We Rode a Folding Bike, Heres What Happened

How many ways can you fold a bike?

This is not some cycling joke or riddle but a legitimate question. According to the Verge S27h, Tern's crack at a touring bike, it folds twice—a break in the top tube and just above the head tube.

If you're a road warrior or live on the trails, you might sneer at a bike that has half-sized wheels and folds like an aluminum origami. Any normal passerby would likely do a double take—something I, unsurprisingly, experienced riding on the streets of a major city in Texas. And, yes, if you're not pedaling with a baguette under your arm on the streets of a Western European metropolis, you might feel a tinge out of place at first. However, any lack of comfort quickly dissipates once in the saddle of this tank on 20-inch wheels.

Mythbusting the Foldable Bike

Foldable bikes, and particularly the Verge S27h, have a small, niche market made up of touring cyclists and hardcore commuters who value space. While in the U.S., these bikes elicit funny looks and inevitable questions such as: "Do you have to pedal harder?" or "Isn't it cramped?" Foldable bikes fill the roads and sidewalks of continents where space is a valued commodity, namely Europe and Asia.

And to answer those inevitable questions: no and no. Foldable bikes make up for their smaller wheel size with larger cassettes. This offsets any speed reduction one would experience pedaling smaller wheels. Also, how cramped you feel on a bike depends on the frame size, not the wheel size. I felt just as erect and roomy as I would on any other commuter bike.

That being said, smaller wheels do come with certain limitations. With most foldable bikes, I wouldn't feel confident popping a curb or treading over potholes and bumpy roads. But is Tern's S27h any different?

The Frame

The Frame is, well, heavy. Yeah, you can fold it, utilizing Tern's clever and intuitive "N-fold," but you could also use it as a dumbbell once in its compact form.

Weighing in at 36.6 pounds, the hydroformed aluminum frame feels sturdy and steady. No, you do not have to worry about the bike folding in half while you cycle. The latches feel secure and the frame absorbs bumps incredibly well considering its size.

The standard Verge frame this is not. The chainstays were widened to allow for proper heel clearance when carrying panniers, which, on this bike, is a near must. In addition, Tern widened the front fork and rear triangle to accommodate its larger, all-terrain tires (more on those later).

While riding the bike, you feel like you're operating a heavy-duty piece of machinery. And, you are.

Components and Other Goodies

Lost in the duplicity of the Tern's permanent creases and small, bulky tires is the fact that this bike comes packed with great, albeit mid-range, components and unexpected goodies. For a bike that retails for less than $2,000, this is a pleasant surprise.

The SRAM dual drive 3x9 gives you incredible range. Whether you're struggling uphill or speeding on the flats, the S27h has you covered. And the SRAM X7 rear derailleur and SRAM dual drive thumb shifters were smooth and direct and caused no problems.

The bike also comes with Kinetix Supra forged aluminum cranks and chainring and a Shimano 11-32t 9-speed cassette. There's a three-speed internal gear hub on the rear wheel, on which the 9-speed cassette is attached. This gives you 27 gears without the need of a front derailleur.

The S27h's Schwalbe Big Apple 55-406 tires, while only 20 inches in diameter, are a whopping 2.2 inches wide. This width gives the bike, a feeling of stability and improved handling. No, I had no qualms about popping curbs, riding over potholes or traversing bumpy roads. To use an automobile metaphor (heretic, I know), this small bike felt like an urban 4x4 ready to handle anything my commute threw at it. Cracked pavement, gravel and even mud; like a Jeep Wrangler at home on any surface, the Tern S27h performed flawlessly.

This is not to say that you should exchange your 29er for a Verge. Quite the contrary — a short fork and no suspension cannot possibly offer the same amount of road absorption. However, for a 20-inch bike, the S27h was beyond anything I would have expected.

Concerning the goodies, to use yet another automobile metaphor, this is a Batmobile of bikes. With additional goodies coming out of its seat tube (literally) the S27h is packed with everything you could possibly need no matter what the Joker, or the road, throws your way.

The S27h comes equipped with dual racks, a full dynamo lighting system, front and rear mudguards and the aforementioned BioLogic seat-tube tire pump. In other words, all you need is to pack a pannier and set off on an epic adventure.

The Ride

Though the bike's foldability is far from a shtick and very useful, the bike's main function is just that, as a bike — something to take you from Point A to Point B without incident. After getting comfortable on 20-inch wheels and using the Verge as my main rig for a few weeks, I was very impressed with the ride. The S27h is, ironically, a very rigid bike. Despite this, the small fork and wheels took rough terrain very well.

I rode the bike a few times to my local metro station, folded the bike to its compact size and took the train. Folded, the bike fit perfectly next to my seat and bothered no other passengers. The solid ride and easy fold that takes less than 10 seconds makes this a perfect option for such commuters.

Touring cyclists, on the other hand, would be more interested in the bike's durability. Well, I can say without an ounce of hesitation that this bike is a veritable tank. If you're looking for a rig to take you cross-country, I have no doubts the Tern can get you there safely and smoothly.

The Verdict

As a commuter cyclist, I love foldable bikes. They offer a sturdy ride in a compact size that fits the needs of every urban rider. And the Verge S27h hits all the marks with steady-handed precision.

However, this Tern is technically geared toward a more specific demographic: the touring cyclist. While taking the word of a young man who merely rode the bike an hour a day for a few weeks might seem like a costly mistake for touring cyclists, it might alleviate some doubt to know that people have documented the S27h carrying passengers and panniers long distances through rough terrain.

While its cumbersome weight might be a downside to everyday commuters, the tank-like build could also be an attribute. When folded, there's no doubt, the S27h is the biggest bike I've ever seen in such a small package.