Folding bicycle

A folding bicycle, also known as folding bike, is a bicycle that has constructive devices such as hinges, couplings and / or quick release, which allow the wheel to fold quickly and easily on such a small pack size or to disassemble it in your checked luggage can be taken another mode of transportation. With the folding of the user can thus bridge mobility gaps on the way to and from public transport ( such as rail ).

The use of the term " folding bike " instead of " folding ", which has grown since the 1980s, primarily documents the attempt by the manufacturer to distance themselves with value-added products from the " folding bikes " of the 1960s and 1970s, the often bad to drive and were unwieldy. Under modern folding bikes contrast, there are models that can be compared in their handling with touring and sport bikes.

Technical aspects

For the folding process, various methods are:

• A hinge with vertical axis usually approximately in the center of the frame
• Dismantling of the frame approximately at the center
• Parallelogram - or umbrella-like folding of the frame
• Folding the forward or rear triangle under the frame
• Pushing together of parts such as seat post / seat tube
• Folding over of parts like seatpost and stem

Usually several of these methods are combined in one model.

The wheels of folding bikes are usually somewhat smaller than ordinary bicycles. To compensate for the disadvantages of the rolling behavior of small wheels, have some modern folding bikes on a suspension of the rear triangle or a full suspension.

History

The Briton William Grout developed the first folding or Zerlegerad and had it patented in 1878. It was a penny-farthing with solid rubber tires, the front wheel could be broken down into four radial segments that are found with the folded frame place in a triangular case.

1896, the " Faun " was patented, a safety wheel with diamond frame ( the archetype of the modern bicycle ), the frame could be folded in half around a vertical axis - until today the most widely used method with folding bikes.

Since the beginning of the 20th century European military was interested in folding bikes and prompted the development of various models. Examples are the collapsible version of " Dursley Pedersen ," Swiss Armeefalträder or the Dutch " Fongers " of 1909, whose special feature is the first use of smaller wheels (approx. 16 ") is. During the Second World War developed BSA, the " Folding Military Bicycle " for the British Army, which at times also led Parachutist with in to leave faster the landing site may. for this was the wheel again today built " Galaxe " for civilian drivers.

In the civil sector, there were in the 1920s to the 1940s, various kleinrädrige folding bikes such as the French " Petit Bi ", which already had a striking resemblance with folding bikes of the 1970s in its final design.

A prominent role in the development of folding and Zerlegerädern plays the " Moulton Stowaway " from the beginning of the 1960s. Originally less than folding bike but primarily as a better alternative to the now traditional bicycle with diamond frame and 28 " thought - wheels, it had a stiff, divisible tube frame with low step-through, 16" rims with narrow high pressure tires and as a first bike with a full suspension with rubber elements (Alex Moulton also had the rubber suspension of the " Austin Mini" developed ). In this way it combined speed, agility and driving comfort in previously unknown ways.

The " Moulton Stowaway " and its successor models were very successful internationally and style icon, and sparked the " Klappradwelle " out, which resulted in virtually every manufacturer had a folding bike in the program. These were usually for cost reasons are very simple imitations with too short wheelbase, 20 "wheels and unstable frame construction, without suspension, but with wide low-pressure tires as a replacement. Airline models had no rim brake, but a block brake on the front wheel. Slightly better models 2- speed gear hub Torpedo duomatic of Fichtel & Sachs had built. the gears were connected by a short resignation. the resulting poor driving behavior of these generic models finally brought all the folding and kleinrädrigen bikes so discredited that the " Klappradwelle " at the end of the 1970s collapsed. the production of the now manufactured by Raleigh " Moulton " was stopped in 1974. Nevertheless, there was also in the 1970s, developments such as the particularly light " Bickerton " of the aircraft engineer Harry Bickerton, in 1970 with an aluminum frame without any welds on the market came and was built until 1992.

Also in the 1970s, began the development of the " Brompton " by Andrew Ritchie, produced since 1986 by Brompton Bicycle. It is characterized primarily by a very short folding time and a very small folded size. The hinge of similar to the Moulton sprung rear triangle is thereby used for the folding process. The constructs urine Juliane Neuss developed with the " Brecki " a recumbent bike conversion kit for the Brompton. So you created the first true foldable recumbent bike.

Alex Moulton constructed since 1976, a successor to the " Moulton ", which came in 1983 under the name " Moulton AM" on the market. Like the previous models, it has high pressure tires, full suspension and the well-known large translation. Really new was the frame construction, a complex, separable in the middle, composed of triangles tube lattice truss of the greatest stiffness ( Space Frame ).

In the 1960s and 1970s, the Dutch manufacturer Sparta successfully drove its own form of a compact wheel: the Sparta 8-80 space-saver spare. The type designation aimed at the age group 8-80 years. The bike consisted of a pressed-steel frame with square profile, with one built-in 22 - inch wheels, a rather unusual size that will be installed in French children's bikes. It is a compromise between wheel size, rather large for a space-saver spare, but with a relatively good stability. The rims had a Westwood profile, resulting in a relative resistance to collisions eg meant by the curb fender benders etc.. The chain case was built from sheet metal in the frame color. There were three different versions. Initially there were only adjustable square seatpost and also without the use of tools adjustable handlebars and the stem design, further a patented version with fully removable stem, the link construction with front wheel was removable. In the light line a cable connection was installed, which could be separated by means of a knurled nut. Alternatively, a front rack was available. In addition, there was probably a version in which the frame was inserted into each other in the center, and could be disassembled. The target group for this wheel were Zelter and boatman who sought a compromise between compactness and stability. As gearshift sometimes the duomatic Fichtel Sachs was installed.

Since the late 1980s, the company Dahon founded in the USA by David Hon has become the biggest supplier of folding bikes - both in terms of number of models as the number of pieces.

In Germany, the company manufactures Bernd since 1991 sprung folding and Falttandems. The request made ​​to measure steel frames are manufactured at the company's headquarters in Detmold by hand.

The mid- 1990s touched Heiko Müller and Markus Riese, the founder of the bicycle manufacturer Riese und Müller, the " Birdy ". This is a full-suspension folding bike with aluminum frame, serve his suspension joints on the front and rear fork at the same time as the folding joints.

The Faltradbenutzer

The user specifically high-quality folding bikes are hardly attributable to a particular social or age group. Young people tend to be under -represented, probably mainly because of the sometimes high prices. Most Faltradfahrer who has long been involved with bicycles.

Most are passionate cyclists who consider the bicycle as a hobby and means of transport in everyday life and also while commuting by bus and train not want to miss it. In the DB and also at S -Bahn a fold away wheel is regarded as baggage, which is why the entrainment is then charged. Many cyclists are also interested in other special wheels and have several bicycles ( recumbents, tandems, etc.), so the Spezialradmesse in Germersheim is also a great meeting place for folding bike - interested. Cyclists, however, are rather rare, between the mountain bike or road bike scene and the Faltradszene it seems practically to be no overlaps.

Cheap folding and folding bikes find buyers, however, often with campers and sailors who want a compact and easy -to-transport bicycle for short distances and do without the benefit of a low price, quality and convenience.

Similar to the trend that especially in big cities the car is detached from the individual and quite high-priced bike as a status symbol, more and more cyclists seem to discover the advantages of folding bikes. Not irrelevant to the outcome may be there, that folding bikes on the trains of the Deutsche Bahn are considered as free hand luggage. While the carriage of bicycles is otherwise prohibited in ICE, folding bikes can be taken even here in compliance with certain rules.

Since 2003, in Germany in several cities organized folding bike tours, named in reference to the British Origami Ride. There is also an annual meeting on the Spezialradmesse.

Annually for folding bikes old type without switching will take place in early September of Kalmit Folding Cup.

Market

In Germany the mid-1970s held the folding one third of the market and were then meaningless until market share of a trend was reported for folding bike in the decade after the turn of the millennium in a few parts per thousand. The specialist Brompton Bicycle increased its production of folding bikes 7,000 in 2002 to 25,000 in 2009, after he was able in some countries expand existing clientele to a lot of female and younger people its mostly middle -aged men from. That in the 1990s, designed by Riese und Müller Birdy folding bike reached the year 2006/2007 a ​​stock of 60,000 copies, three-quarters in Asia. The Generalist Giant sat 10,000 folding bikes from the second quarter of 2009. Dahon folding bikes sold around 250,000 in the first half of 2009.