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..

Melvin's Mission

Passion...
Sal Glesser, owner of Spyderco Knives which is based in Colorado, USA, once said: "Where's the passion?"
I spent my afternoon having lunch with this icon in the US knife manufacturing community and learned plenty about his philosphies and practices.
Till today, the word: "passion" is deeply ingrained in my soul..
So, fast-forward to late 2011.
A buddy of mine in Kota Kinabalu had asked me to check out the Strida Bicycle showroom in KL.
I traced it to an address in Bandar Puteri in Puchong through an article in BaikBike.com
It was there where I met Melvin or Toh (I am not sure who is who) and spoke to him about his products.
Compared to the big boys of the folding bicycle circuit, Strida's dealer here is a smally fry.
But I was really impressed with the way Melvin is doing his work.
He literally appears in every social ride there is around the country.
I even rode with him from Morib to Bagan Lalang where he had sincerely admitted that the single-speed Stridas were not meant for long-hauls.
I seldom meet people who are humble and sincere.
There's noting fake about this guy as his intent is purely to sell his Strida bikes.
To me, the Stridas are a novelty.

The right stuff: When it comes to Strida bikes, Melvin is there!

Spreading the word
Now, unlike some marketing people I know, Melvin had taken the initiative to cycle with his customers as well as meeting new contacts through social rides.
He is taking the right step.
I am not trying to kiss his ass and carry his balls, what I say here, is purely out of my observation and if the guy keeps it up, Strida bike are gonna make some headway here in Malaysia.
To enlighten people and raise awareness, he had engaged an ultra-long distance cyclist called 'Kamo' to ride the Strida SX in an attempt to cycle in Sabah and Sarawak.
The Trans-Borneo expedition will set Strida bikes in the national stage. I wish Kamo the best in completing his mission and fulfilling his sponsor's wishes.


Heading in the right direction...
I see a good future in Strida Bikes.
They are backed-up pretty well in terms of parts and accessories.
The least I can say is that Melvin is willing to listen to the seasoned cyclists on how to improve his products. That is a good move and a step towards securing the brand in the top placing of who's who in folding bikes here in Malaysia..

The rising stars of 2012

Where's the excitement?
Is it too early to tell, or there is already a glut in the folding bike scene here in Malaysia.
You can forget about Dahon as there aren't many exciting products coming from them.
The situation is so stale, some China Domestic Model bikes are slowly seeping into the country.
Dahon's sale in the Klang Valley will reach rock-bottom after the 2011 models are completely purged out of the system.
If you inherit the high-end bikes, you are set for life.
Like I said before, Tern bicycles will continue to make inroads in Malaysia with their impressive line-up for 2012. 
The good bikes will be shipped-in by March, so, its up to the retards who market them to make good of the surge of interest in high-end folding bikes.
If the guys behind Tern bikes in Malaysia continue to sit on their ass and hope that the brand would sell by itself, they might as well pack up and call it a day...


Rising stars..
I must say that 2011 saw a big interest in folding bikes especially in large towns and cities in the Central and Northern Peninsula.
Penang, for that matter, had a growing number of folding bike cyclists.
Thanks to the internet and media, their population is increasing.
In a market that is dominated by Dahon, I am particularly impressed with the high-sales of entry-level bikes like the Dahon ECO-7.
To take a crack at the market, brands like Oyama from Taiwan is also making an impact.
They became very aggressive as new models for 2012 had hit the streets.
Oyama had taken the initiative to improvise their bikes.
But still, brands like Oyama will never measure up to Dahon who has more than half a century of experience in developing and manufacturing folding bikes.

A decent effort: The Oyama Skyline

Copycat gone clean...
Having seen the Brompton copies, I must say that I was never impressed by Flamingo bikes.
Even at a fraction of what Brompton had to offer, the Flamingoes are inferior.
But one of their mid-range bike, the HS-F1 20/27 had captured my imagination.
This affordable bike has the best components one can imagine and with mechanical disk brakes, its a throw-around bike that you can rig for touring and long-distance ride.
The only flaw on this bike, is the downtube that collects water if you ride in heavy rain.
Other than a minor flaw, the Flamingo HS-F1 20/27 is s direct contender to the Dahon Speed P8 and Tern Link D8.
Pound for pound, the Flamingo bike is worth every consideration of you want an all-rounder folding bike.
A scuba diver dude in Bandar Utama Centrepoint is selling this bike, but I don't really know its actual pricing.

Flamingo HS-F1 20/27

The new guy..
KSH bicycles has added 'Java' under their folding bike range.
These 'designed in Italy', made in China bikes are selling like hot cakes.
Why? At RM1.4k a pop, its a bang for your buck.
Eager to please, the Java brand is throwing in a wide range of gear including mechanical disk brakes. So, its no surprise why the Java Fit is so hot!

The Java Fit

Now, the real winner is...
Hasa bikes were introduced by the Yong brothers of Tukang Basikal Fook Sang in Sungai Way, Petaling Jaya.
One of the brothers said he never expected his customers to ask for high-end folding bike and are willing to pay for it.
What impressed me the most, is the effort being put into the quality control which gave the HASA M-2 Minimax a fine fit and finish.
Also eager to please as a first-timer folding bike manufacturer, the HASA folks had also thrown-in some really good components.
My only displeasure on the M-2 Minimax is the handlebar stem that looks like crap.
But, the clear advantage here is the fact that you can upgrade the components.. *phew!* 
I think the HASA bikes are going to do quite well throughout 2012..

The HASA M-2 Minimax, good value for money..

Conclusion..
I doubt that the retail scene is going to be really exciting this year.
My only hope is to see some new stuff coming out of Josh Hon's team at Tern Bicycles.
With so many choices now, I think the boys at KSH Bikes and Tukang Basikal Fook Sang are going to do okay.
To maintain the lead, the guys who are selling the Dahons must put their feet down, get a feel of things and see what the customer wants.
As for Tern here in Malaysia, well, they must emphasize in pre-delivery QC to avoid another handlebar failure incident..