got 720 just before christmas, been waiting for one for ages, they sent me email twice to let me know that's back in stock, missed first lot by minutes i think and snapped on the second offer. Nice little bike, clever folding design, and it sitting nicely here in the office corner now. Rubber belt instead of chain tho. Spoke to one of Decathlon managers before i got this one, and he told me that its such high demand for these as soon as they appear on the system they are gone in minutes. this is a mk2 of 720, as they had some issues with folding mechanism for the mk1, which has now been sorted out, i hope :smiley: i still haven mastered a quick fold as per video, but i am getting there. will upload photo later on.

Cold! Not a Brompton, BMW, iPhone..... only joking.

For the money, that looks pretty good. Shame the pedals don't fold too.

Cold! Not a Brompton, BMW, iPhone..... only joking.

13.2kg, isn't that about 3kg heavier than you'd expect for this type of bike?

*edit* not an expert, heck I'm looking at getting a city bike or cargo trike for the daily commute, something comfy that can carry a coat/laptop/change of clothes/maybe shopping

The interesting one was their B'Twin Tilt:
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/tilt-720-folding-bike-white-blue-id_8366184.html
£350 but it seems it's NLA. Not that light at 13.75 (Bromthons are 9.8KG to 11.5KG according to https://brompton.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/203296361-How-much-do-Bromptons-weigh-) and that's with only guards no carrier, but it does unfold very quickly. They claim 1 second like this advert from Decathlon Belgium:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdVetM-IVhA
Think I saw or read something from one of the design team about them being very proud of the wheels being able to freely move when folded so you can drag it along like a suitcase; none of those tiny wheels Bromthon put on their carries required.
Wonder why it seems to have been discontinued? Maybe some issue with the bike or with the supply.

Not sure this is good value. Components look to be very low end and basic, reviews aren't that positive and its not like it has a lightweight aluminium frame or anything. Everything looks entry level at best. You should not buy bikes on dealer reputation but on product quality itself. If this was being sold in Asda it would probably get down voted straight away but because its Decathlon it gets up votes.

Even with no gears or fitted accessories it's still quite heavy and you will be walking up hills or moving your legs like some sort of demented epileptic on flat ground.

Also that bit that houses the front light looks hideous.

If you are going to be using this for regular commuting you need gears.

I've not voted either way but I personally wouldn't buy this product. Maybe at £69 but not £129.

The recent offer of a Dunlop folding bike at Sports Direct that was £85 plus £5 postage absolutely massacres this bike on spec and lower weight too thanks to its aluminium frame plus much cheaper. Ok that offer isn't available now but this just seems like the correct price or higher for a gear-less heavy steel folding bike without mudguards or rear rack.

Also if you look at £179 version with 6 gears they have cropped the images to prevent you seeing clearly that it has a low quality generic chinese derailleur rather than a Shimano model which even the cheapest competitors have.

These seems like the worse possible quality bikes than even Toys R Us would turn their nose up at. No doubt Decathlon defenders will come in and protest but these look like junk quality if they won't even fit an entry level Shimano derailleur.

I shop at Decathlon regularly and this bike has been £129 around six months and probably that price since release so not particularly a bargain price.

I personally did not buy this model and bought the Hoptown 320 which is like the 300 but has six gears. I rode it for around 50 miles, changed the pedals and seat (you sit upright so a comfortable saddle dramatically improves ride comfort), decided it was not for me, and then sold it. Basic reasons why:
Fold is awful and not well designed
Still large when folded
Very heavy at 14.3kg, size and weight I really struggled to get it though doors and on busses. When I did get it on a bus, a girl in the disabled bay saw I was struggling so badly and offered her position in the disabled bay. That's how unwieldy it is!
Unreliable shifting of gears. I'm no indexing expert but I couldn't get it to work well. Manageable, but not well.

Good things are that it is robust, rides well and it's a Decathlon bike, which in my opinion is a good thing as you get their support when the bike fails. I had a bent seat post, went to Halfords, Evans and they couldn't help or said we can order you a Tern seatpost for £40. Decathlon said they can order a replacement for £5.50.

Overall, it is an average bike and I would consider around the minimum entry level for a folding bike. Any cheaper and it will probably fall apart.

As for folding pedals, Decathlon sell replacements for £10. Personally, I don't see the point. They can click under pressure which I found extremely annoying, and would simply install normal pedals.

If you do want to consider a Brompton there is a 24 hour hire scheme which I am considering to do just to see what the hype is about.

I liked the look of the Tilt too. It does look a bit overly complicated which might be why it got discontinued. It also has a carbon belt instead of a chain and those have a chequered reliability history.

As a side note, apart from the Brompton, the Hoptown's are the second most common folding bike I see in central London.

got 720 just before christmas, been waiting for one for ages, they sent me email twice to let me know that's back in stock, missed first lot by minutes i think and snapped on the second offer. Nice little bike, clever folding design, and it sitting nicely here in the office corner now. Rubber belt instead of chain tho. Spoke to one of Decathlon managers before i got this one, and he told me that its such high demand for these as soon as they appear on the system they are gone in minutes. this is a mk2 of 720, as they had some issues with folding mechanism for the mk1, which has now been sorted out, i hope :smiley: i still haven mastered a quick fold as per video, but i am getting there. will upload photo later on.

I personally think this bike is actually very poor value and best avoided but the B'Twin 720 mentioned above looks pretty awesome and great value. Certainly worth twice the price of the geared version of this bike.

I'm currently looking for a cheap foldable bike but this one doesn't get the best reviews... guess I'll wait & hope for more deals :smiley:

Cool so it hasn't been discontinued. Quite the opposite.
Don't really have a need for a folder atm, but last autumn I was looking at used non-folding bikes (autumn is probably the best time to get bargains) and came across the Tilt. Certainly using some different thinking which is exactly what's needed* for folding bikes. Still impressed with the pram-like fold of the Sinclair A-Bike just a pity the tiny (first 15cm then 20cm) wheels make it unusable because a 5KG bike which you can pop in rucksack is a great idea.
*But on the other hand Brompton or Dahon don't try to constantly re-invent the design yet sell very well. Guess the danger is that one day a radically different designs will succeed causing their sales to crash.

What is this 'Bromthon' of which you speak? :wink:

Another death trap on the roads. Excellent.

I've just had the Dunlop bike delivered and this bike doesn't look too bad. Will get the job done I'm sure.

I won a Brompton 18months ago via one of their comps - it is a truly wonderful piece of engineering and a fantastic bike, but I wouldn't have paid the £1595 price! To be fair it's an all singing and dancing one with Brompton bags, lights, gears, racks etc, but my camper van cost less than that! However, I wouldn't part with my Brompton now, it's too useful.

Brompton bikes are expensive, but if your work takes part in Cyclescheme and you're a higher rate tax payer, you can get one for a reasonable price that way.

It makes sense to drop the gears at this price point, and focus on reliability and other parts, but I can't comment on this model as not seen or used it. I can tell you that Decathlon service is exceptional certainly with bikes. They would sort out any issues and would get it setup properly from the off.

This actually looks like it could be a reliable bike. It's a heavy basic steel bike with a single gear. There isn't much to go wrong or adjust. However its basic design will mean it will be slow, hard work up hills and you'll legs will need to go very fast on flats to compensate for lack of gears. You'll be eating the dust trail of even 90 year old cyclists on cycles made in the 1950s as they whizz past you.

I have nothing against steel bikes it just means a little heavier and a little bit more effort which is great for weight loss and fitness but lack of gears means a huge amount of extra effort if you want to get up hills. Some cyclists go for single gears as it builds exceptional muscles and if you want to have legs thicker than your torso that is the way to go. I think the majority of people need gears though especially if commuting to work and not wanting to arrive requiring a change of clothes.

I bought this last summer as I need something to whizz me around the city centre taking photographs. You don't need gears for that and it's easy to set up and fold away. I suggest you tighten things up after about a week or two. The folding technique is fairly simple and after a few goes you will get it as you make just 2 adjustments. Comfortable seat and again easily adjustable. No mudguards but as I never use it in the rain not a problem. The price is good and no you won't develop legs of steel using this but you will have lots of fun. Don't forget your helmet and you are up and running. You can wheel it along while folded but that takes practice. The piece of rubber they use to keep the bike folded could be a lot better as I'll be changing mine as it's too fiddly. Yes it's made of steel not carbon fibre which is what some people want for £129.00, heavy not really as it's got wheels so there's a good chance you never need to lift it up. A pretty decent bike at a very good price.

Looks good, never seen that bike before at Decathlon

Cyclists...on roads....death traps...

I had a look at one of these when I was looking for a folding bike. I thought it was heavy and didn't fold small enough to make it worthwhile for me. The guy in Decathlon didn't seem to rate it much. He said they did one for £350 that was much better (the tilt mentioned above). Last year's version of this one was down to about £80 before Christmas.

I ended up with a 2nd hand Brompton...

I wish I had seen this for £80 , some you win, some you lose

​Eh !

Another option here.

http://bicycles4u.com/collections/folding-bikes/products/oslo-explorer?variant=836214267

Same price when you include postage. They also do a cheap bag for £12 to fit it.

Gives you a choice of colours, gears! plus fitted mudguards and rear rack. It even has a dynamo mounting. There is also a 16" wheel option at a cheaper price but that is for smaller riders and has a lower weight capacity.

The red colour looks really nice. More configurable with adjustable handlebar height too.

Even compared to the hoptown with gears which is £180 you are getting a Shimano branded derailleur. Won't be as light as the Hoptown 300 but will feel much lighter when you go up a hill in the correct gear.

Great find, looks good

15.5kg is getting a little heavy, but I think I'd rather have the mudguards and rack. Hey, for £120, what do people want? :smirk:

In fairness though the Hoptown 320 with gears is 14.1kg, has thin plastic mudguards, a terrible generic plasticky derailleur, no height adjustment on handlebars, no kickstand that I can see, no rear rack, no dynamo mounting plate and may not even have the 115kg weight capacity of the Oslo Explorer and is £50 more. The only reason the 300 is lighter really is there is nothing on it, its stripped down to basics, its still a steel frame as well.

Was that a statement of awe or a question?

​Any ideas if this bag they sell would be suitable for the dunlop I've bought, or can you recommend anything else? Ta.

You will have to measure the Dunlop when folded. I know I got a bike lounge bag from ebay when they were on offer super cheap but it was slightly too small for my folding bike but I can see the bicycles4u 20" bags are bigger although not as deep and reckon it would fit my bike. I don't know what the Dunlop measures though in comparison.

I noticed when I was looking at the Dunlop that it was very similar to the Citizen folding bikes sold direct in the USA for frame geometry.

http://www.citizenbike.com/catalog.asp?product_category_id=1&product_id=48

You could use those measurements once you've converted them to metric to check if that bag would fit. Also check ebay though because you may find you can source a similar bag cheaper by the time bicycles4u have added postage.

This is my folding bike. £30 of Tesco vouchers boosted to £60 and a £15 off £75 coupon bought me this £65 bike when it was on offer plus £10 of over stuff plus a little bit back on clubcard points and topcashback. Not the most expensive bike I've bought for sure but not a patch on your Dunlop bike but easily better than this Hoptown model with or without gears.

​Tell you what, you decide & take it to that shallow little world that you live in.

​Cheers for that. Looks like you also got a bargain. The Dunlop is very nice and I'm surprised at what they sold it for. It's quite light, and nice to ride.

I also have this folder, got it when tesco reduced it to £50. No complaints and think it looks quite good.

http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/terrain-fold-folding-bike-cheapest-uk-folder-56-25-free-c-c-tesco-2395877

I see you compared it to the Dahon on that thread. I've never actually seen a cheap bike compared to a mid-level brand bike like that anywhere. Did the i-fold still hold up long term? I have to say the Dunlop bike looks easily superior to my i-fold. Sometimes you miss the sports direct stuff because it seems every time someone posts a deal from them or their other websites it gets down-voted automatically because of their staff policies.

From what I can see on just about every level the Dunlop is better than the i-fold and a real bargain for those who got one. The hoptown seems to get more respect purely based on people's opinion of the retailer and yet looks terrible for both versions (geared and single gear). Just the way Hotukdeals operates I suppose. There's probably people out there who assume the Dunlop is inferior to the Hoptown based on retailer and nothing more than that.

How many bikes do you buy? I assume you do not buy every bike in the bike deal posts you do? :smile:

I have 3 folders as I also have the Raleigh evo from halfords, I actually prefer the I fold as I think it looks the better out of the 3, it is also my only folder that the seat tube does not slip down.

That sounds annoying on the other 2 bikes. Have you tried anti-seize assembly paste or copper grease on the seat tube?

Surely that would make them slide down even more.

Ordered the Outeredge 20 inch Folding Bike Bag from Amazon. Should be delivered tomorrow

Yeah it sounds wrong now you mention it. I think it benefits from;

a) Filling the gap between seat post and frame tube slightly.
b) Makes it easier to use the seat post clamp as there is less friction
c) Means you can tighten a bit more without seizing the seat post in
d) Can prevent the slight rocking motion of the seat post that allows it to slide in
e) Prevents corrosion and noise too

You'd probably need to experiment a bit. Maybe limiting it to part of the post that goes into frame tube but maybe not where the clamp itself is.

If it didn't work I might be tempted to paint the inside of the frame tube or use a second post clamp on the seat tube itself.

I think a lot of the time its about poor tolerances between the seat post and frame tube so quite amusing the cheapest bike has achieved the best tolerances over a Dahon for example.

Funny enough I'm planning to order that. I'm waiting for my topcashback to be paid out as amazon vouchers then I was going to order it. I saw the video on youtube and it looked really good. I'm hoping it won't increase in price before topcashback pay out.

I am thinking of selling the danon and buying the evo 2 next time it is on sale at halffords for £200 or below http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/folding-bikes/raleigh-evo-2-folding-bike

image hosting 10mb limit

Here is my dahon and Raleigh evo. Box on back was only 99p from home and bargains, great for getting shopping home.

screenshot windows

imagen

Sell all 3 of your bikes and buy yourself a nice s/hand Brompton. You can get them for about £400 I think.

I'm sure many of these bikes, Dunlop and Raleigh Evo (halfords) are coming out of the same factory. Too many similarities. I think there must be a chinese factory producing most of these.

Here's the biggest folding bicycle factory in China and some of their bikes do like strangely familiar.

http://www.fuji-ta.com/bicycle-display

Did the bag fit the Dunlop ok?

​Hi. Just had a go. It does fit, but don't know if I could be bothered doing that on a regular basis.. I had to take the seat post out. I may be folding the handlebars incorrectly, but can't see any other way of doing it.

Oh crap that sounds annoying. When my amazon vouchers came through from topcashback I noticed a outeredge bag on amazon warehouse for £23.40 which minus my vouchers came to 79p so ordered that for my folder. However I did a flubit request for the outeredge bag as well and that was £21.33 so ordered that for my mother's folder which is a Dunlop like yours. Seemed a good time to buy on flubit while Amazon itself had the bag on offer price and get a further discount on that. I'll see how I get on with it. I've not been impressed with the cheaper folder bags but the outeredge bag seems to be the cheapest that gets good reviews for quality and isn't thin and weak material. I'm not expecting to have any problems with my folder and the bag as I've seen a bike near identical to mine placed in one.

​It is good quality and the material is quite thick. I only had an issue getting the bars in. I may need to adjust the angle they sit at. Failing that, I'll get my hacksaw out. let me know how you get on.

Do the bars go between the wheels? Also will the seat post drop through the frame or does it stop close to the bottom bracket? I'm hoping the post will drop fully as per the image below.

Flubit order for £21.33 came direct from Amazon it seems. All Amazon packaging. Looks like they are competing with themselves.

Managed to get the Dunlop in a outeredge bag but had to remove the saddle post and seat and put that in the bag separately. It was a tight squeeze. I will use it because I don't want an oily, dirty bike in the back of the car but its not a 30 second process.

No because the bike frame won't fold up with the handlebars there. They are too long. It seems like the bike would be better if the handlebars folded on the other side and wondered if it would be possible to turn them around. At the moment the handlebars and handlebar stem goes over just behind the seat post and sticks out which makes bagging difficult but I think if the handlebars folded onto the other side there wouldn't be that problem and it would be more compact and then I wouldn't have to remove the seat post and saddle. I guess there wouldn't be a problem if the handlebars were height adjustable but they are not sadly.