Toronto A-Biking in the Snow and Ice

[greenbiker]

Been riding my A-Bike around town for the past month and it's been great. We had significant snowfall in early March and found the A-Bike able to handle the slush OK. Due to its short wheel base and light weight, I could navigate around the black ice and the snow banks with more agility than my old Raliegh. I've got the folding down to less then 10 seconds and the bike fits perfectly behind my office door.

Toronto would be a good North American distributor for the A-Bike. The amount of interest I get each day is amazing. I feel almost like a street busker riding around, folding and unfolding the bike.

Anyone else from Toronto, enjoying their A-Bike.

John

[Mucklegipe]

Been riding my A-Bike around town for the past month and it's been great. We had significant snowfall in early March and found the A-Bike able to handle the slush OK. Due to its short wheel base and light weight, I could navigate around the black ice and the snow banks with more agility than my old Raliegh. I've got the folding down to less then 10 seconds and the bike fits perfectly behind my office door.

Toronto would be a good North American distributor for the A-Bike. The amount of interest I get each day is amazing. I feel almost like a street busker riding around, folding and unfolding the bike.

Anyone else from Toronto, enjoying their A-Bike.

John

Interesting, I would have thought the small wheels to be skittish on slush and ice. As winter is rapidly approaching here in Scotland it may be interesting to see how my experiences compare. (However my bike alas is an A-Bicycle with solid tyres fitted).

Mucklegipe.

[lozisung]

Interesting, I would have thought the small wheels to be skittish on slush and ice. As winter is rapidly approaching here in Scotland it may be interesting to see how my experiences compare. (However my bike alas is an A-Bicycle with solid tyres fitted).

Mucklegipe.

Hiya Muckle,

I have to say, after only a few days with my genuine A-Bike, I am quite pleased with my purchase. The pneumatic tyres on the original does absorb some of the shocks and bumps when riding and this places less stress on components.

As a precaution I also put some hose clips on the main down tube and the seat post tube.

I was also very interested to hear that riding in snow/mush/icy streets should not be too much of a problem, as I was very wary that I might be a-toppling over first sign of rain, hence was looking for treaded pneumatic tyres.

Incidentally, I bought my genuine A-Bike off eBay secondhand for £110 and it is like new.

[Mucklegipe]

Interesting, I would have thought the small wheels to be skittish on slush and ice. As winter is rapidly approaching here in Scotland it may be interesting to see how my experiences compare. (However my bike alas is an A-Bicycle with solid tyres fitted).

Mucklegipe.

Hiya Muckle,

I have to say, after only a few days with my genuine A-Bike, I am quite pleased with my purchase. The pneumatic tyres on the original does absorb some of the shocks and bumps when riding and this places less stress on components.

As a precaution I also put some hose clips on the main down tube and the seat post tube.

I was also very interested to hear that riding in snow/mush/icy streets should not be too much of a problem, as I was very wary that I might be a-toppling over first sign of rain, hence was looking for treaded pneumatic tyres.

Incidentally, I bought my genuine A-Bike off eBay secondhand for £110 and it is like new.

Hello lozisung,
I managed to try out my A-Bicycle today, and as predicted with the solid tyres it was very bumpy, in fact I have had my first bit fall off! The button top is now lost some where on the road off the central strut, this does not effect the function of the button and I can still fold the bike as it still releases both sides. It has exposed the spring that makes the actual button pop up.

One other fault is that the right hand peddle crank was scraping on the gear box cover and has marked the lower part of the round reflector, I have adjusted this and it seems a lot better.

Some pleasant surprises though,
[1] the bike did not fall apart despite the vibration caused by some of the rougher parts of the road, I expected the frame to suffer, the gear box housing is said to be weak on this type of bike,
[2] the seat is for me comfortable, I went only about a mile but even so.
[3] Just how steep the hills have to be before I had to get off and push, baring in mind my left leg is weaker than the right due to a motorcycle accident over 20 years ago, and this is the first time I have managed to use a bike in the same time.
[4] How quickly you go from wobbling all over the place to staying on a chosen line.
I am however bidding on a genuine A-Bike on eBay, and I have been told I should see a difference like chalk and cheese.

Mucklegipe.