Folding Bikes

[Bob S]

A winter question for everyone.
How many of you carry your own bike aboard?

I saw a few at West Marine and also looked at the Schwinn 20" Loop Bike (7speed). Been thinking of getting one for a while, we'd actually need 2 (one for the admiral). Are they worth the money? Are they easy to ride going uphill as compared to a regular bike? We often visit Martha's Vineyard and are planning a week in Nantucket. We usually rent a tandem. I don't know why people are always yelling at me "she's not peddling"

Thanks for the feedback.
Bob

Picture courtesy of Schwinn.
Not sure how to get that in there, sorry Maine!

 

[Tom Spohn]

We are partial to the Bike Friday brand, which admitidley, are on the expensive side. We have two singles which are geared to go up any steep hills with full camping loads and have toured in Europe several times with these bikes without ever having to dismount and walk up the hill. Our favorite bike is a Bike Friday tandem which instead of folding, it comes apart and stores in two cases for traveling. The cases can have wheels attached to turn them into a trailer for more extended trips. The biggest surprise to us when we started "small wheeling" was that these bikes feel about the same as the standard ones.

If I were in the market today here is what I would look for:
1. Corrosion resistance--Aluminum rims and well protected cables plus sealed bearings and stainless spokes.
2. Gearing--Make sure there are big gears on the freehub and small ones on the crank.
3. Tires--Should be reasonably high pressure--75 psi or more. (Ours are 120)
4. Rack--For all the stuff you will buy in the market just up the road from the marina.

Another brand I would seriously consider is Dahon.

http://community.bikefriday.com/node/1584
3.

 

[Rick D]

We Had Two

...which we used for a while. They were not Schwinn, rather some generic brand. I only took them on the boat once. They were a PITA to store and bulky. Also messy to knock down. The frame was not as rigid and the gear changer would get out of adjustment a lot. They were a disappointment and didn't work well for carrying on the boat. It might be different on a power boat. I sold them to a guy with an RV. Probably more useful there.

 

[Bad Obsession]

I carry two folding bikes in the lazzerette of my Catalina 30. I absolutely love these bikes. If you do buy bikes, buy that carrying case for them as it helps on loading and unloading them. I load mine into the dingy and carry them ashore. I have ridden at a lot of places around the Chesapeake Bay and they are fun.

I am in the mind that basic is better since it is on a boat and they are folded and banged around a lot. I don't have any gears and I have a cheaper bike. Look at the Dahons that you find on Camping World. They are cheaper and the same thing as the bikes at West Marine.

www.campingworld.com

 

[Bad Obsession]

Oh...they aren't too bad to ride up hill and if it is a big hill I will get off and walk. I have used mine to grocery shop too and it works out well.

I swear that I am going to invent a small folding trailer for mine so that I can put grocery bags or shopping bags in the trailer!!! Something cheap, stores small, easy to use, and pulls well.

 

[zeehag]

i am loooking at the full sized montague for usefulness durability and uphill riding--i had dahon--wasnt adequate or long distance riding, unless you are a midget..lol....so i am working on the full sized fold up--i have a nonfolding mountain bike--slightly small for me--but has saddlebags and rack and fits on my boat--everything fits on my boat--is huge---but is a realistic alternative for me...i found dahon was fine for long beach , ca or catalina, or other fairly civilized areas--but real biking is done where there are not many roads----and are lots of hills.....the places i have reprovisioned in virgin islands were fairly hilly and a small wheel is not the appropriate tool-walking is preferable and less unwieldy!...but they are cute...goood luck..
as for trailers--the baby carrier trailer is excellent way to haul stuff---i think they even fit behind smaller bikes--used to run about 100 dollars in bike shops...less in htrrift shops, when you can find them!! they are enclosed , so is a really excellent tool......good idea!!

 

[Bob V]

Full-size Montague

I have a folding full-size Montague that I have had for about 3 years. It is not the smallest package when folded but does fit in my lazerette with the front wheel removed. The only problem is that my lazerette is usually full of other junk so I tend to leave the bike at home.

I gave it a good off-road test on a trip to Montague Harbor (seemed appropriate) and it performed very well. It is the bike that I usually ride here at home even though I have a non-folding Stump Jumper.

The best thing about the Montague is that all your standard mountain bike gear works with it.

 

[Bob S]

Thanks, some great responses. The Schwinn comes with a carry bag. It has and aluminum frame but alloy wheels. I'm sure it wasn't intended for marine use but it's a good name (at least it was when I was a kid)

Has any one tried bringing them ashore in the dinghy?
A full size is out of the question for a 30'er. Might be easier to pull up to the fuel dock. I ask because we either pick up a mooring or anchor out.

 

[catsailor]

I've been happy with full-size bikes on a regular bike rack on the stern rail.

Thanks, some great responses. The Schwinn comes with a carry bag. It has and aluminum frame but alloy wheels. I'm sure it wasn't intended for marine use but it's a good name (at least it was when I was a kid)

Has any one tried bringing them ashore in the dinghy?
A full size is out of the question for a 30'er. Might be easier to pull up to the fuel dock. I ask because we either pick up a mooring or anchor out.

Nothing to unfold, though they are a bit awkward in the dingy. We just lay them across the bow, and make a second trip for people.

 

[Ed Schenck]

Alloy wheels are fine Bob. A lot of department store bikes have chromed steel wheels and steel spokes. And the crankset and pedals will be steel. These are the things that rust. And quickly! If the Schwinn has alloy wheels than maybe the spokes are stainless. And the crankset too. Be sure to check. I recently bought a granddaughter an inexpensive Schwinn. It is aluminum with all alloy parts and stainless spokes, a surprise.

 

[zeehag]

Thanks, some great responses. The Schwinn comes with a carry bag. It has and aluminum frame but alloy wheels. I'm sure it wasn't intended for marine use but it's a good name (at least it was when I was a kid)

Has any one tried bringing them ashore in the dinghy?
A full size is out of the question for a 30'er. Might be easier to pull up to the fuel dock. I ask because we either pick up a mooring or anchor out.

there is a guy--davit the pirate..LOL...who uses one with an inflatable dink---seems to be ok---i use full size because i have big boat that seems to have more storage than a farm lol...but davit is on latsandatts forum....if he is online at all----LOL...goood luck.....

 

[Bad Obsession]

I sit mine in my hard dingy. They go up in the bow section and the front passenger goes slightly behind them. It gives me room to get in and use the outboard on it. If I choose to row the dingy I put the bikes in the back of my dingy. It is a full load but I can do it. This year since my gf is tall I plan to make two trips...put her at the dock first and then go back for the bikes!

 

[Paul Cossman]

My wife and I have two full-size Montague folding bikes on our P42. We chose Montague because they are true mountain bikes that fold, and not just folding bikes. They fold via a full-length tube inside of the downtube and lock in three places, so they're completely solid. We've used them for actual mountain riding and they work fine. They are also very comfortable to ride, and we have covered a lot of miles with them. (While in northeastern NZ, we rode over to the west coast and actually rode part of 90 mile beach on them).

We cruised with them for five years, riding them at many islands. We keep them in their storage bags, which have shoulder-straps and smaller handles. We can load the two of them, plus the two of us, in our 3.40 wood floor AVON. We drop them down into the AVON from the deck of the boat, and lift them onto the deck in the same manner. I can't remember ever making a beach landing with them, and I think we have always pulled the dingy up to a bulkhead, dock, wharf, or rocky outcropping to load/unload them.

We keep them in the forepeak, and then secure them to the deck when we have guests. The bike have sat on the deck sometimes for weeks at a time. We take pretty good care of them, making sure we clean them up properly (WD-40) before stowing them for a period of time.

They are now 10 years old, and continue to look, and function, as virtually new. If you get them I suggest you buy the folding pedals, as that makes them much easier to stow and to transport down the companionway and into the forepeak.

 

[David in Sandusky]

2 Full Size Dahons

Well, not quitre full size, but not the small wheels. They are very capable bikes, with 21 gears for hills. We always have good rides on Pelee Island, and have enjoyed them on South Bass, Kelleys, and at Vermillion, Mentor, Geneva on the Lake, Erie, Port Stanley, Port Dover, Maitland, and Erieau.

We bought them around 2003 without bags. After one summer of banging the brightwork, and the bikes, we got the bags. They protect the boat and the bikes, and are much easier to handle or move.

We store one one the forward end of our quarter berth (on our '77 h27) and one on the port settee when underway. I lift that one onto the side deck when we get to port, or anchor.

They get banged up more than a bike ashore, but maintenance has not been that much of a chore, and they really give us joy and exercise in the many marinas of Lake Erie.