Monday, March 7, 2011
Folding Bikes - The Lowdown
What's Next...Folding Bicycles?
All of us were kids once. It was a distinct time. A time when each and every one of us believed we could do anything, be anything and go anywhere. If fortunate adequate to live in a house you explored your backyard as if it were a jungle or if you were unlucky adequate to grow up in an apartment block you most undoubtedly invented your own worlds to live in. Now what was your adored choice for voyage as you accessed remote and undiscovered worlds; perhaps a time machine, a rocket ship, a dune buggy, a Wild West stallion, a helicopter or maybe even a jet airplane?
I for one used to love to fold my own airplanes. All I needed was a piece of paper and after picking up a collection of techniques from teachers, uncles, cousins and friends I could maneuver my hands in such a way as to generate my own communication and as opportunity would have it my plane wasn't just an airplane or a jet plane it was a Concorde and I could get practically everywhere I wanted to be without the impediment of time and space to get in my way. Who knew that folding, merely bending and not breaking paper into a collection of designs and shapes could transform my mundane existence into something fresh, intriguing and new. Freed of my parameters and barriers I was on my way, liberated from the confines of the boredom that summer vacation imposed on me from time to time.
Rarely had or have I experienced this feeling of total and utter relaxation until stumbling upon Folding Airplanes for big boys and girls. As a previous guarnatee Claims Adjuster I know what it feels like to be a weekend warrior, but once the party scene gets old, and believe me it doesn't take long for that to happen, and you don't want to fold under the pressure of your high pressure existence what are you left with.
Well it took a conversation with a close, personal friend who had recently discovered a more fruitful, healthy, imaginative pastime before the rest of my life would truly 'unfold' so to speak. What was that you ask? No, it wasn't anything as involved as constructing jet airplanes (and that's a good thing as meticulously gluing the multiple, dinky parts of models was one childhood pastime I never got into) but rather Folding Bikes and what a revelation it turned out to be.
Why did I get into Folding Bikes? Now back in the day I had a Kona 'Lavadome' super light mountain bike and I rode the heck out of it for one year in the local off ride sites of Vancouver/the Lower Mainland in British Columbia, Canada in such places as the Delta Watershed, the Ubc Endowment Lands/Spanish Banks, Stanley Park and Mount Seymour. Now I'm not a gearhead or an extreme/adrenaline athlete by any stretch of the imagination but when I was in my mid twenties my mountain bike served as a tremendous publish from the weekly grind and I've got the 5 inch scars on my forearms to prove it.
What do you need to ask yourself when you're on the verge of getting your first folding bicycle? Well, keep it simple. What did or would you ask yourself if you were considering buying a car. First and prominent you need to know what kind of someone you are and what kind of folding bike will suit your lifestyle and take you where you want to go? Now let's keep something in mind level from the get go that a folding bike is in no way, shape or form meant to wholly replace your mountain bike if you're into the full-on 'off-roading' touch or your car, truck or bicycle as your main form of communication although depending on your needs it very well could; field to how specialized you want to get and how much disposable earnings you want to throw at your endeavor.
Over the years bicycles in normal both road bikes (racers) and mountain bikes have gotten more and more specialized to the point that the term 'custom' seems less and less relevant and folding bikes are no exception in this regard.
What you need to keep in mind is pretty easy for the most part.
How and for what will you be using your 'folder'? Are you just finding to escape the gridlocked roads on the way to the office and save both 'your' money and 'our' environment in the process, and need something that is bus and train friendly? Are you a company traveler who often takes trains and planes both nationally and internationally and is finding to bring a folding bike along to lighten your load both physically and spiritually by taking along your mechanism for rehearsal and escape on these less than glamorous trips?
Or perhaps you're more the adventure traveler type who enjoys a good weekend getaway just as much a month or year long jaunt across Europe or nearby the World. Or maybe you're finding for all-out versatility in your folding bicycle which is as liberating for you as being able to jump on a top of the line institution designed, institution fit, institution built, extremely specialized, high carrying out mountain bike for others. In fact for many population being able to take their folding bike to the office, to the grocery store, to the ball park, to the nature reserve, and to some historic and cultural sites all on a reasonable funds in such a way as to unclog the roads and unburden the environment is an empowering and intriguing prospect.
Whatever your needs and disposition there are some primary factors to keep in mind linked to anything class or aggregate of categories you find yourself falling or is that 'folding' into. If convenience of communication is sublime on your list of priorities keep in mind such factors as ease of folding, speed of folding, ease of carrying, luggage and storage capability/capacity in regards to not only the size but the shape of the bicycle when it is folded. Or perhaps you're finding to sit back and enjoy the ride while you voyage in hassle free style thanks to the charm in simplicity your portfolio offers you in which case you'll need to think about how heavy your folding bike is, how durable, how reliable, the accessories it comes with and the ample capability of the ride; enjoyment is defined in terms of the dimensions of size and the adjustability options as they recite to seat and handlebars and how that translates into comfort for both short and long sojourns.
Finally when price is no obstacle given the developments/advancements in folding bicycle technology in new times the choosy and wealthy consumer can assuredly begin to hone in on personal carrying out requirements in terms of tires, gears and weight in relation to ride quality. Simply the more exact the ask in terms of on or off road expectations the more money the specialist rider will need to splash out and the less immediate assistance ready as well as the more intriguing it may be to track down spares (parts).
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