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Folding Bike

In crowded urban environments, it can often be difficult to commute by bike. Leaving your bike in the street can often be an invitation to thieves and trying to manhandle your bike into your office, car or onto a crowded train can be difficult (or may even be prohibited outright). A folding bike is designed to prevent these issues by being capable of folding up into a compact shape you can carry with you on the bus or fit in the trunk of your car.

Since they are primarily designed for city use, on pavement, folding bikes usually have smaller diameter wheels than a full size bike, although they usually have a similar wheelbase (the distance between the two wheels), which results in their somewhat comical appearance. The smaller wheels result in a rougher ride, but are balanced by the increased saving in space.

If your aim is to be able to take your bike on public transport or carry it with you at your destination, then you will most likely want a folding bike that is easy to fold and unfold quickly. For users who want a more conventional bike and merely have no room to store it, there are larger models, some with full size wheels that may be impractical for commuter use but will fit in a much smaller area than a conventional bike.
The folding mechanisms also add weight as well as complexity, so a folding bike is usually not made for speed.

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