| Folding Bike | | | | the English. Here in America the foldies have |
| | | | mainly been stowed away in campers or brought |
| It finally happened. We had been planning for | | | | on sail boats. But their time has come. There |
| it for years and all our friends knew it | | | | is a range of high quality, easy-to-fold |
| would happen soon enough and recently it did. | | | | bikes with wide price points. (Everywhere |
| No, not the adoption of our baby boy but | | | | from $300.00 to $1,400). Today's high energy |
| instead, the avalanche of stuff that came | | | | lifestyles have been waiting for these sweet |
| with him. One of the best things about my | | | | machines. A folding bike would allow folks |
| job is that I can ride my bike to it. For the | | | | who commute by train to save that bothersome |
| past few years I have saved the bus fare (and | | | | next leg of their journey and get in a little |
| hopefully a little bit of the earth) by | | | | exercise too. You bike to the train station, |
| riding my mountain bike to work. But my | | | | fold the thing up and get on the train. |
| mountain bike is very big. New York | | | | Unfold it and bike it from the station. No |
| apartments are very small. So, now with the | | | | need to lock it up outside your office, just |
| new little guy and all his gear: the | | | | take it in. The business traveler could |
| strollers, the cribs, the toys, something had | | | | explore his or her new city, get some |
| to go. I took my big mountain bike to work | | | | exercise and not have to lug a big bulky bike |
| and gave it to one of my students (It was old | | | | around. A folding bike can easily be checked |
| and not very expensive, the bike, not the | | | | as regular piece of luggage. Campers and |
| student!) and got myself a folding bike. My | | | | boaters have long known the delight of a |
| life has been changed. Yes, yes, the new | | | | foldy. Any place where space and size is a |
| father thing has changed me, but this new | | | | concern is the place for a folding bike. A |
| bike. Wow. I feel so cool whipping it out and | | | | folding bike may not ride exactly like a full |
| dashing across the city every morning. I feel | | | | size bike. The wheels are smaller so going up |
| like a superhero. And does it whip and dash! | | | | hills means you push a little harder. The |
| Last year there was a perfect storm moment | | | | balance takes some getting used to as well. |
| here in New York for bikes. Gas prices shot | | | | But after a little practice you feel quite |
| up to crazy levels, the buzz about global | | | | comfortable, even nimble and light. Some very |
| warming started to really get some traction, | | | | tall people may have to have one custom made |
| and we had a subway and bus strike. All of a | | | | ($$$) though. The higher end models come very |
| sudden there were bikes everywhere. And as I | | | | close to replicating the ride and performance |
| said above, our apartments are small, tiny | | | | of a full-sized bike. Some fold smaller and |
| little things, it would only be a second | | | | more quickly than others. Some have only |
| before bikes followed suit. They were | | | | three gears, some come fully equipped with |
| everywhere, these cute, slightly clownish | | | | bells, lights and racks. The world of folding |
| gizmos careening around taxis and down the | | | | bikes is broad enough that bike novices or |
| paths along the Hudson. Folding bikes have | | | | hard core riders both will find what they |
| been around for years but they have been a | | | | need. |
| badge of very aggressive environmentalists or | | | | |