Bikes Within Bikes!
We were perusing the folding bike neighborhood when we came across a booth with a disparate array of magical contraptions. What set the Pacific Cycles booth apart was the sheer variety of very different folding bikes, and the fact that they not only had the smallest folder we’ve ever seen but also one of the largest bikes at the show (it seated four, two side-by-side in two spacious rows). The Turf Trike was another large bike associated with the Pacific crew, and is meant to take the place of a golf cart. With its golf bag holder and plaid theme, it’s obviously most at home on the greens, but we can envision it being used on campuses, or wherever you might want to carry around another person and a bunch of stuff with a bit of panache.
The super tiny Pacific folder (seen on the left here) apparently works because the tire pressure on the itty bitty wheels is as high as 120psi. This supposedly helps it roll quickly and smoothly. And don’t let the smallness dissuade you - we were told with confidence by Ryan Carroll, Pacific’s six-foot-something chief engineer that he can ride around on the bike just fine, thank you.We were rolling around Andrea’s Electra Xtracycle at the time, so of course the logical conclusion was to put the tiny bike in the big bike.
We admit, these bikes are not necessarily entirely practical for most people. But the newest folder, designed by Carroll, is one of the most awesome folding bikes we’ve seen. This bike, the IF MODE, won a design award a few weeks ago at Eurobike, and we can see why. By using wheelchair hubs, Carroll got the bike to fold down as flat as possible, with both 26 inch wheels pancaked into each other. He built in a handle at the top of the bike so, when folded, the bike can be grabbed and rolled to where you need to go. The basic folding process takes about one second, though, if desired, the handlebars, the seat post, and even the pedals can be further folded down to make the bike even smaller.
Carroll said he’s seen a definite increase in transportational cycling in America over the past few years. “Americans are starting to realize that cycling is a way of life and not just recreation,” he told us. “People are starting to look for something to make them feel better, and biking for exercise helps. And then they find out that they can get somewhere at the same time and…” And then the seed is planted.
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