🕷️ Crawler Inspector

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Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 106 (from laksa164)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa106.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical, ml_categories_json AS ml_categories_json, ml_types_json AS ml_types_json, ml_intent_types_json AS ml_intent_types_json, meta_language AS meta_language, attrs_author AS attrs_author, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(attrs_publish_time), 0) AS attrs_publish_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(attrs_original_publish_time), 0) AS attrs_original_publish_time, ifNull(attrs_is_republished, 0) AS attrs_is_republished, ifNull(attrs_nr_words, 0) AS attrs_nr_words, ifNull(attrs_boilerpipe_nr_words, 0) AS attrs_boilerpipe_nr_words, ifNull(body_ext_links_number, 0) AS body_ext_links_number, ifNull(body_int_links_number, 0) AS body_int_links_number, ifNull(meta_nofollow, 0) AS meta_nofollow, ifNull(meta_noarchive, 0) AS meta_noarchive, ifNull(props_was_rendered, 0) AS props_was_rendered, ifNull(src_redirect, \'\') AS src_redirect, ifNull(download_time_msec, 0) AS download_time_msec, ifNull(download_ttfb_msec, 0) AS download_ttfb_msec, ifNull(download_size, 0) AS download_size FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.cyclingabout.com/best-folding-bike-bicycle-touring/\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.cyclingabout.com/best-folding-bike-bicycle-touring/\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/best-folding-bike-bicycle-touring\/","crawl_time":1776878832,"first_indexed_time":1490861816,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,cyclingabout!www,\/best-folding-bike-bicycle-touring\/ s443","src_root_hash":"10864632370211610106","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"Guide: How To Choose The Best Folding Bike For Bicycle Touring - CYCLINGABOUT.com","meta_descriptions":["Folding bikes are all about compromise. Like standard bikes, there is no best folding bike for all occasions. This article will help choose the best for you"],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"I’ve recently spent quite a lot of time playing with folding bikes on my overseas adventures. While not my favourite bikes to ride long distances, this unique style of bike has allowed me to experiences countries and cities in a different way.\nWith a folding bike I can:\n– See more of a country in less time.\n– Skip the ‘dull’ areas and move on to places I’m more interested in.\n– Go on bike tours with people with little cycling experience (the trip can be less about the bike riding).\n– Pack my bike for a flight in minutes.\nFolding bikes are all about compromise. The main trade-off is between cycling performance and foldability. In general, the smaller and more compact the bike, the less suited it is for long-distance cycling. For example, 16″ folding bikes have an unbelievably small fold but tend to feel a bit tedious on rides over one hour when compared to bikes with larger wheels.\nThis guide will look at the things you should consider when selecting the best folding bike for your bike tour.\nFoldability\nIt’s pretty hard to look past the incredible folded size of a Brompton.\nThere are two things to think about when it comes to the folding aspect: folding speed and the size when folded.\nFolding speed\nis only really important if you’re folding and unfolding your bike multiple times per day. The quickest folding bikes take about 10 seconds, some of the slower folding bikes will take 10 minutes or more to disassemble. I prefer bikes that require no tools for the fold like the Tern or Brompton bikes.\nFolded size\nis generally proportionate with any given wheel diameter. You can see below that the bike volume increases around 100 cubic litres at each wheel diameter. I’ve found that with a cover over the bike you can take\nany size\nfolding bike onto public transport without anyone batting an eyelid. Without a cover, it seems you’ll have a harder time convincing someone it’s ok when the volume exceeds about 200 litres. Having a thin cover for a bike with wheels larger than 20″ is essential in many places.\nExample Folded Sizes (HxLxW)\n16″ Wheels:\nBrompton – 585 x 565 x 270 mm (23″ x 22.2″ x 10.6″) \/ 89 litres volume\n20″ Wheels:\nDahon Mu Sl – 660 x 820 x 320 mm (26” x 32.3” x 12.6”) \/ 173 litres volume\n26″ Wheels:\nTern Eclipse – 810 x 900 x 380 mm (31.9″ x 35.4″ x 15″) \/ 277 litres volume\n27.5″ Wheels:\nTern Joe Tour – 870 x 950 x 460 mm (34.3″ x 37.4″ x 18.1″) \/ 380 litres volume\nPerformance\nThe Tern Eclipse is a high-performing folding bike.\nThe higher-performing folding bikes feel as laterally stiff as a regular bike, and this makes them an absolute pleasure to ride. I was able to comfortably pump out 100-150km per day in the mountains on a\nTern Eclipse 24″\n, but the same can’t be said about a Brompton 16″ (which is suited to sub-50km on the flat). This is due to a few factors: your position on the bike, the gear ratios, the frame\/handlepost stiffness and the wheel size.\nThe best performing bikes tend to use 20″ wheels and up, but just because a bike has big wheels does not mean it is good! Different frame designs, differences in frame\/handlepost stiffnesses and the parts on the bike still vary greatly. You’ll need to organise test rides for a few folding bikes to see what feels best for you.\nI’ve found that bike weight\nisn’t particularly important\nfor touring performance, but a lightweight bike is certainly nice for carrying when folded.\nSizing and Fit\nI’m a tall cyclist, but I made the Brompton folding bike work in Sri Lanka.\nFolding bikes rarely come in more than one frame size. This is great if you’re of average proportions and not too fussy, but anyone out of the middle height range will need to compromise significantly. It still surprises me that folding bikes aren’t available in a size range.\nThe importance of size and fit will depend on how you plan to use your folding bike. If you’re wanting to cover long distances on the folding bike, you’re going to want something that fits well. If you’re pottering around cities and covering short distances, ‘fit’ is largely irrelevant (with the exception of seat height) as our bodies will compromise for short periods.\nOne of the only manufacturers to offer different frame sizes is Bike Friday. The pakiT model is available in six sizes and many of the other models are custom made for you. If you’re particularly tall (or heavy), Bike Friday is the company you should be looking at closely.\nI’ve written much more about ‘fit’ in my review of the\nTern Eclipse P18\n. As a very tall cyclist, I ended up fitting extra-long bar ends to achieve a riding position I was comfortable with for those 100km+ days.\nWheel Size\nThe Brompton folding bike was able to stow above our seats on trains in Sri Lanka.\nFolding bikes typically come with 16, 20, 24, 26 and 27.5″ wheels.\nIt’s best to select your wheel size based on how you plan to use your folding bike. The more regularly you’ll be using public transport, the better it is to go smaller and more compact. If you’re after long-distance performance, you’ll want something with larger wheels and a wider gear range.\nFor example, my trip to Sri Lanka used public transport almost every day so I picked an ultra-compact Brompton. In comparison, my Thailand trip was mostly 100km rides with buses here and there. I picked a much higher performing\nTern 24″ bike\nfor that.\nSpecification\nThe Tern Eclipse uses a wide gear range of 26-111 gear inches.\nGear Ratios\nFolding bikes tend to have fewer gears than a regular bike. This will vary in importance based on what kind of riding you’ll be doing. As not all places are flat, your bike should have some low enough gears to help you up the hills. We can measure the gear ratios of folding bikes using gear inches. I tend to recommend a low gear of about 25 inches which will cover most gradients. A top gear of around 70 inches is fine for the city, but you will want greater than 100 inches for a higher-performing folding bike. You can read more about gear inches and how to calculate them\nHERE\n.\nInternally Geared Hubs vs. Derailleurs\nA great way to simplify a folding bike drivetrain is to use an internally geared hub. With the gears located inside the rear wheel they are less susceptible to damage and require less maintenance overall. The trade-offs are that there are bigger gaps between the gears and they’ll add about a kilogram to your bike. Some of the cheaper hubs also run a bit less efficiently than a derailleur drivetrain.\nTyres\nThe best place to upgrade your folding bike will be the tyres. If you get something puncture resistant you’ll likely enjoy maintenance-free travel wherever you go. Schwalbe do a great range of touring tyres in the smaller sizes.\nPrice\nPulling a trailer is often the best way to carry a heavy load with a folding bike.\nUnlike a regular touring bike, you can get away with a cheaper folding bike. This is because you’ll likely be covering shorter distances, and you’ll probably be carrying less gear too. That said, more money results in a lighter, more compact, higher-performing bike in general. I’d recommend US $500 as a starting point, but the quality stuff really kicks in after US $1000.\nIf you’re on a budget and you want to carry 10-15kg or more, you should definitely look into \npulling a bicycle trailer\n. This will reduce the strain on the folding bike, and the trailer will sometimes even double as a carry case for the bike.\nCarrying Luggage\nRob of\n14Degrees.org\nused rear panniers on his Tern in New Zealand.\nThere are lots of different ways to carry your gear on a folding bike. My favourite way is to use a ‘luggage truss’ or ‘carrier block’ off the front of a folding bike frame. With these mounts, you can carry up to 31 litres of luggage (Brompton T-Bag). A set of panniers mounted to a rear rack are the next size up (40+ litres), and trailers are the next step after that (70+ litres).\nYou can read my article dedicated to carrying luggage on a folding bike\nHERE\n.\nSummary: The Best Folding Bike\nRiding a Brompton folding bike through some ruins in Sri Lanka.\nFolding bikes are all about\ncompromise\n. Like standard bikes, there is no best folding bike for all occasions.\nIn general, it can be said that bikes with larger wheels (and therefore a larger fold) tend to perform better but are less suitable for public transport. On the other hand, the ultra-compact bikes are not as good for covering those longer distances but are super easy to transport.\nThe 20″ wheel size is often the best balance between performance and folding size. With this wheel size, your bike can perform exceptionally provided it uses a smart frame design and component choice. The 20″ bikes will also fold to be less than 200 litres making them easy enough to get onto any form of transport.","attrs_markdown":"[CYCLINGABOUT.com](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/)\n\n- [About Alee](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/who-is-alee-denham\/)\n- [Articles](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/article-directory\/)\n- [Bikes](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/category\/bikes\/touring-bikepacking-bikes\/)\n  - [Touring & Bikepacking](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/category\/bikes\/touring-bikepacking-bikes\/)\n  - [Gravel Bikes](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/category\/bikes\/gravel-bikes\/)\n  - [Comfort Lab](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/category\/comfort-lab\/)\n  - [Folding Bikes](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/category\/folding\/)\n  - [Tandem Bikes](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/category\/tandem-touring-bikes\/)\n- [Gear](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/category\/travel-equipment\/)\n  - [Bike Gear](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/category\/equipment\/bike-equipment\/)\n  - [Comfort Lab](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/category\/comfort-lab\/)\n  - [Dynamo Gear](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/category\/dynamo\/)\n  - [Travel Gear](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/category\/equipment\/travel-equipment\/)\n  - [Gear Lists](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/category\/equipment\/gear-lists\/)\n  - [RTW Gear List](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/bike-touring-gear-list-around-the-world\/)\n- [My Books](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/touring-bicycle-buyers-guide\/)\n  - [Bikepacking Buyer’s Guide](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/bikepacking-bike-buyers-guide\/)\n  - [Touring Buyer’s Guide](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/touring-bicycle-buyers-guide\/)\n  - [How-To Travel By Bike](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/bicycle-touring-book\/)\n- [Stories](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/category\/blogs\/)\n  - [Blog](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/category\/blogs\/)\n  - [Photo Galleries](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/category\/blogs\/photo-galleries\/)\n  - [World Diaries](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/category\/worldventure-blog\/)\n- [Travel Tips](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/category\/travel-tips\/)\n- [Videos](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/category\/videos\/)\n\n[![](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2026-Bikepacking-Bike-Buyers-Guide-Banner.jpg)](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/bikepacking-bike-buyers-guide\/) .\n\n[CYCLINGABOUT.com](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/)\n\nBikepacking . Bicycle Touring . Buyer's Guides . Equipment . Testing . Inspiration . Videos\n\n- [About Alee](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/who-is-alee-denham\/)\n- [Articles](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/article-directory\/)\n- [Bikes](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/category\/bikes\/touring-bikepacking-bikes\/)\n  - [Touring & Bikepacking](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/category\/bikes\/touring-bikepacking-bikes\/)\n  - [Gravel Bikes](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/category\/bikes\/gravel-bikes\/)\n  - [Comfort Lab](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/category\/comfort-lab\/)\n  - [Folding Bikes](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/category\/folding\/)\n  - [Tandem Bikes](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/category\/tandem-touring-bikes\/)\n- [Gear](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/category\/travel-equipment\/)\n  - [Bike Gear](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/category\/equipment\/bike-equipment\/)\n  - [Comfort Lab](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/category\/comfort-lab\/)\n  - [Dynamo Gear](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/category\/dynamo\/)\n  - [Travel Gear](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/category\/equipment\/travel-equipment\/)\n  - [Gear Lists](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/category\/equipment\/gear-lists\/)\n  - [RTW Gear List](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/bike-touring-gear-list-around-the-world\/)\n- [My Books](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/touring-bicycle-buyers-guide\/)\n  - [Bikepacking Buyer’s Guide](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/bikepacking-bike-buyers-guide\/)\n  - [Touring Buyer’s Guide](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/touring-bicycle-buyers-guide\/)\n  - [How-To Travel By Bike](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/bicycle-touring-book\/)\n- [Stories](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/category\/blogs\/)\n  - [Blog](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/category\/blogs\/)\n  - [Photo Galleries](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/category\/blogs\/photo-galleries\/)\n  - [World Diaries](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/category\/worldventure-blog\/)\n- [Travel Tips](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/category\/travel-tips\/)\n- [Videos](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/category\/videos\/)\n\n[CYCLINGABOUT.com](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/)\n\n![best folding bike](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Brompton-Folding-Bike-Size-80x42.jpg)\n\n- [Folding Bikes](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/category\/folding\/)\n# Guide: How To Choose The Best Folding Bike For Bicycle Touring\n[![](https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/964e8002d16bbdb491e24da825222508bfa67b052be2d43dc6b9308a6a057834?s=26&d=mm&r=g)byAlee Denham](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/author\/admin\/ \"View all posts by Alee Denham\")\n\nMarch 30, 2017\n\nI’ve recently spent quite a lot of time playing with folding bikes on my overseas adventures. While not my favourite bikes to ride long distances, this unique style of bike has allowed me to experiences countries and cities in a different way.\n\n**With a folding bike I can:**  \n – See more of a country in less time.  \n – Skip the ‘dull’ areas and move on to places I’m more interested in.  \n – Go on bike tours with people with little cycling experience (the trip can be less about the bike riding).  \n – Pack my bike for a flight in minutes.\n\nFolding bikes are all about compromise. The main trade-off is between cycling performance and foldability. In general, the smaller and more compact the bike, the less suited it is for long-distance cycling. For example, 16″ folding bikes have an unbelievably small fold but tend to feel a bit tedious on rides over one hour when compared to bikes with larger wheels.\n\n*This guide will look at the things you should consider when selecting the best folding bike for your bike tour.*\n\n#### Foldability\n![best folding bike](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Brompton-Folding-Bike-Size-80x51.jpg)\n\nIt’s pretty hard to look past the incredible folded size of a Brompton.\n\nThere are two things to think about when it comes to the folding aspect: folding speed and the size when folded.\n\n**Folding speed** is only really important if you’re folding and unfolding your bike multiple times per day. The quickest folding bikes take about 10 seconds, some of the slower folding bikes will take 10 minutes or more to disassemble. I prefer bikes that require no tools for the fold like the Tern or Brompton bikes.\n\n**Folded size** is generally proportionate with any given wheel diameter. You can see below that the bike volume increases around 100 cubic litres at each wheel diameter. I’ve found that with a cover over the bike you can take **any size** folding bike onto public transport without anyone batting an eyelid. Without a cover, it seems you’ll have a harder time convincing someone it’s ok when the volume exceeds about 200 litres. Having a thin cover for a bike with wheels larger than 20″ is essential in many places.\n\n**Example Folded Sizes (HxLxW)**  \n 16″ Wheels: *Brompton – 585 x 565 x 270 mm (23″ x 22.2″ x 10.6″) \/ 89 litres volume*  \n 20″ Wheels: *Dahon Mu Sl – 660 x 820 x 320 mm (26” x 32.3” x 12.6”) \/ 173 litres volume*  \n 26″ Wheels: *Tern Eclipse – 810 x 900 x 380 mm (31.9″ x 35.4″ x 15″) \/ 277 litres volume* 27\\.5″ Wheels: *Tern Joe Tour – 870 x 950 x 460 mm (34.3″ x 37.4″ x 18.1″) \/ 380 litres volume*\n\n#### Performance\n![Cycling Mae Hong Son Loop](data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABAQMAAAAl21bKAAAAA1BMVEUAAP+KeNJXAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAApJREFUCNdjYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=)\n\nThe Tern Eclipse is a high-performing folding bike.\n\nThe higher-performing folding bikes feel as laterally stiff as a regular bike, and this makes them an absolute pleasure to ride. I was able to comfortably pump out 100-150km per day in the mountains on a [Tern Eclipse 24″](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/tern-eclipse-p18-folding-bike-review-2\/), but the same can’t be said about a Brompton 16″ (which is suited to sub-50km on the flat). This is due to a few factors: your position on the bike, the gear ratios, the frame\/handlepost stiffness and the wheel size.\n\nThe best performing bikes tend to use 20″ wheels and up, but just because a bike has big wheels does not mean it is good! Different frame designs, differences in frame\/handlepost stiffnesses and the parts on the bike still vary greatly. You’ll need to organise test rides for a few folding bikes to see what feels best for you.\n\nI’ve found that bike weight [isn’t particularly important](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/how-much-does-bike-and-gear-weight-slow-you-down-results\/) for touring performance, but a lightweight bike is certainly nice for carrying when folded.\n\n#### Sizing and Fit\n![best folding bike](data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABAQMAAAAl21bKAAAAA1BMVEUAAP+KeNJXAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAApJREFUCNdjYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=)\n\nI’m a tall cyclist, but I made the Brompton folding bike work in Sri Lanka.\n\nFolding bikes rarely come in more than one frame size. This is great if you’re of average proportions and not too fussy, but anyone out of the middle height range will need to compromise significantly. It still surprises me that folding bikes aren’t available in a size range.\n\nThe importance of size and fit will depend on how you plan to use your folding bike. If you’re wanting to cover long distances on the folding bike, you’re going to want something that fits well. If you’re pottering around cities and covering short distances, ‘fit’ is largely irrelevant (with the exception of seat height) as our bodies will compromise for short periods.\n\nOne of the only manufacturers to offer different frame sizes is Bike Friday. The pakiT model is available in six sizes and many of the other models are custom made for you. If you’re particularly tall (or heavy), Bike Friday is the company you should be looking at closely.\n\nI’ve written much more about ‘fit’ in my review of the [Tern Eclipse P18](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/tern-eclipse-p18-folding-bike-review-2\/). As a very tall cyclist, I ended up fitting extra-long bar ends to achieve a riding position I was comfortable with for those 100km+ days.\n\n#### Wheel Size\n![best folding bike](data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABAQMAAAAl21bKAAAAA1BMVEUAAP+KeNJXAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAApJREFUCNdjYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=)\n\nThe Brompton folding bike was able to stow above our seats on trains in Sri Lanka.\n\nFolding bikes typically come with 16, 20, 24, 26 and 27.5″ wheels.\n\nIt’s best to select your wheel size based on how you plan to use your folding bike. The more regularly you’ll be using public transport, the better it is to go smaller and more compact. If you’re after long-distance performance, you’ll want something with larger wheels and a wider gear range.\n\nFor example, my trip to Sri Lanka used public transport almost every day so I picked an ultra-compact Brompton. In comparison, my Thailand trip was mostly 100km rides with buses here and there. I picked a much higher performing [Tern 24″ bike](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/tern-eclipse-p18-folding-bike-review-2\/) for that.\n\n#### Specification\n![best folding bike](data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABAQMAAAAl21bKAAAAA1BMVEUAAP+KeNJXAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAApJREFUCNdjYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=)\n\nThe Tern Eclipse uses a wide gear range of 26-111 gear inches.\n\n**Gear Ratios**  \n Folding bikes tend to have fewer gears than a regular bike. This will vary in importance based on what kind of riding you’ll be doing. As not all places are flat, your bike should have some low enough gears to help you up the hills. We can measure the gear ratios of folding bikes using gear inches. I tend to recommend a low gear of about 25 inches which will cover most gradients. A top gear of around 70 inches is fine for the city, but you will want greater than 100 inches for a higher-performing folding bike. You can read more about gear inches and how to calculate them [HERE](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/gear-ratios-how-to-select-touring-bike-gearing\/).\n\n**Internally Geared Hubs vs. Derailleurs**  \n A great way to simplify a folding bike drivetrain is to use an internally geared hub. With the gears located inside the rear wheel they are less susceptible to damage and require less maintenance overall. The trade-offs are that there are bigger gaps between the gears and they’ll add about a kilogram to your bike. Some of the cheaper hubs also run a bit less efficiently than a derailleur drivetrain.\n\n**Tyres**  \n The best place to upgrade your folding bike will be the tyres. If you get something puncture resistant you’ll likely enjoy maintenance-free travel wherever you go. Schwalbe do a great range of touring tyres in the smaller sizes.\n\n#### Price\n![](data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABAQMAAAAl21bKAAAAA1BMVEUAAP+KeNJXAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAApJREFUCNdjYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=)\n\nPulling a trailer is often the best way to carry a heavy load with a folding bike.\n\nUnlike a regular touring bike, you can get away with a cheaper folding bike. This is because you’ll likely be covering shorter distances, and you’ll probably be carrying less gear too. That said, more money results in a lighter, more compact, higher-performing bike in general. I’d recommend US \\$500 as a starting point, but the quality stuff really kicks in after US \\$1000.\n\nIf you’re on a budget and you want to carry 10-15kg or more, you should definitely look into [pulling a bicycle trailer](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/best-bike-trailers-bicycle-touring\/). This will reduce the strain on the folding bike, and the trailer will sometimes even double as a carry case for the bike.\n\n#### Carrying Luggage\n![](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Tern-Rear-Panniers-80x53.jpg)\n\nRob of [14Degrees.org](http:\/\/14degrees.org\/) used rear panniers on his Tern in New Zealand.\n\nThere are lots of different ways to carry your gear on a folding bike. My favourite way is to use a ‘luggage truss’ or ‘carrier block’ off the front of a folding bike frame. With these mounts, you can carry up to 31 litres of luggage (Brompton T-Bag). A set of panniers mounted to a rear rack are the next size up (40+ litres), and trailers are the next step after that (70+ litres).\n\nYou can read my article dedicated to carrying luggage on a folding bike [HERE](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/carrying-luggage-on-a-folding-bike-brompton-tern-dahon\/).\n\n#### Summary: The Best Folding Bike\n![best folding bike](data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABAQMAAAAl21bKAAAAA1BMVEUAAP+KeNJXAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAApJREFUCNdjYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=)\n\nRiding a Brompton folding bike through some ruins in Sri Lanka.\n\nFolding bikes are all about *compromise*. Like standard bikes, there is no best folding bike for all occasions.\n\nIn general, it can be said that bikes with larger wheels (and therefore a larger fold) tend to perform better but are less suitable for public transport. On the other hand, the ultra-compact bikes are not as good for covering those longer distances but are super easy to transport.\n\nThe 20″ wheel size is often the best balance between performance and folding size. With this wheel size, your bike can perform exceptionally provided it uses a smart frame design and component choice. The 20″ bikes will also fold to be less than 200 litres making them easy enough to get onto any form of transport.\n\n### You might also like\n- [Review: Tern Eclipse P18 Folding Bike (1\/2)](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/tern-eclipse-folding-bike-review-1\/ \"Review: Tern Eclipse P18 Folding Bike (1\/2)\")\n- [Review: Tern Eclipse P18 Folding Bike (2\/2)](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/tern-eclipse-p18-folding-bike-review-2\/ \"Review: Tern Eclipse P18 Folding Bike (2\/2)\")\n- [These Gearbox Folding Bikes Will Blow Your Mind (Custom Bromptons)](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/gearbox-folding-bikes-custom-bromptons\/ \"These Gearbox Folding Bikes Will Blow Your Mind (Custom Bromptons)\")\n- [The New Brompton Folding Bike Has 2.4″ Tyres For Off-Road Terrain](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/mtbrompton-off-road-folding-bike\/ \"The New Brompton Folding Bike Has 2.4″ Tyres For Off-Road Terrain\")\n\n- [brompton](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/tag\/brompton\/)\n- [folding bike](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/tag\/folding-bike\/)\n- [tern](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/tag\/tern\/)\n\n[![](https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/964e8002d16bbdb491e24da825222508bfa67b052be2d43dc6b9308a6a057834?s=100&d=mm&r=g)](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/author\/admin\/)\n\nAuthor\n\n[Alee Denham](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/author\/admin\/)\n\n*Alee is a bike and travel addict who has cycled through 100+ countries and doesn't really have any plans of stopping. Along the way, he creates technical resources, in-depth reviews, inspirational videos, how-to guides and more. If you've learned something from him, you can support his mission to create the best bike travel content [HERE](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/cyclingabout-supporter\/).*\n\n## 5 comments\n1. ![](https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/aaacb39de310fecc765ccadf0d1e74e72725fe53b306dc92d8da9b12e38f837e?s=60&d=mm&r=g) **Robert Clark** says:\n   \n   [April 5, 2017 at 4:38 am](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/best-folding-bike-bicycle-touring\/#comment-3176)\n   \n   Re: Guide: How To Choose The Best Folding Bike For Bicycle Touring,  \n    Above, seem to have left out the Bike Friday travel bikes , made for each customer , in Eugene Oregon, Shipped and ridden around the globe, and the dominant bike in the Folding bike section of CGOAB, Cycle-touring journal host site.\n2. ![](https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/43e24316f21063bdff22058d684d7123ada8d1bf1b9c5a469dae01766dd04f2a?s=60&d=mm&r=g) **Art Of Hookie** says:\n   \n   [May 25, 2017 at 3:43 am](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/best-folding-bike-bicycle-touring\/#comment-3479)\n   \n   Just an FYI, bike fridays aren’t really made for each customer, they are pretty much all the same with switched in parts. They are unbelievably pricy, complex and very difficult to take apart, you notice it didn’t say fold. I went to the factory with intent on purchasing one but was very let down. This was 18 months ago when I stumbled upon Brompton. Now 3000 miles later and planing my third tour. All bikes are good, it’s just that some of them are better.\n3. ![](https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/cc7374da27a3a167260ebcd11b505fe4b68aef24c1a114731fd535c670c57c85?s=60&d=mm&r=g) **Robert Clark** says:\n   \n   [May 25, 2017 at 4:43 am](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/best-folding-bike-bicycle-touring\/#comment-3480)\n   \n   Their 406 wheel touring bikes like the NWT are built on adjustable jugs, and so that 1 main frame tube is offered in 8 lengths.. and as it is , you spec the component pick & your order sheet joins a a buyer’s queue ..\n   \n   I was in Eugene for years .. Alan was one of the Burly worker owned CoOp founders , His ATP company built the tandem frames for them around 1990, then when Burly CoOp went into making more stuff internally , then the bike friday company developed.. Touring is the activity bike touring you do on a bike v, the bike you prefer is up to your preferences..\n   \n   you may like the fact that you don’t take apart a Brompton.. they sell well .. I own an M3L\n   \n   they make 1 frame. My Mk 4 is about 60cm long, seat to bar mast centers.\n4. ![](https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2c004eb2defeff3a9f1f67cf9930a5c96fe29aab7a89eb23d3b08108b49cc510?s=60&d=mm&r=g) **[Marshal Durden](http:\/\/foldthebike.com\/)** says:\n   \n   [May 27, 2017 at 4:23 pm](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/best-folding-bike-bicycle-touring\/#comment-3502)\n   \n   Dahon Mariner D7 looks great to me. Dahon is worlds renowned company when it comes to dahon bike. Thanks for the awesome article. 🙂\n   \n   Also read my article on best folding bikes in the market.\n   \n   [Best Folding Bike 2017](http:\/\/foldthebike.com\/best-folding-bike-reviews\/)\n5. ![](https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7085428099243c1b1c8a2367f2860b30a4494cfe1c75e45af466f32525ae8cce?s=60&d=mm&r=g) **Catherine Lee** says:\n   \n   [October 11, 2017 at 9:27 pm](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/best-folding-bike-bicycle-touring\/#comment-4100)\n   \n   Yes , we can have lot of benefits with folding bicycle.  [Hummingbird](http:\/\/www.spearswms.com\/meet-hummingbird-britains-lightest-super-bicycle\/)  is best in foldable bicycles. It’s just 6.9 kilos, which in bike terms is absolutely nothing. Pick it up and it barely registers on the effort-o-meter,it’s folding mechanism is quick and highly satisfying and the engineering quality of the pivots and hinges is delicious and finally the additional lightness is a boon.\n\nComments are closed.\n\n[![](data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABAQMAAAAl21bKAAAAA1BMVEUAAP+KeNJXAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAApJREFUCNdjYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=)](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/cyclingabout-supporter\/)\n\n## Recent Articles\n- ![fastest aero bikes](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Simplon-Pride-Wind-Tunnel-Fastest-Aero-Bikes-80x80.jpg)\n  \n  ### [The 12 Fastest Aero Bikes In The World: Tour Magazine Wind Tunnel Test](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/fastest-aero-bikes-tour-magazine-wind-tunnel-test\/)\n- ![](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/29-vs-32-Inch-Wheels-Test-Bike-Test.com_-80x80.jpeg)\n  \n  ### [32″ Wheels Against The Clock: Way Faster Than I Expected\\!](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/32-inch-wheels-against-the-clock-faster-than-expected\/)\n- ![Cane Creek eeSilk CS](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Cane-Creek-eeSilk-CS-Suspension-Stem-Mountains-80x80.jpeg)\n  \n  ### [Cane Creek eeSilk Stem Review: High Performing, But Is Lockout Really Necessary?](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/cane-creek-eesilk-stem-review\/)\n- ![cane creek eesilk+](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Cane-Creek-eeSilk-Suspension-Seatpost-Review-Side-Profile-80x80.jpg)\n  \n  ### [Cane Creek eeSilk+ Seatpost Review: Master of Road and Gravel Surfaces\\!](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/cane-creek-eesilk-suspension-seatpost-review\/)\n- ![](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2026-Kona-Unity-Bikepacking-Bike-Might-Be-Better-80x80.jpeg)\n  \n  ### [Why Kona’s WEIRD Bikepacking Bike Might Actually Be Better (Kona Unity Analysis)](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/kona-unity-bikepacking-bike-might-actually-be-better\/)\n\n![](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/CyclingAbout-Africa-Koga-80x9.jpg)\n\n[![](data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABAQMAAAAl21bKAAAAA1BMVEUAAP+KeNJXAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAApJREFUCNdjYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=)](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/bicycle-touring-book\/)\n\n## CyclingAbout \\| Instagram\n[![](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Bicycle-Touring-Bundle-Ad-2022-80x128.jpg)](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/bicycle-touring-book-bundle\/)\n\n[CYCLINGABOUT.com](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/)\n\n- [About](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/who-is-alee-denham\/)\n- [Donate](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/cyclingabout-supporter\/)\n- [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/privacy-policy\/)\n- [Log In](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/login-2\/)\n\nI'm here to help you travel the world by bike! If you've learned a thing or two from me, consider supporting my independent resources [HERE](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/cyclingabout-supporter\/).","attrs_readable_markdown":"I’ve recently spent quite a lot of time playing with folding bikes on my overseas adventures. While not my favourite bikes to ride long distances, this unique style of bike has allowed me to experiences countries and cities in a different way.\n\n**With a folding bike I can:**  \n – See more of a country in less time.  \n – Skip the ‘dull’ areas and move on to places I’m more interested in.  \n – Go on bike tours with people with little cycling experience (the trip can be less about the bike riding).  \n – Pack my bike for a flight in minutes.\n\nFolding bikes are all about compromise. The main trade-off is between cycling performance and foldability. In general, the smaller and more compact the bike, the less suited it is for long-distance cycling. For example, 16″ folding bikes have an unbelievably small fold but tend to feel a bit tedious on rides over one hour when compared to bikes with larger wheels.\n\n*This guide will look at the things you should consider when selecting the best folding bike for your bike tour.*\n\n#### Foldability\n![best folding bike](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Brompton-Folding-Bike-Size-1000x636.jpg)\n\nIt’s pretty hard to look past the incredible folded size of a Brompton.\n\nThere are two things to think about when it comes to the folding aspect: folding speed and the size when folded.\n\n**Folding speed** is only really important if you’re folding and unfolding your bike multiple times per day. The quickest folding bikes take about 10 seconds, some of the slower folding bikes will take 10 minutes or more to disassemble. I prefer bikes that require no tools for the fold like the Tern or Brompton bikes.\n\n**Folded size** is generally proportionate with any given wheel diameter. You can see below that the bike volume increases around 100 cubic litres at each wheel diameter. I’ve found that with a cover over the bike you can take **any size** folding bike onto public transport without anyone batting an eyelid. Without a cover, it seems you’ll have a harder time convincing someone it’s ok when the volume exceeds about 200 litres. Having a thin cover for a bike with wheels larger than 20″ is essential in many places.\n\n**Example Folded Sizes (HxLxW)**  \n 16″ Wheels: *Brompton – 585 x 565 x 270 mm (23″ x 22.2″ x 10.6″) \/ 89 litres volume*  \n 20″ Wheels: *Dahon Mu Sl – 660 x 820 x 320 mm (26” x 32.3” x 12.6”) \/ 173 litres volume*  \n 26″ Wheels: *Tern Eclipse – 810 x 900 x 380 mm (31.9″ x 35.4″ x 15″) \/ 277 litres volume* 27\\.5″ Wheels: *Tern Joe Tour – 870 x 950 x 460 mm (34.3″ x 37.4″ x 18.1″) \/ 380 litres volume*\n\n#### Performance\n![Cycling Mae Hong Son Loop](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/vlcsnap-2015-08-21-10h40m48s128-1000x563.jpeg)\n\nThe Tern Eclipse is a high-performing folding bike.\n\nThe higher-performing folding bikes feel as laterally stiff as a regular bike, and this makes them an absolute pleasure to ride. I was able to comfortably pump out 100-150km per day in the mountains on a [Tern Eclipse 24″](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/tern-eclipse-p18-folding-bike-review-2\/), but the same can’t be said about a Brompton 16″ (which is suited to sub-50km on the flat). This is due to a few factors: your position on the bike, the gear ratios, the frame\/handlepost stiffness and the wheel size.\n\nThe best performing bikes tend to use 20″ wheels and up, but just because a bike has big wheels does not mean it is good! Different frame designs, differences in frame\/handlepost stiffnesses and the parts on the bike still vary greatly. You’ll need to organise test rides for a few folding bikes to see what feels best for you.\n\nI’ve found that bike weight [isn’t particularly important](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/how-much-does-bike-and-gear-weight-slow-you-down-results\/) for touring performance, but a lightweight bike is certainly nice for carrying when folded.\n\n#### Sizing and Fit\n![best folding bike](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Brompton-Folding-Bike-Tall-Cyclist-1000x591.jpg)\n\nI’m a tall cyclist, but I made the Brompton folding bike work in Sri Lanka.\n\nFolding bikes rarely come in more than one frame size. This is great if you’re of average proportions and not too fussy, but anyone out of the middle height range will need to compromise significantly. It still surprises me that folding bikes aren’t available in a size range.\n\nThe importance of size and fit will depend on how you plan to use your folding bike. If you’re wanting to cover long distances on the folding bike, you’re going to want something that fits well. If you’re pottering around cities and covering short distances, ‘fit’ is largely irrelevant (with the exception of seat height) as our bodies will compromise for short periods.\n\nOne of the only manufacturers to offer different frame sizes is Bike Friday. The pakiT model is available in six sizes and many of the other models are custom made for you. If you’re particularly tall (or heavy), Bike Friday is the company you should be looking at closely.\n\nI’ve written much more about ‘fit’ in my review of the [Tern Eclipse P18](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/tern-eclipse-p18-folding-bike-review-2\/). As a very tall cyclist, I ended up fitting extra-long bar ends to achieve a riding position I was comfortable with for those 100km+ days.\n\n#### Wheel Size\n![best folding bike](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Brompton-Folding-Bike-On-Train-1000x561.jpg)\n\nThe Brompton folding bike was able to stow above our seats on trains in Sri Lanka.\n\nFolding bikes typically come with 16, 20, 24, 26 and 27.5″ wheels.\n\nIt’s best to select your wheel size based on how you plan to use your folding bike. The more regularly you’ll be using public transport, the better it is to go smaller and more compact. If you’re after long-distance performance, you’ll want something with larger wheels and a wider gear range.\n\nFor example, my trip to Sri Lanka used public transport almost every day so I picked an ultra-compact Brompton. In comparison, my Thailand trip was mostly 100km rides with buses here and there. I picked a much higher performing [Tern 24″ bike](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/tern-eclipse-p18-folding-bike-review-2\/) for that.\n\n#### Specification\n![best folding bike](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/P3200203-1000x667.jpg)\n\nThe Tern Eclipse uses a wide gear range of 26-111 gear inches.\n\n**Gear Ratios**  \n Folding bikes tend to have fewer gears than a regular bike. This will vary in importance based on what kind of riding you’ll be doing. As not all places are flat, your bike should have some low enough gears to help you up the hills. We can measure the gear ratios of folding bikes using gear inches. I tend to recommend a low gear of about 25 inches which will cover most gradients. A top gear of around 70 inches is fine for the city, but you will want greater than 100 inches for a higher-performing folding bike. You can read more about gear inches and how to calculate them [HERE](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/gear-ratios-how-to-select-touring-bike-gearing\/).\n\n**Internally Geared Hubs vs. Derailleurs**  \n A great way to simplify a folding bike drivetrain is to use an internally geared hub. With the gears located inside the rear wheel they are less susceptible to damage and require less maintenance overall. The trade-offs are that there are bigger gaps between the gears and they’ll add about a kilogram to your bike. Some of the cheaper hubs also run a bit less efficiently than a derailleur drivetrain.\n\n**Tyres**  \n The best place to upgrade your folding bike will be the tyres. If you get something puncture resistant you’ll likely enjoy maintenance-free travel wherever you go. Schwalbe do a great range of touring tyres in the smaller sizes.\n\n#### Price\n![](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/folding-bike-trailer-1000x337.jpg)\n\nPulling a trailer is often the best way to carry a heavy load with a folding bike.\n\nUnlike a regular touring bike, you can get away with a cheaper folding bike. This is because you’ll likely be covering shorter distances, and you’ll probably be carrying less gear too. That said, more money results in a lighter, more compact, higher-performing bike in general. I’d recommend US \\$500 as a starting point, but the quality stuff really kicks in after US \\$1000.\n\nIf you’re on a budget and you want to carry 10-15kg or more, you should definitely look into [pulling a bicycle trailer](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/best-bike-trailers-bicycle-touring\/). This will reduce the strain on the folding bike, and the trailer will sometimes even double as a carry case for the bike.\n\n#### Carrying Luggage\n![](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Tern-Rear-Panniers-1000x667.jpg)\n\nRob of [14Degrees.org](http:\/\/14degrees.org\/) used rear panniers on his Tern in New Zealand.\n\nThere are lots of different ways to carry your gear on a folding bike. My favourite way is to use a ‘luggage truss’ or ‘carrier block’ off the front of a folding bike frame. With these mounts, you can carry up to 31 litres of luggage (Brompton T-Bag). A set of panniers mounted to a rear rack are the next size up (40+ litres), and trailers are the next step after that (70+ litres).\n\nYou can read my article dedicated to carrying luggage on a folding bike [HERE](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/carrying-luggage-on-a-folding-bike-brompton-tern-dahon\/).\n\n#### Summary: The Best Folding Bike\n![best folding bike](https:\/\/www.cyclingabout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Tall-Cyclist-Brompton-Folding-Bike--1000x617.jpg)\n\nRiding a Brompton folding bike through some ruins in Sri Lanka.\n\nFolding bikes are all about *compromise*. Like standard bikes, there is no best folding bike for all occasions.\n\nIn general, it can be said that bikes with larger wheels (and therefore a larger fold) tend to perform better but are less suitable for public transport. On the other hand, the ultra-compact bikes are not as good for covering those longer distances but are super easy to transport.\n\nThe 20″ wheel size is often the best balance between performance and folding size. With this wheel size, your bike can perform exceptionally provided it uses a smart frame design and component choice. The 20″ bikes will also fold to be less than 200 litres making them easy enough to get onto any form of transport.","meta_canonical":null,"ml_categories_json":"{\"\/Sports\":770,\"\/Sports\/Individual_Sports\":698,\"\/Sports\/Individual_Sports\/Cycling\":698,\"\/Autos_and_Vehicles\":134,\"\/Autos_and_Vehicles\/Bicycles_and_Accessories\":134}","ml_types_json":"{\"\/Article\":999,\"\/Article\/How_to\":660}","ml_intent_types_json":"{\"Informational\":979,\"Commercial\":127}","meta_language":"en-us","attrs_author":"Alee Denham","attrs_publish_time":1490861674,"attrs_original_publish_time":1490861674,"attrs_is_republished":0,"attrs_nr_words":"2391","attrs_boilerpipe_nr_words":"1569","body_ext_links_number":9,"body_int_links_number":47,"meta_nofollow":0,"meta_noarchive":0,"props_was_rendered":0,"src_redirect":"","download_time_msec":440,"download_ttfb_msec":440,"download_size":26591}

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I’ve recently spent quite a lot of time playing with folding bikes on my overseas adventures. While not my favourite bikes to ride long distances, this unique style of bike has allowed me to experiences countries and cities in a different way. With a folding bike I can: – See more of a country in less time. – Skip the ‘dull’ areas and move on to places I’m more interested in. – Go on bike tours with people with little cycling experience (the trip can be less about the bike riding). – Pack my bike for a flight in minutes. Folding bikes are all about compromise. The main trade-off is between cycling performance and foldability. In general, the smaller and more compact the bike, the less suited it is for long-distance cycling. For example, 16″ folding bikes have an unbelievably small fold but tend to feel a bit tedious on rides over one hour when compared to bikes with larger wheels. This guide will look at the things you should consider when selecting the best folding bike for your bike tour. Foldability It’s pretty hard to look past the incredible folded size of a Brompton. There are two things to think about when it comes to the folding aspect: folding speed and the size when folded. Folding speed is only really important if you’re folding and unfolding your bike multiple times per day. The quickest folding bikes take about 10 seconds, some of the slower folding bikes will take 10 minutes or more to disassemble. I prefer bikes that require no tools for the fold like the Tern or Brompton bikes. Folded size is generally proportionate with any given wheel diameter. You can see below that the bike volume increases around 100 cubic litres at each wheel diameter. I’ve found that with a cover over the bike you can take any size folding bike onto public transport without anyone batting an eyelid. Without a cover, it seems you’ll have a harder time convincing someone it’s ok when the volume exceeds about 200 litres. Having a thin cover for a bike with wheels larger than 20″ is essential in many places. Example Folded Sizes (HxLxW) 16″ Wheels: Brompton – 585 x 565 x 270 mm (23″ x 22.2″ x 10.6″) / 89 litres volume 20″ Wheels: Dahon Mu Sl – 660 x 820 x 320 mm (26” x 32.3” x 12.6”) / 173 litres volume 26″ Wheels: Tern Eclipse – 810 x 900 x 380 mm (31.9″ x 35.4″ x 15″) / 277 litres volume 27.5″ Wheels: Tern Joe Tour – 870 x 950 x 460 mm (34.3″ x 37.4″ x 18.1″) / 380 litres volume Performance The Tern Eclipse is a high-performing folding bike. The higher-performing folding bikes feel as laterally stiff as a regular bike, and this makes them an absolute pleasure to ride. I was able to comfortably pump out 100-150km per day in the mountains on a Tern Eclipse 24″ , but the same can’t be said about a Brompton 16″ (which is suited to sub-50km on the flat). This is due to a few factors: your position on the bike, the gear ratios, the frame/handlepost stiffness and the wheel size. The best performing bikes tend to use 20″ wheels and up, but just because a bike has big wheels does not mean it is good! Different frame designs, differences in frame/handlepost stiffnesses and the parts on the bike still vary greatly. You’ll need to organise test rides for a few folding bikes to see what feels best for you. I’ve found that bike weight isn’t particularly important for touring performance, but a lightweight bike is certainly nice for carrying when folded. Sizing and Fit I’m a tall cyclist, but I made the Brompton folding bike work in Sri Lanka. Folding bikes rarely come in more than one frame size. This is great if you’re of average proportions and not too fussy, but anyone out of the middle height range will need to compromise significantly. It still surprises me that folding bikes aren’t available in a size range. The importance of size and fit will depend on how you plan to use your folding bike. If you’re wanting to cover long distances on the folding bike, you’re going to want something that fits well. If you’re pottering around cities and covering short distances, ‘fit’ is largely irrelevant (with the exception of seat height) as our bodies will compromise for short periods. One of the only manufacturers to offer different frame sizes is Bike Friday. The pakiT model is available in six sizes and many of the other models are custom made for you. If you’re particularly tall (or heavy), Bike Friday is the company you should be looking at closely. I’ve written much more about ‘fit’ in my review of the Tern Eclipse P18 . As a very tall cyclist, I ended up fitting extra-long bar ends to achieve a riding position I was comfortable with for those 100km+ days. Wheel Size The Brompton folding bike was able to stow above our seats on trains in Sri Lanka. Folding bikes typically come with 16, 20, 24, 26 and 27.5″ wheels. It’s best to select your wheel size based on how you plan to use your folding bike. The more regularly you’ll be using public transport, the better it is to go smaller and more compact. If you’re after long-distance performance, you’ll want something with larger wheels and a wider gear range. For example, my trip to Sri Lanka used public transport almost every day so I picked an ultra-compact Brompton. In comparison, my Thailand trip was mostly 100km rides with buses here and there. I picked a much higher performing Tern 24″ bike for that. Specification The Tern Eclipse uses a wide gear range of 26-111 gear inches. Gear Ratios Folding bikes tend to have fewer gears than a regular bike. This will vary in importance based on what kind of riding you’ll be doing. As not all places are flat, your bike should have some low enough gears to help you up the hills. We can measure the gear ratios of folding bikes using gear inches. I tend to recommend a low gear of about 25 inches which will cover most gradients. A top gear of around 70 inches is fine for the city, but you will want greater than 100 inches for a higher-performing folding bike. You can read more about gear inches and how to calculate them HERE . Internally Geared Hubs vs. Derailleurs A great way to simplify a folding bike drivetrain is to use an internally geared hub. With the gears located inside the rear wheel they are less susceptible to damage and require less maintenance overall. The trade-offs are that there are bigger gaps between the gears and they’ll add about a kilogram to your bike. Some of the cheaper hubs also run a bit less efficiently than a derailleur drivetrain. Tyres The best place to upgrade your folding bike will be the tyres. If you get something puncture resistant you’ll likely enjoy maintenance-free travel wherever you go. Schwalbe do a great range of touring tyres in the smaller sizes. Price Pulling a trailer is often the best way to carry a heavy load with a folding bike. Unlike a regular touring bike, you can get away with a cheaper folding bike. This is because you’ll likely be covering shorter distances, and you’ll probably be carrying less gear too. That said, more money results in a lighter, more compact, higher-performing bike in general. I’d recommend US $500 as a starting point, but the quality stuff really kicks in after US $1000. If you’re on a budget and you want to carry 10-15kg or more, you should definitely look into pulling a bicycle trailer . This will reduce the strain on the folding bike, and the trailer will sometimes even double as a carry case for the bike. Carrying Luggage Rob of 14Degrees.org used rear panniers on his Tern in New Zealand. There are lots of different ways to carry your gear on a folding bike. My favourite way is to use a ‘luggage truss’ or ‘carrier block’ off the front of a folding bike frame. With these mounts, you can carry up to 31 litres of luggage (Brompton T-Bag). A set of panniers mounted to a rear rack are the next size up (40+ litres), and trailers are the next step after that (70+ litres). You can read my article dedicated to carrying luggage on a folding bike HERE . Summary: The Best Folding Bike Riding a Brompton folding bike through some ruins in Sri Lanka. Folding bikes are all about compromise . Like standard bikes, there is no best folding bike for all occasions. In general, it can be said that bikes with larger wheels (and therefore a larger fold) tend to perform better but are less suitable for public transport. On the other hand, the ultra-compact bikes are not as good for covering those longer distances but are super easy to transport. The 20″ wheel size is often the best balance between performance and folding size. With this wheel size, your bike can perform exceptionally provided it uses a smart frame design and component choice. The 20″ bikes will also fold to be less than 200 litres making them easy enough to get onto any form of transport.

Markdown

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[CYCLINGABOUT.com](https://www.cyclingabout.com/) Bikepacking . Bicycle Touring . Buyer's Guides . Equipment . Testing . Inspiration . 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While not my favourite bikes to ride long distances, this unique style of bike has allowed me to experiences countries and cities in a different way. **With a folding bike I can:** – See more of a country in less time. – Skip the ‘dull’ areas and move on to places I’m more interested in. – Go on bike tours with people with little cycling experience (the trip can be less about the bike riding). – Pack my bike for a flight in minutes. Folding bikes are all about compromise. The main trade-off is between cycling performance and foldability. In general, the smaller and more compact the bike, the less suited it is for long-distance cycling. For example, 16″ folding bikes have an unbelievably small fold but tend to feel a bit tedious on rides over one hour when compared to bikes with larger wheels. *This guide will look at the things you should consider when selecting the best folding bike for your bike tour.* #### Foldability ![best folding bike](https://www.cyclingabout.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Brompton-Folding-Bike-Size-80x51.jpg) It’s pretty hard to look past the incredible folded size of a Brompton. There are two things to think about when it comes to the folding aspect: folding speed and the size when folded. **Folding speed** is only really important if you’re folding and unfolding your bike multiple times per day. The quickest folding bikes take about 10 seconds, some of the slower folding bikes will take 10 minutes or more to disassemble. I prefer bikes that require no tools for the fold like the Tern or Brompton bikes. **Folded size** is generally proportionate with any given wheel diameter. You can see below that the bike volume increases around 100 cubic litres at each wheel diameter. I’ve found that with a cover over the bike you can take **any size** folding bike onto public transport without anyone batting an eyelid. Without a cover, it seems you’ll have a harder time convincing someone it’s ok when the volume exceeds about 200 litres. Having a thin cover for a bike with wheels larger than 20″ is essential in many places. **Example Folded Sizes (HxLxW)** 16″ Wheels: *Brompton – 585 x 565 x 270 mm (23″ x 22.2″ x 10.6″) / 89 litres volume* 20″ Wheels: *Dahon Mu Sl – 660 x 820 x 320 mm (26” x 32.3” x 12.6”) / 173 litres volume* 26″ Wheels: *Tern Eclipse – 810 x 900 x 380 mm (31.9″ x 35.4″ x 15″) / 277 litres volume* 27\.5″ Wheels: *Tern Joe Tour – 870 x 950 x 460 mm (34.3″ x 37.4″ x 18.1″) / 380 litres volume* #### Performance ![Cycling Mae Hong Son Loop](data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABAQMAAAAl21bKAAAAA1BMVEUAAP+KeNJXAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAApJREFUCNdjYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=) The Tern Eclipse is a high-performing folding bike. The higher-performing folding bikes feel as laterally stiff as a regular bike, and this makes them an absolute pleasure to ride. I was able to comfortably pump out 100-150km per day in the mountains on a [Tern Eclipse 24″](https://www.cyclingabout.com/tern-eclipse-p18-folding-bike-review-2/), but the same can’t be said about a Brompton 16″ (which is suited to sub-50km on the flat). This is due to a few factors: your position on the bike, the gear ratios, the frame/handlepost stiffness and the wheel size. The best performing bikes tend to use 20″ wheels and up, but just because a bike has big wheels does not mean it is good! Different frame designs, differences in frame/handlepost stiffnesses and the parts on the bike still vary greatly. You’ll need to organise test rides for a few folding bikes to see what feels best for you. I’ve found that bike weight [isn’t particularly important](https://www.cyclingabout.com/how-much-does-bike-and-gear-weight-slow-you-down-results/) for touring performance, but a lightweight bike is certainly nice for carrying when folded. #### Sizing and Fit ![best folding bike](data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABAQMAAAAl21bKAAAAA1BMVEUAAP+KeNJXAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAApJREFUCNdjYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=) I’m a tall cyclist, but I made the Brompton folding bike work in Sri Lanka. Folding bikes rarely come in more than one frame size. This is great if you’re of average proportions and not too fussy, but anyone out of the middle height range will need to compromise significantly. It still surprises me that folding bikes aren’t available in a size range. The importance of size and fit will depend on how you plan to use your folding bike. If you’re wanting to cover long distances on the folding bike, you’re going to want something that fits well. If you’re pottering around cities and covering short distances, ‘fit’ is largely irrelevant (with the exception of seat height) as our bodies will compromise for short periods. One of the only manufacturers to offer different frame sizes is Bike Friday. The pakiT model is available in six sizes and many of the other models are custom made for you. If you’re particularly tall (or heavy), Bike Friday is the company you should be looking at closely. I’ve written much more about ‘fit’ in my review of the [Tern Eclipse P18](https://www.cyclingabout.com/tern-eclipse-p18-folding-bike-review-2/). As a very tall cyclist, I ended up fitting extra-long bar ends to achieve a riding position I was comfortable with for those 100km+ days. #### Wheel Size ![best folding bike](data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABAQMAAAAl21bKAAAAA1BMVEUAAP+KeNJXAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAApJREFUCNdjYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=) The Brompton folding bike was able to stow above our seats on trains in Sri Lanka. Folding bikes typically come with 16, 20, 24, 26 and 27.5″ wheels. It’s best to select your wheel size based on how you plan to use your folding bike. The more regularly you’ll be using public transport, the better it is to go smaller and more compact. If you’re after long-distance performance, you’ll want something with larger wheels and a wider gear range. For example, my trip to Sri Lanka used public transport almost every day so I picked an ultra-compact Brompton. In comparison, my Thailand trip was mostly 100km rides with buses here and there. I picked a much higher performing [Tern 24″ bike](https://www.cyclingabout.com/tern-eclipse-p18-folding-bike-review-2/) for that. #### Specification ![best folding bike](data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABAQMAAAAl21bKAAAAA1BMVEUAAP+KeNJXAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAApJREFUCNdjYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=) The Tern Eclipse uses a wide gear range of 26-111 gear inches. **Gear Ratios** Folding bikes tend to have fewer gears than a regular bike. This will vary in importance based on what kind of riding you’ll be doing. As not all places are flat, your bike should have some low enough gears to help you up the hills. We can measure the gear ratios of folding bikes using gear inches. I tend to recommend a low gear of about 25 inches which will cover most gradients. A top gear of around 70 inches is fine for the city, but you will want greater than 100 inches for a higher-performing folding bike. You can read more about gear inches and how to calculate them [HERE](https://www.cyclingabout.com/gear-ratios-how-to-select-touring-bike-gearing/). **Internally Geared Hubs vs. Derailleurs** A great way to simplify a folding bike drivetrain is to use an internally geared hub. With the gears located inside the rear wheel they are less susceptible to damage and require less maintenance overall. The trade-offs are that there are bigger gaps between the gears and they’ll add about a kilogram to your bike. Some of the cheaper hubs also run a bit less efficiently than a derailleur drivetrain. **Tyres** The best place to upgrade your folding bike will be the tyres. If you get something puncture resistant you’ll likely enjoy maintenance-free travel wherever you go. Schwalbe do a great range of touring tyres in the smaller sizes. #### Price ![](data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABAQMAAAAl21bKAAAAA1BMVEUAAP+KeNJXAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAApJREFUCNdjYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=) Pulling a trailer is often the best way to carry a heavy load with a folding bike. Unlike a regular touring bike, you can get away with a cheaper folding bike. This is because you’ll likely be covering shorter distances, and you’ll probably be carrying less gear too. That said, more money results in a lighter, more compact, higher-performing bike in general. I’d recommend US \$500 as a starting point, but the quality stuff really kicks in after US \$1000. If you’re on a budget and you want to carry 10-15kg or more, you should definitely look into [pulling a bicycle trailer](https://www.cyclingabout.com/best-bike-trailers-bicycle-touring/). This will reduce the strain on the folding bike, and the trailer will sometimes even double as a carry case for the bike. #### Carrying Luggage ![](https://www.cyclingabout.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Tern-Rear-Panniers-80x53.jpg) Rob of [14Degrees.org](http://14degrees.org/) used rear panniers on his Tern in New Zealand. There are lots of different ways to carry your gear on a folding bike. My favourite way is to use a ‘luggage truss’ or ‘carrier block’ off the front of a folding bike frame. With these mounts, you can carry up to 31 litres of luggage (Brompton T-Bag). A set of panniers mounted to a rear rack are the next size up (40+ litres), and trailers are the next step after that (70+ litres). You can read my article dedicated to carrying luggage on a folding bike [HERE](https://www.cyclingabout.com/carrying-luggage-on-a-folding-bike-brompton-tern-dahon/). #### Summary: The Best Folding Bike ![best folding bike](data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABAQMAAAAl21bKAAAAA1BMVEUAAP+KeNJXAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAApJREFUCNdjYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=) Riding a Brompton folding bike through some ruins in Sri Lanka. Folding bikes are all about *compromise*. Like standard bikes, there is no best folding bike for all occasions. In general, it can be said that bikes with larger wheels (and therefore a larger fold) tend to perform better but are less suitable for public transport. On the other hand, the ultra-compact bikes are not as good for covering those longer distances but are super easy to transport. The 20″ wheel size is often the best balance between performance and folding size. With this wheel size, your bike can perform exceptionally provided it uses a smart frame design and component choice. The 20″ bikes will also fold to be less than 200 litres making them easy enough to get onto any form of transport. ### You might also like - [Review: Tern Eclipse P18 Folding Bike (1/2)](https://www.cyclingabout.com/tern-eclipse-folding-bike-review-1/ "Review: Tern Eclipse P18 Folding Bike (1/2)") - [Review: Tern Eclipse P18 Folding Bike (2/2)](https://www.cyclingabout.com/tern-eclipse-p18-folding-bike-review-2/ "Review: Tern Eclipse P18 Folding Bike (2/2)") - [These Gearbox Folding Bikes Will Blow Your Mind (Custom Bromptons)](https://www.cyclingabout.com/gearbox-folding-bikes-custom-bromptons/ "These Gearbox Folding Bikes Will Blow Your Mind (Custom Bromptons)") - [The New Brompton Folding Bike Has 2.4″ Tyres For Off-Road Terrain](https://www.cyclingabout.com/mtbrompton-off-road-folding-bike/ "The New Brompton Folding Bike Has 2.4″ Tyres For Off-Road Terrain") - [brompton](https://www.cyclingabout.com/tag/brompton/) - [folding bike](https://www.cyclingabout.com/tag/folding-bike/) - [tern](https://www.cyclingabout.com/tag/tern/) [![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/964e8002d16bbdb491e24da825222508bfa67b052be2d43dc6b9308a6a057834?s=100&d=mm&r=g)](https://www.cyclingabout.com/author/admin/) Author [Alee Denham](https://www.cyclingabout.com/author/admin/) *Alee is a bike and travel addict who has cycled through 100+ countries and doesn't really have any plans of stopping. Along the way, he creates technical resources, in-depth reviews, inspirational videos, how-to guides and more. If you've learned something from him, you can support his mission to create the best bike travel content [HERE](https://www.cyclingabout.com/cyclingabout-supporter/).* ## 5 comments 1. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/aaacb39de310fecc765ccadf0d1e74e72725fe53b306dc92d8da9b12e38f837e?s=60&d=mm&r=g) **Robert Clark** says: [April 5, 2017 at 4:38 am](https://www.cyclingabout.com/best-folding-bike-bicycle-touring/#comment-3176) Re: Guide: How To Choose The Best Folding Bike For Bicycle Touring, Above, seem to have left out the Bike Friday travel bikes , made for each customer , in Eugene Oregon, Shipped and ridden around the globe, and the dominant bike in the Folding bike section of CGOAB, Cycle-touring journal host site. 2. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/43e24316f21063bdff22058d684d7123ada8d1bf1b9c5a469dae01766dd04f2a?s=60&d=mm&r=g) **Art Of Hookie** says: [May 25, 2017 at 3:43 am](https://www.cyclingabout.com/best-folding-bike-bicycle-touring/#comment-3479) Just an FYI, bike fridays aren’t really made for each customer, they are pretty much all the same with switched in parts. They are unbelievably pricy, complex and very difficult to take apart, you notice it didn’t say fold. I went to the factory with intent on purchasing one but was very let down. This was 18 months ago when I stumbled upon Brompton. Now 3000 miles later and planing my third tour. All bikes are good, it’s just that some of them are better. 3. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/cc7374da27a3a167260ebcd11b505fe4b68aef24c1a114731fd535c670c57c85?s=60&d=mm&r=g) **Robert Clark** says: [May 25, 2017 at 4:43 am](https://www.cyclingabout.com/best-folding-bike-bicycle-touring/#comment-3480) Their 406 wheel touring bikes like the NWT are built on adjustable jugs, and so that 1 main frame tube is offered in 8 lengths.. and as it is , you spec the component pick & your order sheet joins a a buyer’s queue .. I was in Eugene for years .. Alan was one of the Burly worker owned CoOp founders , His ATP company built the tandem frames for them around 1990, then when Burly CoOp went into making more stuff internally , then the bike friday company developed.. Touring is the activity bike touring you do on a bike v, the bike you prefer is up to your preferences.. you may like the fact that you don’t take apart a Brompton.. they sell well .. I own an M3L they make 1 frame. My Mk 4 is about 60cm long, seat to bar mast centers. 4. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/2c004eb2defeff3a9f1f67cf9930a5c96fe29aab7a89eb23d3b08108b49cc510?s=60&d=mm&r=g) **[Marshal Durden](http://foldthebike.com/)** says: [May 27, 2017 at 4:23 pm](https://www.cyclingabout.com/best-folding-bike-bicycle-touring/#comment-3502) Dahon Mariner D7 looks great to me. Dahon is worlds renowned company when it comes to dahon bike. Thanks for the awesome article. 🙂 Also read my article on best folding bikes in the market. [Best Folding Bike 2017](http://foldthebike.com/best-folding-bike-reviews/) 5. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/7085428099243c1b1c8a2367f2860b30a4494cfe1c75e45af466f32525ae8cce?s=60&d=mm&r=g) **Catherine Lee** says: [October 11, 2017 at 9:27 pm](https://www.cyclingabout.com/best-folding-bike-bicycle-touring/#comment-4100) Yes , we can have lot of benefits with folding bicycle. [Hummingbird](http://www.spearswms.com/meet-hummingbird-britains-lightest-super-bicycle/) is best in foldable bicycles. It’s just 6.9 kilos, which in bike terms is absolutely nothing. Pick it up and it barely registers on the effort-o-meter,it’s folding mechanism is quick and highly satisfying and the engineering quality of the pivots and hinges is delicious and finally the additional lightness is a boon. Comments are closed. 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Readable Markdown

I’ve recently spent quite a lot of time playing with folding bikes on my overseas adventures. While not my favourite bikes to ride long distances, this unique style of bike has allowed me to experiences countries and cities in a different way. **With a folding bike I can:** – See more of a country in less time. – Skip the ‘dull’ areas and move on to places I’m more interested in. – Go on bike tours with people with little cycling experience (the trip can be less about the bike riding). – Pack my bike for a flight in minutes. Folding bikes are all about compromise. The main trade-off is between cycling performance and foldability. In general, the smaller and more compact the bike, the less suited it is for long-distance cycling. For example, 16″ folding bikes have an unbelievably small fold but tend to feel a bit tedious on rides over one hour when compared to bikes with larger wheels. *This guide will look at the things you should consider when selecting the best folding bike for your bike tour.* #### Foldability ![best folding bike](https://www.cyclingabout.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Brompton-Folding-Bike-Size-1000x636.jpg) It’s pretty hard to look past the incredible folded size of a Brompton. There are two things to think about when it comes to the folding aspect: folding speed and the size when folded. **Folding speed** is only really important if you’re folding and unfolding your bike multiple times per day. The quickest folding bikes take about 10 seconds, some of the slower folding bikes will take 10 minutes or more to disassemble. I prefer bikes that require no tools for the fold like the Tern or Brompton bikes. **Folded size** is generally proportionate with any given wheel diameter. You can see below that the bike volume increases around 100 cubic litres at each wheel diameter. I’ve found that with a cover over the bike you can take **any size** folding bike onto public transport without anyone batting an eyelid. Without a cover, it seems you’ll have a harder time convincing someone it’s ok when the volume exceeds about 200 litres. Having a thin cover for a bike with wheels larger than 20″ is essential in many places. **Example Folded Sizes (HxLxW)** 16″ Wheels: *Brompton – 585 x 565 x 270 mm (23″ x 22.2″ x 10.6″) / 89 litres volume* 20″ Wheels: *Dahon Mu Sl – 660 x 820 x 320 mm (26” x 32.3” x 12.6”) / 173 litres volume* 26″ Wheels: *Tern Eclipse – 810 x 900 x 380 mm (31.9″ x 35.4″ x 15″) / 277 litres volume* 27\.5″ Wheels: *Tern Joe Tour – 870 x 950 x 460 mm (34.3″ x 37.4″ x 18.1″) / 380 litres volume* #### Performance ![Cycling Mae Hong Son Loop](https://www.cyclingabout.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/vlcsnap-2015-08-21-10h40m48s128-1000x563.jpeg) The Tern Eclipse is a high-performing folding bike. The higher-performing folding bikes feel as laterally stiff as a regular bike, and this makes them an absolute pleasure to ride. I was able to comfortably pump out 100-150km per day in the mountains on a [Tern Eclipse 24″](https://www.cyclingabout.com/tern-eclipse-p18-folding-bike-review-2/), but the same can’t be said about a Brompton 16″ (which is suited to sub-50km on the flat). This is due to a few factors: your position on the bike, the gear ratios, the frame/handlepost stiffness and the wheel size. The best performing bikes tend to use 20″ wheels and up, but just because a bike has big wheels does not mean it is good! Different frame designs, differences in frame/handlepost stiffnesses and the parts on the bike still vary greatly. You’ll need to organise test rides for a few folding bikes to see what feels best for you. I’ve found that bike weight [isn’t particularly important](https://www.cyclingabout.com/how-much-does-bike-and-gear-weight-slow-you-down-results/) for touring performance, but a lightweight bike is certainly nice for carrying when folded. #### Sizing and Fit ![best folding bike](https://www.cyclingabout.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Brompton-Folding-Bike-Tall-Cyclist-1000x591.jpg) I’m a tall cyclist, but I made the Brompton folding bike work in Sri Lanka. Folding bikes rarely come in more than one frame size. This is great if you’re of average proportions and not too fussy, but anyone out of the middle height range will need to compromise significantly. It still surprises me that folding bikes aren’t available in a size range. The importance of size and fit will depend on how you plan to use your folding bike. If you’re wanting to cover long distances on the folding bike, you’re going to want something that fits well. If you’re pottering around cities and covering short distances, ‘fit’ is largely irrelevant (with the exception of seat height) as our bodies will compromise for short periods. One of the only manufacturers to offer different frame sizes is Bike Friday. The pakiT model is available in six sizes and many of the other models are custom made for you. If you’re particularly tall (or heavy), Bike Friday is the company you should be looking at closely. I’ve written much more about ‘fit’ in my review of the [Tern Eclipse P18](https://www.cyclingabout.com/tern-eclipse-p18-folding-bike-review-2/). As a very tall cyclist, I ended up fitting extra-long bar ends to achieve a riding position I was comfortable with for those 100km+ days. #### Wheel Size ![best folding bike](https://www.cyclingabout.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Brompton-Folding-Bike-On-Train-1000x561.jpg) The Brompton folding bike was able to stow above our seats on trains in Sri Lanka. Folding bikes typically come with 16, 20, 24, 26 and 27.5″ wheels. It’s best to select your wheel size based on how you plan to use your folding bike. The more regularly you’ll be using public transport, the better it is to go smaller and more compact. If you’re after long-distance performance, you’ll want something with larger wheels and a wider gear range. For example, my trip to Sri Lanka used public transport almost every day so I picked an ultra-compact Brompton. In comparison, my Thailand trip was mostly 100km rides with buses here and there. I picked a much higher performing [Tern 24″ bike](https://www.cyclingabout.com/tern-eclipse-p18-folding-bike-review-2/) for that. #### Specification ![best folding bike](https://www.cyclingabout.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/P3200203-1000x667.jpg) The Tern Eclipse uses a wide gear range of 26-111 gear inches. **Gear Ratios** Folding bikes tend to have fewer gears than a regular bike. This will vary in importance based on what kind of riding you’ll be doing. As not all places are flat, your bike should have some low enough gears to help you up the hills. We can measure the gear ratios of folding bikes using gear inches. I tend to recommend a low gear of about 25 inches which will cover most gradients. A top gear of around 70 inches is fine for the city, but you will want greater than 100 inches for a higher-performing folding bike. You can read more about gear inches and how to calculate them [HERE](https://www.cyclingabout.com/gear-ratios-how-to-select-touring-bike-gearing/). **Internally Geared Hubs vs. Derailleurs** A great way to simplify a folding bike drivetrain is to use an internally geared hub. With the gears located inside the rear wheel they are less susceptible to damage and require less maintenance overall. The trade-offs are that there are bigger gaps between the gears and they’ll add about a kilogram to your bike. Some of the cheaper hubs also run a bit less efficiently than a derailleur drivetrain. **Tyres** The best place to upgrade your folding bike will be the tyres. If you get something puncture resistant you’ll likely enjoy maintenance-free travel wherever you go. Schwalbe do a great range of touring tyres in the smaller sizes. #### Price ![](https://www.cyclingabout.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/folding-bike-trailer-1000x337.jpg) Pulling a trailer is often the best way to carry a heavy load with a folding bike. Unlike a regular touring bike, you can get away with a cheaper folding bike. This is because you’ll likely be covering shorter distances, and you’ll probably be carrying less gear too. That said, more money results in a lighter, more compact, higher-performing bike in general. I’d recommend US \$500 as a starting point, but the quality stuff really kicks in after US \$1000. If you’re on a budget and you want to carry 10-15kg or more, you should definitely look into [pulling a bicycle trailer](https://www.cyclingabout.com/best-bike-trailers-bicycle-touring/). This will reduce the strain on the folding bike, and the trailer will sometimes even double as a carry case for the bike. #### Carrying Luggage ![](https://www.cyclingabout.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Tern-Rear-Panniers-1000x667.jpg) Rob of [14Degrees.org](http://14degrees.org/) used rear panniers on his Tern in New Zealand. There are lots of different ways to carry your gear on a folding bike. My favourite way is to use a ‘luggage truss’ or ‘carrier block’ off the front of a folding bike frame. With these mounts, you can carry up to 31 litres of luggage (Brompton T-Bag). A set of panniers mounted to a rear rack are the next size up (40+ litres), and trailers are the next step after that (70+ litres). You can read my article dedicated to carrying luggage on a folding bike [HERE](https://www.cyclingabout.com/carrying-luggage-on-a-folding-bike-brompton-tern-dahon/). #### Summary: The Best Folding Bike ![best folding bike](https://www.cyclingabout.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Tall-Cyclist-Brompton-Folding-Bike--1000x617.jpg) Riding a Brompton folding bike through some ruins in Sri Lanka. Folding bikes are all about *compromise*. Like standard bikes, there is no best folding bike for all occasions. In general, it can be said that bikes with larger wheels (and therefore a larger fold) tend to perform better but are less suitable for public transport. On the other hand, the ultra-compact bikes are not as good for covering those longer distances but are super easy to transport. The 20″ wheel size is often the best balance between performance and folding size. With this wheel size, your bike can perform exceptionally provided it uses a smart frame design and component choice. The 20″ bikes will also fold to be less than 200 litres making them easy enough to get onto any form of transport.

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