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| Folding Bike |
A folding bicycle is a bicycle designed to fold into a compact form, facilitating transport and storage. When folded, the bikes can be more easily carried into buildings and workplaces or onto public transportation (facilitating mixed-mode commuting) or more easily stored in compact living quarters or aboard a car, boat or plane. Folding mechanisms vary, with each offering a distinct combination of folding speed, folding ease, compactness, ride, weight, durability and price.
Distinguished by the complexities of their folding mechanism, more demanding structural requirements, greater number of parts, and more specialized market appeal, folding bikes may be more expensive than comparable non-folding models.
Sometimes categorized as folding bicycles, another group of bikes (also called break-away models) separates into pieces rather than fold.
A portable bicycle is a folding bicycle that is small and light enough to be easily carried afoot or in a cramped vehicle. Portable bicycles compromise riding capability for portability. The technology of portable bicycles constantly evolves, as new concepts and materials are proposed every few years.
Folding bikes generally come with a wider range of adjustments than conventional bikes for accommodating different riders, because the frames are usually only made in one size. Seatposts and handlebar stems on folders extend as much as four times higher than conventional bikes. For even greater range of adjustment, longer after-market posts and stems are available. While folding bicycles are usually smaller in overall size than conventional bicycles, the distances between center of bottom bracket, the top of the saddle and the handlebars, the primary factors in determining whether a bicycle fits its rider, are usually similar to that of conventional bikes. The wheelbase of many folding designs is also very similar to that of conventional, non-folding, bicycles. Some manufacturers are producing folding bikes designed around folding systems that allow them to utilize 26" wheels, e.g. the Montague Corporation.
The A-bike is similar to the Strida but has tiny wheels and compacts a bit smaller. Bikes smaller than a Brompton are often called portable bicycles. They forgo the performance and easy ride benefits of their larger counterparts, acquiring characteristics similar to those of an adult folding kick scooter. Regardless of how each folds, the result is easier to transport and store than a traditional bicycle.
