Buyers’ guide for folding bikes

MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE

Folding bikes today offer a myriad of wheel sizes, folding systems and colour choices to suit all kinds of cycling profiles and needs. For this, extensive research is required and, not surprisingly, you can find seemingly endless information on the web.

At My Bike Shop, we pride ourselves on helping customers avoid all that endless screen time and decide on the best brand and the most applicable model for them. (It’s like the difference between trying to read up on a medical issue yourself and going straight to your doctor for immediate and accurate diagnosis and treatment!)

However, the decision-making process is worth knowing and these are six steps we suggest you follow before committing to a folding bike.

STEP 1: DECIDE HOW YOU RIDE

The first step in choosing your folding bicycle is to decide what type of riding you’ll be doing. How often and where you plan to ride.

My Bike Shop has models to support recreational, commuting, urban riding, trekking, weekend leisure riding, touring…… the list goes on.

Ask yourself whether having a good ride is more important than having the ability to push your folded bike? Or is that suspension worth the extra money if you’re only ever going to be riding on PCNs and pavements: money spent on a good saddle might actually be a better investment.

STEP 2: WHEEL SIZE

My Bike Shop has folding bikes wit wheel diameters of 14″, 16″, 20″, 22″ and 26″ but you should know that wheel size will affect the ride characteristics and portability of your bike.

One very important aspect is the availability of inner tubes and tyre replacements. 16- or 17-inch wheel size may look cool but if you can’t get readily hold of spares or replacements you may end up paying the price in downtime and special order costs.

Confirm that the rims used have ETRTO numbers that correspond with available tyres. Wrong fittings can mean you run the risk of your tyres coming off while you’re attempting sharp cornering.

Note that any wheel too small (i.e: under 14″) tends to go against sound bicycle geometry and this can have repercussions in terms of bike stability. Many times we’re asked whether smaller wheels will make your ride harder. The answer is only if you want to maintain an average 30km/h or higher for long distances. If your rides are typically below that and have many turns and stops, smaller wheels are just fine.

Intermodal considerations should also be seriously considered: do your rides involve train or bus along the way? Folding bikes make most sense.

STEP 3: COMPONENTS & FRAME

An important factor that affects the price considerably is the level of performance you’re looking for from your components. The better the components, the better your bike will ride, and the better the components, the more improved the bike’s durability and lighter weight….. but this comes at a price!

Do you need suspension? Do you need 18 speeds? Do you need Shimano DuraAce or SRAM Force? Di2 ? Remember – focus more on NEED and less on WANT.

Also, looks are important, of course, but do not sacrifice your ease of folding for that complex frame or folding mechanism that makes the whole folding bike idea redundant.

STEP 4: DEALER EXPERIENCE

Operating a bicycle needs ongoing maintenance, servicing and support! Dérailleurs need servicing from time to time, hubs and bottom brackets need greasing and damaged components will require experienced mechanics and proper tools to ensure that your bicycle is safe and serviceable to ride.

Will your bike shop still be there for you?

You are not just buying a bike, you are buying a service too. We would always recommend buying from a registered dealer for the brand you are looking for: it will undoubtedly be better in the long run. ‘Caveat emptor’ – buyer beware!

STEP 5: WARRANTY SUPPORT

Recalls can occur with bicycles. Is your chosen brand reputable? How long is the bike under warranty cover? Is the distributor going to be around or have they changed many times in the last couple of years? Has the bike shop you are buying from has been around for a long time? Buy with peace of mind!

In the bicycle industry, warranties are not transferable.

STEP 6: RESEARCH

Do your homework and check out websites and reviews. A reputable shop should have a good range of bicycles for you to try out, at least for the most popular models.

There are three broad categories
of folding bike enthusiast:
which one are you?

We will help narrow down the brands, popular models and known nuances about these bikes for you. Below are some of the key considerations you may wish to take into account, although these are not intended to be either definitive or all-encompassing.

Commuter

Price range typically S$600 – S$2,500

Takes public transport, does not own a car, rides daily, needs to fit the SMRT/SBS folded size guidelines, needs to have it stowed away at the office desk or closet, so needs to be compact.

In Singapore, choose a folding bike that is lightweight (10 – 11.5kg) as anything above 12kg is going to get uncomfortably heavy once you start carrying it up and down staircases. A standard packet of rice is about 5kg, imagine carrying 2 packs plus 2 kg more with you everywhere you go.

Furthermore, a reliable, fast folding/unfolding mechanism is key….. you don’t want to get caught fumbling amongst the commuter crowds!

Recreational

Price tag from S$500 to S$3,500

The weekend rider hangs out with spouse, partner, friends, family members, and cycle types, wants to get fit again but only on weekends. Opt for at least 6-9 speeds with either 20 inch or 26 inch wheels. There are many competent folding bike brands/models in this category. Look at the weight and the folding method. Even if you have a car, petrol is expensive and carrying around a lot of weight will use up more fuel.

Price tags are proportional to the quality of the build and components used. With thicker tyres you can take on Ubin and some tracks but you may need suspension to allow you to enjoy “off-road” riding with less impact on your body. These bikes have rims that are stronger – (if you select a lower-end bike for this category the rims may degrade faster).

Next comes the top of the line models (S$2,500+) for recreational cyclists – with looks to kill! They are light, fast, bike eye-candy and ideal if you want to pamper yourself with a tasty recreational bike. These are designed for road riding as the fewer spokes, faster tires and lighter materials generally make for fast going.

Known downsides: very few but, if any, these would include spokes breakage, running out of gears when riding with strong riders and a high degree of required tuning. With up to 11 speeds, they can run out of gears unless fitted with the latest wider range improvements.

Avid foldie rider

Price tag S$2,500 and above

These frequent cyclists have high levels of stamina, fitness and leg strength and will be willing to pay for what they want. They thoroughly research folding brands, bikes and parts, and will frequently zhng (modify) their bike for ever more performance delivery.

Choose brands that start at 18 speeds (don’t settle for less) and for the weight ‘weenies’, these performance bikes are generally lightest weights and suitable for riders up to 105kg. If you are heavy and ride on rough roads, you will see undue stress on the bearings in your hubs, possible spoke breakages and accelerated joint degradation (creaks, sounds, unnecessary free play on adjustable parts). Please consider the safety aspects for yourself when you are cycling and opt for a bike to suit. There are plenty of folding bikes for heavier riders.

For those who plan to visit US

The following section is intended to help those who plan to visit My Bike Shop outlets to buy a folding bike. We thought we would offer some pre-purchase considerations before you decide. We offer great folding brands and other formats and ranges of bikes/mobility devices to suit most needs and budgets. You should buy a product that is of good quality, fit for purpose and within your means.

Service support is essential as bikes are mechanical machines and they are do require periodic tuning or adjustments because of regular wear and tear. We have skilled mechanics who are fully trained in all of the brands that we sell. The wide range of leading brands we sell is the result of extensive experience and careful selection, based upon the quality of manufacture, safety features, ease of use, comfort, and innovation. That’s why we have such a wide number of demo bikes for you to try before you buy.

When you come for a trial, dress light and wear flat soled shoes if at all possible. With a simple registration, we will have you on a demo bike in moments. As always, please take care whilst testing and keep your eyes on the road in front of you.

Warranty

Don’t forget about warranty and local support. Unless otherwise stated, the folding brands we sell have minimum 3 years warranty on frame and folding joints (Tern, Bickerton and Dahon offer 5 years while Bike Friday offer 10 years), so please check with our staff.

We are here Monday to Saturday, 12 noon to 7pm (closed on Sundays and Public Holidays). Nothing beats spending some time to try, discuss and understand your choices before you buy. Come by and visit us …. a folding bike that suits your lifestyle awaits you! –