Does anybody remember the suitcase scooters that were sold in the 60's? The engine was on the rear wheel in a box, the seat was the top of the box. The floor boards, front forks handle bars etc. slid back into the box. The whole thing was about the size of a big suitcase.
A neighbor had one that he used to carry in his Bonanza. The thing suit cased on him going down the road about 30 MPH.

A friend of mine got something like this suitcase scooter along with his airplane , it was called a Centaur. Fairly portable, ut wobbly & ran lke crap alla time. That's probably due to the age though. Mini-trail 50 or 70 seems like the ticket.

Well, I just scored one. Disclaimer- this may be more than most are looking for as an airport commuter, but I got a screaming deal. It's a Lapierre Passport. Front suspension, soft tail, and a really nice case. Solid components. 26" wheels. It wasn't previously mentioned on this thread, but it's worth a look if you want to do some serious riding, or just don't want to look like that bear-at-the-circus from Donknee's post.

-DP

Scroll past the Babe-of-the-Day: http://my.opera.com/badmadcyclist/archive/monthly/?startidx=260

Zane wrote:Anybody have a good way of fitting regular non-folding mountain bikes in their Cessna? I run without the back seat and was thinking it would be cool to mount a bar across the back and attach it to the seat attach holes in the rear door posts. Then use a Yakima fork mount kit or something. Might need to rig something up to extend the front axles point forward.

I have a hard tail 29'er in the back of the 182 all the time. I took it to Stehekin last week. I put a furniture moving blanket on the floor, then wheels, then fold the blanket over, then the frame, then the rest of the blanket (z-fashion), then the sleeping bags and tent, and then packs and cooler on top of everything. I used to have a folding bike...not super useful off of the pavement, but you could fit two of them in plus all the gear without playing Tetris. The moving blanket protects the interior from parts and dirt and grease, and makes a nice picnic pad under the wing off the dirt and rocks in Utah.

My frame is quite a bit too large to stand up in the cabin as you suggest (biggest Specialized frame in production, plus 29" wheels). There is no harm in stacking stuff on top of the frame lying on its side. A substantially smaller frame (22" or smaller) might fit fine. If there was a rear drop out caddy available so you could release the rear wheel and keep the chain ring off the floor, it would be even smaller. I used to take my clips off too, but it's not necessary if the frame is resting on the wheels.

Timely?

Aviation Consumer recently did a review:

http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/exclusi ... 875-1.html

I'm on my second Montague, I love them. 2.5 minutes from secured in my airplane to riding away... 30 sec. for the actual fold out and putting on the front tire. Looks and rides normal, has a sprung front and quality components.

95 degrees out there, this picture looks pretty good!

courierguy wrote:Looks and rides normal, has a sprung front and quality components.

It looked pretty sweet in Hamilton.

Had a folding bike on the hatshelf behind my head in the Luscombe when I crashed last month.
Had fastened it in place with the shoulder harness up there.
Glad I did when I crawled out of the upside down wreckage.
Just a reminder gents.... you don't want your cool stuff to become a projectile at any time. Pack accordingly.

flightlogic wrote:Had a folding bike on the hatshelf behind my head in the Luscombe when I crashed last month.
Had fastened it in place with the shoulder harness up there.
Glad I did when I crawled out of the upside down wreckage.
Just a reminder gents.... you don't want your cool stuff to become a projectile at any time. Pack accordingly.

Excellent point. Mine is secured in 3 places directly to the 4130 airframe. In the 2000 hrs of flight time (2 different S-7's) where the bike was along for the flight, I had a few occasions to "test" the setup...everything stayed where it was supposed to. Half the battle was figuring out how to fit it in, the other half how to secure it quickly. The Montague and in particular the Rans S7 are a serendipitous fit.

I've had a couple Montague folding bikes. The lightest ones I have found are the older ones. I had one made for BMW for the 96 Olympics. They have very little for suspension but they are a lot lighter than the ones with the Oval frame. You can find both models on ebay or Craigslist if you just watch for a while. Here's a couple older ones pretty cheap: http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/bid/3124807902.html
http://ventura.craigslist.org/bik/3126927372.html

I've had a pair of DaHons since back in the 80s--I think they were something like $350 each back then. They're just 3 speed hub versions, and the current DaHons are a whole lot better bikes, with more speeds and better hill-climbing capabilities. But the quality is still there, although they're still not much for off road stuff. With the little wheels, they look pretty awkward, but they ride amazingly well, and they fold about as compactly as it's possible to do without taking a bike apart. If I could justify it, I wouldn't hesitate to get another DaHon, maybe the Mariner version because it's aluminum and weighs less--mine are pretty heavy at about 32# each.

Cary

denalipilot wrote:Does anyone out there have a folding bike they like? I've been looking at the Dahon mountain bikes lately, which seem pretty well made. Looking to get around on gravel and dirt roads.

Thanks,

-DP

For gravel and dirt, I'd recommend paying close attention to the tire/frame clearance. Some folding bikes will be capable of more tire, some less. The Bike Friday NWT I ride will take a Kenda 20 x 1.95 tire on both front and back. Lots of cushioning and rides fine on dirt. If the terrain is bumpy, just like any non-sprung bike, standing up and going slow will get you through most anything. Switching the tires out to a 1.25 wide tires, it becomes a whole different bike. It is quite fast on the street.

I haven't owned a Dahon, but many report being very happy with them . The Dahon Bullhead comes with wide tires and looks ready for whatever you throw at it.

Bike Friday uses quality name brand components and they weld the chromoly frames in Oregon. If you want one, plan on budgeting more than you would for many other folders. BF are often ordered in custom sizes and componentry, then built to order. They do come up used occassionally. We've got a break down Family tandem and the NWT, both purchased for less than 1/2 of new. The nice thing is, a well cared for steel frame will probably outlast the rider, so you can sell it later or keep it in the family.

And if your bike doesn't fold, it can still go along.

GreenZone Bikes specializes in nothing but foldable bike designs.Great products at low prices with the best customer service in the industry.
http://www.greenzonebikes.com/?gclid=CJ ... QgodDl2cfg

Ya know that Zane has a folding bike ,,,on this site,, A TOKYO Citizen Bike 16" 6-speed Folding Bike with Ultra-Portable Frame. I've seen more of thees at airports then any other types..US $169.00 The price is good for what your getting and how many times will you use it anyway, Weight 30 lbs.Supports riders up to 220 lbs.
http://www.citizenbike.com/catalog.asp? ... duct_id=10

If you are "into" bikes, there's not a lot more frustrating than riding a typical Chinese folder with every compromise made towards saving a buck and making it fold at the expense of ridability. If you know from your full size quality road or mountain bike what it *should* be like to ride a good bike, you probably won't be smiling.

Quick check: Hold the bike with both hands and put your foot on the pedal. Press down hard and watch how much frame flex occurs at the bottom bracket. While riding, everything that goes into frame flex is wasted energy.

More expensive folding bikes, like those from Bike Friday and a few others, do their best to approach the performance and roadablility of full size bikes. And while my old '93 vintage Bike Friday (serial #116) doesn't come close to my Trek Madone 6.9, I don't cringe when I get on it either as it really does ride well - considering.

Bumper- This is what I'm talking about

Okay, though full size wheels won't fit well in many small aircraft. If you have a plane where big wheels aren't an issue, then also consider S&S bike frame couplers installed on a bike you may already have.

bumper