Folding bikes, which take up significantly less space than regular bicycles, can be moved quite easily via other modes of transport, such as trains, airplanes, cars or subways, or be held in a person's hand. This type of bicycle is relatively easy to take into buildings, up stairs or in an elevator. Since the 1960s, folding bikes have been a popular transport and leisure option in the United States and globally.
History
Folding bikes were designed during the World War II or earlier and were intended for military use. Collapsible and folding bicycles were designed for use by military parachutists. In the postwar years, interest in folding bicycles was displaced by popular interest in automobiles and motorbikes, but in the 1960s and 1970s the American public became very interested in folding bikes. These bikes were used for a range of leisure and commuting purposes and could be stowed in a car trunk.
Folding Tandems
A tandem bike is built for two riders; tandem cyclists who travel with their bike may appreciate a folding version. Although most commercially available tandem bikes are nonfolding, folding tandems are available in models that fit into a case similar to a large suitcase. If you fly with your tandem bike, a folding bike can save you a great deal in airline excess fees. As of February 2011, bike fees may be as much as $100 per flight sector.
Types
During the 1960s, nonfolding bikes with small wheels began to be mass-produced. The Raleigh Moulton was a small-wheel bike of the 1960s, which inspired the development of the folding bike. By the 1970s, many manufacturers in Western Europe and the United States were offering folding bikes. The Raleigh Twenty Stowaway was a popular folding bike produced from 1971 until the 1980s. In the U.S. market, European manufacturers Peugeot, Astra, Motobecane, Astra, Bianchi and others sold folding bikes; cheap Eastern European folding bikes known as "U-frames" were also sold at service stations and via mail order.
Contemporary Developments
As of February 2011, there are more than 100 folding bike manufacturers worldwide. Some popular brands include the Brompton folding bike, introduced in 1981, and the Dahon, which first appeared in 1982. Worldwide, Dahon folding bikes have an estimated 60 percent market share. Folding bicycles are used by individuals who wish to cycle one way and bring the bike home in the back of a car, or by those who wish to fold up a bicycle and take it into a home, office or apartment rather than leaving it chained on the street.
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