Bike Folding

Many people today are opting to leave their car parked at home and ride a bicycle to and from work. Not only is this type of transportation far less expensive given the high cost of gasoline today, but riding a bicycle is good exercise. If you are interested in a commuter bike, a folding style bicycle might be exactly what you are looking for. There are several different models on the market by an array of manufacturers; you should do a little research before you buy your bike to make sure that you are going to be getting the right one for your needs. One of the reasons that the folding bike is so popular with commuter is that it is designed to fold down small enough to fit into a bag that can be carried onto a train or bus until you reach the point where you can finish your journey on your bike. Most of these bikes are made with a lightweight aluminum frame, although you may find top end models with carbon fiber frames.

You should consider your needs and try to get the lightest model your budget will allow. Contrary to popular opinion about this type of bike, the folding design does not make the frame any less durable than standard bicycles. The frame is made to lock into place and be just a strong and rigid as any bike with a solid tube frame. With this in mind, you should remember that you are buying this bike for your daily commute and not for careening down the side of a mountain like you would on a mountain bike. While the frames are strong they are not made for heavy abuse, if you plan to ride the mountain trails you might want to save the folding bike for work and get a mountain bike for the weekends. Take a close look at the drive mechanism; most standard and many folding bikes come with the old fashioned chain drives that have been used on bicycles for generations. This means that you are going to end up with greasy clothes and hands from riding and folding the bike. If you are heading into the office, the last thing you need is to walk into work with bicycle chain grease on the leg of your pants and all over your hands. The latest design of folding bike uses a shaft drive system similar to that found on many of today's motorcycles. Instead of a chain with one or two derailleurs to change gears there is a ring and pinion drive shaft from the pedal to the rear hub. Some models such as those sold by Dynamic Bicycles have internal gearing in the hub that allows you to change gear ratios to help you match the gears to the terrain you are riding on. The next time you set out to buy a new bike you should consider one of these folding bikes as they can provide you with a convenient and fun bike to ride everywhere you go.