| Folding Bike | | | | environmentalists or the English. Here in America the |
| It finally happened. We had been planning for it for | | | | foldies have mainly been stowed away in campers or |
| years and all our friends knew it would happen soon | | | | brought on sail boats. But their time has come. There is |
| enough and recently it did. No, not the adoption of our | | | | a range of high quality, easy-to-fold bikes with wide |
| baby boy but instead, the avalanche of stuff that | | | | price points. (Everywhere from $300.00 to $1,400). |
| came with him. One of the best things about my job is | | | | Today's high energy lifestyles have been waiting for |
| that I can ride my bike to it. For the past few years I | | | | these sweet machines. A folding bike would allow |
| have saved the bus fare (and hopefully a little bit of | | | | folks who commute by train to save that bothersome |
| the earth) by riding my mountain bike to work. But my | | | | next leg of their journey and get in a little exercise too. |
| mountain bike is very big. New York apartments are | | | | You bike to the train station, fold the thing up and get |
| very small. So, now with the new little guy and all his | | | | on the train. Unfold it and bike it from the station. No |
| gear: the strollers, the cribs, the toys, something had to | | | | need to lock it up outside your office, just take it in. The |
| go. I took my big mountain bike to work and gave it to | | | | business traveler could explore his or her new city, get |
| one of my students (It was old and not very | | | | some exercise and not have to lug a big bulky bike |
| expensive, the bike, not the student!) and got myself a | | | | around. A folding bike can easily be checked as |
| folding bike. My life has been changed. Yes, yes, the | | | | regular piece of luggage. Campers and boaters have |
| new father thing has changed me, but this new bike. | | | | long known the delight of a foldy. Any place where |
| Wow. I feel so cool whipping it out and dashing across | | | | space and size is a concern is the place for a folding |
| the city every morning. I feel like a superhero. And | | | | bike. A folding bike may not ride exactly like a full size |
| does it whip and dash! Last year there was a perfect | | | | bike. The wheels are smaller so going up hills means |
| storm moment here in New York for bikes. Gas prices | | | | you push a little harder. The balance takes some |
| shot up to crazy levels, the buzz about global warming | | | | getting used to as well. But after a little practice you |
| started to really get some traction, and we had a | | | | feel quite comfortable, even nimble and light. Some |
| subway and bus strike. All of a sudden there were | | | | very tall people may have to have one custom made |
| bikes everywhere. And as I said above, our | | | | ($$$) though. The higher end models come very close |
| apartments are small, tiny little things, it would only be a | | | | to replicating the ride and performance of a full-sized |
| second before bikes followed suit. They were | | | | bike. Some fold smaller and more quickly than others. |
| everywhere, these cute, slightly clownish gizmos | | | | Some have only three gears, some come fully |
| careening around taxis and down the paths along the | | | | equipped with bells, lights and racks. The world of |
| Hudson. Folding bikes have been around for years but | | | | folding bikes is broad enough that bike novices or hard |
| they have been a badge of very aggressive | | | | core riders both will find what they need. |