A 26 folding bike gives you the convenience of folding it in a small and compact size within a few seconds and store or carry it on the go. If you are a cycling enthusiast and have been cycling a standard bike on a daily basis, you would love the folding bike experience as well. It’s like unfold, ride, fold and hop on buses or subways with your bike in hand.
Nonetheless, cycling has been a popular means of traveling that promotes a healthier lifestyle as well. The folding bike concept was a whole new revolution, thanks to the development of technology and those brilliant minds who came up with such an extraordinary idea.
26 Folding Bike | Top 3 Folding Bikes
Among hundreds of options available on the list, we found these two best among the 26 folding bike lot. Take your time to go through there features and choose the best out of the best.
1 | Stowabike 26” Dual Suspension 18 Speed
The Stowabike 26 Folding Bike MTB V2 comes with some high-quality components by Shimano. Its dual suspension system gives you a comfortable ride and easily absorbs the shocks on the bumpy roads. Its tough exterior is durable and flexible enough to fold. You can ride the bike anywhere you want and fit the frame wherever you desire. Despite being a mountain bike, you can easily lift it into the car’s trunk or carry it under the subways or hop on the buses.
It’s like having two in one bike. You have a 26 folding bike plus a mountain bike that doesn’t restrict your adventure to a specific terrain. It gives you the ultimate fun of a mountain bike in tight spaces as well. It comes in two version. One is the city road version, and the other is mountain road version or the off-road journeys. It features KMC Z33 chain that is ready to take you through any terrain. When folded it has dimensions 39” x 35” x 23.5” and a total weight of only 36 lbs. that isn’t much as compared to other mountain bikes in the market. There is a left shifter called the Microshift 3 Speed grip shifter and a right shifter, the Microshift 6 speed grip shifter that smoothly changes the gears. Its front derailleur is a Saigun QD-23a, and the rear derailleur is a Shimano RD-TZ50.
The bike is currently available in silver color only, but that too looks elegant on the road. The frame is made of steel, while customers said that aluminum frame could have been a better option. Its 26” wheels give a natural suspension and support to the bike on tough terrains. With 18 speed options, you can easily pedal the bike at your optimum speed and can tackle the up and downs of the terrain. The bike comes folded inside the box with an instruction manual that guides you how to assemble it. The assembly is quite easy and simple. However, it would take a few attempts until you learn how to fold the bike properly in the least time possible. Check out its price and more details on Amazon today.
2 | New 26” Folding Mountain Shimano
The New 26 Folding Bike , foldable 6 SP Speed Shimano is an ideal folding bike that is light in weight and has a compact profile when folded. Whether it be a rough terrain or a smooth road across the city, this bike is ready to give you a non-stop thrilling experience. Its large 26” wheels will help you ride smoothly over the bumpy roads and give your bike more stability. The bike is ideal for use by anyone who loves to ride. While the wheel is bulky and the area around it and that can’t be reduced in size due to the nature of the design. This seems like a drawback, but most of the users were satisfied with the overall performance of the bike.
The bike comes neatly folded inside the package. Once assembled, you can use it straight away. It hardly took me 15 seconds to fold it and put in the trunk of my car. There are adjustable saddles and handlebars, and the bike can easily accommodate riders up to 200lb in weight. The price of the bike was also kept affordable and seems to be the main point of attraction. A six-speed derailleur is added that gives you a thrilling experience. Its V-Brakes brings the bike to equilibrium with full safety. Apart from the basic features, the company ships mudguards along with the package and a kick stand as well for your convenience. This keeps your bike dry in the wet and prevents it from falling. Check out its price and more details on Amazon.
3 | Xspec 26 Speed Folding Mountain Bike
Last but not the least, the Spec 26” 21 Speed Folding Mountain Bike Bicycle Trail Commuter Shimano Black is the advanced folding bike in the industry and comes with 26” wheels that are ready to transverse a city at a thrilling speed and also maintaining the stability of the bike on off-road journeys as well. The wheels are quite large and might be difficult to carry around, thanks to the folding mechanism that makes it easily possible for you. When folded, it easily fits anywhere you want. A few users weren’t happy as they have to push it into the car’s trunk due to those large wheels, but it still fits inside easily. When folded its dimensions are 13.1” x 26.5” x 33.9” and is ideally perfect to fit anywhere you want.
The bike itself weighs 41lbs. which is pretty much heavy and you can’t carry it all day long or for much longer distances. It features 21 gears that give you the freedom of riding the bike at the desired speed you want. The gear shifter is from Shimano SL-TX30 and offers a smooth shifting. The bike hardly requires 15 seconds to fold and unfold, and its DHV-109 brakes bring it at equilibrium quickly.
Overall, this 26 folding bike is ideally perfect both for commuters and leisure seekers. Though not refined as that of most of the folding bikes still its price is a plus point, and it offers you a wide range of features and specs. Check out its price and more details on Amazon.
26 Folding Bike | Things to Consider
I have many times listed some core factors to consider when buying a 26 folding bike and always insisted on going through them before you buy one. Here are 5 of those!
1: Purpose
It is important to consider what will be your primary purpose of buying a folding bike. Will you be using it for the commute or leisure rides to the park? Will it be carried on public transport or lifted inside the car trunk? If you are looking to cover long journeys, then larger wheels, suspension, and the quick foldable bike is recommended. Similarly, if you need a bike for off road use, again large wheels and suspension will be required. Nonetheless a 26 folding bike perfectly complements both the cases.
2: Wheel Size
Although today’s discussion would be summed around 26” folding bikes, however; the size of the wheel plays a significant role in its performance. Small wheels offer lighter steering but a harder ride. On the contrary, large wheels offer a soft ride, but they might be a bit slow to fold. While the recommended wheel size must be 20” and above with the 26” being an ideal one, you can always opt for 16-18” wheels as well.
3: Folding Method
Folding bikes come in three different methods of folding.
- Break Away: This frame can transform into different shapes. The basic phenomenon is that the bike is partly folded and partly dissembled so it can be easily packed into a small suitcase.
- Triangle Hinge: These are ideal frames that fold into very small You simply flip the hinges and allow the rear wheel to swing underneath the main frame while the front wheel flips above the frame.
- Half Fold: These bikes have a hinge point at which the bike can be folded in half. The folded size is not too compact, but still, suffice to be stored easily.
4: Suspension
Having smaller wheels means a natural suspension to vibrations as compared to the larger ones. This is because they cover the smaller surface area. However, the suspension is a must have a unit on your folding bike. Whether you go for smaller wheels or larger ones. They give a great support on the bumpy terrains and offer a comfortable ride on the go.
5: Frame Size
You can find a folding bike that has a telescopic frame and some larger ones that are quite difficult to store and handle. However, you should choose the frame size as per your needs. Check out if it has an adjustable handlebar and seat so you can modify it as per your needs.
