Folding bikes have yet to evolve. The best examples are from Bike FRIDAY and Gaerlan. They are the best compromise out there for portability. And portability will always involve a compromise.

My experimental portable is something of a marriage between a Brompton and a Bike FRIDAY. It folds quick (about 1 min), and gets small (12 x 19 x 27). I have toured on it, and ridden plenty of trails, dirt roads, and regular road riding; about 20K so far. If I get on a crowded bus and find a seat, I can put it in my lap. And it uses normal bicycle componentry. It tucks into a corner of the car trunk, like it's almost not there. I always have it with me on a car trip. It has a web page at: http://www.sonic.net/~maryking/portable_bike.htm

While I will never build them for sale myself, this project shows that there is much room for improvement in the world of FOLDING bikes.

Drew Devereux