for that if the price is within the range I listed above...

Comparisons

Bicycle Link
Brompton C Line https://de.brompton.com/p/996/eu-c-line-urban
Dahon Curl i4 https://dahon.com/bikes/curl-i4-3/
Tern BYB P8 https://www.ternbicycles.com/de/bikes/471/byb-p8

Any other folding-bike commuters out there? How the quality of Dahon? Brompton? I am actually surprised how small the folding bike review world is. The Dahon Curl and Tern BYB don't really seem to be on the map for most and the Brompton seems to be the only bike that has long-term reviews from real commuters... I am also willing to buy a used Brompton, but they do not seem to get much cheaper used... I found an older model for 900EUR though.

Thoughts?

14 comments

  1. [2]
    semitones
    Link
    I saw a prototype once of a 26" wheeled bike which folded down into the footprint of the wheel diameter, and you could wheel it around. I don't know if any manufacturers make something like that,...

    I saw a prototype once of a 26" wheeled bike which folded down into the footprint of the wheel diameter, and you could wheel it around. I don't know if any manufacturers make something like that, but if so that might be a good option

    3 votes
    1. llehsadam
      Link Parent
      That would be amazing. I was considering the Tern Eclipse for a while, but it only folds once in the middle, so it still takes up a lot of space.

      That would be amazing. I was considering the Tern Eclipse for a while, but it only folds once in the middle, so it still takes up a lot of space.

  2. [3]
    battybattybat
    Link
    I also live in a city with very limited apartment space, with four flights of narrow stairs and no elevator. My bike commute is about 15 minutes each way. When I decided to get a bike three years...

    I also live in a city with very limited apartment space, with four flights of narrow stairs and no elevator. My bike commute is about 15 minutes each way.

    When I decided to get a bike three years ago my priorities were:

    1. Folded size (it needs to live under a desk in my apartment)
    2. Ease of carrying
    3. Riding experience

    Brompton won out clearly on 1 (not sure if options have changed in the last year or so) and its folded carry ergonomics seemed best as well. In the end I purchased a 6-speed “superlight” model (the predecessor to the P-line).

    Since then, I’ve discovered that:

    • Brompton mania is very real. There’s a meetup group in my city that goes on rides and puts on a few neat events throughout the year. It’s a fun group of people! The bike is also a bit of a conversation starter when waiting at a light with other commuters.
    • Brompton has some great accessories. I try to keep the weight as low as possible so I don’t use a rack, but their bag mounting system is really well designed and functional. I use “shopping cart mode” to buy groceries pretty often on my commute home.
    • I’ve gone on a bunch of 100-150km rides, which I never expected to be able to do! Switching to 3-finger Ergon grips was essential though.
    • When I rent a car or take a train to another town, it’s pretty easy to bring the bike and use it to explore when I get there.
    • Most restaurants in my city are happy to keep the bike in a coat closet or let me leave it under the table. I call ahead when making a reservation.

    Things I don’t like:

    • Price (although I would buy again in a heartbeat if my bike was damaged or stolen)
    • Changing flats is a little more tricky compared to a full size bike. I’ve only had one in three years though, and that’s with riding through all sorts of debris, potholes, construction zones, etc. on my commute. I use marathon racer tires.
    3 votes
    1. [2]
      llehsadam
      Link Parent
      Thanks, this is really helpful. I also read that if parts to wear out, Brompton designed those to be replaced. On the Dahon and Tern they are welded to the frame. I found a used Brompton for under...

      Thanks, this is really helpful. I also read that if parts to wear out, Brompton designed those to be replaced. On the Dahon and Tern they are welded to the frame.

      I found a used Brompton for under 1000€ that I am going to test out. It looks like the C-Line 2 speed with H handlebars… this may be the bike I get.

      Is that a reasonable price for a used Brompton? I noticed they don’t actually lose that much value when compared to the other manufacturers (if you go by listed prices).

      1. battybattybat
        Link Parent
        That sounds reasonable to me if it’s in good condition, but it’s also been a while since I went shopping for one. I would definitely go for a test ride on a two speed though! If you have any hills...

        That sounds reasonable to me if it’s in good condition, but it’s also been a while since I went shopping for one. I would definitely go for a test ride on a two speed though! If you have any hills then at least a 3 speed might be helpful.

        Also just in case you haven’t seen it, Brompton makes an extended seatpost that people often pair with H bars. A bonus feature they don’t mention on the website is that this allows you to remove the saddle easily if you need to store the bike in a very tight space.

  3. [5]
    caliper
    Link
    I haven’t owned one, but always found the Strida design intriguing. Might be worth to check it out.

    I haven’t owned one, but always found the Strida design intriguing. Might be worth to check it out.

    3 votes
    1. llehsadam
      Link Parent
      I’ve seen these riding around Berlin. It folds down to about 20x50x100cm, has disc brakes and can support a rider up to 200cm tall. That’s not bad. Thanks for the name, I’ll keep Strida in mind.

      I’ve seen these riding around Berlin. It folds down to about 20x50x100cm, has disc brakes and can support a rider up to 200cm tall. That’s not bad. Thanks for the name, I’ll keep Strida in mind.

      1 vote
    2. [3]
      gowestyoungman
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      That's a unique and fascinating design. I really like the fact that the triangular design eliminates the ungainly long seat and handlebar posts of most fold up bikes. It can be pushed in its...

      That's a unique and fascinating design. I really like the fact that the triangular design eliminates the ungainly long seat and handlebar posts of most fold up bikes. It can be pushed in its folded position too, so you don't have to actually carry it. Belt drive. Folding pedals. Dual disc brakes. Up to 6'4" and 220 lbs, nice. Here's the 5 second folding video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Td7-d8c9bCA&t=5s&ab_channel=Stridanl

      This is a brilliant design.

      Edit: One commenter on yt says "Get a brompton, I have a Strida and its very uncomfortable and twitchy"

      1 vote
      1. [2]
        caliper
        Link Parent
        I’ve ridden one and it’s fine. Just like with any bike that’s a little different, it’ll probably take most people some time to get used to. The thing I don’t get is the price. This shouldn’t cost...

        I’ve ridden one and it’s fine. Just like with any bike that’s a little different, it’ll probably take most people some time to get used to.

        The thing I don’t get is the price. This shouldn’t cost more than €500 in my mind, yet it’s over double that amount. Why are most of these foldable bikes sold at such a premium?

        1 vote
        1. rosco
          Link Parent
          Bikes in general are pretty expensive and more so post pandemic. An "entry level" gravel bike will set you back at least $1200, more likely in the $1500-2000 range.

          Bikes in general are pretty expensive and more so post pandemic. An "entry level" gravel bike will set you back at least $1200, more likely in the $1500-2000 range.

          2 votes
  4. [2]
    PuddleOfKittens
    (edited )
    Link
    You doubled up the dahon link. Presumably this: https://www.ternbicycles.com/au/bikes/471/byb-p8

    Tern BYB P8 https://dahon.com/bikes/curl-i4-3/

    You doubled up the dahon link. Presumably this: https://www.ternbicycles.com/au/bikes/471/byb-p8

    1 vote
    1. llehsadam
      Link Parent
      Thanks, I changed my link to the German one where I saw the price. But your link to the Australian site is in English so that's good too.

      Thanks, I changed my link to the German one where I saw the price. But your link to the Australian site is in English so that's good too.

      1 vote
  5. [2]
    PuddleOfKittens
    Link
    Thoughts: are you buying online or retail? If retail, the #1 question is whether you can find the relevant bikes being sold in a local shop, because otherwise you won't be able to buy them. I...

    Thoughts: are you buying online or retail? If retail, the #1 question is whether you can find the relevant bikes being sold in a local shop, because otherwise you won't be able to buy them. I mean, you might be able to request they order one in but the other side here is whether they'll repair it.

    1 vote
    1. llehsadam
      Link Parent
      I can definitely get a Brompton in a local shop, there's a shop near my house actually. The Dahon I can get from Decathlon (big sporting goods store) online or from some smaller stores online... I...

      I can definitely get a Brompton in a local shop, there's a shop near my house actually.

      The Dahon I can get from Decathlon (big sporting goods store) online or from some smaller stores online... I cannot actually find a place to test ride it though, it does not seem to be sold locally.

      The Tern is also sold in a few stores in Berlin, your comment actually made me look on their website and they have it 300EUR off, which is pretty cool.

      Honestly, I may just do the comparison myself. Maybe a local Decathlon has the Dahon in stock, I could test ride all three...