Whether you are a seasoned or new rider, if you are wondering how to choose foldable bicycle, here at V2 Motto, we have come up with a simple guide for you to make an informed decision about what choice should you make and whether they are the right one!
The first and foremost factor before even thinking about buying a foldable bicycle is – what is your purpose? Define it. Is it just for fun rides with friends and family, or are you planning to use it for commuting to your university and workplace? Understanding the use of a bicycle will help you pinpoint what type will work best for you.Â
If you are looking for a fun ride, the model and its specification do not matter much, and you can choose the one you like the best. An easily foldable and portable bicycle would work best for stowing in a car and taking it out on a leisure ride at a park. The most suitable type of foldable bikes for fun and leisure riders will be V2 Motto’s ALPS V23-3S, SAVA V20-1S, and ALPS V27-7S. They are reasonably priced with increased mobility and easy to handle.Â
However, if you are looking for a bicycle for commuting purposes, then you should look for a lighter, stronger, and portable type. Singapore is largely connected with the best transportation options but connecting the last miles can be a bit tedious. To overcome this difficulty, the commuters are aiming towards a performance-based foldable bike, as they would want to have a higher speed range than the normal bikes to reach the destination quicker. Also, the foldable bikes must come with smaller wheels that can be easily folded and carried on board while traveling on a Bus or MRT train.
With the increasing crowd in transportation, it is advisable to have minimal space-consuming alternatives when choosing a foldable bike, which will avoid inconveniencing the other commuters. The most suitable type of foldable bike for commuters will be V2 Motto’s SAVA V21-20S, SAVA V22-9S, and SAVA V21-9S. They have higher performance, increased safety, and mobility.
You have defined your purpose and got ready to buy a new foldable bike. (Great!) Once you reach an online or offline store, the most confusing part is – which type of frame material should you choose? The two most used materials for bicycle frames are Aluminium and Carbon Fibres.
Aluminium is one of the most common and widely used bicycle frame materials across the globe. It is known for being a corrosion-resistant material that is considerably lighter with a very high strength-to-weight ratio. Also, when comparing it generally with bicycles in general, the aluminium-based bicycles fall in the affordable price range and seemingly a popular choice for the riders on a budget. Even some big cycling companies offer their best products in aluminium-based frames at a cheaper price range with almost the same components and specifications as a top-selling product.
Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP), which is commonly called Carbon, is the new player to the game. The carbon is completely different from the aluminium material and has better stiffness and strength in the material for its weight, which eventually allows in creating very lightweight frames for foldable bikes. The carbon contains lower density which helps in reducing the vibration and delivering the most comfortable ride.
Both Carbon and aluminium are highly strong materials for making foldable bike frames. Otherwise, we would not be able to see the world’s most bicycles built with these materials. And when it comes to high performance and strength, both aluminium and carbon takes the win! There is very little difference that the carbon is lighter, but also aluminium delivers an excellent combination of allowing the lightweight foldable bikes to be built at an affordable price range.
Who doesn’t love riding a foldable bicycle that is lightweight and easy to carry around? The weight of the bicycle will determine how much effort is required to ride it, and how easily can it be carried, moved, or transported. The key here is to match your choice of foldable bicycle with your chosen activity and your physical capability. The general weight range for a foldable bicycle would be somewhere above 10kgs. This is due to the foldable mechanism of these bicycles that adds extra weight to a traditional bicycle.
Calculate your weight and decide whether to go for a lighter bicycle, as you can get foldable bikes that are lightweight below 10kgs. For example, most of our V2 Motto’s foldable bikes like SAVA V20-1S, SAVA V21-20S, SAVA V21-9S, and SAVA V22-9S are weighing 10 KG and below. But remember, the lighter the bicycle higher will be the price.
The Foldable bike wheels are usually within the size range from 14-inches to 26-inches. The wheel sizes matter more, as the overall size after folding the bicycle depends on it. A folding bike with a wheel size of 14-inches will have a small and compacted fold while a 26-inch wheel would be bigger and difficult to fold and carry around.
The prominent advantage of a small wheel size in a folding bike is that it can turn quickly, accelerate the speed to ride, and climb easier than a bike with a bigger wheel or a traditional bike. However, bikes with wheel sizes below 16-inches will be unstable during bumps in the road and any wheel below 14-inches will affect the healthy bicycle range.
On the other hand, a folding bike with a bigger wheel size will have the advantage of coming with wider tires and better suspension. But it might not have a smooth acceleration while turning and riding when it comes to rolling over tiny stones along the road. Also, the folding bike size will be bigger and heavier with bigger wheel size.
With that being said, one has to choose the right wheel size for folding bikes based on how and where they are going to use their bike.
Deciding on your budget before buying your folding bike can save you time and effort.Â
Generally, price of folding bikes range from several hundred dollars to several thousand dollars. The higher the price, the better the materials and components of a foldable bicycle will be.
If you are new rider, you may want to ask yourself if you really need an expensive folding bike. At the same time, you may not want to get something that is too cheap in price and quality and ruins your experience.
V2 Motto’s folding bikes offer products with remarkable specifications and materials for the price that is easy on your wallet.
Choosing to ride a bicycle is an environmentally friendly decision and can also be a good exercise for a healthy and safe lifestyle. As someone living in Singapore, the importance of being a commuter cannot be stressed enough, both cost-effectively and healthily. A foldable bicycle can often be seen as a piece of extra luggage, however, the effectiveness and ease of covering that last or extra mile are higher. As a buyer, when you are confused on how to choose a foldable bicycle, the best advice we can provide you is to select the one that is lightweight and folds into a very compact size making transportation easier.
There is no ONE perfect foldable bike for all the riders, but there is always that one perfect foldable bicycle available for YOU. We hope this guide helped choose your right foldable bicycle. What are you waiting for? Go ahead and buy your foldable bicycle right away!
