The folding bike is a very practical type of urban bike, obviously characterised by its ability to fold down to a compact format, the advantages of which for city use are quickly apparent!
The folding bike is easy to transport, in a car boot, on a bus, a train, the metro, just like a simple piece of luggage. The risk of theft is eliminated, since it is not left outside. Indoors, it can easily be stored in a corner of your flat or your office.
A FOLDING BIKE — WHAT FOR?
The folding bike is the preferred bicycle for city dwellers who are constrained to intermodal travel to get to the city centre, the office or elsewhere. This type of urban travel, which combines cycling and public transport (train, bus, tram, metro), concerns cyclists living on the outskirts of towns, slightly away from transport networks. It allows them to optimise their travel time, thanks to the bike.
The folding bike is the best-suited bicycle for this type of urban mobility: simply fold it for the duration of the public transport leg, keep it with you as a piece of luggage, then unfold it and cover the remaining distance by bike to your destination.
That said, the practical nature of the folding bike can be appreciated outside urban environments too. Some models are designed to be used for leisure, on hiking trails. On a trip or a weekend away, a bike ride can very quickly be improvised along your route: simply take the bike out of the car boot or the motorhome, unfold it and set off on an adventure a little further down the path!
The characteristics of folding bikes
The folding frame
The frame of a folding bike has a distinctive design, owing to the hinged folding system it incorporates and the compact format it aims for. As a general rule, this frame features a main horizontal bar that is low and oversized. Its front triangle is set back behind the hinge, and its rear triangle is elongated and reduced in height. The frame most often benefits from an aluminium construction, aimed at keeping its weight as low as possible. It is paired with a rigid fork, which can be made of aluminium or steel.
Regarding the folding system, there are as many technologies as there are manufacturers, but the general principle remains comparable: a hinge is located in the middle of the frame structure, accompanied by a locking/unlocking lever.
One-size bikes, adjustable
Most of the time, folding bike frames are unisex and offered in a single size. They suit everyone, although minimum and maximum size limits may exist, always indicated by the manufacturer.
Folding bikes are easily adjustable from one rider size to another, since in addition to an adjustable seatpost, they generally feature a height-adjustable handlebar, and sometimes an adjustable stem.
Wheel size
Wheel size is a determining factor on a folding bike: it plays a major role in its handling, its comfort on the road, and its compactness when folded. As a result, there is a wide range of folding bikes, equipped with 16, 20, 24 or 26-inch wheels, the most widespread standard being the 20-inch.
WHAT SELECTION CRITERIA?
Weight
Weight is a fundamental factor to take into account when choosing your folding bike. If you plan to use it very frequently, with repeated carrying moments, your bike should not be too heavy, or it will be difficult to take with you on a daily basis.
Around 12 kg is considered the reference weight for a folding bike without accessories (mudguards, luggage rack), below which a model can be considered relatively light. Note that some models manage to come in below the symbolic 10 kg mark: they use very high-quality components, notably in carbon, which reduce their weight but increase their price!
The folding system
The folding system also helps to make carrying and manoeuvring easier when the bike is folded. Some systems feature fixings, genuine clasps or magnetic systems that hold the various components in the folded position. You can also check whether the bike can still be rolled when folded, which will make your life easier!
Bulk
The bulk of a folded bike is assessed when it is in the folded position; it depends in particular on the size of its wheels and the ergonomics of its folding system.
If you are planning to transport your folding bike in a car boot or in other confined spaces, make sure it can fit! On Probikeshop, the dimensions of the bike in the folded position are detailed on all the product pages for the models we offer. This is important information to take into account!
Wheel format
The smaller the wheels, the more compact and easy to manoeuvre the folding bike is likely to be when folded. Smaller wheels are, however, less comfortable to ride, more uncomfortable and less manoeuvrable than larger wheels, which offer a gain in comfort and efficiency.
The folding bike remains designed to cover reasonably short distances. But if its wheels are 24 or 26 inches, it will be better suited to longer distances. In the city, the standard most commonly observed is the folding bike equipped with 20-inch wheels.
Components (drivetrain and braking)
The drivetrain is an important element of your folding bike, to be chosen according to the terrain profile you expect to encounter. In this area, like any urban bike, the folding bike comes in different configurations, with classic derailleurs offering a wide gear range to handle even the slightest incline, or with an internal gear hub, suited to predominantly flat routes.
The same applies to the braking systems, which can be rim brakes of the V-Brake type or disc brakes.
