Folding or normal bike?

Folding Bicycles: Is a Bike Friday worth the extra cost?

• I'm looking at folding bikes to make my commute (train + bikeride) easier. At first I was drawn to the Dahon D7, which is available locally for $500-600 depending on components. But Bike Friday offers some very nice folders starting at around $1000, or $1300 for the super-slick-folding Tikit. I probably can't afford a Tikit, so the choice is probably the Dahon D7 vs. the Bike Friday Pocket Companion. Other than the good feeling of buying a US-made bike, what does the 2X price increase on the Bike Friday get me?

• Answer:

  You're looking at two VERY different bikes. The Speed D7 is an entry-level Dahon, and if you're choosing between that and the Pocket Companion, you should really consider some other Dahons like the Mu P8 or the Vitesse D7HG. Second, the Pocket Companion is intended for travel, not for multi-modal commuting. It's meant to be folded/disassembled to pack into a suitcase for a trip, then not folded again until the return trip. It's a much better bike for long rides and carrying gear, but it's not meant to be folded twice a day for commuting. That's why Bike Friday made the Tikit. I've taken a Tikit on a 50-mile group ride and had no trouble keeping up with the roadies. My only complaint was that the bell rang every time I hit a bump. Having sold and serviced both Bike Fridays and Dahons for years, and now Terns since they've been available, I can tell you that Bike Friday's customer support is bar none. They come with a lifetime warranty, and they mean it. If something breaks on a Bike Friday, the company will literally bend over backwards to help you. If a part can be easily replaced, they'll ship it to your local dealer. If it requires more involved work, send it to them and they'll take care of it. Furthermore, they're a small enough company that if you call them with a question, the person who answers the phone may not know the question, but they likely know the person who does and will get it answered right quick. Dahon makes good bikes, but frankly they're not on the same level. They're a much larger operation. The bikes are made in Taiwan by people who are very good at the specific operations they deal with, but don't necessarily have a holistic view of the bike or the system. What this means is that if there's a problem with the bike, you're considerably less likely to get quick satisfaction than with Bike Friday. Whether or not this is worth it to you is what's important. As far as Tern goes, the verdict is still out, but they seem nearly identical to the Dahons.  To summarize: if you're looking for a folding commuter, don't consider the Pocket Companion, but definitely consider the Dahons and Terns that are better than the Speed D7. If you want a decent bike that will hold up well for a few years, any of the above should meet your needs. If you want something that you can use anywhere and that will last decades, save up for the Tikit.