Recommandation on Folding bike

[fitty]

Hi,

I am thinking of buying a folding bike to travel from station to home. It would be around 4-5 km. Mostly are uphills. So, I prefer have 7 speed at least.

My budget is around $400 or less. Which brand and model do you recommended ?

I did some Google search and there are some models but not sure if they are good.

1) Cell Sidewalk 2013 Folding bike - around $300-$399. (13kg with rack, i guess may be around 12kg without rack)
http://www.this link is broken/Cell-Side-W ... -City-Bike" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

2) Gaint ExpressWay 2 (2013) - Big brand but much more expensive. Not sure about the weight ?

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-au/bik ... 016/57462/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

3) Hasa F1 ($399 + $35 delivery) - 9 speed Sora, 11.5 kg without rack.
http://www.cyclingdeal.com.au/buy/hasa- ... 9-speed/F1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

which one is better in term of value and reliable ?

Is Cell folding bike good ? anyone try it before ? It is the best price but not sure about the quality. I am not sure if I keep up the commuting long. So, don't want to spend too much on the top class of folding bike.

Thank you !

[WestcoastPete]

I don't know much about any of those, but the Cell doesn't look too bad.

The best value for money in my opinion are Dahons or Terns (Tern is a new company, operated by one of the Dahon founders). They're generally good quality, reliable and rideable bikes that hold value reasonably well, but of course they cost a bit more.

There's the old balancing act to consider; "I might not like cycling so I don't want to spend too much on a bike, but if I buy a bad bike I won't like cycling."

[coops]

Also, folding bikes make more sense if you're riding both ends of your train trip. If you're only riding on the home-station side then make sure you check whether your station has bike lockers or bike racks as these can be a better option than lugging a folder on a train . (I commuted via train and brompton folder for about 5 years)