If I had a son and this son would be in middle school now and write on the net various shit, you would probably come across a paste (such a text copied everywhere): My old man is a fanatic fishing Decathlon. Half of the apartment occupied B'TWINami, the worst. On average, once a month someone falls in a lamp or a pump lying on the ground and needs to be pulled out in a hospital (...) *. Because yes, if there is post-seasonal promotion somewhere in Decathlon, I am there. Recently I bought, for example, 10 pairs of pink running socks and I go everywhere - also to work. I do not like anything, but what I'll do if the couple was for PLN 2.5. My inner onion is stronger. Half of these things are never left unused, the other half is at least as good as letterhead. And no one gives me anything that I write. * the text obviously refers to this paste.
We've recently picked up folding bikes - we've always dreamed of them. I get to work through a pass or a Dutch, Panda is a Dutchman or Veturil. So I wrote to Decathlon, would they not lend us, and then I'll scribble if they're cool or not. Or I will not scrape. It turned out that there are two to take: one ordinary and one electric one. Both of them have already gone through life, but it's even better. Instead of new-pampered, we get what they actually become after some time. The game includes: Tilt 940, model from 2 years ago. Now, not only is this model improved, it is not yet available, but it is hanging at a price of PLN 2399. Hoptown 500 - electric folding. If something is called Hoptown and it is meant to be used for driving around the city, it can not be bad after all! Price: 3299 PLN.
What is a bicycle?
A seemingly simple question, and subconsciously everyone has always known the answer. Just as you knew the answer to the question of who is a boy and who is a girl. The 21st century, however, introduces some confusion and a man can not be sure anymore. Hard times have come. Is an electrician a bicycle? I do not know, you can say whatever you want, I'm not interested. When I go to work, I want to get to it in the most pleasant way possible, and when I come back from it - as soon as possible. I have to say it, the electric drive Hoptown was the most enjoyable ride to work I have ever experienced. I would even say that I woke up excited about the idea that I would drive him. I will say straight, going against the wind and overtaking almost anything, including MAMILs on expensive roads, I felt more or less like this:
Bah! I felt exactly like that! I of course understand those who think that if you do not get tired, going on a bike does not count. Such an approach in the style of: "if I am not stuck on a stretcher, it means I did not get tired". However, every day at 7.40 and 16.03 I set off on a short journey whose main purpose is to move from one point to another. Not training, not protecting the environment, not connecting with nature, and simply running as quickly and conveniently as possible. All those who think that I am not right, who despise the view of me, generating some 40W and driving 25km / h, I refer to the video above.
Bicycle complex
Driving an electrician, you feel like an old guy in a 19-year-old Porsche. People look at you, laugh, and point your finger, but does it worry you? If you were worried, you can always buy Fabia and be ordinary. Or 5 Fabias.
By including Strava when I am driving an electrician, I feel exactly the same way as firing a triathlon watch in an artificial river by the pool.
It's a bit of a cheat, of course, but if you're not just going after COMES, it's the same deception as going a shorter route instead of the one that everyone goes. The engine is legally limited to around 25km / h, with a slight pedaling Strava shows me that I am reaching 30km / h. 3 speed modes, the lightest is not helping, the strongest does not matter how he pedals, and so it goes fast. The 250W engine does its job! The manual says about the range of 15km in the strongest mode, 25km in energy-saving, but I get at least a few more - maybe I screw my legs too much.
How much is 250W? I will say this: if you started a 250W motor on such Cyclodyn or other Roundabout, you would probably shave it on a solo regardless of its form.
How do you drive it? Like Satan. 20 inch wheels and our paths and curbs is such a small hardcover. If you are standing in front of a pedestrian crossing and want to ride 15cm, and you just forgot that the power is on, you have a good chance that you will land under the tram. If you like pedaling in corners, you will live in the style of YOLO. In terms of road speeds, it's like entering every turn 40km / h. When I go on the second one, and behind me Panda on the electrician, I quite often hear "Maciooooo, I'm dead!" And after a while "I'm still alive!". This bike is great. Seriously. I have not sat on something so nice for a long time, but ....
Everything before but apparently it does not matter
I do not want to review these bikes. Tilt 940 has already been replaced with a newer version and I have very many suspicions why. Hoptown is a very specific bicycle.
If you have read the entry about our visit to Berlin, you probably know that there is no better way for us than visiting a city on a city bike. Does it still make sense in the era of ubiquitous veturillo-like inventions (city bike rental system)? In my opinion, yes, although a bit smaller, because: it is always better to ride your own than someone's - sweaty, unregulated, potentially spoiled, with the need to return to the station every 20 or 60 minutes. And you always have it at hand. Instead of the test, we have compiled a set of features on the basis of these two models that the ideal bicycle should have.
Folding
In the film, the bikes are made up in a second, and then they can be driven without stress by holding the saddle. Either it's a fairy tale, or we're resistant, and a month is not enough to control it. It takes us a dozen seconds to fold the bike, but running it afterwards, or even moving with it, is hard work. It is a bit like running a wheelbarrow in which water is poured. Maybe if there were additional latches protecting against opening while pushing ... The mere fact of folding is nice. The bike is located in the trunk of a small car (with us, however, it is easier to fit 5 traditional roads than 2 roads + 2 squares). It is easier to go with him to some means of transport, to work in the office / hotel, keep at home, drive the elevator, etc. Ficzer cool, but it will be useful to a few.
Weight
Wheels and construction
20 "wheels remind us why children ride bicycles more slowly. These wheels do not run into curbs, they do not run through holes, they do not hold speed, but ... Thanks to their unusual construction, they are probably the most maneuverable machines in the city. You can turn and turn around practically in place. You can ask why, because I did not know until we got to the sidewalks in the center and the main touristy square in the city. Instead of every moment to unbuckle the shoe from the pedals, prop up your foot and get upset, our sitting position remains unchanged. Maneuverability is the best thing in these bikes.
Electricity
Whether electric drive in a bike is needed is a dubious matter. One thing is certain: there are days when you wake up and your legs are wooden. Because the day before was the race, because you forgot to finish your training and extended, because you went with your friends on it was supposed to be light and it went out as always. If the same legs are to bring you on Monday morning, at an ungodly time, to work - it may not work. You're moving like a condemned man. The engine here helps, because you continue to ride your bike, but you are approaching the destination with reasonable speed, and the wind and hills are not afraid of you.
As long as you treat the bike as a means of transport - the engines are great, but ... The legal speed limit is supposedly 25km / h. As I dope, Strava tells me about 30km / h - it's a bit too much for such a bike. Especially that everyone likes to ride fast. Very high maneuverability + very small wheels + high speed + path or sidewalk = potential misfortune. Of course, scaring it a bit too much, but I would feel threatened by seeing people on electric bunkers. Because you know - if you do not have to pedal, it is easier for example with one hand to write a text message.
Gearshift - automatic and quantity
Ostrokołowcy will laugh at me now. While moving around a flat Warsaw on the crossroads, I can do it without moving the derailleur (unless it blows), then the squadrons are governed by their own laws. Here, I sometimes want to slow down from 17km / h to 14km / h, and then the change of gear becomes indispensable. Assuming that sooner or later we find a place that is slightly undulating, 4 ratios seem to be a reasonable minimum. Hoptown 500 has 6, that's quite enough for everything. Tilt in the edition that we have, the possibilities give only two and it automatically changed. This is the worst rent in the world. I do not know how it was supposed to work, but in most moments it works exactly the way it should. Ask Panda how he approaches the Devil Hill in Berlin, waving from the band to the band with a cadence of 35. Ask me how this mountain is being approached on the electrician (se, se, se, se). Gears must be changed in the hub because:
Belt in the drive
A belt drive instead of a chain is the most beautiful thing ever. Not only that, more durable, much less emergency, it's still clean. This eliminates the need to roll up pants while riding and resets the chance of appearing on the shin beater mark. The lack of a classic rear derailleur also means that we will not break it in transport. And you can change the gears in place. Tilt has belt drive, I love him.
Seatpost, steering wheel
Unfolding and folding a bike has one major disadvantage. You have to remember the height of the saddle and the steering wheel (if it's adjustable, and it's cool) - this is useful for graduation, but in the end you can stick a limiter with adhesive tape. There is, however, a more serious problem, a king for whoever puts the saddle and steering wheel in the horizontal plane the first time. It's probably a fart, but the seatpost with the gutter or the round is perfect. They save extra seconds spent on thinking, whether I'm sure I'm sitting perfectly ... navigating forward.
Leg
I do not want to comment on this point. The foot is cool. If I am an adult, and the future will be in the future, I will put a carbon foot on the road ...
lights
Hoptown powers the lamp from the battery. Tilt with dynamo. Such solutions have two advantages: you do not have to worry that the lamp will not work because of the lack of a battery and no one can smell them under the store.
Price
Here the problem is the largest. City bike is a bike on the one hand, a little to ciorania, on the other the most vulnerable to theft, and the third a little representative. Because if you are a Serious President, then it's more elegant Brompton than a rugged highway.
On the one hand, one would like a bicycle that is very light, modern and stylish, on the other hand one that is not a shame to leave under a shop, cafe or museum. Sure, this Brompton would probably be 2x better (and 3x more expensive) than B'Twin, but if we were leaving two bicycles 6k pinned to the street lamp, I would have some anxiety. So called the Golden mean, it is probably somewhere else.
Summarizing:
The old Tilt 940 is a super bike, but two derailleurs (edit for fussing: gears) running automatically, they are so scared that it overshadows any pros this machine. Someone probably noticed, because the new version is already 7, manually controlled. The second aspect is weight, but in this price range, we will not find a lighter solution.
Hoptown is a bike for people who will ride it ;-) Overcoming even a few stairs with it is no mean feat. Bringing him to the first floor of the hotel's stairwell required a break in the middle of the distance. But you know, I work as a computer scientist ... I do not remember, however, when I last smiled to myself, moving by bicycle. Daily. Even going to work.
And most importantly: would I buy a folding or an electric folding?
Yes, but :) I still prefer to commute to work with a pass than a regular composer. I prefer to explore foreign cities with a regular folding pad rather than an electric one (those few kilos really make a difference when worn). I prefer to commute to work by an electrician rather than a power transmission. So as usual: there is not one, the best choice and the bike you need to have a lot. And now something funny:
It turns out that you can race on squares. There are even special competitions. As people say on Facebook - in Asia, thanks to its handy size, it is an extremely popular means of transport. There are people who drive them on long trekking trips, ultra routes and other strange things. If you are looking for a folding inspiration, here is one of the many stores on which you can buy sports with lemondką, trekkingowe with panniers or tandems! (Wh000t ?!): https://www.bikefriday.com/folding-bikes/
or instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/bromptonbicycle/
https://www.instagram.com/dahonbikes/
https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/birdybike/
https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/foldingbikes/
https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/idfolding/
https://www.instagram.com/bromptoncalifornia/
and so on…
PS Hoptowna spoiled after two weeks of use. First of all, it was an old test book, so I suspect that she was behind her moments of glory. Secondly: knowing the complaint policy in Decatholno, we would probably get a new one without asking. In general - defective products from Decathlon are cool, because they can be exchanged indefinitely and still have new ones. That's what I say, man-onion.
You would be a pioneer in folding bike racing.
But we really need to check whether someone hasn't organised races on the good old Wigry?
oh no. Folding bike races are already taking place, both in the mountains and in city criteriums ;-)