CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Questions/Support/Help

folding bike for cobbles

(10 posts)
  • Started 10 years ago by achilles3001
  • Latest reply from achilles3001
  • This topic is not resolved

  1. achilles3001
    Member

    Hi folks
    Was wondering if anyone had any tips for a folding bike that's good on cobbles?

    Just moved out to Dunbar, but am keen to keep cycling to work so am currently taking my bike on the train then cycling the rest of the way. However the bike spaces have to be booked which means it's not great for flexibility and sometimes the spaces are all booked up.

    I've borrowed a Brompton and, once I got used to it, it was a good cycle and great for the train, however there is one flaw. My route you work involves a steep roughly cobbled section which is just awful on the Brompton - the vibrations coming through the front wheel make me feel like my teeth are going to fall out.

    So, anyone got any tips? I was wondering about a folder with front suspension. I noticed a review of a birdy which looked good, but it would be great to hear folks personal experiences.

    Cheers

    Ric

    Posted 10 years ago #

  2. algo
    Member

    Not sure about suspension, but the bigger the wheel the better and Tern do a folding bike with 24 inch wheels and big apple tyres. I don't know but I imagine this would be more comfortable over cobbles. My office mate has one and it folds well - he brings it into the office. I've ridden it and it seems good to me but I am no expert...

    Posted 10 years ago #

  3. crowriver
    Member

    Plenty of 20" wheeled folders out there which are easy to take on the train: Dahon, Tern, etc.

    For badly maintained/installed setts (which is what our 'cobbles' are in fact) it's not just wheel size, but tyre size too. The wider the tyre, the lower the minimum inflation pressure, the better it will soak up bumps. Also more adaptable, lighter and cheaper than suspension forks. Larger wheels will roll easier/faster over bumpy surfaces, but if you go to 1.75" or even 2" tyres on 20" wheels that increases the overall circumferance of the wheel and thus should roll more easily.

    Mind you if you want mudguards there's a limit to how wide your tyres can be.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  4. cb
    Member

    Does the borrowed brompton have straight handlebars? I'd always understood that the traditional 'M' style handlebars were partly designed to offer a bit of flex between the hands and the road. Not sure how effective that is though. Maybe better handgrips would help too?

    I find my Birdy's suspension works really well, front and rear; it does tend to glide over rough stuff and is a more comfortable ride than my aluminium framed 700 wheeled bike.

    It does have pretty small wheels though, barely bigger than a Brompton's (355 vs 349), so it's a long way short of being immune to bumps. They're also expensive to buy and sourcing spare bits (inc. tyres) can be a bit of a pain.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  5. Mandopicker101
    Member

    For days I commute to Glasgow by train, I acquired a secondhand Revolution Compact (a Dahon made for EBC). So far it's proven stolid enough on cobbles/Glasgow's interesting take on tarmac. It rolls on 20-inch wheels, which I stuck some Dahon Rotolo tyres on. It lacks the excellent folding capabilities of a Brompton, but it rides well and I can get around swiftly enough without feeling it's about to collapse.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  6. wee folding bike
    Member

    I'm happy on setts using S or M type bars. Some people like to fit Ergon grips. Bigger tyres make a difference too. Marathon/+ soak up bumps better than Stelvios but they're out of production now anyway. Kojaks feel OK to me.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  7. gkgk
    Member

    If you pedal to work from Waverley, is leaving a rough tough ex-mountain bike at the station maybe an option? It'd be £1000 cheaper than some of the dearer folders.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  8. Pocopiglet
    Member

    I bought a folder from Decathlon. It's a b'fold7 and although I haven't used it on cobbles, I have rattled it up and down some rough-ish (loose chuckies,, roots, etc) paths . I'm only 5 ft tall but I can fold it easy enough. It came complete with a bag and lights ( front one has to come off to fold) and I find it easy enough to carry and heft into the back of the car. I love it, but then again, I just love being back on a bike!

    Posted 10 years ago #

  9. chdot
    Admin

    "Tern do a folding bike with 24 inch wheels"

    Saw this in Evans today.

    Not 'cheap', but big reduction on 'full' price.

    http://www.evanscycles.com/products/tern/eclipse-p9-2013-folding-bike-ec032589

    Posted 10 years ago #

  10. achilles3001
    Member

    Thanks for all the advice everyone. I've tried the leaving a bike at Waverley option but didn't like it as the bike racks are neither near the platform my train arrives on or the cycle ramp, meaning extra time added to the commute. I'll investigate terns and bigger tires.
    Cheers
    Ric

    Posted 10 years ago #

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