Does The Dahon MU Range of Folding Bikes Tickle Your Fancy?

What tribe do you belong to? Deciding on buying a folding bike is more than just design and price. Different brands are appealing to different riders. The Dahon tribe is the largest, The Brompton tribe the elitist, Birdy are the newer and younger tribe. The brand and the community are a big factor when selecting a folding bike.

In today's world, it seems image is everything, and selecting the right brand and bike does say something about is owner. When selecting a bike, go with a brand and image that you feel comfortable with. It used to be that the choice of folding bike was the Brompton, but times have changed and there are now other brands and bikes that have a strong appeal. The Dahon Mu range as well as the newer Birdy folding bikes are giving Brompton a good run.

Brompton bikes are all about quality and they refuse to mass produce their bikes in fear that the quality will be compromised. They have however in recent years introduced different styles and varying colours to appeal to a larger demographic. Today, 35-40% of Brompton customers are woman and there seems to be an increase in younger buyers.

There will always be a debate as to which bike will take the top folding bike honours. To tell you the truth there is no single bike that wins hands down. Every folding bike has different features and benefits that will appeal to different people. Choosing a folding bike that is best suited to you involves asking the right questions. What is the best folding bike? Is not the question you want to be asking. Rather you want the answers to the following questions?

Decide what you will be using your folding bike for. For what purpose do you need a folding bike? Do you need a bike so you can transport it on a train and store under your desk at work? Do you need a bike to fold small and pack on your boat? Are you looking to ride in the country or to cycle in the city?

Size: Does the bike need to fold into certain dimensions? If you are keeping the bike under your desk at work or in a cupboard you need to check the fold size of the bike. Similarly if you are going to keep it on your boat then you need to consider the fold size as well as a cover.

Depending on what you are using your bike for, you will want to consider the comfort element. Ladies tend to go for the more comfortable ride, but you will want to weigh up choosing comfort over, size and weight. Normally the bigger wheels provide a more enjoyable ride but they do not fold as small.

Budget: Once you have considered all the above factors the last factor to consider is your budget. What bike meets all your needs and fits into your budget. You can however get that budget to stretch a little further if you take part in the government's bike to work scheme. Check it out before you make your final purchase.

Once you have an idea of what type of bike you need and how much you can spend to get your hands on one, the next question is which brand to choose?

Currently, Dahon is the market leader in folding bikes and offers a huge range of models in all sorts of shapes, sizes and colours and with varying price points. The Dahon Mu range of bikes would be a good place to start. Some bike stores like Evans Cycles will allow you test drive the folding bikes before you make a purchase which is fantastic as this allows you to really get a feel for the bike.

The Brompton range of bikes is also highly recommended should you budget allow. Their choice of bike is less varied than Dahon but the Brompton bikes are excellent quality and well worth the investment.

The Birdy range of folding bikes is certainly becoming more popular, so be sure to check out their range of bikes too. There continues to be more and more ranges and brands of folding bikes entering the market, so just be sure to do your research before buying and make sure you are getting the right bike for you. Lastly be sure that your bike is backed by a good guarantee in case something goes wrong.