32-546: Bike Friday is a manufacturer of folding , small-wheeled bicycles that is headquartered in Eugene, Oregon, United States. The company was founded in 1992 by brothers Alan Scholz and Hanz Scholz. By 2018, it employed 22 people and manufactured frames in Eugene. Alan Scholz also founded Burley Design Cooperative in 1978. Bike Friday was the only manufacturer of folding bicycles in the United States by 2018, and many of
64-556: A car crash, and invented the bike for himself, to be carried onto public transport or stored in the trunk of a car as small as an Austin Mini . The Bickerton was a portable bicycle launched when folding bicycles tended to be 20-inch (51 cm) step-through frames with a simple hinge, such as the folding variant of the Raleigh Twenty . The first Bickerton was made entirely of aluminium profiles, without any welds. The prototype
96-407: A folding steering column. Fold designs may use larger wheels, even the same size as in non-folders, for users prioritizing ride over fold compactness. Bikes that use this kind of fold include, Dahon , Montague and Tern . Instead of folding horizontally, this style of bike has one or two hinges along the main tube and/or chain and seat stays that allow the bike to fold vertically. The result leaves
128-512: A machine that weighed less than 10 kg (23 lb) (this was not achieved - the final weight was about 15 kg (32 lb)) and would withstand being dropped by parachute. In response, the Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA) developed a folding bicycle small enough to be taken in small gliders or on parachute jumps from aircraft. This British WWII Airborne BSA folding bicycle was rigged so that, when parachuted,
160-448: A rear shock absorber forms the folding mechanism. The magnet connects and locks the back wheel section to the frame. To fold the bike in half, the magnet disconnects with one movement and in a second, and without having to use one's hands, the rear wheel rotates forward, and the bike folds vertically. This mechanism also enables one to roll the half-folded bike on its rear wheel. Bikes may partly fold and partly disassemble for packing into
192-517: A standard or custom sized suitcase for air travel (e.g., Airnimal and Bike Friday). Other variations include: Bicycle Torque Coupling , a proprietary connector system that can be retrofitted to a standard frame; the Gekko, which folds from the seat tube like an upside down umbrella; the Giatex, which folds and retracts, adjusting to the size of the rider; the iXi, which literally breaks into two-halves; and
224-504: Is a bicycle designed to fold into a compact form, facilitating transport and storage. When folded, the bikes can be more easily carried into buildings, on public transportation (facilitating mixed-mode commuting and bicycle commuting ), and more easily stored in compact living quarters or aboard a car, boat or plane. Folding mechanisms vary, with each offering a distinct combination of folding speed, folding ease, compactness, ride, weight, durability, complexity and price. Distinguished by
256-427: Is easier to transport and store than a traditional bicycle. Folding mechanisms are highly variable. Many folding frames follow the classic frame pattern of the safety bicycle 's diamond frame, but feature a hinge point (with single or double hinges) allowing the bicycle to fold approximately in half. Quick-release clamps enable raising or lowering steering and seat columns. A similar swing hinge may be combined with
288-505: The A-bike is similar to the Strida but has tiny wheels and folds a bit smaller. Bikes with smaller than 410 mm (16 in) wheels are often called portable bicycles . These forgo the performance and easy ride benefits of their larger counterparts, acquiring characteristics similar to those of an adult folding kick scooter . Nonetheless, regardless of how each bike folds, the result
320-615: The Birdy . Swing and flip hinges may be combined on the same frame, as in the Brompton Mezzo Folder and Dahon , which use a folding steering column. Folding mechanisms typically involve latches and quick releases, which affect the speed of the fold/unfold. Bike Friday offers a model, the Tikit , featuring a cable-activated folding mechanism requiring no quick releases or latches, for increased folding speed. A magnet combined with
352-596: The D-Day landings and at the Battle of Arnhem . The 1970s saw increased interest in the folding bike, and the popular Raleigh Twenty and Bickerton Portable have become the iconic folders of their decade. It was, however, the early 1980s that can be said to have marked the birth of the modern, compact folding bicycle, with competing models from Brompton and Dahon . Founded in 1982, by inventor and physicist Dr. David Hon and his brother Henry Hon, Dahon has grown to become
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#1732794610632384-441: The Strida , which has a triangular frame and folds to resemble a unicycle. Folding mechanisms may incur more cost and weight, allow folding smaller, and they tend to use smaller wheels. 610 mm (24 in) wheels are the largest for which flip hinges are generally used, but smaller wheels, typically 410 or 510 mm (16 or 20 in), are more common. Smaller size does not mean lighter weight, as most of these designs forgo
416-724: The 1890s, and the French army and others deployed folding bikes for bicycle infantry use. In 1900, Mikael Pedersen developed for the British army a folding version of his Pedersen bicycle that weighed 6.8 kg (15 lb) and had 610 mm (24 in) wheels. It included a rifle rack and was used in the Second Boer War . In 1941, during the Second World War , the British War Office called for
448-418: The bikes they made were custom. Some of the models produced include tandems , one that can fold into a backpack, commuter bicycles , belt-drive bicycles , cargo bicycles , a mountain bike , recumbents , and even a folding, recumbent, tandem. This article related to a bicycle manufacturing company is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Folding bicycle A folding bicycle
480-428: The bracing benefits of the diamond frame and must compensate as a step-through frame does, with thicker metal. The step-through design is a boon to a wider range of rider size, age, and physical ability. Another system found on folders, such as Montague Bikes , utilizes the seat tube as a pivot point for the frame to fold. This system uses a tube within a tube design to give the bike more torsional stiffness. It allows
512-573: The company folded production in 1982 (secondhand Bickertons are still found in Australia). Finally, Bickerton produced bikes again in the UK from Welwyn Garden City , trading successfully until the late 1980s. In 1988 the ‘Country’ model, with larger 20-inch wheels, was introduced and briefly sold. A version with a 16-inch front wheel weighed 12.5 kg, more than the very competitive and compact steel Bromptons that were being mass produced from 1988. After
544-624: The company was bankrupt, as a worldwide recession dented sales significantly. Bickerton took back the licence, but resold it to an Australian company based in Melbourne, who established world sales licenses in Germany, the US, and Sweden. In those markets, the bikes were assembled from kits shipped from Australia. Innovations around this time included handlebar and seat stem struts to increase rigidity. Some 50,000 Australian Bickertons were produced, before
576-558: The complexities of their folding mechanism, more demanding structural requirements, greater number of parts, and more specialized market appeal, folding bikes may be more expensive than comparable non-folding models. The choice of model, apart from cost considerations, is a matter of resolving the various practical requirements: a quick, easy fold, a compact folded size, or a faster but less compact model. There are also bicycles that provide similar advantages by separating into pieces rather than folding. Military interest in bicycles arose in
608-670: The distances among the center of bottom bracket , the top of the saddle, and the handlebars - the primary factors in determining whether or not a bicycle fits its rider - are usually similar to those of conventional bikes. The wheelbase of many folding designs is also very similar to that of conventional, non-folding, bicycles. Some manufacturers are producing folding bikes designed around folding systems that allow them to use 660 mm (26 in) wheels, e.g., Dahon , KHS , Montague , and Tern Bicycles . Advantages of smaller wheels include potential for more speed, quicker acceleration, greater maneuverability, and easier storage. For example,
640-402: The end of production in 1989, by which time many other cheaper folders were available worldwide, the factory did not close its doors until 1991. Bickerton's son Mark continuing to explore diversification options, including the rebranding and sale of cheaper Dahon folders. –The bike was popular for short distance or multi-mode travel and commuting - and for keeping in a vehicle or boat, although
672-422: The handlebars and seat were the first parts to hit the ground (as bent wheels would disable the bike). BSA abandoned the traditional diamond bicycle design as too weak for the shock and instead made an elliptical frame of twin parallel tubes, one forming the top tube and seat stays, and the other the chainstay and down tube. The hinges were in front of the bottom bracket and in the corresponding position in front of
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#1732794610632704-415: The handlebars, which had clamps that had to be tightly fastened and sometimes worked loose. Stress fractures could occur in the seat post, which was very long. The three-speed and then a five-speed model with a Sturmey Archer hub improved useability, but increased the weight. A 6-speed derailleur model briefly appeared in the final years of production. The brand was relaunched for the 40th anniversary at
736-420: The long, sweeping handlebars, frame and seat post, requiring no sudden movements or application of too much force while riding. The five clamps, especially the main handlebar clamp, had to be carefully tightened to avoid alarming movement. The small, 14-inch front wheel and straight fork, made of pressed aluminium, did not 'centre' like a conventional bike. Loading up the bag too much was risky, since it attached to
768-423: The manufacturing licence, and increased production up to 1,000 bikes a year during the 1973 oil crisis. The bike was heavily promoted on TV with the slogan "Go bag a Bickerton", a reference to the dual-purpose bag, which could be used to hold the bike or as a pannier attached to the handlebars. It was cited by Andrew Ritchie as one of his inspirations in creating the highly successful Brompton bicycle . By 1977
800-558: The price was usually above the heavier, steel-framed folding bikes by Raleigh, Peugeot, Puch and other manufacturers. Adjustable handlebars and seat height meant it could accommodate different heights and riding preferences. By the 1980s, however, good folding bikes had taken off and there was much greater competition. The problems with the Bickerton, particularly in earlier models, were readily apparent to its riders – particularly heavier or taller ones. They had to learn to minimise flex in
832-526: The saddle, fastened by wing nuts. The peg pedals could be pushed in to avoid snagging and further reduce the space occupied during transit. From 1942 to 1945, the British WWII Airborne BSA folding bicycle was used by British & Commonwealth airborne troops, Commandos, and some infantry regiments; some were also used as run-abouts on military bases. The bicycle was used by British paratroopers, Commandos, and second-wave infantry units on
864-587: The time. For example, Transport for London allows folding bikes at all times on the Underground , but on buses it is down to the driver's discretion. Some transport operators only allow folding bicycles if they are enclosed in a bag or cover. Airline baggage regulations often permit folding bikes as ordinary luggage, without extra cost. Singapore has also implemented new laws to allow folding bicycles in its rail and bus transportation system, with certain size and time limitations. The first folding electric bike
896-477: The two wheels side by side but is often more compact than a horizontally hinged design. The Brompton and Dahon Qix D8 both feature vertical folding. A hinge in the frame may allow the rear triangle and wheel to be folded down and flipped forward, under the main frame tube, as in the Bike Friday , Brompton Mezzo Folder, and Swift Folder . Such a flip hinge may be combined with a folding front fork, as in
928-521: The user to fold the bike without "breaking" any vital tubes down, thus preserving the structural integrity of the diamond frame . This system is operated by a single quick release found along the top tube of the bike. The primary purpose of folding a bike is to increase its portability. This is so that it may be more easily transported and stored, and thus allow greater flexibility in getting from A to B. Many public transportation systems ban or restrict unfolded bicycles, but allow folded bikes all or some of
960-562: The world's largest manufacturer of folding bikes, with a two-thirds marketshare in 2006. Folding bikes generally come with a wider range of adjustments for accommodating various riders than do conventional bikes, because folding bike frames are usually only made in one size. However, seatposts and handlebar stems on folders extend as much as four times higher than conventional bikes, and still longer after-market posts and stems provide an even greater range of adjustment. While folders are usually smaller in overall size than conventional bicycles,
992-588: Was the Honda Step Compo in 2000. Many more were introduced in the next 20 years. Notable folding bicycles include: Bickerton (bicycle) The Bickerton , also called the Bickerton Portable , was a portable aluminium folding bicycle designed by Harry Bickerton and manufactured in the UK and Australia between 1971 and 1989. Bickerton, an accomplished engineer, suffered a three-year driving ban for drunk driving in 1970 following
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1024-460: Was unique, lightweight (8.8 kg, 18 lb) and with a small folded size (76 cm x 51 cm x 23 cm). For its day, it broke new ground in bicycle manufacturing. Production started in 1972 in Codicote, Hertfordshire, at around 300 units in the first two years. The weight was 9.1 kg, strengthened to accommodate heavier riders than Bickerton himself. TCK Group of Aston bought
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