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

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?

I had often considered an e-bike and whilst I don't consider myself particularly good at cycling I have always enjoyed going on a bike ride.

I live in a mountainous area and I am overweight and late 50's with arthritis and so cycling was becoming harder for me (I resisted an uphill battle). Cycling has always had health benefits both mental and physical but now it was a struggle.

I therefore started to look at the different models that were available. My requirements were for a hobby cyclist and enough range for a few hours ride.

I dont know what it is like elsewhere but blimey they are expensive here in the UK. 1500 - 2000GBP for a base model. So I kept my eyes open for a second hand model and finally picked up an E-MTB for 300GBP which fit none of my criteria.
A Coyote Edge 650 which was sold by a shop called Halfords here in the UK. 36v rear hub driven and a 7 gear rear cog setup

i have only ever ridden hybrids or tourers before but MTB's are an eye opener and if they are as much fun without the electrics then I really did miss out on some fun in the past.

I have now done 500+ miles and it has been nothing but fun. I sometimes only get out for an hour after work but for my head that is usually good enough. I can also get to the top of the mountain and just sit and admire the view then follow the trail back down (and dont tell the wife but I am getting quicker and quicker on that down hill track)

There is no real point to this other than to share my experience as a first time e cyclist

Downsides, it is expensive. The e bike, the helmet and gloves can be quite expensive and the bits that you need just in case, pump, water bottle, spare inner tube, glasses for when the sun is low. Also when the battery starts to go that is a huge expense, in my case we are looking 300 to 400GBP.

On the other side though it has re-opened some routes I haven't done in years, my mental state is a lot better I'm losing weight, and I am having fun. Do you know how many flies you can catch when you are smiling!

Top tips I have found though is that Ali-Express is awesome for tools and parts and that charity shops (Thrift shops in the US) have been excellent for sportswear, I got some good base layers a while ago and the wife brought me home 2 MuddyFox cycling jerseys the other day, one which had a shops label still in.

If you are still contemplating whether to get one, do so and then make the time to ride it. You won't regret it.

p.s. Im not buying Lycra

I just started biking to work this week, and I'm loving it so far. I still need a lot of gear for max comfort, and I need to work out whether to shower at work or what, but I'm excited to figure those things out.

Wondering if anyone else on Tildes commutes by bike, what your experience has been, any tips you might have!