by Larry Lagarde

Weight is frequently an issue with bicycles. Bike racers want low weight to win races; folding bike owners want a lightweight folding bike for practicality. The lighter the folding bike, the easier it is to tote onto a bus, up a flight of steps or into an RV, car trunk, closet, boat, plane, office, etc.

As folding bike sales increase, so does the pressure on bike companies to position their models ahead of the competition. This has led some makers to list the weight for their bikes without components that many folding bike consumers consider important (pedals, kickstand, fenders, carry rack, etc.).

In fairness, some folding bikes were designed without a provision for certain components (don't even think about placing a carry rack on an A-bike) so an apple to apple comparison on specs is tough to do. Regardless, questions about lightweight folding bikes come up all the time. For this reason, I've assembled the following Top 5 list denoting the lightest weight folding bikes now in production. I've included a photo and some key facts about each bike.

Lightweight Folding Bikes - Top 5

1. A-Bike
Wt: 13 lbs.
Carry Capacity: 185 lbs.
# of Speeds: 1
Frame: Aluminum & plastic.
Misc: No carry rack; practical only on smooth surfaces.
Price: $340

2. CarryMe
Wt: 18 lbs.
Carry Capacity: 190 lbs.
# of Speeds: 1
Frame: Aluminum.
Misc: No fenders. Tiny carry rack. Rolls when folded.
Price: $490

3. Hasa Minimax
Wt: 19 lbs.
Carry Capacity: 250 lbs.
# of Speeds: 9
Frame: Carbon fiber & alloy.
Misc: No fenders or carry rack.
Price: $2600

4. Strida 5
Wt: 19 lbs.
Carry Capacity: 200 lbs.
# of Speeds: 1
Frame: Aluminum.
Misc: No kickstand. Folds roughly to the size of a golf bag. Rolls when folded.
Price: $800

5. Kent Superlite 1
Wt: 22 lbs.
Carry Capacity: 200 lbs.
# of Speeds: 1
Frame: Magnesium/aluminum alloy.
Misc: Carry handle built into frame.
Price: $169



Do you know of a folding bike weighing less than 23 lbs (including pedals, kickstand, fenders & carry rack)? To be sure, there are plenty of other lightweight folding bikes out there.

If you feel I missed one, speak up by clicking on the comment button below. By the way, bikes that are not yet on the market don't count but deserve honorable mention. Two I can think of include Alessandro Belli's 9 lb. thermoplastic suspension folding bike (VERY COOL; see photo at right) and the 19 lb. Strida 5 that is to be released sometime next year.

Note: Although not shown in the photo, the Kent Nexus folding bike now comes with fenders.
:-)

Labels: lightweight-folding-bike