Is a folding bike more than just a bike that folds?

by Larry Lagarde

Today, Warren McLaren introduced Treehugger.com readers worldwide to the new, French made, Amiiva folding bike with this question:

Is The AMiiVA More Than a (Folding) Bike?

Although the question made light of Amiiva billing itself as a personal mobility assistant, it struck at what excites me about folding bikes.

If you listen to the world's pundits, a calamity of unimagineable proportions is about to engulf humanity. Issues such as global climate change, declining oil production, increasing demand for petro products from consumers in emerging economies, a worldwide economic crisis as well as growing health concerns due to sedentary lifestyles and pollution are converging to violently end life as we know it.

Whether you agree with these predictions or view them as attempts to control the masses with fear, the truth is that each of us is responsible for making the most of our own lives. Individually, the decisions we make now lay the ground work for a future that is either better or worse - which brings me back to folding bikes.

Bikes that fold compactly for storage and portability are a practical, cost effective solution to many of the problems facing humanity. Even if folding bikes were used for just a portion of some trips, by incorporating cycling into your transportation mix, you can reduce stress, pollution and transportation costs while improving your fitness, overall health and outlook.

I like the Amiiva folding bike. Made with advanced, hydroforming technology and modern bike components, it's light, portable, appears to ride well and should be easy to maintain. With pricing similar to a Brompton, no brand recognition and a down economy, Amiiva may encounter resistance building market share; however, they should do well in the long run.

By the way, Philippe Poupard (creator of the AMiiVA folding bicycle) and I have been corresponding since June. Currently, Philippe is focusing on the European bike market (which is why the bike was seen recently at Eurobike, the Paris cycle show and is also being shown in London) but he does plan to offer it (eventually) in the USA and world wide.

Labels: Amiiva-folding-bike