Customer Reviews

Kent Compact 16 Aluminum Folding Bike (16-Inch Wheels)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

The biggest advantage of this bike is of course that it is a folding bike, and because it has 16-inch wheels, it fits even in the trunk of a small car, which makes its transportation very easy and simple. The aluminum frame is light, and the general quality of the bike is pretty good. The all-terrain tires and the availability of lower gears make it suitable for riding on grass or some dirt roads as well, so a little mild off-roading is fine with this bike. However, the bike has some design flaws which somewhat limit its use. These include:

1. Slowness. Even though the bike has 6 speeds, the gear ratio is not high enough even in the highest gear. The peak speed I could reach on this bike is about 14 mph on flat ground, and that was by spinning like crazy. Better designed folding bikes have higher gear ratios. For this bike, the 6th gear has about 56 gear inches, which is not very high at all. Of course, the tires are not designed for high speeds either (relatively wide, low-pressure, all-terrain tires).

2. Crank arms are shorter than usual. Adult bikes usually have 170 mm long crank arms. But this bike, because of the low position of the bottom bracket, is only equipped with 140 mm long crank arms. This feels a bit strange and makes pedaling feel a bit harder than it should be. Better designed folding bikes have an elevated lower bracket position and therefore can use longer crank arms despite having 16-inch wheels.

3. Single-sided pedals. The bike has folding pedals, but strangely designed ones. Only one side of the pedal can be used because the other side is not flat enough. It is inconvenient to have to turn a pedal when you notice that it is upside down. Better designed folding bikes have two-sided folding pedals.

But of course, better designed folding bikes (like Dahon) are a lot more expensive. This bike is still a good buy, perfect for running errands in the city and for some leisurely riding. With patience, you can cover a long distance even with this bike; just don't try to join people with road bikes for weekend trips because this bike has about half the speed and half the range of a real road bike.

I have owned this bike for a month now. This is my first folding bike, but I do have a lot of experience with biking in general. I bought this bike for 2 reasons: One is the ability to bring it on the subway and the other is that my 3rd grade son can ride it. The quality of the bike is quite impressive for $150. The parts and componentry are a few steps above low end quality. Mostly, the components, rims, and frame are alloy, not steel. The Microshift brand drive system - shifter and derailleurs are all well made. The crankset arms are alumninum while the spider is steel. The folding mechanism works, but will require a few times of practice to fold quickly. Carrying it is cumbersome, as the bike tends to inadvertantly unfold itself. You really need a bungie cord to hold it in the folded position. Also, it initially seemed natural to lift it on the chainring side, but then got greased by the chain. There is no handle once the bike is folded. Like most folding bikes, I would think the frame is less sturdy than a conventional diamond frame bicycle.

The bike weighs in at 25lbs with all original equipment. My son is short, so I install a shorter seatpost with a child seat when he rides. The folding pedals are difficult to use and heavy. I removed the rear rack, the kickstand, and replaced the pedals with conventional plastic ones. With these small modifications and the kid seat, I got the weight down to 22-23 lbs, which is equal to that of a good quality road bike. After lifting it some, you'll realize that even 22 lbs seems kind of heavy, so it really pays to lighten the weight. However, you shouldn't confuse light weight with quickness. This bike is quite slow. I'm on the top gear just about all the time, and people pass me. The reason is that the gear ratios are similar to a mountain bike, but the wheels are 16". So, for the same gear, the bike will be 16/26 = 0.62 of the speed of a typical mountain bike. Other reasons it is slow - the riding position is quite upright compared to a mountain or road bike, the tires are 40 psi, and the cranks are a bit shorter than the typical 170 mm. The smaller wheels also make the steering a tad twitchy compared to a conventional bike.

In conclusion, this bike is not designed for long-distance and speed. It works well for 2-3 mile commutes, where one needs to combine the commute by car or rail. It also accomodates short kids who desire the ability to shift gears. Because of this, it is a versatile, cleverly designed bicycle. For $160, it is high quality and a great value.

Dec 23, 2009 update:
I have taken this bike on the subway for a few months now. It works terrific, and I get a lot of compliments. Therefore, I have increased my rating to 5 stars. People cannot believe the price I paid for it. It sounded like they'll get their own. Folding it has gotten quite easy. I fold it without lowering the seat or the handlebar. The handlebar and seat mesh nicely together. Then I wrap the bungle cord around the frame (normally stored around the seatpost.) The whole process takes less than 1 minute. The fellow passenger I demonstrated this to was totally impressed. I carry the bike by using the back of the seat as the handle, when it is stowed. Also, it goes in the trunk of a Honda Accord very easily. The weakness of this bike is the lack of high gears and very short 140 mm crank arms. I have replaced the crankset with one that has 170 mm arms and 50 teeth. This turns out to be a good upgrade. Now, my speed is up ~20%, and its easier to pedal up hills. The pedals are closer to the ground,so I just have to be a bit more careful with I make turns. I recommend this upgrade as it addresses all the shortcomings of this bicycle.

Dec 2010 update:
The rear derailleur torn in half at the body while riding - this premature failure was due to a plastic derailleur body and would not have happened if it had an alumnimum body. Therefore, I downgraded my review to 3 stars.

My Dahon Vitesse was stolen from the station over the 4th July weekend.(don't use Cryptonite Cables - get any cheap U shaped steal horseshoe from BELL - that will hold longer - even that gets cut with the jaws-of-life type of tools)
First off, Foldable bikes even high end are NOT REAL BIKES. So treat them accordingly! They are SLOWWWW!
I bring my bike on the train every weekend after work. This bike is very cute - gets stares from commuters. It has 6 speeds (alhtough i only use 2 - high and low. The speed differential is ..stupid. However, it is actually lighter than most of the bikes here on Amazon, especially without the rack that i dont use.
If you need a foldable bike - dont get an expensive one - trust me.. market is bad - people are desperate... Me and my girlfriend love it. Ive had it for a month and it is (after 2 hours of finetuning and tightening) very solid.

Before the bike was even delivered, I followed another reviewer's suggestion and bought a used 170mm crankset with a 52 tooth sprocket on a popular auction website for $30 delivered (it could handle an even larger sprocket if you can find one). That helped leverage up hills and provided more top end speed, but the 35psi kiddie tires were killing me with friction. So, for $19 per tire, I bought a set of Maxxis Hookworm 16x1.95 tires online, which inflate to 110 psi, designed for high speed reclining bikes, and a perfect fit on these rims. WOW! Now it is a real bike, with the speed of a real bike. If you can only do one of the two upgrades, just buy the 110psi tires. Because this eliminates friction when you turn the front wheel, it makes the steering a little more twitchy with high pressure tires, but it is not noticeable at high speeds. I don't understand why they don't ship it from the factory with 110 psi tires. I gave it five stars even without the upgrades, because all other bikes that weigh in at 26 pounds or less come at twice the price, and don't have a kickstand, fenders, and bike rack already included like this one does. I respect a bargain. It folds in seconds with just three quick cam lock fittings.

My only gripes are minor. The pedals sag about 2 degrees under strong torque. When it arrived it the box, it needed a few tweaks, as you would expect. Shifter cable needed adjustment to shift into sixth gear. Fender height needed adjustment (one fender locknut was stripped and had to be replaced). Front steering had very slight play in it, needed allen wrench to tighten handlebar connection and a channel lock pliers to tighten front steering bearing (the play would probably not have been noticeable to many people).

I've never seen a folding bike before, and it does not fold as flat as you would visualize if you have no reference (about 13.5 inches wide when folded if you do not pull the handlebar completely out of its stem and stow it separately). But it is very small and light. I carry a bungee on the rack to keep it folded together when not in use. Women seem to think the bike is "cute", for what it is worth.

This is a great bike, especially at the price and after a few small upgrades.

i just bought this bike

yes its pretty slow, but i wasnt expecting to go fast on a folding bike with 16 inch tires!

my only negative is that it should be a little lighter

The bike is good for the price you pay! Yes its a little slow and no perfect finish. But you can use it for shorts rides. I think the pedals are the worst thing! but you can change it. The frame is solid and its light. When folded its compact and you can put it in car, plane or boat without problems. I just use the first and the last gear the others are useless! Its really adaptable for different riders sizes.
Advice: inflate the wheels as a rock, if you not do it, you must to do a lot effort to ride just a block!
Good luck!

I have had this bike for a month and ride it to class everyday. I am very satisfied with this purchase. This bike isn't heavy, that is good for me since I have to lift it to my apartment on second floor. It have 6 different speeds and if you set the fastest one, it is relatively fast. I usually use the 3nd speed and am ok with it. I don't like the pedals though, they are small and inconvenient (as another review wrote) I rated it 4 stars because (for me) it is heavy to pedal in the fastest speed. Over all, I would like to recommend this bike to those who want to cover a short distance.
p/s My husband thinks I look weird on this bike, everyone in my office laughs at it. Well, I personally like it and think it is nice.

Excellent folding bike. I would recommend to anyone that is on the move and do not have much room for storage. Light weight enough to handle with ease, so that your back don't brake while folding and carrying it. Smooth ride given by a very comfortable big seat. It is a bike that you will buy for a child or for an adult of any age. In my case I bought it for my mom and she is loving it. The bike arrived as promised safe and sound. I would recommended this bike for anyone.
You can't get any better for the cheap price...

This is a very portable bicycle. Easy to put in to the trunk. Unfold it just take less than a minute. Cons is that the smallest gear doesn't work Whenever I shift to the 6th gear the chain will off the gear. I have to set the limit to use no higher than 5th gear.

This cost me a hundred-forty bucks with shipping (shipped instantly and arrived in a few days) and I almost feel guilty knowing that someone probably earned about two bucks manufacturing it in China.
It is well constructed, feels pretty solid, folds/unfolds easily enough and rides comfortably; not a cross country or mountain bike, but a small bike that will fit into a plane or a boat and give you the mobility you need to get groceries or do laundry or go see stuff nearby when you don't have or want to have a car.

Price is up a bit now, and so I'm bummed I didn't buy two of them last week.