Folding and riding characteristics have reached a high level. In addition to proven classics such as the Brompton and a current edition of the original Birdy, lesser-known newcomers from Tern, Flik and Mobiky shine. With prices between 800 and 1600 euros, the test bikes are clearly aimed at a clientele that expects performance from its bike.
But what performance counts - the riding performance? The key to a small pack size is small wheels, and they influence the riding experience. If you are looking for a small pack size with small wheels, you are simultaneously compromising at least three relevant characteristics: Small tyres overcome obstacles worse than large ones. The mini wheels make the steering choppy.
And then there's the problem with the gear ratio: a small bike doesn't travel as far as a large one with one turn of the cranks. Even at 25 to 30 kilometres per hour, the legs often whirl in the highest gear. Mobiky sends the smallest bikes to the starting line with 16-inch wheel diameters, three models roll on 18-inch tyres and two rely on the original folding bike size from the 1970s with 20-inch tyres. The fact that the manufacturers are able to deal with these problems to varying degrees is shown by the ranking in the riding classification.
The folding bikes in the test:
Riese & Müller World Birdy Sport, http://www.r-m.de
Dahon Mu P11, http://www.dahonbikes.com
Jango Flik EV 9, http://www.flikbikes.com
Tern Link P 24, http://www.ternbicycles.com
Pacy 26", http://www.pacy-faltrad.de
Mobiky Steve 16, http://www.mobiky.com
Brompton P3 L/D, http://www.brompton.de
