If you’re short on space at home and want a form of transport for urban commuting and errands in the city, folding bikes are a practical choice. Folding bikes are bicycles designed to fold into a compact form and can be more easily carried into buildings. While originally designed for short distances and flat roads, many cycling enthusiasts also use folding bikes for epic rides up mountain roads and for bike touring over hundreds of kilometers.
Folding bikes are a great option for bimodal transport and can be carried easily while riding in buses, trains, cars, planes, and boats, making them a good choice for urban dwellers and leisure travelers.
Factors to consider when buying a folding bike
- Folded Dimensions: This is the size of a bike after it is folded. Normally, a folding bike can decrease the size at least by half when folded. The wheel size and frame design will decide how compact a folding bike is. The most common wheel sizes are 16 inches, 20 inches, and 24 inches.
- Weight: A lightweight folding bike will be much easier to carry around.
- Speeds: The bicycles can have from 1 to over 20 gears (speeds), which are provided by the front and rear derailleurs. More gears are not necessarily better.
- Frame: The frame design and material of a folding bike directly affects the weight and durability of your bike. Most bikes use aluminum or good-quality Chromoly steel.
- Price: Because of their unique quality, folding bikes are known to be generally more expensive than other types of bikes, though there are more affordable options available these days. In the Philippines, generic folding bikes start at P5,000, mid-range bikes average at P20,000 – P25,000 while the high-end brands start at P80,000 up.
Advantages of folding bikes over other types of bikes
- Easy to transport – can fit comfortably on buses and trains, and can fit into even the smallest of cars
- Easy storage – it takes up less space than a traditional bike
- Security – no need to leave the bike chained up outside because you can take it with you to coffee shops, inside buildings, offices, etc.
- Versatile – can be used for the city as well as bike touring and travel
- Strong second-hand resale market. Folding bikes tend to depreciate less in value compared to other types of bikes
Folding bike brands available in the Philippines
Here are some options for folding bike brands available in the Philippine market arranged by the most expensive to the most budget-friendly.
Brompton
When you ask cyclists about folding bikes, Brompton is the most iconic brand that immediately comes to mind. Brompton is the largest volume bicycle manufacturer in Britain and their bikes are really popular. Their ride position and agility match conventional bikes. Small wheels mean fast acceleration from red lights and increased maneuverability through busy streets. While they’re often recommended in terms of quality, looks, and performance, budget-wise these London-made foldies are known to be expensive.
Price range: Brompton folding bikes usually start at P80,000
IF Move
The IF Move designed in Taiwan by Pacific Cycles is more than just a folding bike, a commuter or a city bike, it offers a user-friendly solution for urban settings. Because usability is its highest priority, this bike rides and folds fast without compromising performance or handling. It offers one of the quickest folds at just 3 seconds.
The IF Move transforms into a convenient package weighing no more than 10kg and is easy to roll making it perfect for daily commuting. You can ride this around the city before folding it and rolling it onto the MRT or bringing it aboard a bus with you. It’s also very elegantly and sleekly designed.
Price range: A brand new IF Move costs about P60,000 – 75,000
Nyfti
While most folding bikes are manufactured abroad, Nyfti is one of the few local brands proudly made in the Philippines. Nyfti is the brainchild of Pinoy bike enthusiasts and entrepreneurs Carl Mamawal, Isidro Marfori and Miguel Marfori, who designed and built their prototype bike through funding from Philippine-based incubator IdeaSpace Foundation Inc.
While some parts and components are imported from all over the world, the team behind Nyfti assures that the final product is made and assembled here. This bike is ideal for urban professionals who own cars and other bikes and just want a more compact, portable bike for city riding. You can use this for leisure rides around the neighborhood, bring in during trips locally or abroad, or use it for your daily commute to work. Nyfti also carries cargo bikes.
Price range: Nyfti folding bikes range from P25,000 to P75,000
CarryMe
Designed and manufactured in Taiwan by Pacific Cyles, the CarryMe is the world’s lightest and most compact foldable bike. This can be folded and unfolded in under 15 seconds. This bike allows the rider to roll it with ease like a trolley without having to carry the whole bike. Because of its tiny size, it’s easy to take along in the MRT, buses, cars, or other forms of public or private transport. It takes up very little space at home or in the office.
While the CarryMe is not really designed for long-distance riding and would be very tiring to use for everyday commuting, it’s a cute and quirky choice for those who do bimodal transport and want seamless connectivity for very short distances.
Price range: The CarryMe costs about P30,000
Tern
Tern is a Taiwanese brand of folding bikes known for its fast and small fold. One of the best choices for those on a mid-range budget, these bikes are ideal for commuting, storage, and theft prevention. Their bikes are designed to be serviceable, not land-fillable, and are covered by a 10-year warranty.
Price: Tern folding bikes range from P20,000 to P96,000 on Lazada
Bickerton
Bickerton Portables were originally manufactured in the UK between 1971 and 1989 and served as one of the inspirations for the highly successful Brompton bicycles. These bicycles were designed for discerning cyclists, who wanted to take their bikes with them and store them efficiently. Though they closed their factory in the 90s, the brand was relaunched for the 40th anniversary and is now manufactured by Tern in Taiwan. The new Bickerton bikes combine the retro UK-style with advanced technology and performance.
Price range: Bickerton folding bikes range from P17,000 to P50,000 on Lazada
Dahon
Dahon is a pioneer and leader in the folding bike scene. This US brand established in 1982 is the world’s largest manufacturer of folding bicycles and is available in over 30 other countries around the World. Due to its compactness, Dahon folding bikes can easily be stored indoors, safe against potential theft or vandalism.
Dahon folding bikes are among the most compact in every class (16″, 20″, 26″), folding into neat, easy-to-store and transport rectangles with no protruding parts. A Dahon folding bike 16″ reduces to the size of a shopping bag and can easily fit under a bus seat or in an airline luggage bin, while two 16″ and two 20″ folders fit side-by-side in the trunk of most midsize cars.
Price: Dahon folding bikes range from P15,000 to P36,000 on Lazada
Tips from a folding bike owner
While I’ve had a chance to test out a few of the folding bikes above for reviews, I’ve never bought one myself. To get more insights, I asked for some tips from biker friends who have more experience with folding bikes. Here are some tips from Photojournalist Rem Zamora, who owns a Strida and Bridgestone transit compact:
- Folding bikes ride differently than other bikes and need some getting used to. Because of the short wheelbase and small wheels, it can be twitchy to ride
- The best brand of folding bike will always depend on how you want to use it and your budget. Brompton offers one of the best designs, but budget-wise, it’s very expensive.
- For a 20k budget, good brands include Tern, Dahon, and Bickerton.
- Don’t buy generic brands. It may be really cheap, but all the parts are also cheap. Eventually, you will have to change the parts.
- Decathlon, while generic is fine because it’s affordable and you get good customer service and warranty. Mahirap yung generic bike na walang warranty.
- For a practical choice, and if you are not that sensitive about brands, opt for a secondhand Japanese folding bike.
- There are many Japanese-made bikes without any brand but these offer good quality, which are better than Chinese bikes na “sirain”
- For good resources on folding bikes, you can check the following groups on Facebook: United Folding Bikers, Tiklop Society of the Philippines, Folding Bike Market PH & Japan Bike Philippines
- If space is the main consideration for getting a folding bike, you can also opt for a mini velo because it’s shorter, more nimble and rides like a regular bike