Which folding bike should i buy

The rest of this impressive folding bike is, as expected with Tern, spec'ed highly with Magura MT4 hydraulic disc brakes making speed modulation and controlled stopping a breeze, and highly respected Shimano 10speed Deore drivetrain also making an appearance.

The alumium frameset of the Vektron comes with a could of adjustable points in the way of the stem, which also acts and handle bar height, and saddle, making it a great option when there's possibly more than one cyclist riding the bike, which Tern say will suit riders between 4ft 10in to 6ft 5in.

The as standard Atlas rack can haul 27kg, and is also compatible with a child bike seat, a great option for anyone combining their commute with dropping off the little ones. Weighing in at Weight penalty aside, this is one of the best folding bikes money can buy, you'll just require rather a lot. There are many different brands offering folding bikes, and what might be the perfect option for one person may be the wrong one another.

Key differences can be found in wheel size, folding mechanism, weight and price. Folding mechanism: A collapsible bike can be folded in a few different ways. Some styles are more user friendly than others, so it's worth seeing a bike in the flesh and practicing folding and unfolding before you buy, particularly if you expect to be unfurling the bike in a hurry on a train platform. A folding bike with larger wheels will be much faster-rolling once the wheels are up to speed - but will likely weigh more and will be little more cumbersome to load onto public transport or haul up a few flights of stairs.

Lightweight folding bikes: If you intend to be hoisting the bike on and off trains, then it's understandable that you want it to be light. This can be achieved through using a lighter frame material. Brompton has introduced titanium to its range and there are brands, such as Hummingbird, making carbon folders. Higher quality components will also reduce the weight, as will opting for fewer gears - such as a singlespeed version - but this will only really suit someone who doesn't intend to come across many hills in their use of the bike.

Brompton bikes, for example, have a long seatpost that is adjusted via a simple quick-release lever, making it easy to swap between riders.

Electric folding bikes: In the past few years, electric folding bikes have become a genre of their own. The addition of a motor usually makes for a greater overall mass, but weights are ever decreasing and the additional power will make ascents significantly easier. While the saying 'you get what you pay for' mostly applies here.

You can pick up a cheap folding bike, such as the B'Twin Tilt and be pleasantly surprised. A cheap folding bike will do the job for you - but you can expect it to be heavier than more premium offerings thanks to lower-end components and a heftier frame. Collapsible bike market leader Brompton specializes in steel — using its renowned high-quality brazing techniques to ensure that the frame welding provides the lightest yet strongest bond possible. Aluminum is a very popular choice for its balance between weight and resilience - and also low price.

For those who really want to splash out, there are carbon-framed folding bikes such as Hummingbird's singlespeed, which comes in at 8kg. Although using carbon will make for a super-light folding bike, it's easier to damage than steel or aluminum, which is worth bearing in mind as many folders pick up a few knocks being hauled on and off trains. Because of what they do, folding bikes are popular among commuters who will opt for components that are easy to maintain and reliable.

Tough tires with good puncture protection are often high on the agenda. Fixing a flat is the last thing you want to do on your way to work.

Schwalbe and Kenda are popular manufacturers of small diameter tires for folding bikes, and most will be 1. Think carefully about the number of gears, too. For flat city streets, a singlespeed just a single gear will cut down on maintenance and overall weight. However, for riding hilly terrain there are folding bikes that come with triple cranksets and wide-ratio cassettes. This will allow you spin up gradients, but will increase weight. Many folding bikes feature hub gears — this means the shifting system is entirely sealed, cutting down on maintenance dramatically.

Shifting on hub gears is often easier then using derailleurs for beginners, as there is no chain tension to worry about - you don't have to be pedalling to change gear. In addition, there's no derailleur to get bent or damaged, always a risk for a hard-working folding bike.

If you want a wide spread of gears, a derailleur system is better, but less practical in the folding bike world. Disc brakes are also beginning to appear on folding bikes, offering greater stopping power and control — especially in wet weather. They'll add more to the weight than rim brakes, however. If you expect to be cycling in your office clothes, and want to stay as clean as possible, chainguards and fenders are essential. Pannier racks, a frame-mounted pump and integrated lights are all accessories that you can feel justified in expecting on higher-end models.

The huge rise in popularity of e-bikes hasn't passed the folding family by. There's an increasing number of folding e-bikes and in the next few years we can expect to see that number increasing. Having an electric motor assisting your folding bike journey means you can commute without having to worry getting sweaty in your work clothes.

Electric assist is also a perfect way of overcoming one of the drawbacks of e-bikes: their weight. They are relatively heavy for their size due to the extra rigidity that has to be built into their hinged parts. So although a folding electric bike will weigh more than a standard folding bike, you'll get a bit of help with your pedalling. As with any e-bike, have a good look at battery run times — most folding electric bikes can power you for about 50 miles.

So if you're planning a mega commute remember to take a charger, or have one at both ends of your journey. Cycling Weekly's Tech Editor Michelle Arthurs-Brennan is a traditional journalist by trade, having begun her career working for a local newspaper before spending a few years at Evans Cycles, then combining the two with a career in cycling journalism.

When not typing or testing, Michelle is a road racer who also enjoys track riding and the occasional time trial, though dabbles in off-road riding too either on a mountain bike, or a 'gravel bike'.

She is passionate about supporting grassroots women's racing and founded the women's road race team rt. The Italian returns to Astana for , but hasn't yet figured out whether it will be his swansong. Highly puncture resistance but still reasonably fast rolling, could these be the perfect training tyre?

Cycling Weekly is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number Cycling Weekly EST. However, the Hummingbird does a lot to justify its price tag.

For one thing, it weighs just 7. Easy on your arm and great on the road, its handling is also very nippy, while the fold is excellent too. Leaving no need for a chain tensioner, this not only cuts weight but looks clean and reduces possible maintenance issues. Read our full review here. Airnimal aims to offer something a bit different in the world of folding bikes, being aimed at all cyclists rather than just commuters. Perhaps the best way to think of them is as a collapsible rather than folding bike.

Breaking down into a larger folded package than other bikes here, this is still only the work of a minute or two - and the time invested pays dividends in terms of ride quality. Easily the sort of thing you could happily spend all day riding, their large inch wheels, conventional geometry, and wide range of gears make them almost indistinguishable from a conventional machine.

With three models in the range, the road bike-esque Chameleon, the off-road Rhino, and the commute or tour-ready Joey, you can find our full review of the last of these here. Read our full review: Airnimal Joey Elite Drop. If you plan to simply ride this folding bike a kilometre or so to the station and back daily, you'd probably be better suited to a cheaper option. Alternatively, if you have grander plans, a better-equipped and more expensive choice could be a wiser investment.

On that note, where will you be riding your new folding bike? Do you work and commute somewhere mostly flat? Or do you need to navigate steeper streets? This will be important when it comes to the bike's gearing. After all, some options will come with just one gear, others limited hub-based systems, while others still will have the same wide-ratio external derailleur gearing found on conventional machines.

Some folding bikes will come with front and rear mudguards to keep you clean from road splatter - but check before purchasing. Similarly, some options will also have rear-wheel mounts for racks or a catch on the front to place a bag.

For RVers and boaters, this bike is the easiest to squeeze into tight spaces where a inch wheeled bike may not fit. The other standout feature is the front luggage system, which allows you to clip a number of well-designed bags from Brompton and other makers to the front of the bike; the bags can even hang out there albeit a bit awkwardly when the bike is folded.

Finally, Brompton bikes are customizable. This means you can choose the frame material steel or a superlight combination of steel and titanium ; the handlebar shape and height three options; the first character in the model number represents the handlebar type ; the number of gears two or six; this is the second character ; the suspension type; the tire type; the saddle type and height; accessories such as the fenders, rack, front bags, and lights; and the paint color.

We recommend reading this guide on the Brompton website to understand all the options available. Your best option, they say, is to preorder through a local dealer or sign up for the Brompton newsletter, which includes alerts when the website restocks. Although the unorthodox gearing arrangement on the Brompton provides a wide range of gears and a compact fold, the shifting itself takes some getting used to.

So it may take a ride or two for that to come naturally, without your having to think about it. It can be made up for by shifting the outer cogs to split that difference, but it does mean two shifts may be needed to find that perfect gear. You can drop into the easiest gear in the internal hub while coasting up to a red light, though, something we find really useful while riding in city traffic.

A Brompton is not as light as you might expect, given its smaller size. But the ride was somewhat stiff, mostly due to the high-pressure, low-volume tires—we noticed every little bump, including the seams in the sidewalk.

One of the biggest factors in the Brompton ride quality is the wheelbase being as long as—or even longer than—most full-size bicycles. This, along with a well-balanced geometry, creates a very stable ride and sure handling, even at higher speeds, despite the small wheel size.

Some of the other folding bikes we tested and rejected had much shorter wheelbases, which made it seem like we were riding a bike for kids and not just a small-wheeled bicycle. Finally, unlike our other picks and despite all those great accessories , Bromptons have no kickstand option. Instead, you have to flip the back tire into a half-fold position if you want to stop the bike and have it still stand up.

We hope to update the guide with electric options in the future, especially from the companies that make our top picks. In our tests it offered a comfortable ride, thanks to its integrated rear suspension. This was one of the most comfortable bikes to ride, much like the Tern Link D8 , which has a very similar geometry and the same adjustable stem.

Also, the BYB is still about an inch wider when folded than the Mariner. The wider folds of both Tern bikes are attributed to the handles ending up on the outside when the bikes are folded. The BYB is still nowhere near as compact or as comfortable to carry folded as the Brompton with its inch wheels. So we think most people looking for a inch wheeled folding bike would be better off spending less on either the D8 or the Mariner.

It has a front-bag bracket, is extremely stiff and stable, and comes with many component upgrades. And when folded it stands upright on the small, luggage-style wheels attached to the rear rack, so it has a smaller footprint. Our only other issue with the BYB, apart from the price, is that its rack is built only for panniers.

We prefer the rear racks on our less expensive picks because they have a flat top, so you can strap random things on top if need be. Originally our budget pick, the Tern Link B7 rides great, and it folds and unfolds quickly in the same manner as our top pick, the Dahon Mariner D8.

Unfortunately, Tern has stopped selling this model in the US. We wanted to love the Bike Friday Pakit , which is available for order with a custom-made frame. It has a unique fold sort of a cross between those of the Brompton and the Birdy, with the rear tire rotating under.

And with the front tire and the handlebar mast removed, you can pack it into an oversize backpack and bring it almost anywhere, even on a plane. And the fenders Amy ordered kept rubbing on the front tire and getting caught on curbs. The company told us that an update on that was coming. Out of the box, the Schwinn Adapt 1 needed a lot of adjustment.

The handlebars were loose in the frame, which was a serious safety concern, so Amy paid her bike expert to make sure the bike was set up safely for her. Unfortunately, this bike has an extremely short wheelbase 3 to 4 inches shorter than our picks. And it has a frame geometry that puts the rider very upright, with their center of gravity far back, over the rear wheel, which creates a squirrelly ride feel and a tendency for the front wheel to want to lift off the ground when climbing uphill.

We think most riders would be much better off spending the extra money for a bike, like the Mariner, that feels more like a full-size bike and has the stability that comes with that. The Allen Sports Urban X was a lot of fun to ride, but since our testing, two other Allen Sports folding bikes have been recalled , and the company has discontinued its folding-bike line entirely.

As with any bicycle, with a folding bike you should ideally buy one in person, at a local bike shop. Again, your life. Because folding bikes have more moving parts and quick releases than regular bikes, you may need to tighten the nuts or the clamps regularly. And its brake calipers may get pulled off center occasionally. So keep an ear out for any rubbing or clicking sounds, and get the bike looked at if needed.

Take the time, every time you ride, to be sure everything is locked firmly into place before you go rolling off. Clamps should be very firm to close from about the halfway point on. Steven Huang, consultant for several folding-bike companies and owner of Foldie Foodie Brommie Yummie riding food tours, New York City and Taiwan , phone, email, and in-person interviews, She also served as a staff writer for the Good Housekeeping Institute for nearly five years, working closely with the engineers and other scientists to interpret product test results.

Our pick. Upgrade pick. Brompton S6L 6-speed Compact and customizable If folding size trumps all, the notably compact Brompton leaves the competition in the dust.

Everything we recommend. Why you should trust us. Who should get this. How we picked. Wheels 16 to 20 inches in diameter. You can find some as small as 8 inches or as large as those on a full-size bike.