Hey, do you love riding your bike to work, but hate it when you have to hop on a train or bus at some point in your journey with your big bulky piece of metal and rubber, nocking over fellow commuters along the way?

Or, have you ever thought of taking your bike with you on your next overseas holiday…saving heaps of money on cab rides exploring a new city?  Maybe you feel like riding through the countryside, but need to get to the country side first. How do you shove a bike into a car with all your camping gear and toys for the weekend?

Riding a bike is a great form of transport, but sometimes getting your bike from point A to B can be a bit tricky. Well, some clever people from cramped, bike-lurvin’ cities like Amsterdam and London have developed the ultimate fold-up bikes making it super easy to bring some wheels with you almost anywhere.

With all the same features as a regular bike, folding bikes (usually referred to as ‘foldies’ or ‘folders’) fold in the middle to be about the size of a suitcase, so you can chuck it in the car, on the commuter train or even on a plane.

Foldies usually have quite a low stand-over height (as you may notice from the pictures) which is great if you’re a shorty or of average height, but not so great if you’ve got legs to rival Elle McPherson (ooh stop complaining already). Folding bike frames often weigh about the same, if not less, than regular bikes and their lighter wheels mean easy acceleration up hills.

Some of the cons of foldies include quicker deterioration of suspension and less power-input absorption (meaning your bike isn’t converting your leg work so well). If you’re super paranoid about these issues, it’s probably best to head to your local bike store to discuss the pros and cons of each particular folding bike.

Our top picks for bikes that easily fit into a crowded, urban lifestyle include the Brompton M3L. Brompton’s under 15 second fold time, ease of use and their small folded size make them ideal for use and storage in a crowded urban setting. Their forté is small urban hops, but they can extend themselves for longer rides if the situation demands.

The M3L sits in the middle of the range, with three gears and a more relaxed riding position than other models. Internal hub gears keep maintenance simple. The Brompton M3L also comes with an affordable price tag of £590 (About AUD 1,440).

Folding the Brompton M3L Into a Travel Case

For a great touring bike, check out Birdy.com.au offering folding bikes specifically for travel purposes, with some great handy accessories including a travel case, panniers and racks for carrying luggage.

The 24 speed Birdy Blue features an ingenious combination of an 8 speed derailleur with a German engineered 3 speed internal hub. It features a very wide gear range (see specs) making it ideal for touring and high-end recreational riding and commuting. However, this baby doesn’t come cheap, with a price tag of around £1,229 (About AUD $2,449).

For the ultimate high-end Birdy with super stylish looks, check out the Birdy Anthracite. It's perfect for the discerning cyclist who prefers a light-weight sporting bike for high-end recreational riding, long distance touring or commuting. (About AUD $2,799)

Other Folding Bikes:

Bikefriday.com/tikit

Dahon.com

www.ExplorerGirls.com / Gemma Considine

Photos: Birdy.com, Brompton