You Got To Know When To Fold 'Em

My interest in folding bikes has been piqued by my daughter showing me a folder that she is interested in.  As you may know from reading this blog, I have an older Dahon and it is one of my favourite bikes.  I love how responsive it is and it provides a fun ride.  Being rather unusual in shape, I've had pedestrians shout things like "Hey nice circus bike!"

Foldey Hawn

My daughter is interested in what looks like a regular bike but has a hinge in the middle of the downtube.  I think I know why she wants that type of folder.  She carries a huge amount of weight when she grocery shops and needs a bike that is fairly robust.

Myself, as much as I love Foldey Hawn, I'm getting interested in a Strida - I like its unusual shape and the simplicity in whch it folds up.  One criticism I heard is that when you brake hard, you man parts can get slammed into the seat tube.

Another thing I like is that I can ride on the sidewalks here legally because of the small size of the wheels (18 inch).  The bi-law states: "Standard size bicycles are only allowed on signed, shared use sidewalks that are 2.5m wide or greater. Bicycles with wheels less than 50cm in diameter (children's bikes) are permitted on all sidewalks."  I might be stretching things if it is determined that my folding bike is not a children's bike.