Get Your Dahon Folding Bike Now!

The Folding Bicycle Solution
For anybody who is just like a lot of Londoners, its possible you have problems finding a secure and dry place to place your bicycle at your home. The tiny apartment refuses to budge one more inch, and the road seems to be the place bicycles get left to find new owners. It's also possible to would like to ride to your job, but parking is hard to find. If you try to get your bicycle into your building, the concierge looks at your bicycle like it was a huge wheeled rat and refuses to let you onto the escalator. You may also long to take your bicycle along on vacation that requires transportation, but cannot because of rush hours restrictions or outright bans on bicycles on trains or buses. The solution you are looking for is likely to be a folding bicycle.

Folding bicycles could be taken with you directly into your house, onto elevators, and into your work. This works extremely well if you also cover your bicycle so that nobody has the possiblity to register "bicycle" and react to it.

Folding bicycles also just rarely suffer the indignity of getting stolen, simply because for the most part, the bicycle does not leave your sight. Forget about of that anticipation and dread as you walk back to your street-parked bicycle: "Will it still be there today?" There is also no need to carry a heavy NYC-proof lock with you while cycling.

Throw away your assumptions about rickety, heavy folding bicycles that are really difficult to fold, fall apart while you're cycling, perform badly, provide you with a bad ride, or need a lot of pedaling. Nowadays there are several good quality models and makes to choose from that alternately optimise simple folding and folding size, overall performance, ride, and cost.

Typical to most models is that the handling is more responsive than on a full-size bicycle, and that usually takes some getting used to. It's not recommended that you ride a folding bicycle with no hands or try any cute stunts. Gears on small-wheeled folding bicycles are higher to compensate, but limited gearing on some models may slow you down. If that is a major problem for you, you should look more toward higher end "performance" folding bicycles. If you plan to take a lot of trips that utilize transportation, a bicycle that folds easily and compactly may be best for you. If you're a tall rider, you may want to look at how each one type of folding bicycle can adjust to fit you.

As with any buy, ask yourself how you want to use the bicycle and try to find the one that matches your needs best. Do not forget - you often get what you pay for and that a lower-quality bicycle may make you want you had bought a better bike in the first place. The better quality folding bicycles may be high-priced, but considering that a typical non-folding bicycle takes up more than 20 feet square in an apartment, you'll save perhaps $10,000 over 10 years by being able to get a slightly smaller house. Which means you can't afford not to get a good-quality folding bicycle.

Remember that folding bicycles aren't for the shy. You'll be asked about your bicycle constantly on the streets of London, so get ready to become a spokesperson for whatever bicycle you choose. Folding bicycles are apparently the most thrilling sight many Londoners have ever seen!
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Smithfield - Folding Bike Race

Every Last year on a Saturday summer evening, a crowd gathers in the Smithfield zone of London to watch the Smithfield Nocturne Bicycle Races. Here, all types of wheelers from amateur to professional race along the asphalt surrounding the historical Smithfield market area to find just who is fastest on London's inner-city streets. In 2009, Keith Henderson won the amateur class in the folding bicycle raceway, making it his second triumph in a row.

Can you provide a little background about yourself?

I'm thirty-five, and originate from Scotland, but I spent my youth growing up in the South of England, and then Bahrain, before going back to Scotland for secondary schooling. I have a degree in Three Dimensional Design and work as a Product Managing Director and on product developing plans for Vitsœ, the London located companionship who produce the 606 Universal Shelving System which was Designed by Dieter Rams in 1960.

How many cycle raceways do you enter in a twelvemonth and typically what kind of raceways are they?

I am a member of the Southborough Cyclists, and take part in some of their Time Runs throughout the year. I also enter Sportives - two years ago I did the 'Hell of the Ashdown' in February, the 'Dragon Ride' in June and then the 'Etape du Tour' in July. The two Smithfield Nocturne folding wheel raceways are the only road running style events I've ever entered.

This is your 2d win at the Smithfield Nocturne. What is your secret to winning the raceway?

It's such a short tight course that tactics and position definitely play a role. One thing I've not done, is try to be the first in the sprint for the cycles. I'm not a runner, and my elbows don't fly as high as some of the other competitors! So, it's best to leave them to it and hope that I can unfold my bike speedily with no troubles and do the catching up on the bike

Why a folding cycle?

About 4 years ago, I came in my first Cyclo Sportive on a mountain bike, which resulted in the buy of a road wheel. Having moved to Tunbridge Wells, I nowadays commute to London by train and use a wheel at either end. About 3 twelvemonths ago, the train companionships banned full-size bikes during rush hr, so I was forced into the world of folding bicycles. Two months of search after I was the proud owner of a Dahon Folding Bikes having concluded that they had the best wheel for me.

Tell us about the cycle you ride.

I ride the Dahon Mu SL because for daily commuting on a train it is absolutely ideal. It's very light for taking down the train platform, it's very quickly and easily to fold, and above all it rides more like a proper cycle. The greatest light cycles are very tough and are great at dealing with the very bumpy roads in London. They are still totally true after three twelvemonths of riding. Also, I have never had to adjust the gears in three years of use..