Cycling around Cornwall on folding bikes!

[editor]

My Dahon Jetstream bike - check out the suspension!

We've just come back from a fabulous five days in Cornwall, where we got to give our new Dahon folding bikes a good test drive.

We covered 80-odd miles, crawling up the fearsome Cornish hills and then hurtling down the super-steep valleys around St Ives.

Our journeys included a ride from St Ives to the village of Zennor, followed by a very wet trip over the moors to Marazion and then onwards to Penzance.

Our biggest ride was a 35 mile trip from St Ives to Godrevy Point and then on to Porthreath and back - knackering but great fun.

On the way home I managed to notch up a hair-raising top speed of 41 mph - the way the bike started to wobble furiously suggests that'll remain my top speed for some time!

The bikes performed brilliantly though. I can't recommend them enough, and being able to fold them up and simply shove then between the seats of a train is a blast!

Photos to follow soon!

Eme's bike to the left.

 

[discplayer]

You seem really pleased with how your bike performed. I'm down there with an old mtb next week - I wouldn't have thought to take a folding for that type of trip.

Did you find your bike, which looks to have a good number of gears, dealt well with the hills? Did you try any off road routes, like the Portreath to south coast track?

 

[treefrog]

sounds fantastic- weird looking bike though, didn't think you got suspension on folding bikes!

 

[Donna Ferentes]

Our journeys included a ride from St Ives to the village of Zennor

I did the cliff walk from one to the other some years ago. It was on this cliff walk that I remembered I suffered from vertigo....

 

[editor]

The folding bikes coped admirably well, although some of the hills were so incredibly steep that it was a case of "get off and push" on some occasions!

I don't think the bikes would have coped too well going off road though - some of the coast paths are very rocky and I suspect would have proved too much - even for my suspension.

Moreover, it would have taken far, far longer to get about if we'd tried to cycle along the coast path (which isn't really set up for cycling - the rocky route from St Ives to Zennor would be a nightmare on any bike).

But the B roads are really good roads to ride anyway - the route from St Erth to Penzance was delightfully rural and free from traffic.

But don't get me started on the fucking stupid 4x4 wankers we saw on other journeys...

 

[cyberfairy]

how were you still able to post?

 

[editor]

how were you still able to post?

By pure chance, there was an open wi-fi connection right next to the room where we were staying!

 

[editor]

sounds fantastic- weird looking bike though, didn't think you got suspension on folding bikes!

The bikes became a major conversation starter where we went - people were intrigued by the bikes and we had loads of long chats with folks of all ages which was nice.

We'd occasionally get weirdo bike bloke lurkers, who'd go right up to the bikes and examine them - silently - for ages in great detail without uttering a word to us.

Most odd.

 

[tobyjug]

We'd occasionally get weirdo bike bloke lurkers, who'd go right up to the bikes and examine them - silently - for ages in great detail without uttering a word to us.

Most odd.

I wished I had people keep quiet in similar situations wherever I go with one of our motorcycles and sidecars. I am getting to the stage of charging for talking to me.

 

[Paulie Tandoori]

We'd occasionally get weirdo bike bloke lurkers, who'd go right up to the bikes and examine them - silently - for ages in great detail without uttering a word to us.

Most odd.

That doesn't sound like weirdo bike bloke lurkers to me, I think you must have met my dad and his wierd Cornish drinking mates checking things out, just to make sure there ain't no potential benders or tinkers hiding out in the frames, cain't be too careful these days boys, what with all they them there terrorists and travellers around.....

glad to hear that you enjoyed yourself, cool bikes

 

[madzone]

Did you use the cycle path between Carbis Bay and Lelant? And the cycle path between Longrock and Penzance? I remember having a convo on here about cycle paths and people not believing that our cycle paths are so good.

I did wonder if I'd see you both tootling about but I think I'd have remembered it if I did

 

[tommers]

nice one. we did a cornwall cycling holiday a while back and some of those hills are mad steep.

I wouldn't have thought a folding bike would cope, but it obviously does!

 

[discplayer]

The bikes became a major conversation starter where we went - people were intrigued by the bikes and we had loads of long chats with folks of all ages which was nice.

Was it your folding bikes (your one with suspension does look good) or just that folders are rare in thoes parts?

I know I see them a lot on trains and in London but can't think of the last time I met one on a country lane.

 

[chieftain]

camel trail?

those bikes look great

 

[tobyjug]

Was it your folding bikes (your one with suspension does look good) or just that folders are rare in thoes parts?
.

Lot of bikes and bike riders in West Cornwall, but the only people I have seen riding folding bike are myself and my wife.
We have two folding bikes out in Brittany at my wifes mobile home, and they get a lot of attention there.

 

[Major Tom]

We'd occasionally get weirdo bike bloke lurkers, who'd go right up to the bikes and examine them - silently - for ages in great detail without uttering a word to us.

Most odd.

well, you were in cornwall - what do you expect?

 

[discplayer]

Lot of bikes and bike riders in West Cornwall, but the only people I have seen riding folding bike are myself and my wife.
We have two folding bikes out in Brittany at my wifes mobile home, and they get a lot of attention there.

I'm borrowing a Brompton next month. Will examine its effect on people in the lanes and villages of Norfolk.

 

[zenie]

Ed where did you get the bikes?

I love Emes red one

Were they as comfortable to ride as a MTB?

Ha looks like you had fun

 

[Floh]

Please let me know the model of your Dahon folding bike.

i'm definitely in the market for a folding bike small and lightweight enough to take on the U-Bahn.

sounds like a bril hol.

 

[editor]

Please let me know the model of your Dahon folding bike.

i'm definitely in the market for a folding bike small and lightweight enough to take on the U-Bahn.

sounds like a bril hol.

My bike is a Dahon Jetstream P8 (2004 model) and Eme's is a Dahon Vitesse D7 2005.

I got my bike from these folks - it was heavily discounted because it was last year's model: http://www.electricbikesdirect.co.uk/productlist.asp?category=5
The after sales so far has been excellent.

Eme bought hers from Evans.

Both bikes are comfortable to ride. - no different to an ordinary bike to be honest (unless you're going over very bumpy ground, of course).

This bike looks amazing - a proper mountain bike that folds!
(shame about the one grand price tag!)

 

[Floh]

My bike is a Dahon Jetstream P8 (2004 model) and Eme's is a Dahon Vitesse D7 2005.

I got my bike from these folks - it was heavily discounted because it was last year's model: http://www.electricbikesdirect.co.uk/productlist.asp?category=5
The after sales so far has been excellent.

Eme bought hers from Evans.

Both bikes are comfortable to ride. - no different to an ordinary bike to be honest (unless you're going over very bumpy ground, of course).

This bike looks amazing - a proper mountain bike that folds!
(shame about the one grand price tag!)

Thank you.

Nice!

and expensive.

but surely worth it, of course!

i know what you mean about price-tags. i've seen one incredibly lightweight for $1,500 something.

i didn't even bother to try to search for it in euros . . .

 

[eme]

[Was it your folding bikes (your one with suspension does look good) ]

it was his.... it was only me and a little girl that prefered mine!

editor reckon's it's cos it looks like it's painted with nail varnish....