this post was submitted on 14 Sep 2023
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Bike Commuting

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Does anybody here ride a folding bike? If so, what kind do you ride and how's your experience been? (slrpnk.net)
submitted 1 year ago by mosscap@slrpnk.net to c/bikecommuting@lemmy.ml
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A common frustration in my part of the world is that transit does not run very often, and there are only 2 spots for bikes on the front of buses. There have been many times when I've had to wait an extra hour just to see if the next bus happens to have a spot for my bike.

Every time this happens, I promise myself that I'm going to someday spend the money to buy a folding bike (which can be taken on the bus if it's folded).

In my head, riding a folding bike is a joyous experience, partly because of Dr Sharon riding a Brompton in Ted Lasso, but I'm curious what it's actually like.

My dream folding bikes are any model of Brompton, a RadExpand 5, or a Tern Link D7i.

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[–] sem@lemmy.ml 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I have Strida SX.

Pros:

  • it is very good on the road, light frame, cool wheels;
  • you can roll it like a suitcase;
  • great fit for the city with a straight back;
  • you can go to metro, bus or elevator with it without any problem;
  • drive belt instead of chain: no way to stain pants by lubricant because there is no lubricant;

Cons:

  • 18 inch wheels make any toad curb a problem;
  • no way to lock the bike via locking to triangle (there is no monolithic triangle);
  • any rain or street dirt is a huge problem: due to the low profile parts are filled by dirt very fast;
  • maintenance cost: all the parts are original, last year I moved to the country that doesn't have official Strida services and cannot even find a inner tube replacement here; also bike design is very complex, so there is no way to maintain it by yourself;

Limitstions: I rided even 50 kms per day with my Strida but cannot recommend it for rides longer than 10 km.