Ultralite Folding Bike FAQ
Following are answers to questions that come up regularly regarding the Kent Ultralite folding bikes.
Q: Are the Kent Ultralite folding bikes really light?
A: The Superlite and Ultralite folding bikes are made from an extremely light but strong magnesium/aluminum alloy and weigh from 22-25 lbs.; thus, they ARE lighter than virtually any other folder available. If you removed the fenders, kickstand and carry rack, they'd weigh around 20 lbs.
Q: Will Kent Ultralite folding bikes really fit in an airline legal suitcase?
A: I have fit Ultralites into airline legal suitcases of 28 inches, the type that are readily available at discount stores such as Big Lots, Kmart or Walmart for $50 or less (with roller wheels and slide out handles). Of course, you could buy a Samsonite Oyster but I think that's overkill.
Folded dimensions of the Kent Superlite and Ultralite folding bikes are 27"x24"x15". To reduce the 15" dimension, unbolt the front wheel, then open the QR on the handlebar stem to remove the handlebars. This will shave off 5" with only minimal effort.
To fit the bike into a smaller suitcase, remove the handlebars, both wheels and the rear carry rack, that will drop the folded dimensions to @ 22"x20"x10". I used bubble wrap and pipe insulation foam from the hardware store to protect all the components.
Q: What accessories come standard with the Kent Ultralite Folding Bikes?
A: The bikes are outfitted from the factory with rust free (plastic) fenders, an alloy carry rack, folding pedals and a kickstand. Both the handlebar and seat post have quick releases so they are height adjustable to fit the size of the rider.
Q: How are the Superlite folding bikes geared?
A:
Superlite 1 Speed:
Using 16" 35-349 rims: 38.7 gear inches
Using 16" 37-305 rims: 46.2 gear inches
Superlite 3 Speed (Shimano Nexus hub):
Using 16" 35-349 rims:
1st Gear (low spd): 33.9
2nd Gear (medium): 46.2
3rd Gear (high spd): 62.8
Using 16" 37-305 rims:
1st Gear (low spd): 28.4
2nd Gear (medium): 38.7
3rd Gear (high spd): 52.6
Q: How can I make the bike go faster?
A: The easiest upgrade is to replace the sprocket on the rear hub with a sprocket with fewer teeth, making the rear wheel turn faster for each revolution of the pedals. Bike shops readily offer sprockets with 13-16 teeth; price is around $10-15 and shops can easily handle the installation for you.
Q: What size rims are on the Superlite & Ultralite folding bikes?
A: 305mm (16" x 1.5"; 28 hole)
Q: How long is the seat post?
A: Total post length: 50cm (just shy of 20")
Recommended max length (min. insertion safety hashes to top of seat): 18"
Q: Where can I find more photos or videos of these bikes?
Superlite 1 Speed Folding Bike Photos on Mississippi River Levee
Superlite 1 Spd Folding Bike Video Riding Thru the French Quarter
Superlite 1 Spd Folding Bike Video Riding Beside the Mississippi River
Labels: bike-FAQ, Kent-Ultralite-folding-bike, Superlite-folding-bike, Ultralite-folding-bike
posted by Web @ 2:44 PM
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6 Comments:
Why is it that with the Ultralite Singlespeed the smaller wheels result in higher gear inches but with the Nexus 3-speed the smaller wheels result in lower gear inches?
I thought that was bizarre too and am having the info confirmed by Kent Bicycles.
This bike looks like a good candidate for a fixed gear conversion.
It says above "Since the crank arms on the Ultralites are 15mm[cm], an easy upgrade that will improve top speed is to go with 17mm[cm] cranks." I don't see how increasing cranklength would affect speed. But this would increase leverage and probably improve pedaling biomechanics for most adults.
OTOH, increasing size of chainring and/or rear wheel would increase speed. Can this be done easily with this bike? How many teeth are on the stock chainring? How easily could a (widely-available) 53t ring be swapped in? And if rear brake assembly is removed, could a 20in wheel fit, to replace the puny 16in wheel?
With these modifications + apparent durability of frame design + slower gearing limitations with folders in general, it seems this bike would make a perfect, as well as portable, fixed gear bike! It'd be even lighter--no need for rear brakes, shifters, or freewheel cogs. (Is the freewheel mechanism standard screw-off design? If so, a fixed cog can be screwed right onto the existing hub. What could be easier?) And fixies are cleaner since chain and single gear are less prone to accumulating grime.
Also, Thank you for posting video of this bike, showing its relative size to that of the rider, and how super quickly it folds up. I look forward to a video showing it being ridden!
It seems placement of bottom bracket aft of seat tube could create unusual riding position, but maybe angle of seat tube compensates for that. I'd need to see someone seated on it.
Longer cranks on this bike do provide better leverage by compensating somewhat for the bottom bracket placement. Yes, it does result in a different riding position; however, riders note that they forget about this. Frankly, the ride is more upright (like on a beach cruiser) so this isn't designed as a speedster anyway.
The Ultralite would be simple to convert to a fixed gear but there is insufficient clearance to change from a 48t to a 53t chainring. You could select a rear cog with 13t and you could probably go with a 20" rear wheel since there would be no brakes. Interesting concept...
Video - riding the 1 spd Ultralite through the French Quarter
I have the kent ultralite 6spd, rides great, but i could use a longer crank arm. do i have to buy special parts to do this or will any crank arm work? or do i have to get an entire crankset? thx.
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