Hey, I know that dude, he’s fixed my bike before.

Jeff,

That bike was a plant in the video. It was mine. We wanted to find a bike locked like that, but we thought it would be mean to screw with someone else’s seat like you said. So since I had my bike locked up and I had my seat in my bag, we substituted that.

I actually couldn’t believe that someone hasn’t already noticed my beater bike in the video. Hard to miss.

So we were sensitive to that.

Well, Ian, you can always sell a wheel to someone who’s had their wheel stolen…

Hey I know that gal! She’s also the president of WalkBikeJerey! How could you forget to mention her role in our (NJ’s) fledgling equivalent of Transportation Alternatives.

And yes people WILL cut down trees to get at a bike. I’ve heard first hand accounts. As a cyclist and lover of trees, anyone who parks a bike to a small street tree (they’re no where near as tough as big trees BTW) gets an instant F in my book. It’s just wrong and creates a bad image of cyclists just like those who recklessly blow through traffic lights.

My brother has had his locked single-speed stolen twice (the same bike). The first time the thieves busted through his lock with liquid nitrogen but then returned it several weeks later because he had special spokes, one of which had busted through the tire, and it was pretty impossible to fix so they brought it back to him – his excalibur. The second time it was stolen, his lock had frozen on a snowy day, with his bike locked around a tree at least 2x as thick as the one in the video, and returned a week later (after the snow had melted) to find the tree cut down with his bike gone. Crazy.

Great to see the legendary Hal again. Something tells me that first bike (the Bridgestone) belongs to Clarence or other T.A. folks.

@al: Video looks superb on my Mac Pro.

Hi Keith,

I have a folding bicyle and I get around my office building’s anti-bicycle management by stashing it in a bag before I carry it in for the day. It also fits nicely into my front hall closet.

However, it seems to me that one still needs lock one’s bike on the street when doing things like going to the grocery store, the movies, the Met Museum, or the opera at Lincoln Center. Or have you been able to carry in and check your folded bicycle in venues like these?

I’d like to hear from a folder owner who weighs ~200 lbs and rides hard in the city daily, about the durability of folders under those conditions.

I have a PURPLE Bike Friday folder but don’t ride it exclusively. I weigh just about 220, have had it for over six years and has held up. When I bought it I weighed around 200, but I am told my model is technically not recommended for those over 200.

It’s a good invisible bike when I ride it. But not everyone can make their bike invisible.

Oh yeah and the Brompton is rated up to 100kgs or 220lbs.

Urbanis, I have discovered that when folded to the size of a suitcase, the folding bike may be handled like a suitcase, and can be checked in any cloak room, or left with a clerk behind their desk, or half-folded and wheeled around with you like a golf caddy. It is welcome anywhere you are. If in doubt put it in a zippered bag.

BicyclesOnly, Dahons are rated at 230 pounds capacity. I have carried more than that on one of mine with my own weight plus luggage strapped on; this may depend on which model you get. Obviously don’t hit curbs at high speeds fully loaded like this.

The “invisible bike” can be put into a shopping cart when you go shopping, too.

I don’t see myself as a potential customer for a folder. I much prefer locking my bike outside and walking around in a store without having to lug around a giant black bag.

@Larry & @Keith: What size wheels do your bikes have and how compact do they get when folded? I have a Downtube 8H with 20″ wheels. I always fold and bag it when taking it into the office, but it’s a heavy and bulky thing–if this is a suitcase, it’s a large suitcase. I think it would occupy most of a shopping cart and I have a little trouble imagining it getting admitted to the Met, especially when I read on their site “Luggage is not allowed into the Museum and cannot be checked in at the Museum’s coat-check facilities. This includes small carry-ons and oversize backpacks. All standard-size backpacks, large bags, and packages 16″ x 16″ x 8″ or larger must be checked in at the coat-check facilities.” I would imagine my Downtube bag would fall under the “oversize backpack” category.

I always wonder when I read about people taking their folding bikes everywhere if they are riding models with 16″ wheels (e.g., Bromptons). Or perhaps I need to be more courageous?

Indeed you get what you pay for…not all bike locks are the same, they are like snowflakes considering some models might have a “black sheep” in the bunch and lock failure can occur. This is common when products are massed produced, the consumer loses quality over quantity. But anywho, locks are a great deterrent to those who decide to steal what is not theirs. Our lock shop has a great selection of high-end bike locks…if you are interest check us out at…

Bike Locks – For bike locks from Kryptonite, OnGuard, and Abus, the bicycle lock pros at A Js’ Bike Locks have everything you need.

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