Bernds Touring Foldie

And I thought I've seen them all...
Some guy from BikeForums.com made reference to Bernds Bicycle from Germany.
I clicked on the URL link he posted and found something really interesting.
The Bernds Folding Bike has an asking price of I,302.52 Euros (RM5.3K) for an 8-speed Shimano Nexus internal hub gear model with premium parts.
I am not a fan of the Nexus as its slow and unresponsive.
What caught my attention: was the 14-speed Rohloff hub gear model at 2,436.97 Euros (RM9.8K) and there is an option to outfit this bike with a belt drive at 270 Euros (RM1,084).

A German-made foldie: The Bernds Folding Bike

Crazy prices, but worth taking a look...
German engineering is something that you can rely on.
You can use this bicycle and hand it down to your grand children.
But, all good things said and done, I don't think the cost of shipping the Bernds folding bike into Malaysia would be cheap.
Freight charges would go into the thousands and sales tax including duty is 35%. 
The only way to solve this issue is to go to Germany, crash there for a month and get the bike ordered..

While the Bernds may be solid, it doesn't fold that well compared to the Dahons, Terns and other folding bike brands...

Best money can buy?
What I love about this bike, is the customisable options. 
You can add a front-suspension fork, hydraulic disk brakes and touring racks for the bike.
And all these will jack up the price to at least RM15K to get it on the road..
So, I guess when it comes to the crunch, its 'how deep is your pockets' that matter..

Raleigh Folding i8

I was cruising around the bike area at Tukang Basikal Fook Sang in Sungai Way and found a few Raleigh i8s lying around.
These are the latest batch of folding bikes ever to hit the scene from one of the oldest known bicycle brand in Malaysia.
Before there were all those fancy-schmancy brands, there's Raleigh.
They've kind of vanished from the scene in the 90s and had recently made a comeback.
The first few Raleighs that I've noticed were some mountain bikes and roadies priced from RM400 - RM3K.
The Raleigh i8 retails for a little of RM1k, and Fook Sang sells them for about RM900 a pop.
And one of the best bargains is in Taman Sri Serdang, South of Kuala Lumpur where you can sweep up an i8 for RM760.
Everything on this bike is basic.
They give you cheap components and if you are serious about jazzing it up, the gearset and crankshaft can be easily upgraded...
On the whole, the i8 is a decent beginner's foldie with a bang for the buck!

Folding bicycle hinge mechanism

The hinge on a folding bike is an important part of the frame

I met and cycled with a new biker recently.
He had a dahon and his better half was cycling a bike which was made under license from an automobile manufacturer.
Since folding bikes became increasingly popular in the Klang Valley, many new riders are getting their rides from established bike shops and overseas retailers.
I noticed that the car brand bike has a hinge bolt.
This mechanism latches forwards to secure both halves of the frame.
Since its an entry-level bike, its obvious that the bolt lock had displayed some weakness in terms of lock-up.
With wear and tear, the latch can be loose and this could spell trouble for the rider.
I can't say much for the low-end components used on the bike, let alone a hefty price tag for an inferior frame locking mechanism.
On the higher-end bikes, its a known fact that the frames were OEM by Dahon.
Newcomers to the folding bike realm may not have noticed such things.
As branding becomes apparent, traders can slap a hefty pricetag on their goods, as long as there is a steady demand.
If its properly done, folding bikes are never cheap.
Why? Because the mechanism that keeps the frame locked and secure would be strong and secure.
I think its a shame to sacrifice safety for trending a brand which is made famous for their compact cars...

Birdy

German technology: the Birdy folding bike

I came across the Birdy range of folding bicycles while shopping for a bicycling helmet at a KSH outlet near the Taman Bahagia LRT station.
Herbert, the sales guy showed me the bike and demonstrated on how it folds.
This is like a scene out of 'Transformers' and what's cool about the bike is the fact that its a full-suspension ride at a cost of RM5.5K a pop.
I wouldn't say that its expensive because its backed by Pacific Cycles who owns a sackload of brands including the famed Schwinn bikes.
What sets it apart from other folding bikes is the fact that its frame remained as one piece.
The only moving parts are the front and rear wheels.
This bike comes with a set of 18" Schwalbe Marathon tires - one of the best in its class.
The only slack is that it comes optimised with an 9-speed transmission.
Other than that, if you want something above the norm, the Birdy bikes are a good alternative.