[net.bicycle] folding bicycles

polard@fortune.UUCP (Henry Polard) (09/20/84)

<Yum, yum! Love them tires in black bean and pepper sauce!>

I wouyld like to buy a bicycle I can put in the back of my car, 
and have been thinking of buying a folding bike.  Has anyone out there 
used one?  Are they any good? 

Thanks.
-- 
Henry Polard (You bring the flames - I'll bring the marshmallows.)
{ihnp4,cbosgd,amd}!fortune!polard
N.B: The words in this posting do not necessarily express the opinions
of me, my employer, or any AI project.

lizh@athena.UUCP (Liz Heller) (11/06/84)

Does anyone know of a good quality folding bicycle? We're moving onto
a boat and won't have room for conventional bicycles. Thanks.
Liz Heller

reid@Glacier.ARPA (11/08/84)

> Does anyone know of a good quality folding bicycle? We're moving onto
> a boat and won't have room for conventional bicycles. Thanks.
> Liz Heller

My wife and I each own Bickerton folding bicycles. We have had them for 6
years and are very happy with them. Most folding bicycle companies go out of
business after a few years, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if Bickerton
had gone under. Bickertons are made in England by Harry Bickerton Ltd, Tewin
Water, Hertsfordshire. They have Sturmey-Archer 3-speed hubs, weigh 19
pounds, fold up small enough to fit in a Samsonite suitcase, and hold my
250-pound bulk. My chief problem with them is that the front innertubes are
very hard to find (14-inch front wheels). They are not very rigid; the frame
flexes all over the place when you pedal up a hill, but they don't break. 

I have seen a Hon folding bicycle that belongs to a friend. He wouldn't let
me ride it because of how much I weigh, but it looked like a good sturdy
machine.  It is a bit heavier than the Bickerton and doesn't fold up as
small, but it is American-made and likely to be more available. Hon is being
very widely advertised right now in the high-tech catalogs like Sharper
Image and Markline.