How to Park a Folding Bike? - Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More

08-31-2004, 06:45 AM

I've been considering the acquisition of a folding bike (Dahon Speed TR
in my case).

Folding bikes can be very expensive indeed. Moreover, by their very
nature, they are cute, compact and stealable. So my question is, if you
have a folding bike and need to park it for a mo, say to go into a shop
or office, or to stop in a restaurant for lunch, what do you do?

However light and nifty they may appear in relation to normal bikes;
they're still way too clunky to lug around Sainsbury's. And some, like
Brommies, do have an urban vocation.

Your thoughts?

EFR
Ile de France

08-31-2004, 06:55 AM

On Tue, 31 Aug 2004 15:45:52 +0200, Elisa Francesca Roselli
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

> I've been considering the acquisition of a folding bike (Dahon Speed TR
> in my case).
>
> Folding bikes can be very expensive indeed. Moreover, by their very
> nature, they are cute, compact and stealable. So my question is, if you
> have a folding bike and need to park it for a mo, say to go into a shop
> or office, or to stop in a restaurant for lunch, what do you do?

Take it in with you. They are very stealable, especially in cities.

> However light and nifty they may appear in relation to normal bikes;
> they're still way too clunky to lug around Sainsbury's. And some, like
> Brommies, do have an urban vocation.

Some of the bigger trolleys at supermarkets will take a Brommie and your
shopping. Many shops will be happy for you to leave it just inside the
door or behind the counter so long as it isn't causing a hazard. A
restaurtant should either let you leave it near your table or put it in
the cloakroom. If they won't then I'd eat elsewhere.

Colin

08-31-2004, 06:55 AM

On Tue, 31 Aug 2004 15:45:52 +0200, Elisa Francesca Roselli
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

> I've been considering the acquisition of a folding bike (Dahon Speed TR
> in my case).
>
> Folding bikes can be very expensive indeed. Moreover, by their very
> nature, they are cute, compact and stealable. So my question is, if you
> have a folding bike and need to park it for a mo, say to go into a shop
> or office, or to stop in a restaurant for lunch, what do you do?

Take it in with you. They are very stealable, especially in cities.

> However light and nifty they may appear in relation to normal bikes;
> they're still way too clunky to lug around Sainsbury's. And some, like
> Brommies, do have an urban vocation.

Some of the bigger trolleys at supermarkets will take a Brommie and your
shopping. Many shops will be happy for you to leave it just inside the
door or behind the counter so long as it isn't causing a hazard. A
restaurtant should either let you leave it near your table or put it in
the cloakroom. If they won't then I'd eat elsewhere.

Colin

08-31-2004, 06:55 AM

On Tue, 31 Aug 2004 15:45:52 +0200, Elisa Francesca Roselli
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

> I've been considering the acquisition of a folding bike (Dahon Speed TR
> in my case).
>
> Folding bikes can be very expensive indeed. Moreover, by their very
> nature, they are cute, compact and stealable. So my question is, if you
> have a folding bike and need to park it for a mo, say to go into a shop
> or office, or to stop in a restaurant for lunch, what do you do?

Take it in with you. They are very stealable, especially in cities.

> However light and nifty they may appear in relation to normal bikes;
> they're still way too clunky to lug around Sainsbury's. And some, like
> Brommies, do have an urban vocation.

Some of the bigger trolleys at supermarkets will take a Brommie and your
shopping. Many shops will be happy for you to leave it just inside the
door or behind the counter so long as it isn't causing a hazard. A
restaurtant should either let you leave it near your table or put it in
the cloakroom. If they won't then I'd eat elsewhere.

Colin

08-31-2004, 06:55 AM

On Tue, 31 Aug 2004 15:45:52 +0200, Elisa Francesca Roselli
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

> I've been considering the acquisition of a folding bike (Dahon Speed TR
> in my case).
>
> Folding bikes can be very expensive indeed. Moreover, by their very
> nature, they are cute, compact and stealable. So my question is, if you
> have a folding bike and need to park it for a mo, say to go into a shop
> or office, or to stop in a restaurant for lunch, what do you do?

Take it in with you. They are very stealable, especially in cities.

> However light and nifty they may appear in relation to normal bikes;
> they're still way too clunky to lug around Sainsbury's. And some, like
> Brommies, do have an urban vocation.

Some of the bigger trolleys at supermarkets will take a Brommie and your
shopping. Many shops will be happy for you to leave it just inside the
door or behind the counter so long as it isn't causing a hazard. A
restaurtant should either let you leave it near your table or put it in
the cloakroom. If they won't then I'd eat elsewhere.

Colin

08-31-2004, 07:09 AM

Colin Blackburn wrote:

> Take it in with you. They are very stealable, especially in cities.

This is an important practicality consideration as the thing could become a
real albatross whenever you're not actually on it. One of my reasons for
wanting a folder was to have a bike I was accustomed to that could come with
me on travels to foreign cities - but bike-friendly cities are also
bike-thief centrals. So, for example, my thought of buying the bike in
Cambridge on my next visit (they are not sold in Paris) and using it while
I'm there, falls through. In addition, I could not carry anything on the bike
(which is a touring bike by vocation) because of the constant preoccupation
of carrying the bike itself!

Thanks for confirming what I already suspected.

EFR
Ile de France

08-31-2004, 07:09 AM

Colin Blackburn wrote:

> Take it in with you. They are very stealable, especially in cities.

This is an important practicality consideration as the thing could become a
real albatross whenever you're not actually on it. One of my reasons for
wanting a folder was to have a bike I was accustomed to that could come with
me on travels to foreign cities - but bike-friendly cities are also
bike-thief centrals. So, for example, my thought of buying the bike in
Cambridge on my next visit (they are not sold in Paris) and using it while
I'm there, falls through. In addition, I could not carry anything on the bike
(which is a touring bike by vocation) because of the constant preoccupation
of carrying the bike itself!

Thanks for confirming what I already suspected.

EFR
Ile de France

08-31-2004, 07:09 AM

Colin Blackburn wrote:

> Take it in with you. They are very stealable, especially in cities.

This is an important practicality consideration as the thing could become a
real albatross whenever you're not actually on it. One of my reasons for
wanting a folder was to have a bike I was accustomed to that could come with
me on travels to foreign cities - but bike-friendly cities are also
bike-thief centrals. So, for example, my thought of buying the bike in
Cambridge on my next visit (they are not sold in Paris) and using it while
I'm there, falls through. In addition, I could not carry anything on the bike
(which is a touring bike by vocation) because of the constant preoccupation
of carrying the bike itself!

Thanks for confirming what I already suspected.

EFR
Ile de France

08-31-2004, 07:09 AM

Colin Blackburn wrote:

> Take it in with you. They are very stealable, especially in cities.

This is an important practicality consideration as the thing could become a
real albatross whenever you're not actually on it. One of my reasons for
wanting a folder was to have a bike I was accustomed to that could come with
me on travels to foreign cities - but bike-friendly cities are also
bike-thief centrals. So, for example, my thought of buying the bike in
Cambridge on my next visit (they are not sold in Paris) and using it while
I'm there, falls through. In addition, I could not carry anything on the bike
(which is a touring bike by vocation) because of the constant preoccupation
of carrying the bike itself!

Thanks for confirming what I already suspected.

EFR
Ile de France

08-31-2004, 07:22 AM

On Tue, 31 Aug 2004 16:09:25 +0200, Elisa Francesca Roselli
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

> This is an important practicality consideration as the thing could
> become a
> real albatross whenever you're not actually on it. One of my reasons for
> wanting a folder was to have a bike I was accustomed to that could come
> with
> me on travels to foreign cities - but bike-friendly cities are also
> bike-thief centrals. So, for example, my thought of buying the bike in
> Cambridge on my next visit (they are not sold in Paris) and using it
> while
> I'm there, falls through.

Far from it. It just means taking advantage of the folding nature of the
bike and taking it indoors with you, where, on the whole, it is safer than
chained up outside. However, there is nothing to stop you carrying a lock
and locking the bike up.

> In addition, I could not carry anything on the bike
> (which is a touring bike by vocation) because of the constant
> preoccupation
> of carrying the bike itself!

If I am touring then the loaded bike stays in my, or cycling parters',
view at all times. A folder need be no different except that once you
arrive at a B&B it can go inside your rooom with much less argument than a
non-folder.

> Thanks for confirming what I already suspected.

I am sorry if I gave the impression folders were not worth buying from a
security viewpoint. I have and use a folder and, although it has to be
treated differently, there are many situations in which it is more secure
than my non-folders.

Colin