I’ve been in San Francisco since late Thursday night, having traveled here via NYC, and Chicago. The Origami folding recumbent bike is still with me, and I’ve been able to ride it every day, wherever I am.
I started this trip in New Jersey visiting family, and took two nice rides in rural NJ. I was having issues with the chain coming off from time to time, which was frustrating, but I rode as much as I could anyway. (I’ve since figured out the chain issue, or at least enough to deal with it.) The bike itself has been a joy to ride, it has 20″ wheels and no suspension, but I had really fat tyres installed (Schwalbe Big Apple) which soak up most bumps. The Pinion gearbox has worked well, though there is one gear change that is sticky. I assume it will smooth out over time.
Riding in rural New Jersey
The bike fold is not as straightforward as with a Brompton, but I did not expect it to be. It takes some getting used to, but it does create a really compact package, and the ‘carry’ bag that is fitted to the bike is great for bringing the bike into hotels without causing any fuss.
I already posted a picture of the bike in Times Square in a previous post. I went down there early in the morning pretty much just to take that shot, and the other two days in NYC I rode around Central Park. The lane that runs around the park is terrific for cycling. The first day my chain issues continued, but after adjusting the chain tensioner, and shortening the chain, the second day the chain stayed in place and I had the best ride yet.
Origami in Central Park
The lane around Central Park early in the morning
From NYC I went on to Chicago, which I’ll cover in a further post. Two gps traces below, the first from my rural NJ ride, the second from NYC.