Folding Bicycle

[MickYoumans]

I have been thinking about getting a folding bicycle for my airplane. I figure it will be fun to have when I fly to St Simons and Jekyll Islands for crusing around and exercise. I thought it would also be good transportation at airports without courtesy cars.

Do any of you carry a bike with you?
If so what size and brand/model?

I have a Piper Cherokee without a baggage door so the bicycle would have to be loaded through the passenger door into the back seat.

Will a folding 26" fit?

 

[Jim Case]

I have been thinking about getting a folding bicycle for my airplane. I figure it will be fun to have when I fly to St Simons and Jekyll Islands for crusing around and exercise. I thought it would also be good transportation at airports without courtesy cars.

Do any of you carry a bike with you?
If so what size and brand/model?

I have a Piper Cherokee without a baggage door so the bicycle would have to be loaded through the passenger door into the back seat.

Will a folding 26" fit?

I couldn't tell you about if it will fit or not, but my mom and dad both have Dahon folding bikes, and speak very highly of them, so maybe check them out.

 

[ElPaso Pilot]

Have a Dahon style bike with the 20" wheels. Packs small, but geared low and not ideal for longer distances. Think "clown bike."

Also have a pair of Marboloro folding 26" bikes which I can load into the back seat of a Mooney J. Much happier with this bike, as it is almost a full size frame.

These show up on Craigslist on a regular basis, and are almost always pristine as they were the top Marlboro prize and required several thousand Marlboro miles to purchase. I don't think many of the owners had the lungs left to ride them after that.

I paid less than $100 apiece for mine. Took off the original dry rotted tires and put a pair of Michelin slicks on, and it is a very decent plane folder.

http://www.chooseafoldingbike.com/fuji-folding-bike-review/
http://www.foldingcyclist.com/Fuji-Marlboro-folding-bike.html

 

[John221us]

I bought a couple of these 16" on Amazon about five years ago for about $200 each. I could fit two in the back of my Cherokee.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001IDTKD6/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
They are ok. I have rode them maybe up to eight miles. They aren't the best on hills.

 

[chartbundle]

I have a Tern Link P24h, 24 speeds, 20 inch wheels, equipped for touring(front and rear racks, integrated lighting). They don't make it any more, of course, but do have a similar touring model. I've had no problems with taking it the 12 miles from the airport to a hotel one time, fully loaded. I rode it the 9 or so miles each way to work quite a few times with minimal baggage. It's feels a bit unstable at high speeds but the gearing means it has no problems with hills or anything.

Fits great in the back seat of a 182, I haven't yet tried it in the Mooney, which would be a much better comparison to a Piper.

https://goo.gl/photos/Wvbw3rzjHK8n37Bs8

 

[Cheyenne]

I have a Brompton. It's an English folding bike that folds to the size of a small suitcase and weighs 26 lbs. It a good rider (6 speeds) and it comes with a black fabric cover so you can carry it around and no one knows it's a bike.

 

[EvilEagle]

I have a Montague Paratrooper Pro and a Dahon Jack - both are full size folders. With no baggage door you should look at Bromptons or the smaller Dahons. It's very nice to have, I take them anytime I have room (which is often). One thing some guys don't think about - wx divert to a small field that's 5 miles from town. If there's no FBO/courtesy car you are kinda stuck. 5 mile walk to town is a pain, 5 mile bike is no big deal.

 

[MickYoumans]

I have been looking at the Columba 26" folding bike. It is very similar to the one 'ElPaso Pilot' posted above. It seems to be a good bang-for-the-buck from what I read. It also comes with a carry bag/case. Does anyone have any first hand experience with it?

http://www.2ksilver.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=108

Thanks for all of the posts and suggestions everyone!

 

[ElPaso Pilot]

I have been looking at the Columba 26" folding bike. It is very similar to the one 'ElPaso Pilot' posted above. It seems to be a good bang-for-the-buck from what I read. It also comes with a carry bag/case. Does anyone have any first hand experience with it?

http://www.2ksilver.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=108

Thanks for all of the posts and suggestions everyone!

Bo experience with that one, by here's a review:

http://www.foldingbike20.com/columba-sp26s-folding-bike-shimano-18-speed-review/

Looks like it should work fine, but a bit heavy at 35 pounds.

 

[hankrausch]

Have a Dahon style bike with the 20" wheels. Packs small, but geared low and not ideal for longer distances. Think "clown bike."

Also have a pair of Marboloro folding 26" bikes which I can load into the back seat of a Mooney J. Much happier with this bike, as it is almost a full size frame.

These show up on Craigslist on a regular basis, and are almost always pristine as they were the top Marlboro prize and required several thousand Marlboro miles to purchase. I don't think many of the owners had the lungs left to ride them after that.

I paid less than $100 apiece for mine. Took off the original dry rotted tires and put a pair of Michelin slicks on, and it is a very decent plane folder.

http://www.chooseafoldingbike.com/fuji-folding-bike-review/
http://www.foldingcyclist.com/Fuji-Marlboro-folding-bike.html

I have one of these I bought on CL and it fits in the back of my Tomahawk, very sturdy and a "real" bike not a clown bike, it has 15 gears. Never knew the Marlboro connection though. Thanks for sharing that.

 

[Sac Arrow]

I've been thinking about getting a full size folding Montague but I'm able to get my road bike in the back by taking both wheels off. Not super convenient but it works.

 

[tawood]

I have 2: A montague paratrooper pro for me (about $1200, a full size mountain bike), and a Citizen Seoul for my girlfriend (about $300, and has 20" wheels). The Paratrooper Pro is awesome, and the best bike I've ever owned. Surprisingly, the Citizen isn't bad for what you pay...although we used to have a Citizen Tokyo (Citizen's base $200 model), and with 16" wheels, you did a lot of peddling without getting anywhere. Top pic is what we have now, bottom pic shows the old Tokyo. Note: both fit no problem in a Cessna 150 or Cherokee 140.

 

[Jim_CAK]

I have been looking at the Columba 26" folding bike. It is very similar to the one 'ElPaso Pilot' posted above. It seems to be a good bang-for-the-buck from what I read. It also comes with a carry bag/case. Does anyone have any first hand experience with it?

http://www.2ksilver.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=108

Thanks for all of the posts and suggestions everyone!

I have had one for about 4 years now. It works great. I bought it for the plane but use it all the time as my regular bike. It also fits in the trunk of my car. I was a bit skeptical but it works great. I am 5'11" and ended getting the longer seat extension rod. As I started using the bike to ride on bike trails, I also bought a more comfortable seat.

 

[cessna182b]

I have been thinking about getting a folding bicycle for my airplane. I figure it will be fun to have when I fly to St Simons and Jekyll Islands for crusing around and exercise. I thought it would also be good transportation at airports without courtesy cars.

Do any of you carry a bike with you?
If so what size and brand/model?

I have a Piper Cherokee without a baggage door so the bicycle would have to be loaded through the passenger door into the back seat.

Will a folding 26" fit?

I bought a 26" Dahon folder, and liked it a lot - so bought one for each family member. Three Espressos and one Jack. I carry them in my cars and use them as regular
bikes (going for rides wherever I find a suitable place). As for carrying in the plane (182), one will go in the back seat through the pax door. For two the rear seat
must come out.

Edit: all were bought on eBay. Hard to find a dealer locally, plus you can get good deals buying used.

Dave.

 

[Palmpilot]

Here's my Dahon folding bike on Whidbey Island, WA. (Sorry for the low resolution.)

 

[Vf6cruiser]

https://www.montaguebikes.com/

 

[MickYoumans]

I want to thank everyone for your posts and pictures. They have helped me narrow down what to order. I have decided on the Columba 26" Folding Alloy model. Between Jim_CAK's pictures above and a post on the Piper Forum from someone that has my same plane, I feel like the Columba will work fine for me and fit my plane with no problem. The person on the Piper Forum flys with his wife and two Columba's. He said I would have no problem fitting the bike through the door and storing it either behind the back seats or on the back seats. It also comes with a free storage bag if ordered from the 2ksilver site too. I have not heard any negative comments about this bike except maybe the weight, and for the amount of riding I will be doing the price is good.

Thanks again everyone for the help!

 

[Jim_CAK]

Mick - somewhere on 2ksilvers web site they had a picture of a 172 with two bikes (not in the bags) in the back seat. It looked like a tight fit. That first thumbnail I posted shows the bike in the back seat of our 172 while in the bag. It took some maneuvering but went in the door ok. I would recommend you get the bag - it wil protect your interior. If they don't offer it with the purchase - email them. I remember emailing them questions and they were very responsive. I had not regularly ridden a bike for 40 years until I got this one. We ride all the time now. I think it will work out for you.

 

[AGL]

I have two Dahon's with 20" wheels for my Piper Dakota, and I use one of them to commute to work most days. They fit well through my Cherokee cargo door. I picked them both up on Craigslist for $200 in almost new condition. I think it's the best balance of price, performance, and size. I owned a citizen, and sold it quickly b/c the components were not nearly as good as the Dahon's.

My only knock on the Dahon is that the tires that come with it slowly start to disintegrate, and will have to be replaced after a few years.

I've also put my full sized road bike in the back. As long as you don't have anyone sitting in the back seat, it fits fine! It's pretty easy to get through the front door.

Good luck with your choice and let us know how it goes.