Bicycles and More
Folding Bikes
Take It With You
Semi Folder: the CariBike folds up for crowded public transit and office storage (Photos: richardmasoner on flickr)
Folding bikes or folders solve the problem of taking bicycles on public transport services where transit authorities do not permit full-size (non-folding) bicycles on buses, streetcars and subways during peak hours or at all. These type of bikes are also useful for taking on regional trains and high speed rail where rail operators have traditionally banned bringing bikes on board due to a lack of storage space.
Folders with 20", 16" wheels or smaller are usually exempt from the above such restrictions or bans especially when carried in bags.
If you want to buy a folding bicycle to take on flights, the overall dimensions should fall within the airline industry's standard dimensions for luggage, that is, it should not exceed 62" (1.57 cm) total width, height or depth when folded.
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Micro Folders
In Case of Emergency: the A-Bike folding bicycle could help out in tight spots (Photos: the manufacturer)
A relatively recent addition to the folding family, micro folding bikes usually come with hard plastic wheels similar to inline skate wheels and are good for occasional use or in emergency situations over relatively short distances where storage where space is at a premium, for example, in the trunk of a car, on a sailboat or on board a single-engine airplane.
Compact Folders
Compact Folder: riess & müller Birdy folding bikes are popular with commuters (Photos: the manufacturer)
Invented by Alex Moulton in the 1960s, who went out on his own after the design was rejected by Raleigh, compact folding bikes make use of 16, 18 or 20" tires sizes, 20" being the most common.
Compact folders are ideal if you cycle to work and need to bring your bike into the workplace as they can easily be stored in your office, under your desk or in your cubicle where no secure bicycle parking facilities exist at work.
Not to be visually confused with their non-folding counterparts, shopper bikes, (which were introduced a few years earlier), compact folding bikes are an increasingly popular platform for pedal-electric bicycles.
Full-Size / Semi Folders
Non-Nerded: the Puma Urban Mobility by Biomega combines full-size with folding (Photos: the manufacturer)
Full-size upright folding bicycles usually have 24, 26 or 28" wheel diameters. As folding bikes they are not as common as compact folders but new designs including load- and cargo-carrying capabilities that combine the best attributes of a full-size bicycle with the practical benefits of folding may change that.
Cargo Store: the Packbernds folding cargo bike can carry up to 260 kg payloads (Photos: the manufacturer)
Folding Trikes
Folding Trike: the DiBlasi folding tricycle is ideal for seniors in small apartments (Photos: the manufacturer)
This section is under development.
Special Purpose Folders
Folders with integrated luggage carrying capabilities are especially well suited for intermodal applications including navigating large airports and train stations quickly. Note that the small front wheels loaded down with a heavy suitcase could pose a potential safety risk cycling on non-smooth (outdoor) surfaces.
2 in 1: the Lutz CarryBike will help you and your luggage make a connecting flight (Images: the manufacturer)
Not a bicycle (due to a lack of pedals and a drivechain), but a wheeling device could be a lot of fun on car-free holidays, hiking in the mountains.
Downhilling Device: the Bergmoench unfolds in 2 min to enable you to roll downhill (Photos: the manufacturer)
Interesting to note, a bicycle tour using a folding bike is called an origamitour, a term probably originating in central Europe where such tours are popular.
Keywords
sustainable transportation, personal mobility, rail, train, commute, commuting, bike on board, bike & ride, folding bikes, folders,
