A folding bike is a great extra to take along on a caravan holiday
Low-Cost Folding Bikes
Single speed folding bikes are usually the cheapest and they are especially useful for zipping down to the village shop; or across a larger campsite like Shell Island, to pick up the paper and breakfast.
Some people even lash their aquaroll to their folding bikes - saving on legwork if the water point is a way from your pitch
For exploring the area, a folding bike with gears is preferable - many of the most scenic areas are in the rolling hills of the countryside - and that means you'll want to shift down a gear to climb the hills.
The Tiger Foldaway is our most popular fold-up bike for caravanning - coming with all the essentials like a luggage carrier and mudguards - you can fetch shopping or go for a leisurely day out.
Cheap folding bikes are great for leisure jaunts of a few miles, but almost universally their design makes them a little short and twitchy at first - although the difference between a full size bike is something that you soon get accustomed to.
Folding Bikes for Longer / Regular Riding
If you are thinking of riding further, a bike like the Claud Butler Nimbus has a riding position closer to that of a "full size" bike. handling similarly to a bike with larger wheels. With a higher specification than the basic models, these are bikes that are designed for daily riding, commuting to work as well as for leisure.
Folding Electric Bikes
Folding Electric Bikes are a luxury option - and they really make a difference. Usually fitted with a hub drive motor, folding e-bikes give power assistance up to a maximum speed of 15mph, making the journey easier. They can also be ridden without power assistance as a normal bike, so you don't need to worry about being stranded if the battery runs down; although modern battery technology gives a fair range
Folding Bikes and Trains
If you are planning to take your folding bike on a train, there are size limits to what can be carried. Most lower-cost folders do not fold up small enough to be allowed on busy trains, and have to share the same space - and rules - as a "normal" bike. Brompton and Dahon offer models with a folded size allowable as luggage on a train; but these models do come at a cost.
The choice of folding bike is based upon the length of ride and the frequency of use - for occasional "pootling" the basic models offer all that you need. For more intensive riding it is worth upgrading to a model with the specification that your needs demand.
