Of all the bikes, I got this one!

So, when I started my internship at MSR, I was told that Microsoft will pay me for a bike and other accessories. So, that got me excited as I have always loved to ride a bike, well who wouldn't. Anyway, but little did I realize that the US market was flooded with thousands of different kinds of bikes. Back when I was a kid things were simple, most of use just rode a single speed, and a few rich kids would ride a "geared" one. So, I started a mini internet research on bikes and came across an incredibly useful, versatile but often looked down upon bike called the - Folding Bike.

For those who have never heard of them - they are bikes that often fold in half and most have 16-20 inch wheels. When people think of folding bikes, the first thing that comes to their mind is a clown riding one of these bikes.

But this is 2016 and folding bikes are a lot cooler and pretty much ride like full sized bikes,

  

However, folding bikes are generally a bit more expensive than full sized bikes for the same specs and quality. But the tipping point for me was the need to take my bike inside a bus, up a flight of stairs (or an elevator) and store it in a hotel room. So, I got one of these,

The picture above is a Dahon Vitesse D3HG, it is a 20-inch 3 speed internal gear hub bike and a coaster brake (so absolutely zero maintenance). It folds up small enough to stowe it under the seat of a bus, and even with just 3 gears i did not have any problem with climbing steep hills (even in Seattle) and reaching a respectable top speed of 18.5mph.

I would say by all means this is the perfect urban commuter. So, having used it for a few months now, I thought I will list some of the pros of owning it,

1. No locks = No thieves: I think the biggest benefit of owning a folding bike is to be able to take it with you anywhere, i mean literally 'anywhere' -  even inside a toilet. This was especially handy when I had to get groceries or  store it in my hotel room every day. But make sure your folding bike "rolls when folded", not all models are able to do that.
2. Bus racks full - no problem: Just to harp on its portability a bit, I found taking my bike inside the bus a real boon. In Seattle, all buses have a rack in the front for 2-3 bikes. But these racks are mostly full especially during peak hours in summer. What is the use of a multi-modal transport (bike+bus) when you have to wait three times longer just to find a bus with an empty rack? So, the folding bike was perfect for this and besides the lack of derailleur gears meant no threat of damage when stowing it under the seat of a bus.
3. Start like a rocket: I read quite a bit about the acceleration and torque that small wheels can provide. It just doesn't make sense that you can race faster than a road bike. I found myself going well past all road bikes every time starting from a traffic light stop, although they pass me after a few hundred meters. Small wheels are good at accelerating from dead stop but cannot sustain the momentum longer like their bigger wheel counterparts. This is especially useful riding in a city and with the internal gear hub I did not have to worry about changing to a low gear before stopping. 
4. Maneuverability: The small wheels are definitely much easier to maneuver and I found it particularly useful going past pedestrians riding on sidewalks, and going on and off from pavement to sidewalks. The small wheels are also less intimidating for pedestrians when you have to ride on sidewalks, which is by the way legal in Seattle.
5. No assembly: Unlike full sized bikes, folding bikes come 'fully' assembled. While most full sized bikes do come nearly completely assembled, they often need fitting in the tire, handle bars and saddle, among other things. Although, even with folding bikes you might need to true your wheel and adjust brakes and derailleurs. However,  with a coaster brake and internal hub gears, i could take my bike for a ride right out of the box. More experienced bikers might find this naive and I agree, once you get the hang of fixing things yourself, life gets a lot easier and better.
6. Flies with you or Ship it away with ease: Just as it did not require any assembly, it does not require any disassembly as well in case you want to ship it. A few folding bikes can actually fit in a carry on bag  (esp. the brompton) which makes it convenient for people who travel frequently. Since my stay in Seattle was a short one, I had to ship it back and I have to admit, it was a real piece of cake. I actually carried the box a few blocks to a fedex center. Besides it costs about 30% less than shipping full sized bikes.
7. Flat tire? Just call an Uber: My biggest worry of riding a bike is the horror of being stranded in the middle of no where with a flat tire. Of course as you gain more experience you can learn how to fix a flat tire, and other maintenance. But that means you also have to carry tools all the time. With a folding bike, you just call an uber (or Lyft or whatever) and load it in the trunk and ride home. The same goes with taking your bike to a bike shop. You neither have to buy a car nor a bike rack. 
8. Bike Fitting! What is that?: Folding bikes are one size fits all, and most are highly adjustable to be able to fit anyone's body proportion.

Well, folding bikes are not without their problems. In my experience riding my Dahon I found these problems,

• The biggest gripe is the ride quality. The smaller wheels means you have to be extra careful going over bumps. Although, there are expensive 2 inch tires (Big Apples) that claim smoother rides, I am yet to try them out. 
• Lack of momentum is also a big problem especially on longer rides. What this means is you can get off to a quick start with the small wheels but sustaining speeds over 15mph requires significantly more effort than a full-sized bike.
• They are also expensive and a decent one can cost over $400 and good ones  go from $800 upwards to 2k. The cheaper ones are bulky, dont fold up well and dont have the right gearing. 
• Also as far as I know you cannot easily attach child carriers to folding bikes. I tried finding one for my one year old daughter but it looks like only trailers are recommended with folding bikes. Although a few rear carriers can fit folding bikes, it often compromises maneuverability and balance. I found the front mounted carriers safer and comfortable. But that is only available with Bromptons (and is super expensive).
• My folding bike needed frequent (every 2 weeks) tightening of the frame and handle bar hinges. This, although is a two minute job can be annoying in the beginning because you could end up over tightening. Also, as a result of these hinges, the frame may not feel as sturdy especially when riding steep hills.
• Ironically, most folding bikes are actually heavier than similar specced full sized bikes. This is partly because the frame of folding bikes are made sturdier to withstand the stress caused by the folding hinge.

Overall I think a folding bike can never replace a full sized bike (unless you get Brompton or other expensive ones), but they are certainly ideal for quick errands, short commutes (< 5 miles) and multi-modal commutes in cities.