The good
A folding bike is a kind of bicycle that can be made compact by folding some of its components. This bike has been designed for leisure, touring, and commuting. Most of these bikes are lightweight and can be folded easily without using any tools. The best of these bikes include:
Good for health: Riding a bicycle is one of the best forms of exercises. By using a folding bike regularly you can maintain your health and perfect shape of your body instead of sitting and fuming in the traffic. The best thing is that you will be able to reach your destination with a calm and clear mind.
Improved mobility: The biggest advantage of a folding cycle is that you can take it anywhere you like, especially in places where you have to squeeze in and cannot take your car. So you can reach to the closest point of your destination easily.
Money saving: Having a folding bike means that you can save lot on various aspects like fuel, parking, maintenance, and other transit fares. Using and maintaining the folding bikes is a simple business when compared to cars and other automotives.
Lower taxes: You can enjoy lower taxes if most of the people begin to use bicycles, as the government costs will be greatly reduced for construction, traffic control, manpower, infrastructure and roadway & highway maintenance.
Reduced pollution: Autos are one of the major reasons of pollution in the United States. An average bike pushes at least 15 pounds of auto pollutants into the atmosphere. This can be greatly reduced when you use a bicycle for commuting.
Convenience: The best thing about the folding bikes is that they are very convenient in many ways. Storage is simple and requires very little space. People with different heights can use the cycle according to their convenience. Bikes can be folded and taken along in your cars or other vehicles and be used in other locations.They require very little maintenance. They run on your power and does not need fuel.
Can this be better?
Folding bikes are a cost-effective and healthy way of commuting when compared to traditional bikes. The bikes offer flexibility while commuting because it can be carried free of charge on other public transport. These bikes cannot be stolen easily. They fit well into cramped spaces and save on storage hassles. Folding bikes offer a green and healthy mode of transport with great potential for cost savings. People traveling long distances can easily fold the bike into a travel bag and carry it along. They are also known to have excellent resale value.
Sinclair A-bike is a good choice among the folders. It is quite different from the rest and takes you only about 10 seconds for folding.
The bad
Though the folding bikes come with a lot of advantages, there are some downsides too.
Complicated design: The design and structure of the bike are very complicated, which means that many parts can go wrong. It employs a lot of frames and hinges for folding the bike.
Expensive: When compared to the conventional bikes, these are more expensive. This is especially due to the complex design that reduces the demand for them.
Hard to fold: Folding bikes are found in various models. Most of them have a complex design. Such bikes are difficult to fold into a compact shape. You need to be well experienced if you want to fold it properly.
Can this be avoided?
Folding bikes are manufactured for making commuting enjoyable. They are also used for recreational purposes. When compared to the conventional bikes, they are designed with smaller wheels of 16-20 inches. The frame is built for longevity and comfort. Some of the top manufacturers are now producing folding bikes that can be used as mountain and high-end road bikes. These bikes are expensive when compared to the traditional bikes. However, you can find cheaper models for $360 and high-end models for $1450. The higher the cost, the better is the quality. The flexibility and the multi-mode travel are the main attractions. It is also one of the simplest ways of enjoying good health.
The ugly
What makes people keep away from the folding bikes is their high price. They are very expensive when compared to the conventional bicycles. You need to spend at least about $360 to get a cheap quality folding bike. For high-end models you have to spend $1450 or so. When you spend more you will be able to get good quality bikes.
Apart from the price, they come with a complex design making it a struggle to fold the bike and pack it in a compact manner.
Why are we so critical?
The flexible and multi-purpose bike is certainly a boon to the rider. It offers a lot of benefits such as low maintenance, no fuel requirement, flexibility, convenience, and a lot more. If the benefits have to be enjoyed by all, the price has to be customer friendly and available to all.
The bottomline
Folding bikes offer a host of benefits. They do not pollute the environment, they require no fuel for functioning, need very little maintenance, and so on. Like any new invention, the folding bike too has its disadvantages in certain aspects such as the price and complicated design. When these issues are dealt with, it can be one of the most beneficial devices around for enhancing human comfort in an eco friendly way.
