This page used to list all non-electric folding bikes. Keeping the list up-to-date became increasingly difficult, as brands exploded, and prices fluctuated wildly, both on and off the web. In May 2017, we decided reluctantly to drop the ‘Under £500’ table altogether and replace it with a ‘wish list’ to help you make your own judgement.
UK Folding Bike Under £500
Wish List:
Weight Under 12kg
Frame: Alloy
Gears: 3-spd Hub
Wheel size: 20-inch
Equipment: Rear rack, mudguards
Price
A higher price is a very poor guide to quality, so look for the best spec at the cheap end before reluctantly opting to pay more. It is still feasible to get a decent bike for less than £200
Weight
Obviously go for the lightest bike you can find, but treat all manufacturers figures with caution. Very few distributors bother checking such things, so the quoted figure will usually be something jotted down on the back of an envelope by the Chinese manufacturer. Tipping point for weight is 12kg – anything genuinely under this weight is OK in this price range, while anything over will be hard for most people to carry far. Alloy frames are usually lighter than steel, but not always! A well designed steel bike will weigh less than a poorly designed alloy one.
Wheel Size
With the better quality, pricier bikes, 16-inch wheels are quite acceptable, but at this cheap end, go for 20-inch. Cheap smaller wheelers with slow tyres, poor geometry and excess weight need all the help they can get, and all things being equal, 20-inch tyres will roll better than 16-inch
Gears
The vast majority of these bikes are fitted with very cheap derailleur gears. These have a limited life, and cannot usually be repaired. As a rough guide, the more gears, the better the quality, so 6 is poor and 9 is good (with a front shifter, 18 gears is poor and 27 is good), but there are exceptions.
If you can’t afford a hub gear, a single speed can be very good for shorter journeys, and there’s less weight and nothing to go wrong. For more serious use, go for hub gears if you can find them.
Hub gears are a little heavier than derailleurs, but they last forever, need virtually no maintenance, and can be regeared to suit your personal preference. A 3-speed hub is much better than a cheap 6-speed derailleur, and if you can find a 5- or 7-speed hub in this price range (unlikely), you are in folder nirvana
Suspension
Really, seriously, don’t think about it with a cheap bike. Cheap suspension won’t work well, and it will add a great deal of weight that you will have to lug around. You’ll regret it forever
Equipment
All equipment adds weight, but makes the machine much more practical. A rear rack is a must, as are mudguards. Lights are lovely, but very rare on cheaper bikes
Branding
In the internet age, branding has ceased to have much meaning. At this cheaper end of the market, most bikes come from Vietnam or China, where countless brands are churned out in the same factory using the same crummy components. It makes sense to go with a High Street brand if you can, because you’ll get some back-up when it goes wrong, but don’t seriously expect the hip young dudes at Halfords to know any more about folding bikes than the kindly till-assistant at Tescos, so the actual brand doesn’t really matter
Recent deletions: Mezzo (all models), Bike Friday (all models)
UK Folding Bike Over £500
| Manufacturer & Model (1) |
PRICE(3) | Wheels | Gears | Gear(3) | Frame & Weight | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strida LT | Circa £500 | 16″ | 1 | – | Alum 10kg | Only seems to be available from Velorution of London or online from European shops. Strida MAS Edition review |
| Tern Link D7i | £500 | 20″ | 7 | Hub | Alum 14kg | Big discount from retail price |
| Montague X50 MTB | £522 | 26″ | 3×6 | Der | Alum 15kg | – |
| Bickerton Junction 1707 Country |
£529 | 20″ | 7 | Der | Alum 12kg | Badge-engineered Tern with derailleur |
| Bickerton Junction 1707 City |
£529 | 20″ | 7 | Hub | Alum 14kg | Badge-engineered Tern with 7-speed Nexus hub |
| Montagu Urban | £540 | 28″ | 7 | Der | Alum 12kg | Halfords Price |
| Ridgeback Attaché | £540 | 20″ | 7 | Hub | Alum 12kg | – |
| Giant Halfway 2 |
£549 | 20″ | 7 | Der | Alum 13kg | Now quite an expensive bike |
| Dahon Mu Uno | £560 | 20″ | 1 | – | Alum 10kg | Very light, single speed and coaster brake |
| Dahon Speed P8 Fire | £513 | 20″ | 8 | Der | Alum 12kg | Available at Fudges only in-store |
| Giant Halfway 2 City |
£599 | 20″ | 7 | Der | Alum 13kg | – |
| Dahon Curve D3 | £599 | 16″ | 3 | Hub | Alum 12kg | – |
| Strida SX | £599 | 18″ | 1 | – | Alum 10kg | Only seems to be available from Velorution of London or online from European shops. |
| Bickerton Docklands 1824 Country |
£579 | 26″ | 3×8 | Der | Alum 14kg | Badge-engineered Tern |
| Tern Verge P9 | £635 | 20″ | 9 | Der | Alum 11kg | – |
| Xootr Swift | £749 | 16″ | 8 | Der | Alum 11kg | – |
| Dahon Visc P18 | £720 | 20″ | 9 | Der | Alum 12kg | Neos derailleur |
| Montagu Paratrooper MTB | £720 | 26″ | 3×8 | Der | Alum 13kg | – |
| Di Blasi R22 | £736 | 20″ | 7 | Der | Steel 13kg | Heavy, but quite a practical folder |
| Dahon Mu P27 | £740 | 20″ | 3×9 | Hub/Der | Alum 13kg | – |
| Tern Eclipse P18 | £765 | 20″ | 2×9 | Der | Alum 13kg | – |
| Brompton M1E | £770 | 16″ | 1 | – | Steel 10kg | Cheapest Brompton variant |
| Montague Swissbike X50 | £800 | 26″ | 3×6 | Der | Alum 15kg | – |
| Di Blasi R22S | £836 | 20″ | 7 | Der | Stainless 13kg | Marine version of Italian folding bike |
| Montague Paratrooper Pro MTB | £882 | 26″ | 3×9 | Der | Alum 13kg | Halfords Price |
| Brompton M3L | £895 | 16″ | 3 | Hub | Steel 12kg | Representative price of popular variant |
| Brompton S2L | £895 | 16″ | 2 | Der | Steel 11kg | Representative price of popular variant |
| Strida Evo | £899 | 18″ | 3 | Hub | Alum 13kg | Only seems to be available from Velorution of London or online from European shops. |
| Birdy World Sport | £999 | 18″ | 8 | Der | Alum 12kg | Entry level Birdy |
| Riese & Müller Frog | £999 | 16″ | 8 | Hub | Alum 12kg | End of line discount |
| Dahon Speed Pro TT | £950 | 20″ | 3×7 | D + H | Alum 12kg | BIG end of line discount |
| Pashley Moulton TSR2 | £995 | 20″ | 2 | Hub | Steel 13kg | Separable frame |
| Airnimal Joey Sport | £1149 | 24″ | 8 | Der | Steel 11kg | Entry-level Airnimal |
| Tern Verge X10 | £1150 | 20″ | 10 | Der | Alum 10kg | More realistically priced |
| Montague Swissbike X70 | £1200 | 26″ | 3 x 10 | Der | Alum 12kg | – |
| Pacific IF Reach White | £1200 | 20″ | 18 | Der | Alum 12kg | Fudges seem to be the only dealer |
| Birdy World Comfort | £1289 | 18″ | 7 | Hub | Alum ?kg | NEW in 2014 |
| Tern Verge S11i | £1280 | 20″ | 11 | Der | Alum 12kg | Big discount |
| Airnimal Joey Explore | £1299 | 24″ | 27 | Der | Steel 13kg | 507mm rims allow chunkier tyres. Explore Drop £200 extra |
| Birdy Light | £1379 | 18″ | 8 | Der | Alum 11kg | New in 2014 and a popular model |
| Airnimal Joey Commute | £1399 | 24″ | 8 | Der | Steel 14kg | 507mm rims allow chunkier tyres |
| Brompton S2L-X | £1465 | 16″ | 2 | Der | Steel/Titanium 10kg | Representative price of popular variant. Modest price increase |
| Brompton M3L-X | £1465 | 16″ | 3 | Hub | Steel/Titanium 11kg | Representative price of popular variant. Modest price increase |
| Birdy City Premium | £1499 | 18″ | 8 | Hub | Alum 12kg | |
| Di Blasi R32 TRICYCLE | £1540 | 20″ | 5 | Der | Steel 22kg | Heavy, and undergeared, but wow, what a folder! |
| Brompton P6R-X | £1585 | 16″ | 6 | Hub/Der | Steel/Titanium 12kg | Representative price of popular variant. Modest price increase |
| Birdy Touring | £1549 | 18″ | 8 | Der | Alum 12kg | – |
| Crosshead SF1A Sport | £1800 | 20″ | 10 | Der | Alum 14kg | Interesting new British compact sports folder |
| Birdy Speed | £1889 | 18″ | 9 | Der | Alum 10kg | – |
| Airnimal White Rhino | £1899 | 24″ | 8 | Der | Steel 14kg | Big price increase |
| Pacific IF Mode | £1900 | 26″ | 2 | Geared Crank | Alum | Innovative folder from Pacific, fitted with Schlumpf SpeedDrive |
| Crosshead AF1A or TF1A | £1950 | 20″ | 10 | Der | Alum 13kg | All-Terrain and Touring versions of this new British folder |
| Airnimal Chameleon Performance Sport | £1999 | 24″ | 2×10 | Der | Steel 10kg | – |
| Birdy Speed Disc | £2149 | 18″ | 9 | Der | Alum 10kg | – |
| Airnimal Road Rhino | £2199 | 20″ | 3×9 | Der | Steel 12kg | – |
| Airnimal Chameleon Ultra | £2349 | 24″ | 20 | Der | Steel 10kg | – |
| Airnimal Joey Explore Elite | £2499 | 24″ | 14 | Hub | Steel | 14spd Rohloff hub version. 507mm rims allow chunkier tyres. |
| Crosshead Race RF1A | £2700 | 20″ | 20 | Der | Alum 13kg | Prospective Race version of new British folder |
| Birdy Rohloff | £2739 | 18″ | 14 | Hub | Alum 12kg | Top end Birdy – very expensive |
| Birdy Rohloff Disc | £2999 | 18″ | 14 | Hub | Alum 12kg | Absurdly expensive |
| Airnimal Chameleon Ultima | £3349 | 24″ | 20 | Der | Steel 9kg | Big Price Increase |
| Airnimal Black Rhino | £3199 | 24″ | 14 | Hub | Steel 14kg | Rohloff 14spd hub model |
Folding Bike Manufacturers or UK dealers/distributors
The comments relate to our own experience of users in the aqua paradise ca, with manufacturers or local UK distributors where one exists. As a general rule, a company that supplies a good product will be open and helpful with the press, and give good service and back-up. The others are something of an unknown quantity, but if you think we’ve been unfair, do let us know…
Airnimal
Completely uncommunicative
Airnimal Designs Ltd, 61 Mulberry Close, CAMBRIDGE CB4 2AS (difficult to discover this!)
01954 782020
e-mail not given
Ammaco
Has never contacted us
01268 762616 (unable to verify this)
global.star@btinternet.com (unable to verify this)
Argos
Never responds to emails
Larger Argos stores
AS Bikes
Only contacted us once, when they were starting out
Coppice Close, Leamington Road, Ryton on Dunsmore, COVENTRY CV8 3FL
024 7630 3228
contact@asbikes.co.uk
Bicycles4U
Has now been in touch
Kaitek Trading Ltd, c/o Sterling Power Products, Unit 8 Wassage Way, Hampton Lovett Industrial Estate, DROITWICH WR9 0NX
01905 778751
info@bicycles4u.com
Birdy, Frog
Always friendly and helpful
Riese und Müller GmbH, Haasstraße 6, 64293 DARMSTADT, Germany
+49 6151 366860
team@r-m.de
Brompton
Dramatic growth has removed all the human contact… inevitable
Brompton Bicycle Ltd, Kew Bridge DC, Lionel Road South, BRENTFORD, Middlesex TW8 9QR
020 8232 8484
info@brompton.co.uk
Buy Buy
CLOSED DOWN
Classic/Kentex
Helpful, but rather grudgingly so
Moore Large & Co Ltd, Grampian Buildings, Sinfin Lane, DERBY, DE24 9GL
01332 274200
sales@moorelarge.co.uk
Claude Butler
No online sales facility
Claude Butler Ltd, Bridge Street, BRIGG, North Lincs DN20 8PB
01652 656000
Crosshead
New British folding bikes and very helpful indeed
Unit 12-14 (AMC unit), Minters Industrial Estate, Southwall Road, DEAL, Kent CT14 9PZ
01304 366033
info@crosshead.co.uk
Dahon – see Raleigh, below
Dahon (Spares & Advice)
Direct sales division of Cyclemotion, run by the ever-charming Mark Bickerton
World Wheels is licensed by Dahon Global through Cyclemotion as the official UK and EU Internet Reseller.
E-commerce and pre-delivery inspection for World Wheels are handled by:
CH White & Son, (Dept WW), 51 High Street, Malmesbury, Wiltshire SN16 9AG, United Kingdom
01233 731234
sales@world-wheels.co.uk
Dawes
Badge-engineered Dahon models
35 Tameside Drive, Castle Bromwich, BIRMINGHAM B35 7AG
0121 748 8050
info@dawescycles.com
Decathlon
New to folding bikes, but interesting machines
Canada Water Retail Park, Surrey Quays Road, London SE16
020 7394 2000
Di Blasi
Helpful, but rather grudgingly so
Concept Edge Power Ltd, 12 Field Heath Road, HILLINGDON, Middlesex UB8 3NF
01895 850455
info@conceptedge.co.uk
Fisher
Fisher Outdoor Leisure, 8 Brick Knoll Park, Ashley Road, ST ALBANS AL1 5UG
tel: Fill in webform and ask to be telephoned back
email: Webform
Folding Bikes 4U
Appeared like a mushroom overnight, and seems to have gone just as rapidly
Giant
Much too big and faceless to be helpful
Giant UK Ltd, Charnwood Edge, Syston Road, COSSINGTON, Leics, LE7 4UZ
tel: 0844 245 9030
info@giant-bicycles.co.uk
Halfords
Fairly well known
Larger Halfords stores
Land Rover
Badge-engineered Dahon models
2×2 Worldwide, Unit 6, Hall End Business Park, Dordon, TAMWORTH, Staffs B78 1SX
01827 331099
mail webform: http://www.2x2worldwide.com/Contact2X2.html
Mission Cycles
Always friendly and helpful
Mission Cycles & Components, Unit 3, The Alders, Seven Mile Lane, Mereworth, MAIDSTONE, Kent M18 5JG
01622 815678
info@missioncycles.co.uk
Mobiky
Information from French export manager
UK: Cyclecentric Ltd, 7 Spring Lane, Bottisham, CAMBRIDGE CB25 9BL
01954 789284
info@my-mobiky.co.uk
Montague/Swissbike
Some confusion over who the ‘official’ distributor is
2X2 Worldwide, 27 Wellsbourne Road, WELLSBOURNE, Warwickshire CV35 9JB
01827 331099
sales@montaguefoldingbike.co.uk
Moulton
Cool, but efficient; their website is one of the most uninformative encountered
Alex Moulton Bicycles, Holt Road, BRADFORD-ON-AVON, Wiltshire BA15 1AH
01225 865895
office@alexmoulton.co.uk
Pacific
Seems to have exclusive UK distribution
Fudges, 564-566 Harrow Road, Paddington, LONDON W9 3QH
0208 969 5991
Pashley Moulton TSR
Totally uncommunicative in our experience
Pashley Cycles, Masons Road, Stratford-upon-Avon CV37 6NL
01789 292263
hello@pashley.co.uk
Raleigh
Probably doesn’t know A to B exists – Also an agent for Dahon
Raleigh UK Ltd, Church Street, Eastwood, NOTTINGHAM NG16 3HT
01773 532600
Ridgeback
Primarily badge-engineered Dahon models
Madison Cycles PLC, Burnell House, 8 Stanmore Hill, STANMORE, Middlesex HA7 3BQ
020 8385 3385
customercare@madison.co.uk
Seasure
Sea Sure Ltd, Clock Tower Works, Shore Road, Warsash, Hampshire SO31 9GQ
01489 885 401
sales@sea-sure.co.uk
Sinclair A-Bike
Gone quiet since we tested the A-bike
Mayhem UK Ltd, The Perfume Factory, 140 Wales Farm Road, LONDON W3 6UG
0870 766 8498
sales@a-bike.co.uk
Strida
Bike Republic has taken on the excellent Velorution store
Bike Republic, 91-93 Great Portland Street, Marylebone, London W1W 7NX
0207 148 5572
velorution@bikerepublic.com
Tern
New breakaway Dahon brand
F W Evans Cycles Ltd, Camino Park, James Watt Way, CRAWLEY, West Sussex RH10 9TZ
01580 755633
mark.bickerton@ternbicycles.com (shows as such on website)
Universal Cycles
Probably doesn’t know A to B exists
Festival Leisure Park, BASILDON, Essex SS14 3WB
01268 247007
info@universalcycles.plc.uk
