Folding Bike

Posted by jodycb on August 20, 2010

So we decided to buy a folding bike.

Brian is going to be at RIT this fall and he may try a multi-modal commute or maybe just keep it in his car and use it to get around campus quickly. We’ll save money on parking by parking in distant lots but spend money on a bike, something that keeps on giving after the semester ends. We figure it’s a win win because even if Brian turns out not to like it that much I will definitely ride it around.

My aunt and uncle lent us their Dahon Mariner. So we got to test it out and see what we thought. They’ve had their Mariners for quite a long time and their in pretty good shape considering all the salty ocean air they’ve been exposed to. Folders have strange proportions but they’re actually quite comfortable to ride. I wouldn’t want to try to ride around Canandaigua Lake on one, just because the wheels are small and I think that extra effort would add up, but for getting around the city or a multi-modal commute they’d be great.

I think we’re pretty settled on the Dahon Vitesse D7HG. I think it might be better for riding in the all season grunge because it has internal hubs. Of course that means, I’ll have no idea how to fix it but hopefully that won’t be an issue for a few years. I’m very excited about getting the bike, even though it will be Brian’s. I know he’ll let me ride it when he’s not using it.

Now I’m trying to decide if it’s worthwhile or just a splurge to get the air travel case. I would love to have a bike with me when I’m at a conference. I love to explore but I never get that far on foot. I usually go to at least one conference every year so it might be worth it, but generally I don’t do a lot of air travel.