Folding Bike

One of the strangest geeks I’ve met while traveling blew past me on a folded bike shortly after getting off a train. I caught up with him an hour later at the local youth hostel where he was bragging that he had beat us all there with his trusty bike and landed himself the best bed in the place. Yes, we all hated they guy.

Traveling with a folding bike is not the most convenient way to travel, but it sure can come in handy at times–whether you are a geek or not.

One of the very best designs on the market, according to a review in Wired Magazine, is the Brompton M6L. This British contraption folds up to just 10 x 24 x 32-inches in less than half a minute and weighs only 25 pounds. Fortunately, an additional pair of tiny luggage wheels makes it easy to drag the contraption around when transporting it in its folded state.

I like the concept, and the engineering is very cool, but I still don’t think I’m willing to part with the $1000 to call one my own–even if it means I’m not the first one at the hostel.