MINI Folding Bike

[morphix]

Interesting little development of interest to folding bicycle enthusiasts or anyone considering a bike for conversion... BMW are cashing in on the MINI brand and have entered the folding bicycle market with this 20" wheeler:



They're marketing it as suitable to go in the boot of a MINI and it has a very British image (despite being German) looking at the German website. Weighs in at 11kg and retails for around £380 comparing favourably to some Dahon models. There's one on eBay I think.

More info on this blog by BMW.

[flecc]

I'd seen the announcement but didn't look further since car company bikes have usually been very high priced, especially German ones. This price is unusual and a pleasant surprise, they should shift some in their showrooms.

[morphix]

I'd seen the announcement but didn't look further since car company bikes have usually been very high priced, especially German ones. This price is unusual and a pleasant surprise, they should shift some in their showrooms.

Flecc do you think it might be made by Dahon? It has a Dahon look about it don't you think? I know they make bikes for a number of other firms.



The Dahon MU Uno is my favourite folding bicycle at the moment and I've noticed the price is coming down a bit..I'm waiting for the January sales it's considerably lighter than the MINI at 9kg but has no gears or brakes of course.

[flecc]

I assumed it was, but of course Dahon has split in two following a nasty Hons family dispute, so not quite sure.

Father David now has the Dahon brand name as well as making the same models, while son Joshua and mother Florence also have the designs and make and sell them as Tern bicycles.

Against the usual odds it seems likely that it's Tern that will do best.

[morphix]

..after a bit more digging it seems the bike is made by Dahon. And it's not the first time Mini have put their brand to a folding bike...check this, seems they licensed it to some Asian bike manufacturer?

Although there's some of the new Mini bikes selling on eBay for £380 the official UK retail is around £500 and in Germany they sell for 499 euros.

[flecc]

Ah, a pity, £500 is getting a bit on the steep side.

I didn't know about that other one, at times it seems that every man and his dog has marketed a folder at least once.

[cwah]

I was thinking about buying a dahon uno for my next electric bike. But from what I've read, most dahon rear dropout are 130mm (just need to bent it a little to have a 135mm standard size) except for the dahon uno that has a smaller dropout because it's a single speed.
So I may not buy it finally.

Is the mini easy to roll once folded?

Seriously, what I don't understand is the manufacturer assumption that people buy folding bike only to carry it on a car. So they create folding bike for tourist or people going to holidays rather than commuters. Have they done market research properly? Even if the bike can be lifted, doing so with a 10kg bike is not an easy task if you have to walk more than 30 seconds in the underground.

Most of the time I read people buying folding bike to commute. So they expect a bike they can carry in public transport and potentially use it as shopping cart in groceries store or a rolling cart to carry luggages.
Brompton is, to date, the only bike able to roll correctly and being able to answer these needs correctly. And I'm not talking about bike size, just bike capability.

[morphix]

I was thinking about buying a dahon uno for my next electric bike. But from what I've read, most dahon rear dropout are 130mm (just need to bent it a little to have a 135mm standard size) except for the dahon uno that has a smaller dropout because it's a single speed.
So I may not buy it finally.

That's good to know cwah as I'm still searching for a suitable 20" folder for my next conversion.. I had the Uno down as my favourite choice because of its simplicity and ultra light-weight at this price point..but now I may have to re-think.

Is the mini easy to roll once folded?

Seriously, what I don't understand is the manufacturer assumption that people buy folding bike only to carry it on a car. So they create folding bike for tourist or people going to holidays rather than commuters. Have they done market research properly? Even if the bike can be lifted, doing so with a 10kg bike is not an easy task if you have to walk more than 30 seconds in the underground.

Most of the time I read people buying folding bike to commute. So they expect a bike they can carry in public transport and potentially use it as shopping cart in groceries store or a rolling cart to carry luggages.
Brompton is, to date, the only bike able to roll correctly and being able to answer these needs correctly. And I'm not talking about bike size, just bike capability.

I've heard the Uno rolls well and the magnets keep it together, but no clue about the MINI there's not much user reviews about only a few professional ones. It's tempting to take a chance on the eBay offer price, could always return it I suppose.

There's a promo video of the Uno on YouTube showing a woman carrying it on and off a train over her shoulder. I think that weight 9kg-10kg really is about the limit if you want to do that else it would become a burden. It would be nice to see a video of the MINI.

I ride a 26" folder and it weighs in at 20kg with my kit on and I have to carry it up 2 flights of stairs which is a pain to say the least.

[morphix]

The Evening Standard was given an exclusive chance to road-test it. The aluminium-framed cycle weighs under 11kg and comes in matt black with silver Mini and Union Jack motifs.

The eye-catching, neon-yellow chain is coated in Teflon rather than oil to avoid besmirching the urban cyclist's suit trousers.

It looks stylish and it's a fun ride. The eight well-spaced gears on the handlebar twist grip facilitate quick downshifts in stop-go traffic.

Snappy braking and the upright riding position are invaluable when navigating the Marble Arch roundabout.

The front of the bike feels rigid but very responsive; the back end much more springy and skittish, which adds excitement to the ride. In traffic, it makes you feel like a nimble minnow among sharks - rather like Alec Issigonis's original car.

The bike folds away easily and in seconds along the crossbar and steering column. The seat retracts and the pedals fold up, making a bundle compact enough to carry onto a bus or cab. Or, indeed, to fit into the boot of a Mini.

It's a bit awkward to carry, though, with a tendency to unfold even when stashed in its under-seat cargo bag. And it needs its own seat in the cinema. With so many detachable components, it's almost impossible to lock up outside.

The Mini Folding Bike comes with mudguards, bell and kickstand, but no pannier rack. It's not quite as smooth to ride or neat to fold as the London-built Brompton, but at £499 it is considerably cheaper.

It embodies much of the Issigonis charm and quirkiness that made the original Mini such a hit, even if the brand is now owned by BMW. And as the maker notes, the folding bike solves lots of problems of modern-day commuting and is "emission free". Who said the Germans had no sense of humour?

New fold-up bike gives commuters a Mini adventure | News

[flecc]

Love the way the reviewer has the notion that it's designed to have Mini characteristics.

Wonder if he's ever heard of Dahon?