Folding Bikes West has a lot of bikes in a pretty small space. I guess this makes sense, one of the neat things about folding bikes is that they don't take up much space. In one small storefront (half of which is occupied by electric bikes) I got to see Giant, Brompton, Dahon, Bike Friday and Birdy folding bikes.
The various bikes are available for test riding. I've ridden (and owned) various folding bikes over the years and I was short on time, so I only test rode the one bike I'd really come to see, the Dahon D3. The demo D3 pictured below has an optional front basket but the rest of the accessories (fenders, kickstand, rear rack and seatpost pump) are stock on the $395 Curve D3.
Since I have a pretty good background with folders, I was used to the zippy feel of the little wheels. The 2" wide Schwalbe Big Apple tires seem to really hit the sweet-spot in terms of speed and comfort, tough enough to soak up the rough pavement without feeling sluggish. A lot of folks might wish for more gears or a wider range than what is provided by the D3's Sturmey Archer hub, but since I come from the "do more with less" school of thought, I found the 3 gear ratios (42"/56"/77") totally adequate.The D3 folds quickly into a pretty compact package. Even fumbling around the first time, I was able to fold it in about a minute and the folded package is compact and well-balanced. A little package that would fit easily onto the bus. I returned from my 20 minute test ride with the words "I'll take one."
5 comments:
Electric Bicycles and Electric Scooters
Elmo The Electric Bike and Electric Scooter Guy
This is an excellent blog for electric bicycles. There are not too many around like this. Thanks for making this such an interesting subject. Oh, by the way, Wired Magazine has a great article on hybrid cars this month. (Jan 2008 issue).
God Bless,
Elmo
I flew into Seattle back in August to attend TrailLink 2007 in Portland as well as for some cycling in the Pacific Northwest. I thought it was really cool how there were so many bike shops.
My first shock was how hilly Seattle was - I thought it was flat. I had to get from SeaTac to the Amtrak terminal. Once I realized how long and complex a ride it was, I opted for a taxi.
By the way, I took a Montague Paratrooper. full size folding mountain bike with me. I bought a Topeak seat post rack and lashed my suitcase to it. Along with riding in and around Portland, I even took the bike by ferry to Vancouver Island. It was an awesome bike trip.
I just heard a report on the radio that either there was going to be a very high tax or a ban completely on electric scooters and bicycles. I got so damn mad I thought my head was going to break open. The reason for the ban was because of studies showing that the batteries on these vehicles were too volatile and were prone to explosions.
I doubt that a ban of electrics will happen. In fact, I expect them to become lighter and safer, leading more people to use them.
Larry
RideTHISbike.com
i like the electronic bicycle, it the affordable and environment frankly.
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