A post that sank into oblivion in the Lounge

[Lydia Leftcoast]

I live in a terrific neighborhood for cycling, with lakes, parks, and paved paths all over the place. However, I also live on the fourth floor of a building, and lugging my full-sized bike up and down the stairs was more than these middle-aged muscles could take. Just the thought of doing that was a real disincentive.

I therefore decided that when my next big job payment came through, I was going to buy a folding bike. This is what I ended up with:



Yeah, I know it looks like a kiddie bike, and I have been asked where my training wheels are.

However, it folds down and fits in the trunk of the car. When I want to ride, it takes less than a minute to assemble, and I'm off and riding.

It has three speeds (all I ever use anyway), and the small wheels make it easy to handle on curves and sharp turns.

I've been circling the nearest lake two to three mornings a week, and in a week or two, I'll be ready to add the next lake over. My eventual goal is to use it for short trips around town.

Wheeee! :7

[wtmusic]

1. Kewl!

Is it lightweight?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

2. Light enough that I can lift it

in and out of the trunk pretty easily. :-)

[bvar22]

3. Glad to hear you are riding the Lakes.

Hope to join you some morning.

This bike seems like the ideal solution to the problem.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

7. It seemed like such a waste to have a perfectly good lake

three short blocks away and another one three long blocks away, both with perfectly good paths around them, and not to take advantage of them.

:hi:

[bvar22]

8. There are some great paths that "feed in" to the lakes.

The asphalt around the Lakes is pretty good, but is old and bumpy in places and can be crowded on weekends.

If you look behind those tall condos just to the north of Lake Calhoun, you can find a wonderful new smooth Limited Access path that crosses the T of the Lake circuit and runs East/West for miles. I had trouble finding it because it is elevated (on top of the RR overpasses).
Give it a look when you are ready for something different. The east run of this path parallels Lake Ave (the old RR bed). It runs under the big bus station on Hennipen (Uptown), and all the way to the Light Rail Station at Hwy55 with no street crossings.

There is a path that branches North off of the above path that is a beautiful run through the woods. You would never know you are in the middle of a dense urban area. At the East end of this path there is a branch that comes out in the Gardens behind the Walker Art Center and Loring Park. You can ride through Loring Park and catch the Loring Greenway up to Nicollett Mall for festivals and stuff on weekends without having to compete with automobile traffic.

At the South end of Lake Harriet, a wonderful shaded path runs along Minnehaha Creek all the way to the Falls and the Mississippi River paths.

I love the paths around the Twin Cities. They are safe, well planned and well constructed. They are an evolution beyond the painted bike lane on a city street. The bike paths are an adventure in themselves.

[Kolesar]

4. I met two cyclists touring across Montana with those last week

They were laden with full camping apparatus: tent, sleeping bag, pad, cookware, etc. Those bikes are great for collapsing and getting into a hard case for an airplane flight.

[Longhorn]

5. The guy who taught my Road I class had a folder.

I think they're pretty amazing and a great solution for your situation. Enjoy your lakes! :)

[BiggJawn]

6. Very nice!

Don't let anyone kid you, Folders are SERIOUS bikes!
People ride them on the 1200-Mile Paris-Brest-Paris ride.

[happyslug]

9. All Bikes are compromises.

Thus you often have to give up something "Good" for something "Better". With folders you give up the rigidity of a hard tail bike but at the ease of moving it up and down the stairs (Also folders tend to be HEAVEIR than "regular" bikes it that folding section has to be built up take the strain of folding and holding its position when NOT folded).

From the Picture this looks like a Bike Friday:

[Lydia Leftcoast]

11. It's actually a Dahon, but

I forget the model number.

It doesn't seem particularly light (a 10-speed road racer would be lighter), but the important thing is that I can keep it in my car, which means I only have to lift it in and out of the trunk instead of maneuvring it up and down stairs.

The convenience of it has removed all the excuses I had for not riding. :-)

[seemunkee]

10. I always thought those were pretty cool

I have no need for one but it certainly seems to fit your needs.