The folding bicycle experiment

When I discovered this folding bicycle on Costco's web site, my imagination exploded with all the benefits it could deliver. Folding bikes can be taken on rush hour GO trains, so I could ride this bike from Union station to my job instead of the subway; after seven weeks, the bike would pay for itself. I work in Toronto, the bike theft capital of the world, and being able to bring a folded bike to my job would provide great peace of mind. The exercise I'd get before and after work would be beneficial to my health. This folding bike could easily be stowed in the trunk of my car, allowing me to park in low-cost or free parking areas, using the bike to complete journeys into areas of expensive parking. It suddenly occurred to me that a folding bicycle was exactly what I needed to make my life better.

I ordered the bike on a Tuesday; it arrived on my doorstep on the following Friday. My first reaction when lifting this bike out of its cardboard box was that it was heavy. I'm talking bend-at-the-knees-when-lifting kind of heavy. Costco isn't exaggerating when they say this bike weighs over 40 pounds; with the exception of the wheels and a couple of clips, this bike is made from chromed and painted heavy steel. Even the fenders and chain guard are made of tin.

When unfolded, the dimensions between the seat, pedals, and handlebars of this bike are that of a full sized adult cruiser bicycle. At 6'4” and 220 lbs., it's important for me to have a bike that's big and strong enough, and with the seat post fully extended, this bike just barely fits. It's reasonably easy to find a comfortable riding position, as the seat incorporates chromed springs and generous padding and the handle bars have an ergonomic bend. In fact, given the price of $139, this bike comes remarkably well-equipped; besides the comfort grade seat, it also comes with a full reflector package, sturdy carrier, full fenders, full chain guard, a kickstand, and even a bell. These are usually options on comparably priced and even more expensive traditional bikes that, combined, can easily cost half of the price of this bike.

In spite of its heaviness, this bike is remarkably easy and comfortable to ride. There are six gears, and they're all geared low to provide sufficient options for just about any kind of hill, making the bike weight a non-issue while riding. The shifting is indexed, and my bike needed a minor adjustment after arriving to ensure the chain meshed with the appropriate cogs, which I did myself without the use of any tools as the dérailleur is a good Shimano. The unfortunate side effect of the gearing is that this bike doesn't go very fast. This bike would have been better with a significantly larger chain ring, as first gear is ridiculously low for the 20” wheel it's driving. As for the brakes, the front brake is a cheap side pull caliper, and the rear brake is a band brake. I had never used a band brake on a bike before, but my first impression was that it seemed adequate.

The bike rides solid enough, but there is some frame flex. I don't think this has to do with the hinge, but rather due to the lack of a top tube in the frame. Overall, the flex isn't any worse than what one might find in a typical steel frame women's cruiser. The 20 inch alloy wheels appear to have come off a kid's bike, which should come as no surprise given that Mongoose does a lot of business making bikes for kids. The tires are cheap, and the soft rubber is easily punctured, but other than that they are strong enough for my weight. It occurs to me that many of the components appear to have come from kids bikes. My guess is that Mongoose incorporated components from their mass produced kids bikes to keep the price low.

Time to unfold and set up takes me around 45 seconds. Time to fold the bike back down takes me around 30 seconds. When folded, there's nothing to keep the bike together. The optimal place to hold the bike while carrying it is just above the pedal crank on the seat post, but even still the handle bars want to flop out occasionally. I recommend a bungee strap to keep it together.

I tried this bike out for two weeks for my commute. I put it in the trunk of my car and drove to the train station, where I took the train every day to Union Station then rode the bike to my job, where I folded it up and stowed it at work. I then rode that bike back to Union station, rode the train back to my home city, put it in the trunk of my car, and drove home. When riding, I felt as though I was riding an adult-sized kids bike. I was certainly quicker than walkers, but people jogging were able to keep pace with me unless I cranked the pedals fast. I quickly ran out of gears even on slight inclines. When I did this to get some good speed out of the bike, I found the brakes faded awfully quickly, to the point of being scary. Towards the middle of the second week, I noticed a new pain developing in my back; it became clear to me that lugging over 40 pounds of bike along with my backpack was taking its toll. A folding bike this heavy wasn't meant to be carried any distance.

Once the “Gee Whiz” factor wore off, I realized that a cheap $99 department store mountain bike offered a better experience than this folding bike. Such a bike could be locked up at a train station and be largely ignored by bike thieves, and I could carry the tools necessary to perform regular basic maintenance in a small bag.

There doesn't appear to be any kind of carrying case for this bicycle offered by anyone anywhere, so this offers no real advantage over a full size bike for the airline traveller. For the compact car traveller on a budget, it might be suitable; it fits in my trunk comfortably with room to spare. Not quite enough for a second identical folding bike (unless I folded down the back seat), but certainly enough for anything I'd need for a week away from home.This bike is really meant for those condominium dwelling recreational cyclists who would like to bring a bicycle with them on their annual camping trip to putter around on the groomed camp ground trails. For a minimal investment, you have something that you can stow away in a closet, ready for the one or two times a year you'd want it. No need to worry about roof racks or carriers. 

No doubt about it; this is as cheap as it gets when it comes to folding bikes, but it's pretty clear why this bike is as cheap as it is. My advice to Mongoose is this: Put a larger chain ring on this bike to give it full sized bike gearing, give it decent brakes to accommodate  and drop the weight by 10 pounds by way of aluminium or plastic components. I can tell by this bike that you build decent quality products, but the kiddie bike gearing and fading brakes were huge disappointments.  As for me, I'll be sticking to full sized bikes from now on.

Bicycle: The Perfect Frugal Machine

Bicycles are, as far as I'm concerned, the most perfect mode of transportation ever invented. They offer, quite literally, a free ride. Consider that even walking has a cost associated with it, and then consider that cycling is up to five times more efficient than walking. Many often regard bicycles as toys for children and weekend warriors, but I discovered its utility as a young adult. Not quite ready to take on the financial responsibility of a car, I spent three month's worth of bus passes on a nice bike that became a reliable principle mode of transportation for a good three years, as I said goodbye to long bus stop waits, transfers, and general slowness from multiple stops and indirect routes. The money saved went towards my first car.

Today, my car has become a necessity. I don't apologize for owning a car, but my daily drive from Oshawa to Toronto has become so congested, I actually get home half an hour earlier if I take the GO train and TTC subway. It's not exactly cheap; using my Presto card, I pay $8.39 on each GO train trip, and $2.65 on each subway trip. That's $22.08 per day, or $88.32 per week for my typical 4 day work week. By contrast, I would pay $40 a week in gas and $32 a week in parking, totalling $72 if I took the car. Of course there's insurance and maintenance, but these are the costs of owning a car which I would pay regardless of whether or not I took public transit. I used to prefer to drive in because of the cost advantage, but now the traffic has become too much. I'm paying a $16 premium because I enjoy riding the train (I've always loved trains), I enjoy not dealing with the stress of crawling along the Don Valley Parkinglot...er, I mean Parkway, and I enjoy getting home a little sooner.

Last year, I brought my road bike to Union Station and kept it locked up there so that I could ride it to my job. At this time, my schedule required me to be in Toronto 5 days a week, so the savings quickly added up; $26.50 per week, $114.83 per month. More than the savings, I also benefited from the well-being that came from the nice bit of exercise before and after work.

This solution was not without its problems. Daily riding requires regular maintenance, but I could not take my bike on the train during peak periods. This meant that, if I did not catch a train home prior to 3:30pm, I had to wait until after 6:30pm. There was always the threat of theft or vandalism. Other than that, it was a fine solution for getting through downtown Toronto.

My next experiment was with the Bixi bike bicycle sharing system. In short, I'd pay $5 for 30 minutes of use. An annual subscription is a much better deal at $97 (plus tax), but I wanted to test the system out before committing. I soon discovered some unfortunate flaws. First, the bikes have three speeds, which are slow, slower, and even slower; presumably to accommodate for the weight of this heavy duty bike. One day, I arrived to find no bixi bikes available at my station, forcing me to walk to another station further away to get a bike. Another time, I arrived at my destination station with no place to put the bike, because all the spots were full. Once again, I had to go to a more distant stop. Then there's the liability; if something happens to the bike while I'm using it, I could be on the hook for up to $1,000. On the plus side, the bikes were easy to adjust and very comfortable to ride, and represent a great alternative for someone who doesn't get much physical activity in their daily routine who only need it to make short trips and don't want to bother with bike ownership. As for me, I wanted to explore other options.

After further contemplation, I considered a basic cruiser. A single speed bicycle with a coaster brake. Without gears or cables, I reasoned that such a bike wouldn't require much in the way of maintenance, and therefore I could leave it locked up at Union Station for extended periods of time. I started by checking Craigslist and Kijiji, only to find a lot of overpriced crap and tons of child bikes. I browsed various web sites, and decided to see what Costco had to offer. That's when I stumbled upon what might be the perfect bike for me: A folding bicycle.

A folding bicycle seems to be the perfect solution. I can take it with me on the train during rush hour, and bring it with me to my job, because it folds up and becomes small. That takes care of bringing it home for maintenance during rush hour whenever I need to, as well as eliminating the threat of theft and vandalism. At $139.99 plus tax ($158.99, shipping included), I would need to ride this bike in lieu of 60 subway rides, or 30 work days, or 7.5 weeks for this bike to pay for itself. It has full fenders, so I should be able to ride it when it rains. Costco has an excellent return policy, so if it turns out to be complete crap, I can return it for a full refund. I ordered it on Tuesday, and it arrived today. I can't wait to try this experiment out!

Fences and neighbours

I bought a new house in 2011. It was a fresh, new start for me and my family to start from scratch and turn it into the home we always wanted.

When it came to a fence, we knew what we didn't want: The pressure treated lumber fence that boxes in small city lots everywhere. It effectively turns a backyard into a self-imposed prison, where enjoying the backyard feels more like being boxed in yet another room. The backyard retreat that I wanted to escape to after a hard day's work became yet another institutional area where I got to cut grass, pull weeds, and stare blankly at the repetition of pressure treated lumber all around me. All of the work with none of the benefits. This isn't how humans are supposed to live. What made matters worse was when our previous neighbours decided to use the fence as a support for a huge privacy lattice (because the fence only created the illusion of privacy), which caught the wind like a giant sail and subsequently pushed a support post over, breaking the fence. As if that wasn't enough, they expected us to pay for half of the repairs for something that was clearly 100% their fault! I had enough. We sold and moved.

I knew what I really wanted: A cedar hedge. A cedar hedge creates the illusion of being out in nature, and delivers on privacy. They're more effective at blocking out sound, and provide a home for birds. When I was a little boy, the house we lived in was separated by a beautiful cedar hedge that grew very tall. I couldn't tell if we even had neighbours from our back yard, and when we went to visit them in their backyards, each of them felt as though they had their own little homes out in the country. That's the sanctuary I want after a hard day of work.

I spoke to the neighbour behind me, and to the neighbour to the west. Both agreed that cedars would be a beautiful way to delineate the properties. The neighbour to the east had reservations, and decided it was too early for them to decide on anything at that time. I did some research into the city by-laws regarding fences, and discovered by-law 77-97. According to this by-law, a property owner may construct and maintain a division fence, and have the adjoining owner "pay fifty percent (50%) of the basic cost or fifty percent (50%) of the actual cost, whichever is the lesser." This by-law goes so far as to define "Basic cost" as the cost of constructing, reconstructing, maintaining, or repairing a four foot high steel chain link fence. This restored my faith in the city to discover that the ugly, institutional pressure treated board fences are not recognized. I like chain link. I can live with chain link. Cedars grow up nicely through chain link. My wife and I agreed that we would either go half on a cedar hedge, or go half on a chain link.

On May 26, 2013, we were celebrating my son's birthday. There was a knock at the door, and it was my neighbours to the east. He told me that he decided he was going for a pressure treated lumber fence. He advised me that the contractor was pressuring him, and he wanted to know if I wanted to get my fence done as well. I reiterated what I had told him all along; that I felt such fences were detestable, and that I would be willing to split on a four foot high chain link or cedar hedge. He explained to me his plans to have a hot tub and wanting privacy. I told him he could do whatever he wanted on his property. Then he asked me if I'd share in the cost of the fence; I advised him that I would pay for, at best, 50% of a chain link fence built on the property line.

Two days later, the contractors came to set the posts in the post holes. My son, who was sick on Friday, stayed at home and told me about excessive noise banging on the side of the house. I looked outside and saw the ugly wall of pressure treated lumber down the east side of my property. I assumed he heard the banging that's normally heard when one is building a fence. We were not happy with it, but we reasoned that we could plant something along the fence that would eventually grow to hide it, and still have our cedars on the other two sides. My wife and I agreed that we would comply with the by-law requirements; we would get an estimate for 34 feet of chain link fence as per the minimum requirement outlined in the city by-law, and would write a cheque to our neighbour for that amount.

Imagine my surprise and dismay when I ventured to the side of my house on Sunday morning to discover a pressure treated board nailed to the beautiful brickwork of my home. I was shocked. I had no agreement with this contractor; I had not even spoke to the contractor, nor had my wife or son. I made it clear to my neighbour that I wanted nothing to do with such a fence. Why is this on my house? What makes a contractor think he has the right to do this to the house of someone whom he has no agreement with?

I'm guessing this is no mistake. I believe this is a high pressure tactic by this contractor to coerce me into paying for a fence that I do not want. I don't know this for certain; I haven't spoken with my neighbour nor the contractor about this. We're not sure how to proceed at this time, but I decided to start by writing this blog post to document both my original intentions and what has transpired for the public record.

These are my thoughts at the moment: While I fully intend on complying with the requirements of by-law 77-97, there is the issue of damage caused to the brick work at the side of my house. How much will that cost to restore to its original condition? My days are busy enough, I really didn't need this to add to an already full agenda. I will keep things posted her as I proceed with this mess.

UPDATE: I spoke to my neighbour, the contractor is "Playin in the dirt." They had their sign out on the lawn of a house up the street. Following is the e-mail I sent them:

I am the property owner of (my address) in Oshawa, Ontario. According to witnesses, you or one of your employees is responsible for affixing a pressure treated board on the east side of my house using screws that penetrate into the brick work. As you may not be aware, we have no prior agreement. Therefore, I formally request you cease and desist further activity on my property and explain how you plan to restore my brickwork to its original condition.