Folding bikes are small wheeled bikes that can be folded to smaller size to store. This is a great feature for example if you have a sailing boat and still want to cycle when onshore. It can take as little as one third of space compared to normal bikes and it can still function just like a normal bike when riding it.
Sure the smaller wheels and simpler components will not be optimal for longer rides but these bikes are good for cycling around the town.
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Folding Bikes' Features
The traditional folding bike has quite a small frame with a long seatpost and head tube. Normal wheel size is around 20 inches but there are a lot of bikes with 4 inches smaller or bigger wheel sizes too.
One of the most important feature in a folding bike is how small it can be when folded. This is because the main usage is in places with less room to store the bike. All the main components in these bikes have to be small too for compact storing so the bikes often have less than 10 speeds without a cassette.
Joints are used in the frame to fold it. To make the folding as easy as possible the frame usually has only one horizontal tube instead of top and down tubes. This tube has to be able to handle the load so it has to be strong enough. Other common folding point is in the head tube and some more compact models have one in the rear wheel too.
Folding Bike Size
Folding bikes have better adjustments for cyclists of different lengths so the same frame size fits most. Basically the height can be adjusted with the seatpost and handlebar. For longer cyclists there is some range to adjust the position of the saddle and handlebar to get a little more space between them. They are not designed for long rides like road bikes so the riding posture is quite upright. Its the same case in many city bikes.
Most manufacturers do not give the bike dimensions when folded. It's quite odd since it might be an important information for many people seeking for a good folding bike. One of the most popular manufacturers Brompton has only one size for all bikes and that is 58,5 cm x 27cm x 56,5 cm. That is a very good size for storing the bike and it can easily fit to even smaller sailing boats or mobile homes.
Prizing
The prizes are not that high for folding bikes maybe because their stripped down components. The cheapest ones can be found with a price tag around 200 to 300 euros but the folded size might not be so small. These models can also have trickier folding mechanisms. If you do not need a very compact one they might be good for you.
For more compact quality models the average price might be around 1000 euros and up. They have spent a lot more time designing the bikes and that can be seen: folding is easy and the storing dimensions are smaller.
