Minivelo & Brompton: A Folding Bike Lifestyle Guide

Cycling · Published 12/28/2022 ·

Technically, “minivelo” seems to refer to any bike with wheels 20 inches or smaller.

People call the Brompton a minivelo too, so I’ll just go with “minivelo” here for convenience.

The biggest advantage of a folding bike is, above all else, that it folds.

And folding means you can extend your range pretty much infinitely.

In fact, plenty of people bring them along on overseas trips by air.

Beyond the car trunk, you can link up with public transit — express buses, the subway, city buses — and honestly there’s nowhere you can’t go.

The distance we’ll actually consider walking is usually under 2 kilometers. But on a bike — even the most sluggish one out there —

knocking out 20 kilometers is no big deal. And in total comfort, too.

Riding to the subway station goes without saying.

Sometimes I fold it up and take the subway.

Obvious, I know, but — it’s a bike, right? So you can enter cycling events too.

On holidays you can even bring it on board without folding it! Just stick to the front and rear cars.

Getting from Seoul to Ilsan by bike is downright easy now,

and it’s becoming a natural part of my daily routine, exercise and all.

And I’m happy to report I confirmed you can take it into Starbucks.

I rolled in with my MacBook Air riding along, but you can get in with just the Brompton too.

In some ways it is a little cumbersome.

Carrying the bike around, riding it, folding and unfolding it over and over.

Everyone who first buys a Brompton goes through the same thing.

Whoa — this is way heavier than I expected? And folding it is a hassle, and people keep staring…

Some folks even come up and strike up a conversation…

But once you get past that initial hump, it really does become a bike that’s woven into your everyday life.

Sometimes you’ll get caught in the rain on a ride, but so what — rain’s no big deal. Just wrap your electronics up loosely in a plastic bag so they don’t get wet,

and for the rest, just tough it out and ride.

Ride it for a while and the belly starts to shrink and the weight starts to come off.

If you used to burn 2,000 kcal a day, hitting 3,000-plus becomes all too easy.

In other words, you get healthier.

Wear your helmet, and here’s hoping 2023 brings you a fun new year of minivelo living.

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