Thread: Folding bikes

WARNING - Rather long post comming up... another long ramble by fpessanha!

When I arrived in Brussels about 2 months ago I knew I would have to buy a bicycle. Lots of people cope with the city without a car or a bycicle, but I knew I had to have one.
Ever since I visited my brother in Milan and rode all over the city with him, both of us with majestic examples of old rattling bikes, in the middle of the crazy milanese trafic I decided that, one day, the bicycle would have to be a part of my urban mobility and, perhaps, of my mobility in general.
After Milan I forgot all about this and, living in a hilly area of Portugal, I thought that what I really wanted would be a car and, being that cars are less expensive in Belgium, I thought that this might just be my chance.
However, the bike dream took shape in Brussels. The city, although not being as flat as I thought, is good for bicycle riding and once I decided upon the best way to do my daily commute to work (out of town) I realized that the bike had to be part of this new scheme in my life.
Then it was time I decided upon what sort of bike I should get. Because I would be using it every day, it had to be a nice bike. Becuase I would be putting it in the train every morning and afternoon, It would have to be a folder. The research started: Birdy, Dahon, Brompton, you name it...
All too expensive and I figured that there would be so much branding going on on those so, I decided upon a 299.90 EUR B.twin hoptown bought from Decathlon megastore. Looked nice enough and I felt smart because it was so cheap for a folder that was just like one of the Dahon models. Sure, made in China, looks a bit iffy in places. I didn't mind though... until the back tire bursted and shreded in normal smooth trafic... Of I went to the store, the guarantee covered that and off I went with another one. 30 minutes later I discovered that some pieces were missing but I was in the Metro/Subway/Tube, already close to my house. One week later, I went back to the store. They gave me another one but this time, the thing look promissing: they took it out of the box, set it up in front of me, everything looked perfect, I inspected the bike, well... you name it. I was happy as I rode along thinking that this was it. Some days after I even bought one just like it for my girlfriend. However, not many days after that, I had not one but three flat tires going along on normal tar-mac roads. This means that the Chinese tires fitted were not made of rubber, but of tracing paper... I fixed the tires, changed the air chambers, oiled the chain, adjusted the brakes, everything looked good. Of course, when I was unscrewing one of the bolts, it just smoothed out under the presure, but hey! it was made in China and it was cheap... I understand that a small price in a complex thing like a folder means compromises. But 2 weeks after I had this new one, the folding bit on the frame started making a very annoying squeeky noise over every pot-hole, every bump and even on normal straights... Now, bare in mind that I am a normal 1.73m and 75kg man. I'm not an elephant! But the bike was squeeking away and driving me mad. The joint had developed a gap wide enough to fit a bit of heavy grain paper. The aluminum started to show some strain after only 4 weeks of daily folding and 14km a day on the road. A week after the first noise, the pedals strated clunking while I was pedalling... clunk clunk squeek rattle clunk clak squeek - this was my daily soundtrak on a brand new bike.
Yesterday, I gave up. I went back to the store and decided that I wanted a refund. Gracefully, they gave me back my money. They knew that it was the fourth time I had come in to, politely, ask for either a new bike or, on this occasion, for a refund...
So, the cheap bike thing was solved but I was just a foot soldier now, a knight without a trusty steed. Not that my steed was very reliable... Happily, my girlfriend will be lending me her bike and we decided that once the noises start, we will give back the bike for a refund and buy her a normal non-folding bike with a pannier in the front for her to carry flowers and imagine herself to be in a black and white movie... Yeah, she's like that! But I love her anyway. I'm Boggart and She's Ingrid Bergman.
Now, ever since I arrived in Brussels and saw my frist Brompton I decided that those look good and I would like to have one. I didn't imagine that they would be so expensive, though... But I started to fall in love with the Brommie - when I saw one passing by I just craved it. I started thinking about schemes in order to hijack one on the move...
Yesterday, I went with my girlfriend to the Brompton dealer in Brussels. We tried the Bompton out and I was impressed by the handling, nippy stearing, riding comfort and the sheer speed of the line with the 3 gear hub. The bike is something else. Folds compactly and is not so heavy, being made out of steel. I liked it - it is a quality product that seems like it may well last a while...
I knew right there and then that I had to have one. The price is steep... 1079 euros for a black model, M handlebars, standard 3 gear hub and luggage rack on the back. Add 59 euros for a Brooks saddle (that is if I order it when I buy the bike and 117 if I get it later).
We went for a drink and I was puzzled. I asked my girlfriend an enormous ammount of questions and she started to be cross at me because, over the past several days I would think of nothing else and speak of nothing else: "could you pass the Brompton... err, I mean the salt, dear?"; "Good morning Brompton... err, I mean good morning dear!..." You get the point.
So, after some tninking about it, I decided to jump the gun and ordered my Brommie. Paid 200 euros in advance and will pay the rest when the bike arrives in 2 to 4 weeks.
I think that I will be buying not only a vehicle, a good bike, but also a lifestyle that I am falling in love with: not needing tha car for the daily commute, not needing the car in the city, no matter what the weather is like. I feel better, I've lost weight, I'm more active and enjoy myself - and despite my crappy bike, I've always enjoyed every single mile I traveled with it.
So, the Brompton will fit my life well, I guess. And I suppose it was not a very foolish thing to do...
What do you guys think? Does anyone else own Bromptons or any other sorts of folders?

Wow... now that I look at my own post, I realize that I do tend to write a lot! Sorry about such long posts... I'll try to explain and tell my stories and whatnot in a way that can produce shorter, more reader-friendly posts.
Sorry!

A picture is worth a thousand words. Good luck with the bike.

Well, I enjoyed your post, FP. The good point was you could find out that cycling was for you before buying the expensive bike. I was surprised to hear about the problems though. Shocked really - because your Chinese bike sounds like an accident (lawsuit) waiting to happen. The shop must understand this, no?

Thanks, Jimmy! Point taken...
When I do have a picture, I'll post it... instead of a thousand (maybe more) words.

Well, I'm not sure about the accident waiting to happen. These issues were certainly related to build quality and milling of the raw components. The shop, despite being a big franchising values the relationship with client and they were good enough to give me a full refund. I'm not really sure if the bike would colapse one day, but the noises were annoying and "wrong". The fact of the matter is: a 300 euros folder is not suited for daily intense use. More to be the bike you put in the boot of your car and take along to the beach in the summer for a little ride or to use in town with a certain regularity and folding it only when the weather gets fowl and you want to avoid the rain by getting on the bus or something.

I'll be using my girlfriend's bike for the next few weeks, until my Brommie arrives. Until now, she's been using it without issues. But I'm sure that - although being very careful as I always am - I'll probably waste it because I'll be submitting it to the exact same routine that mine was subjected to before I returned it. Let's see what happens...

I'll post pictures of my soon comming Christmas day!

Oh! And guess what? The cheap bike is assembled in Portugal, thus making it a european made thing... despite the fact that all the parts are made in China. It's the old Solingen thing, you know?...