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Folding bikes: a buyer’s guide

Depending on your budget, compromises have to be made somewhere on foldability, ride, handling or spec.

However, the best folding-bike designs pack down small and quickly, can be easily carried then stored under your office desk, and offer a ride quality not far off most full-sized bikes.

They’ll also last you a long time if properly cared for, but they don’t exactly come cheap.

What will you use it for?

Not all folding bikes are designed to pack down as small as possible. Some folders arrive with full-size wheels that offer exactly the same riding position as their non-collapsible brethren, but they might not be the best choice if you have to battle busy rail networks twice a day. So consider your specific needs before you buy.

The good news is that many folding bikes come with luggage racks or fixings. Other essentials such as mudguards and lights are readily available, and while you might have to forgo that water bottle cage, that’s no great hardship for short urban journeys.

Some brands, such as Brompton, even have their own range of luggage, accessories and clothing, and want you to think of the brand as a lifestyle rather than ‘just’ a mode of transport. Folding bikes certainly do cultivate a keen following.

Folding bikes are targeted by thieves

Folding bikes are very popular with thieves. That said, part of their appeal is that they can be parked under your desk or wheeled into a supermarket, so they tend not to be kept outside as regularly as conventional bicycles.

If you are going to keep your folder in a public place, then please use one of the best bike locks, preferably secured around both the frame and wheels, and get the bike insured.

How much do I need to spend?

Folding bikes can be found at nearly every price point, from a couple of hundred pounds up to the multiple thousands.

It’s almost certainly a false economy to buy the cheapest one out there: the components will be lower-quality and heavier, they’ll wear out faster and your purchase is more likely to end up unloved in the shed or a skip.

On the other hand, you don’t need to buy a carbon-framed wonder-bike to get something that’s light enough to carry up a flight of stairs, or convey you and your lunch to the office.

Our buying guide will help explain what you should expect for your money and highlight the features commonly found at each price point.

Folding bikes under £500 / $650 / AU$850

Simplicity is your watchword at this price point. Avoid elaborate folding mechanisms with lots of moving parts that can go wrong and don’t be tempted by fancy features such as disc brakes or suspension forks. These will usually mean cost savings have been made elsewhere.

If you live in a hilly city, then you can still find models with more than one gear at this price point. Conventional derailleur gears and internal hub gears are common, with the latter often requiring less maintenance, albeit at the expense of a little more weight.

Rim or V-brakes are commonplace here and they are fine. They may lack the outright stopping power of disc brakes, but if the right ones are chosen they’ll provide many, many miles of hassle-free riding.

Watch out for cheap saddles and tyres that are prone to puncturing.

Folding bikes under £1,000 / $1,300 / AU$1,700

As you move up in price, folding bikes begin to hit the sweet spot of ride quality, portability and longevity.

If you’re using a train on your daily commute, then you’ll likely be folding and unfolding it a lot. So the components need to be up to the job and the ride quality should be good enough to give confidence on busy city streets.

The components used on bikes in this price bracket will usually be vastly superior to entry-level bikes. Expect quality contact points (that’s the grips, saddle and pedals) and tyres with impressive puncture resistance and comfort.

Folding bikes over £1,000 / $1,300 / AU$1,700

Now we’re getting into the realm of money-no-object components and materials. Look out for disc brakes, carbon frames, suspension and slick gearing. Some even have drop bars like a ‘proper’ road bike.

At this price point, folding bikes tend to become more specialised; you’ll see fast, lightweight bikes designed for road riding, chunkier options that can actually be ridden off-road, and touring bikes that don’t leave you swearing in the back of beyond after a few hundred miles.

The fact these bikes fold down can be considered a bonus rather than their primary function. They’re usually aimed more at riders focused on a particular discipline who want to travel often or store their bike more easily, rather than the commuter end of the market.

Which folding bike should I buy?

Folding bikes have come a long way in the past couple of decades, with the best ones capable of becoming a reliable four-season friend. The key to picking the right one is identifying what you’ll use it for and how far you plan to ride it, and then spending accordingly.

The smaller-wheeled versions suit shorter journeys best, but that’s certainly not to knock them: their ride quality can be very impressive.

Larger-wheeled choices offer a more familiar ‘feel’, but they can’t be as easily collapsed into a small package or stowed away on a busy train or bus.

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