What would be your perfect towpath bicycle?

[MtB]

Just now, Tony1 said:

 

The folding demo is at about 2mins 50secs

 

Really? It must have not fully loaded for me. There was no demo when I first watched it. Will try again!

Oh hang on, your link starts at 8 minutes....

[Wanderer Vagabond]

On 16/09/2021 at 22:00, MtB said:

I ride a Dahon Zero-G. A wonderful and near-perfect towpath bike that literally folds in half for easy insertion into a car or van. The only thing I had to add was mudguards. 

 

Sadly long discontinued, but second hand examples occasionally pop up on ebay. I have two of 'em! 

 

https://www.thebikelist.co.uk/dahon/zero-g-2006

 

 

 

 

Definite vote from me for the Zero-G as well, that is the bike I have used for the past 8 years and it was almost built for the towpath, shame it has been discontinued because it has been a real workhorse. I didn't bother with the mudguards since you will still get the muck and water thrown up from the front wheel, but reduced the muck from the back by fitting a pannier rack with twin panniers on it. Also have the capacity to fit one of these trailers on it (https://carryfreedom.com/the-y-portfolio/). The greatest load carried was a washing machine (to a scrap yard).

 

[enigmatic]

I have a cheap second hand Dahon Jack. Rides like a normal bike, folds simply enough and fits in my well deck (although it's a bit bigger than ideal). Only slight issue is the catch for the folding bit is shaped perfectly to snag the bottom of my trousers if I don't tuck them into socks...

 

With the benefit of hindsight I'd have taken a chance and paid a bit more for the modified Dahon Jack I saw on ebay at the same time which some bike enthusiast had customised with extra gears and 24" rather than 26" wheels, which I assume would ride at least as well on bumpy towpaths but weigh less and fit slightly better in the well deck

[tree monkey]

My ideal towpath bicycle is whatever bike my chauffeur uses when he buggers off to collect my car

 

 

[Tony1]

10 hours ago, Wanderer Vagabond said:

Definite vote from me for the Zero-G as well, that is the bike I have used for the past 8 years and it was almost built for the towpath, shame it has been discontinued because it has been a real workhorse. I didn't bother with the mudguards since you will still get the muck and water thrown up from the front wheel, but reduced the muck from the back by fitting a pannier rack with twin panniers on it. Also have the capacity to fit one of these trailers on it (https://carryfreedom.com/the-y-portfolio/). The greatest load carried was a washing machine (to a scrap yard).

 

 

Wow, those trailers look great- the website says they're good for 90kg, which is more than most I've seen, although I can't imagine how you managed to tow that washing machine up any significant inclines. They are properly heavy.

In case I ever needed to carry a bulkier/heavier item, I got a Burley Travoy before I gave up my car. Its great if you need to fetch an emergency bag of coal or a gas bottle, or have a really heavy shopping load, but that trailer of yours is the best I think I've seen. Those look like QR wheels as well, so it can be stowed away easily in the cratch. 

 

 

Edited September 19, 2021 by Tony1

[Jim Batty]

If you want an interesting rabbit hole to descend, how about the Tern Vectron S10 folding electric bike:

 

 

I love the quality build, Schwalbe 20-inch tyres, adjustability of the handlebars, solid rear rack. Has a Bosch motor and Deore 10-speed set-up to boot. Seriously nice. But seriously expensive at £3700!

 

(A slightly wordy) review: Tern Vektron S10 Folding Electric Bike

 

 

[Tony1]

37 minutes ago, Jim Batty said:

If you want an interesting rabbit hole to descend, how about the Tern Vectron S10 folding electric bike:

 

 

I love the quality build, Schwalbe 20-inch tyres, adjustability of the handlebars, solid rear rack. Has a Bosch motor and Deore 10-speed set-up to boot. Seriously nice. But seriously expensive at £3700!

 

(A slightly wordy) review: Tern Vektron S10 Folding Electric Bike

 

 

 

Already looked down that rabbit hole, and it is indeed very alluring, but two things put me off: 

 

1. That price. I mean... ouch.  

I admit I paid 3k for my electric brompton, but with those you have some confidence that when you sell, you will have plenty of demand, and you will get a good chunk back.

My worry with the Vectron is that it wont attract so much interest if/when you ever sell it.

 

2. At 22kg the weight is close to my eMTB (which I think is 26kg), and it becomes a bit of a pain to carry. Its fine 90% of the time, just on and off the stern, but the other week I lifted it into the cratch from the bank, and tbh I felt that stretching forwards with outstretched arms holding an awkward and bulky 26kg weight was not safest thing for my back.  

 

The electric brompton is only about 16kg, very light for an ebike.

It actually feels fairly easy to lift in and out of the annoyingly narrow single door that I have at the stern. Just a damn shame that you cant fit fatter tyres on it, apparently because of the narrow space between the brakes.

 

 

 

 

[Wanderer Vagabond]

On 19/09/2021 at 09:56, Tony1 said:

 

Wow, those trailers look great- the website says they're good for 90kg, which is more than most I've seen, although I can't imagine how you managed to tow that washing machine up any significant inclines. They are properly heavy.

In case I ever needed to carry a bulkier/heavier item, I got a Burley Travoy before I gave up my car. Its great if you need to fetch an emergency bag of coal or a gas bottle, or have a really heavy shopping load, but that trailer of yours is the best I think I've seen. Those look like QR wheels as well, so it can be stowed away easily in the cratch. 

 

 

Yes they are indeed QR wheels and the whole thing folds flat, I store it under one of the boat seats when not in use.

 

There is a slightly comic story regarding that washing machine. The photo is on the embankment at Merry Hill, Birmingham and I'd bought the replacement washing machine from the Argos there and asked if they had a truck/trolley for me to take it up to the boat. On the grounds of 'Health and Safety' they declined so I had to put the bike and trailer together to carry it up the slope. That slope was a bit too steep to ride up so I ended up pushing it up the hill but it was just about doable. Getting rid of the scrap washing machine was more problematic though, have you ever tried going into a metal scrap yard on a bike and trailer? The first thing they want is a vehicle registration number for their records! After long negotiations they finally agreed to take the washing machine but would only pay by bank transfer (I just wanted rid of the machine) and for all of the faff they gave me about £3 for it

[Ronaldo47]

The law now requires scrap dealers to pay by bank transfer, apparently an anti-money laundering measure. When I took some small SLA batteries and a single car battery to my local dealer last month, the guy explained that the bank charges for each payment meant it was uneconomic to accept small quantities of scrap. In addition they can only take up to 5 lead-acid batteries at a time. So unless I can find some scrap metal to get rid of as well, the only place I can dispose of the old 12Ah batteries I use in threes for my electric bike is to take them to the local tip (aka Civic Amenity Centre). 

Edited September 20, 2021 by Ronaldo47
typo

[StuBar]

[Alan de Enfield]

On 16/09/2021 at 22:00, MtB said:

Sadly long discontinued, but second hand examples occasionally pop up on ebay. I have two of 'em! 

 

Are they like Smartgauges ?

[MtB]

1 minute ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Are they like Smartgauges ?

 

 

No, they work very well...

[Alan de Enfield]

1 minute ago, MtB said:

 

 

No, they work very well...

 

Should you not have a third one to ensure that they remain in calibration ?

[Tony1]

 

Just to revisit this topic, I ended up buying a Tern BYB folder with 20 inch wheels, but no electric motor. 

I've decided I need to be doing a lot more cycling au naturelle, so to speak, to get some health/fitness benefits. 

The 20 inch wheels give a ride that is a lot less harsh than the brompton, so its just about usable on bumpy but dry towpaths (for short stretches anyway).

It also folds down small enough that it will fit on a bus or train as luggage, so no problems taking it onto a train in summer/peak times. 

 

If you dont have to travel with your bike during busy holiday periods, I agree that the Dahon zero G was a superb choice when it was in production.

There is also the Montague full size folding MBT currently available. 

 

Personally, I also like to have a second bike- an ebike. The idea is that it makes life easier when you have to ride longer distances, or are not feeling well, e.g. if you are recovering from covid and low on energy, or for example if you occasionally have a knee issue.

 

My Chinese-sourced full size folding electric MTB was great as a second bike, and with full suspension and knobbly tyres it was brilliant for towpaths, but the hub motor failed after only just over a year, so I won't be going down the cheap route again. 

 

 

Edited April 18, 2022 by Tony1

[Ronaldo47]

When we go on the canals I take the now-vintage Bickerton folding bike that I used to use daily when I worked in London in the 1980's. Now that the children have grown up and there are just the two of us, it allows me to cycle ahead in lock flights and set them for us if nothing is coming the other way, as well as going for shopping. 

 

Not ideal for heavily-rutted paths as it has no  suspension worth talking about, other than the spokes of its 10" & 12" wheels, but the small front wheel and the hooks on the handlebars do allow it to carry bulky items in its  carry bag.  Its lightweight aluminium construction, small and light enough to be easiliy lifted onto the overhead luggage racks of the old  commuter trains,  means it is  easy to lift over obstructions.