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New folder 'soon' from Canadian recumbent maker
Maxarya's suspended folding bike 'under development'...
Toronto-based Maxarya already make a nice-looking medium-wheelbase recumbent, available in two specifications as the RAY-1 and RAY-1X:
Now, they're apparently well advanced with development of a new folding bike, which according to them "comes with a unique folding system, which works in seconds. It has features of a full size bicycle and will be very lightweight (about 21-22 pounds)". The machine is apparently a lot closer to finished than the CAD rendering on their website would suggest, although no release date is fixed yet...
There is a page on their site about it:
http://www.maxarya.com/phpcode/fold.php
but details there are fairly minimal as I write this. They hope to send better pictures shortly.
Posted on 12 March 2004
Your comments ...| From: Crispin ([email protected]) on 12 March 2004 |
What's a "uinque folding system" ?
Crispin |
| From: antony (at pedalcars dot info) on 12 March 2004 |
"Unique folding system":
It's either a system of folding that's never been done before (hmm...), or marketing speak for "different coloured bushes".
Maybe. |
| From: Seamus ([email protected]) on 12 March 2004 |
"Our stylish concept folding bike with some unique features will bring fun to you life; from daily use on the streets to family rides on camping site roads..."
Family rides on camping site roads? Bit ambitious eh?
The two recumbents look a lot prettier than the Cannondale wotsit though not as nice as the HPVelotechnik Spirit or the Zitro Jaguar.
No-one's yet filled the market gap left by the demise of BikeE. Perhaps these guys'll do it. |
| From: Peter Eland ([email protected]) on 12 March 2004 |
| In case anyone's wondering what the first comment is on about, I've since fixed that typo... |
| From: John Turvey (...) on 13 March 2004 |
| Looks to me like it folds by lifting the saddle and the wheels swing inwards - just like on my mark 1 Airframe of 1986 - I gave up riding it as it tended to fold while I was riding it - I believe the mark 2 Airframe has been redesigned to eliminate this "interesting" feature. |
| From: Span Tally ([email protected]) on 15 March 2004 |
| I believe the Mk 2 Airframe makes up for its lack of spontaneous folding ability by instead breaking, frequently and with vigour. As Phil Wray will probably attest. This may be due to the fact that it appears to be made largely from cheese. |
| From: Seamus (dogpoo) on 15 March 2004 |
| Think it was the Swift folder, seen in Encycleopedia, where the seat post comes out, rear triangle folds under with the seat post holding the whole thing together |
| From: Tom ([email protected]) on 15 March 2004 |
| Having just been loaned an airframe by the VERY NICE PEOPLE at Silkmead Tubular, I have to say it's not as 'wibbly wobbly' as certain reviews would have you suggest. get the fold wrong and you have to take various bits off with a spanner though, which can be embarrassing if you have an audience. Or you don't have a spanner. |
| From: Seamus (etc) on 15 March 2004 |
http://www.swiftfolder.com/
"The quick fold is fast. Step 1, flip the releases and lift the seat. Step 2, lift the bike up to fold. Step 3, push the seat post all the way down. This secures the bike in the folded position. It's a snap."
I look forward to having a go on that Airframe at the CoC Bike Culture Week in Pocklington then we'll see how wibbly-wobbly it really is. |
| From: John Turvey (...) on 15 March 2004 |
Well, when I said 'fold' I shoud really have said 'disintergrate/collapse' - the first time, the two aluminium plates that formed the hinge in the seat tube snapped, and the second time the bottom bracket shell disintergrated - in both cases the bike collapsed under me - luckily each time I was going fairly slow when it happened so esacaped with only minor scratchs.
After the second repair I used it a few times, but, being now more cautious, observed what was happening when I pedalled - when pedalling hard, the whole bottom bracket would swing from side to side - quite alarming really - so I stopped riding it. |
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