'Folding Bicycles' All the Rage
Posted on: Tuesday, 25 January 2005, 06:00 CST
What Walkmans did for music and laptops have done for computers, folding bicycles may be poised to do for cycling.
That is, if they can shed their ill-deserved image as novelty items.
The bikes, which look like BMX bikes with extra-tall handlebars and seats, collapse into a bundle small enough to be carried on a bus, stowed under a desk or packed into a suitcase.
They are common in Europe, Japan and China, but have been slow to catch on in this country, despite design advances that have made them lighter, more compact and easier to ride.
"There are times when a full-sized bike doesn't work," said Eric Sundin, president of Folding Bikes West, a Fremont-based division of Electric Bikes Northwest. "I know people who put their folding bike in the shopping cart when they go to the supermarket. So, there's no danger of it getting wet or stolen."
Sundin's store, which he says carries the most folding bikes in the Northwest, has about a dozen to try. He said that combining online and store sales, his company has sold perhaps a few hundred folding bikes this year - a small niche of their business.
But he's guessing that in five years, sales of folding bikes will be huge, and coming transit projects, such as the Monorail and Sound Transit's light rail, may make them more attractive to commuters.
Locals have ridden folding bikes in the 200-mile Seattle to Portland (STF) ride, and there's even a club of enthusiastic owners of foldables from Bike Friday, a Eugene, Ore., company.
The latest models, which sell for about the same price as regular bikes, come with multispeed transmissions, aluminum frames and quick- release clamps that allow the bikes to be folded or extended in under a minute, without tools. It's usually a two- or three-step process.
They aren't as sexy as Tour de France racers, perhaps, but the small-wheeled runabouts are as fun to ride as retro-style cruisers and more maneuverable.
Even full-size mountain bikes and comfort bikes now are available in hinged versions, along with road bikes that break into two parts for easy storage or shipment. REI carries a folding road bike that retails for $2,495. And industry reviewers say the best of them perform as well as regular bikes.
So the question is: What would it take for folding bikes to become the hottest thing on two wheels?
The short answer: Better peddling by retailers, or maybe another big spike in gasoline prices.
"The only thing I can think is they just aren't advertised as much and most stores don't carry them," says Dee True, who works at Woodinville Ski & Bike, which carries several folding bikes.
Among the young and fashion-conscious, the ingenious contraptions have begun to be touted as accessories to the chic urban lifestyle. But their true path to fame and fortune may lie with commuters.
Steve Cuomo, a spokesman for California-based Dahon, the largest manufacturer of folding bikes, says its sales have surged in England since a "congestion charge" of 5 pounds, or about $9, was imposed earlier this year on drivers entering central London.
Whether admission fees may be in store for American cities is open to question, but concern over gridlock and gas prices could certainly generate more demand for the portable conveyances.
With fuel costs hovering around $2 a gallon, folding bikes can be an inexpensive cog in the wheel of "multimodal" transportation, in which people may drive part-way to work then switch to a bike, or ride to a transit station and then take a train.
Bob Lovejoy, 51, owns a British-made Bromptom bike and can hardly wait for a light-rail line to open near his home so he can use his bike part way to get to his job as a computer systems administrator.
"It's not what you'd want if you were going to ride 50 miles. But for going five to seven miles, or riding to a transit station, it's perfect," he says. "You just fold it up when you get on, and unfold it when you get off."
Small-wheeled folders, which carry pricetags from under $200 to more than $2,000, long have been marketed to boaters, pilots and RV owners as accessories that can let them go exploring without having to rent a car.
Dick Wurdack of Carnation has owned a high-end Bike Friday model for about five years. "I wanted it for my sailboat," he said. "And, before I retired, I was traveling an awful lot to Europe and China and I liked to take it with me."
Wurdack, 60, could carry his bike in a shoulder bag on trains from city to city. A serious cyclist who pedals an average of 150 miles a week, his folder is one of five or six other bikes.
He also occasionally leads recreational rides of Bike Friday enthusiasts. The most recent one, a few months ago, attracted 18 local riders.
Full-size folding mountain bikes, a more recent entry to the market, have been sold as automotive accessories, through tie-ins to such luxury marques as BMW, Porsche and Hummer.
"We find that people who ride bikes want to be able to ride them anywhere," says Erika Bialowoz of Massachusetts-based Montague Corp., which makes the two-wheeled Hummer, a beefed-up version of a folding bike originally developed to be carried into combat by paratroopers.
"If you have a bike folded up in the trunk of your car or the bed of your pickup," she says, "you can just stop and get it out. It's really all about convenience."
Traditionalists would argue that unloading a folding bike is no more convenient than taking a regular-size bike off a rack mounted on the roof or rear bumper. That may be, folder fans would reply, but stowing a bike inside a vehicle shields it from the weather, hides it from thieves and ends any risk of damage from -- gulp - driving into the garage without remembering it's still on the roof.
Perhaps the biggest selling point for folding bikes, however, is that they usually are designed to fit into a normal-size suitcase and be checked as regular baggage on airlines, allowing owners to take them wherever they travel and avoid paying a hefty surcharge for oversize luggage.
Most weigh between 25 and 30 pounds, and some even fit into specially designed shoulderbags. Some carry a more common wheelbase of 26," but most have smaller wheels of 20" and 16," which is the same as most kids' bike tires.
"The emphasis is on getting it into a compact package," says Sean Madsen of Campus Cycles. "If you're going on vacation and you have to pay an extra $160, it can get pretty pricey."
P-I reporter Kristin Dizon and Denver Post reporter Jack Cox contributed to this story.
LOOKING FOR A FOLDING BIKE?
Where to find folding bikes online:
Dahon is the market leader, with an annual production of 300,000 folding bikes, all manufactured in Taiwan or China. Started in the early '80s by California aerospace technologist David Hon, the company offers a wide array of styles and sizes, available locally through Electric Bikes Northwest in Fremont (www.electricvehiclesnw.com) and other shops. For details, go online to www.dahon.com.
Bike Friday is the most fascinating. Custom-made in Eugene, Ore., its small-wheeled bikes are pricier than some but have a reputation as durable and attractive. Web site: www.bikefriday.com.
Breezer is a California vendor, started by a mountain-bike pioneer from Marin County. REI carries a Breezer model. Web site: www.breezerbikes.com.
Giant, the largest bicycle manufacturer worldwide, makes a one- size-fits-all folder called the Halfway. It sports an aluminum frame, seven-speed drive train and one-sided fork and seat stays to make it more compact. Go to www.giantbicycles.com.
Peregrine Bicycle Works of Chico, Calif., makes a high-end folder with small wheels and full suspension for $2,000. Go to www.pbwbikes.com.
Brompton is a well-known British make that folds more compactly than most. It's available locally at Electric Bikes Northwest in Fremont or online (www.foldingbikeswest.com) Go to www.foldabikes.com.
Trek, the best-known U.S. brand after Schwinn, makes a folding city bike that comes in three versions. Go to www.trekbikes.com and pull up the hybrid/navigator section.
Montague USA, a Massachusetts maker of full-size mountain bikes that fold, offers crossover and comfort styles, as well, distributed locally by Woodinville Ski & Bike. Go to www.montagueusa.com.
Airnimal, made in Britain, is a well-regarded folder with midsize wheels and a high-performance design. It is not yet available in the U.S. Go to www.airnimal.com.
Ridgeback, another British bike maker, offers a no-nonsense steel folder with fenders, luggage rack and six-speed drive train for about $500. Go to www.ridgebackbikes.com.
The Folding Society, a fan club based in the U.K., offers advice on selection, brands, travel and other issues. Go to www.foldsoc.co.uk. A Web site devoted entirely to traveling with bikes, including folders, is at www.bikeaccess.net.
- Denver Post and Seattle P-I
Source: Seattle Post - Intelligencer
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