My Bikes

I’ve never heard of foldable bikes before 2009. I guess I was a late bloomer. It took a jaunt to a mall in Malaysia, where I was living at the time, where I saw a tourist couple get off their bikes, FOLD THEM, and roll them inside the mall to experience these magical things. I chased after them and asked them about their bikes. I went home and Googled about these bikes. I found out a local bike shop selling them in Kuala Lumpur and was torn between getting a Dahon Speed P8 and a Curve D3. I dragged Kuya Ed with me to the Rodalink shop in Bangsar and ended up having to choose between a Curve D3 or a Mu P8. I eventually got the Dahon Mu P8 and the rest is history.

I had a great time with the Mu P8 but it was quite large for me. I was still obsessing about a Brompton though, and in May 2010 I went to Singapore to pick up a new Apple Green Brompton M6R.

After the Brompton purchase, I went into a dark phase of buying bikes for absolutely no reason at all. These were all random expenses that were all emotional in nature. The fact that I moved to Singapore didn’t help either, because suddenly, more bike brands were available for me to choose from.

The first in this series was a single speed Pacific CarryMe. It’s small, light and zippy, but it didn’t get as much use as my other bikes.

Then I “inherited” my friend’s white Dahon Mu P24.

After that, a buddy who sells Peerless bikes in Manila showed me this PURPLE (my favorite color!!!) Peerless Aero-I. This is basically a China domestic copy of a Dahon Curve D3 complete with a 3-speed Sturmey Archer hub. It was a steal, so I got that as well.

At this point, the entryway to our apartment was basically a barrage of bikes greeting you as you came in.

I decided to sell of the most underutilized of the bikes: the CarryMe and the Mu P24. I was then left with two bikes… and then I decided to get this…My own Tikit! An Express Tikit custom built to my size! It cost an arm, a leg, my house, and the soul of my first child, but since it rides like a dream, it was all worth it!

The most recent purchase was this tiny 14″ for use whenever I’m in Manila — a GogoBike Vigor.

I’ve owned and sold other folding bikes during this period as well, but I never used any of them.

50 thoughts on “My Bikes”

  1. Hey Diane: Enjoy the site!
    I have a post request: I’m new to Singapore and am looking to get a foldie. Where are good places to shop for one? You seem like THE person to ask!

    Reply ↓

    • Hi, thanks! What folding bike brand are you looking to get? There are many shops here that sell folding bikes. Off the top of my head there’s LifeCycle in Gemmill Lane or Upper Serangoon Road (Dahon, Flamingo, Bike Friday, Tern, Pacific Bikes, Birdy, Cannondale, Moulton), MyBikeShop in Jalan Mas Puteh with the same stuff as LifeCycle, Diginexx in Lavender Street (Brompton, Foldy, Montague, Strida), E-Walker in Ubi Avenue 3 with Pacific Bikes and Birdy bikes. They’re all on Facebook so add them! There are a number of other retailers as well but the stores I listed are the ones that concentrate on folding bikes.

      Reply ↓

    • Hi Desmond! I’m not sure if there’s a local distributor for Peerless bikes in Singapore and if there are, if they have this model. I’ve heard some people bringing bikes in from China though. Like the Dahon Curve D3 that it’s copied from, the Aero-i is also made from aluminum. Sorry, I can’t help you out more. :(

      Reply ↓

      • Thanks. I kind of hit by foldy bugs. I bought a brompton recently. I still looking for another. But I like 16inches ones, the lighter the better. Hv you heard of the Dahon EEZZ which won award for best Innovation and design this march at Taipei Cycle show. I also looking forward to this foldie. Hopefully, it can be out in the market soon.

        Reply ↓

  3. Hi, Really happy to have found this blog. I’m also on the short side (5’1.5″) and am in the process of buying a Brompton. The dealer, by default, recommended the M type but i was concerned that given my short inseam, the seat would be very, very low relative to the handle bars. So i think the straight bars make most sense. i want to be upright because i’m doing city riding but the M type seemed just far too high. Is this consistent with what you found?

    thanks in advance.
    mary

    Reply ↓

    • Hi Mary,

      Are you able to test ride the different Brompton types at your local dealership? You’ll get a better feel for the models that way.

      The difference between the M-type and the S-type aside from the handlebar is that the S-type sweeps slightly forward, stretching out your torso/reach for a more sporty/aggressive riding style. It’s not a huge difference, but you might find it too stretched out to be comfortable especially if you plan to ride upright in the city. If I were in your shoes, I would pick up the regular M-type and swap the handlebar to something else; maybe a mountain bike riser bar with a fairly low rise (1-2 inches). That way, you can still angle the handlebars a bit towards you for a more upright position.

      I did a mod to fix the handlebar for my height issues too, but I ended up using a regular straight handlebar. In future, I would like to swap it to something a little higher for comfort. :) Hope this helps and thanks for reading!

      -Diane

      Reply ↓

      • I have the Brompton M type, I’m 5’1″. I find the saddle to handlebar position very comfortable and found no need to change them. My only modification was to swap out the grips for Ergons. These give me a far more comfortable hand and wrist position. Everyone is different though, what I love might not work for someone else. Diane is so right, have fun trying out the different models!

        Reply ↓

    • Yup. I’ve seen them before. Quite a few friends of mine ride one. Really nice smooth ride, but it’s just a tad too large for me. :-( Wish I was taller to ride it properly though.

      Reply ↓

  7. According to Xootr they fit people from 5ft tall. – You might just squeek in. :)
    Most people buy the Medium frame so the Smaller spec size might work for you.

    Reply ↓

  8. hi. how do you change a foldie’s handle bar to a mtb handle bar? i am a mtb rider and i just bought a peerless fb. do you think it is a good idea to use a mtb hb? thanks

    Reply ↓

    • Hi. I’m sorry but I don’t really ride MTB’s nor do I know what your bike model is so I can’t really comment if it’s a good idea. I think as an MTB rider, you’d be in a better position to decide whether or not you want to upgrade your handlebars to something else.

      My only concerns are these: aren’t MTB handlebars usually thicker at the clamp than most folding bikes? If I’m not mistaken, a lot of MTB bars are 31.8mm while most folding bikes are around 25.4mm, but then again, that depends on what model your folding bike is.

      Also, aren’t most MTB bars very long in width? Wouldn’t that somehow affect the fold of your Peerless? If folded, the bars might drag to the floor unless you have them cut to measure.

      I guess your best bet would be to go to your LBS and have them take a look at it especially since it doesn’t seem like you’re changing it out yourself.

      Reply ↓

  9. thanks for the reply. my foldie is a peerless urban. i’ve seen some pictures of fbs with mtb hbs, i just don’t know if it’s a good idea. i definitely have to check on how it will affect the fold. thanks for the insight.

    ps- do you know of any lbs who sells fb accessories? :)

    Reply ↓

    • There are a few shops that specialize on folding bikes here in Singapore like Diginexx, MyBikeShop, E-Walker and LifeCycle but if you’re talking about accessories, you can get those at any bike shop.

      Reply ↓

  10. Hey Diane

    I am waiting to get my entry level Dahon soon. I have never travelled far in a bicycle. As I am such an amateur, do you know if it is okay for me to join the easiest cycling route with LoveCyclingSg?

    Thanks for your tips by the way. You made me fell ‘in love’ with cycling.

    TT

    Reply ↓

    • It would depend on the ride of course. Most of the time the organizers will mention if a ride is child-friendly or not. If you’re not confident in your skills yet, join those kind of rides. If it doesn’t mention that explicitly, don’t be afraid to ask. :) Don’t worry, nobody in the group gets left behind. Hope to see you soon!

      Reply ↓

  11. http://www.google.ca/imgres?num=10&hl=en&biw=1093&bih=420&tbm=isch&tbnid=akMuAErUB-wIeM:&imgrefurl=http://www.bolha.com/ostala-kolesa/kolo-kalaq-q5-zlozljivo-prodam-oglas1280728094&docid=MdJRUbiDi45SjM&imgurl=http://s4.bolha.si/3/image/112028/112496/KOLO-KALAQ-Q5-ZLOZLJIVO-prodam_4fd7b31ec543b.jpg&w=640&h=480&ei=f5GYUKPpEYGIiwKfioDQBg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=681&vpy=101&dur=12461&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=132&ty=125&sig=114627035147882634615&page=1&tbnh=135&tbnw=207&start=0&ndsp=10&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0,i:78
    Does anyone know of this brand? It looks like a Dahon or Tern copy. Seems very reasonably priced. Just coming to North America now. About $300. on Ebay

    Reply ↓

    • Unfamiliar with that brand Glen, but there are many such bikes from China and Japan. You can check ‘em out on Alibaba.com, Taobao.com or Rakuten.com

      Reply ↓

  12. Thanks for the info but I was hoping someone might know of the quality as some brands are less than Stellar even though they might look great. I am starting my plans to fly with my Swift to Manila & on to explore Guimaras Island. Should be a fun trip. The new Bike is for my faithful Filipino Guide who did an incredible job last trip.

    Reply ↓

    • Whoa! Guimaras! So jealous! Here’s to a fun time and eating all the mangos you can. :) Let me know how the terrain in Guimaras goes for your Swift. I’m thinking of a taking a trip around Panay next year with a day or two in Guimaras.

      Reply ↓

      • Hi Dianne, If you keep me posted on your itinerary for Guimaras it might be possible for us to tour around together seeing as my Tagalog is practically non-existent. (I can at least order beer :)

        Reply ↓

        • I’ll share it when it’s more concrete. At the moment, I’m in the middle of changing jobs so my trip might need to get postponed. Don’t worry about not speaking Tagalog in Guimaras! That’s not their dialect anyway, hahaha. :-) English should be fine, just use simple everyday words.

          Reply ↓

  14. I do not know how to cycle but am inspired to start…what bike would you recommend?
    I really like the idea of unfold and cycle..

    Reply ↓

    • Wow. This is a hard question. First of all, you have to decide what you plan to use the bike for. How often do you plan to use it? What kind of terrain and weather conditions will you be cycling in? Do you really need a folding bike or will a full size be ok? How small do you need it to fold? How much is your budget? :-) Try and narrow these down first, then we can recommend one that’s appropriate for you. It doesn’t make sense if you buy a bike and you end up NOT using it because it doesn’t fulfill your needs.

      Reply ↓

  15. Hi Choo Mea Nan, “What kind of Bike should I buy?” is like asking someone what kind of house should I buy. There is a dizzying choice in types & prices so I would suggest first decide what type of riding you wish to do – Just riding around the neighbourhood? Cross Country? Racing? Flying to foreign lands etc. Then I would set yourself a budget. If your high limit is $1000. then there is no point in looking at $3 or 4,000. bikes. As a general rule the lower price bikes like you find on Ebay or Amazon will be quite heavy for travelling & usually have pretty poor components. They may be fine for casual rides from home though. Higher priced bikes will be lighter, have better quality & be more durable for long distance travel. Choose the wrong bike as you are crossing the Sahara & you can see how that would not be a successful trip.

    Reply ↓

  16. Thanks so much… Appreciate if you could recommend some foldie bike shops in kuala lumpur, petaling jaya or selangor.

    Reply ↓

  18. Penang Can check at CCI Cyclon Cycle Ind, Sdn, Bhd. 216, Labuh CarnaVan 10100. Penang Tel: 60-4263 1688. The Price Tag is about S$200 cheaper than Singapore

    Reply ↓

  20. Hi…am avid reader of your blogs…especially your touring with brompton…
    I am from Malaysia and planning to get a brompton M3L from Singapore…i would like to know, is there any malaysian customs tax in check point while i am bringing to Malaysia…please reply with any details i need to consider for bringing brompton from singapore….thank you

    Reply ↓

    • Hi Philip. I was actually living/working in KL when I brought my Brompton in Singapore. I used it a bit and dirtied it, and I packed it in the same box I bought it in. I didn’t declare it. Customs asked me what it was (in the two years I’ve travelled with bikes, they’ve only done this twice) and I said it was a bicycle and they waved me through.

      Reply ↓

      • Thank you for a fast n prompt reply….you are an inspiration to get this beauty….and want to travel like you ….heheh…with my brommiiiieee….planning ask my friend who is regularly travelling from Singapore to KL by Car….to bring my brompton…Thank you…

        Reply ↓

  21. Just stumbled onto your Blog. Thanks for fun and good read! I have a question if I may? Looking at a folder for myself and trying to decide between the Brompton and a Bike Friday TIkitt. Want to use it with racks for daily runs to grocery and light touring (200 kilometers). Which do you prefer?

    Reply ↓

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