If you’re a beginner rider and are considering buying a bike, one of the first things you will consider is its weight. The bike weight will directly influence your cycling speed or the ability to climb up hills. The same is true when you are looking at folding bikes. What’s the average weight of a folding bike?
The average weight of folding bikes is 26 pounds. Smaller 16-inch single-speed models can weigh as little as 15 pounds and a 24 or 26-inch or full-size one can weigh as much as 40 pounds.
In today’s article, we take you through the factors that affect folding bikes’ weight, how it compares to full-size bikes, and some of the lightest and not-so-light models. Ready to learn? Let’s get started!
What’s the Average Weight of Full-size Bikes?
First, it’s good to know that there is really no standard weight for any type of bike, especially because of the various designs available and accessories the different models come with. However, there is an average weight for bike models.
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For instance, the average road bike weighs around 18 pounds, the beach cruisers around 35-40 pounds, the mountain and recumbent around 21-29 pounds, and the kids’ bikes (5-7 years) around 24 pounds.
Remember, the bike’s weight is also determined by the components used in its construction. Later on, we’ll see more in detail what components make a bike heavier.
Are Folding Bikes Heavier than Full-size Bikes?
Generally speaking, folding bikes are heavier than full-size bikes, despite their smaller size.
The folding bike’s average weight is around 28 pounds which is heavier compared to the average weight of a bike of the same size.
The fact that folding bikes are heavier than full-size bikes is mainly due to the folding mechanism, which adds more weight to the frame.
Folding mechanism: folding bikes have a folding mechanism. They have to be sturdy enough to handle long-term everyday wear and tear when folded and unfolded and all the shocks and impacts of the ride.
That said, several other components can contribute to the folding bikes’ weight:
Tire: the tire size of the bike also contributes a great deal to its overall weight. Most wheels are between 16-24 inches. Bikes with 16-inch tires weigh around 24 pounds on average, while 20-inch tire bikes weigh around 28 pounds.
Gears: A multi-speed model usually weighs around 2-4 pounds more than a single-speed bike of the same model due to the extra components gearing requires.
Accessories: Accessories, like rack, kickstands, and fenders also add some weight. Some folding bikes are much lighter than other models, which can be due to the lack of accessories the bike comes with.
Having a rack or a fender is not a must, but if you know you will need them anyways it is worth taking that into consideration.
Folding Bikes Ease of Carrying and Storage
Although the average weight of folding bikes is slightly larger than full-size non-foldable bikes they are still easier to store. Keep an eye on how compact it can fold, to fit it in your car trunk or under your office desk.
If you are looking for something that is really easy to store and carry, look for 16-inch folding bikes (and some 20-inch ones too), they are lightweight, you can fold them and carry them around in your hands easily or if you don’t want to, some of them can roll while folded.
Bromptons, the gold standard of folding bikes, fold so small that you can fit them in normal size luggage and actually all the models manufactured are under 28 pounds.
Lightest Folding Bikes
Brompton T and P Line
Brompton is one of the biggest names in folding bikes, and for good reason. Their bikes aren’t cheap, but they take advantage of a unique folding mechanism that allows them to fold up smaller and deliver a smoother ride on mid-sized 16″ wheels.
The T Line is Brompton’s brand new ultra-light titanium offering. It’s still a Brompton at heart, but it’s made from space-age metal and has some engineering quirks that help shave weight and compensate for titanium’s relative bendiness.
Weighing 17.5 pounds (7.95kg) with mudguards and a 4-speed gearing system, it’s one of the lightest bikes around, period. It folds to 25″ by 23″ by 10″.
The downside here is the price and availability. If you can find a T Line for sale, it’s likely to be the price of a used car. That can be a big if.
P Line is a fair bit heavier than the T Line at 21 lbs (9.45 kg), but it’s still 1.5 lbs (0.7kg) lighter than a standard all-steel Brompton. It’s got many of the same design innovations as the T Line.
Like the T Line above, the P Line is quite new. It’s not quite as expensive, but you may still have trouble finding one for the first few weeks of 2022.
Tern Verge X11 Folding Bike
This folding bike is light, weighing only 22.5 lb. It’s sleek, with a good performance go with the looks. The bike is extremely easy to fold, both up and down, a process that takes less than 10 seconds!
Despite its lightweight, this foldable bike is incredibly sturdy, comes with 11 gears to tackle hills, and features robust Shimano Deore hydraulic disc brakes for the smoothest light-speed ride.
The manufacturers of this foldable bike use 451 wheels, T-Tuned geometry, and hyper-wide 1x drivetrains to achieve its lightweight. It also features carbon Fibre cranks.
Some not so light Folding Bikes
Dahon Espresso D24 Folding Bike
This 34 lbs. folding bike is not only stylish but also comes featuring bigger wheels to accommodate tall (5’1″-6’5″ ) and big cyclists of up to 242.5 lbs.
Its frame is sturdy giving it durability, and the Flatpak design on its handlebar makes the unfolding and folding easy without needing any tools. The bike is quickly foldable using your hands, to achieve a flat design, making storage easy.
Its full-Size Urban Frame and Rebar Technologies 26-inch wheel contribute to its weight.
Flatbike Change Bike 611 Rugged Foldable Bike
This 26.4 lbs bike is the best definition of a good combination road and mountain bike.
It can comfortably take you through most terrains and surfaces. To fold it, you first need to remove its front wheel using the quick-release skewer.
But you still won’t achieve a flat design, making it a little cumbersome to carry around, especially when using public transport. However, it can comfortably fit into a sedan’s trunk.
The aluminum frame and the 26-inch wheels contribute to its weight.
