Best folding bicycles
It's hard to think of an easier green win than getting on a bicycle. But ignoring the environmental positives for a second, cycling is great, even if just for selfish reasons.
The average cyclist lives longer and is healthier. Cycling is less stressful than driving and faster in cities (as Top Gear recently demonstrated with a madcap race across London). Cycling isn't even dangerous -- despite being far less cycle-friendly than most of Europe, relatively few British cyclists are injured or killed each year, and your chance of being one of them is very low (particularly if you cycle safely).
Cycling is also great for the environment. 30-40 per cent of British car journeys are less than two miles. Each of those done on a bicycle would save 2kg of carbon emissions. Bicycles cost environmentally much less to manufacture than cars (even assuming multiple occupancy) and result in virtually no emissions once in use. And each less person in a car means less congestion and pollution. Bikes are even usable for more journeys than most people think. Panniers, backpacks or trolleys attached to the back wheel can carry your shopping, while kid seats eliminate the school run snarl-up.
With all these advantages, no wonder harassed drivers and lazy journalists often accuse cyclists of being smug. But which type of bike should you choose as your shiny new halo?
Broadly speaking, it's a choice between road, mountain, 'hybrid' and folding bicycles. Road bikes, with drop-down handlebars, are ideal for going fast but offer less comfort and control on heavily potholed or cobbled streets, or on gravelled canal banks. Mountain bikes are slower and heavier, but at entry level a great all-round option. A decent "hardtail" with front fork suspension (but no rear suspension) starts at £200.
'Hybrids', aimed at commuters, all too often don't cut it at entry level -- beware of extra weight and cheap components that look flash, yet really offer poor value. At the higher end, courier-style single-speed bikes, long-distance touring bikes and some genuine 'hybrid' crossovers of road speed and mountain toughness are worth a look at, depending on what kind of riding you will do.
The final type of bicycle, covered in this roundup, is the folder. These are ideal for suburban workers, for instance, to ride to the local station, fold their bike, get on a train, get off, unfold, and get back on the bike for a short ride at the journey's end.
The smaller the bike wheel, the less distance a folder will do happily, but in most cases the smaller the bike will fold up, the less they'll weigh when carried. In the main, folding bikes will be fine for short journeys of around five miles, but not so good beyond. And be careful of their cost -- sometimes it can work out cheaper to buy two cheap non-folding bikes and keep one locked up at each end of your train journey.
Ready to ride? Read our reviews below of the five latest folding bikes to pick the steed that's best for you, from the classic Brompton to the affordable Pinnacle and high-end Mezzo.
Brompton M3L Folding Bike
Dahon Jack 2008 Folding Bike
Mezzo d-10
Pinnacle Journey 1.0 2008
Puma Glow Rider
