Customer Reviews

Mobiky Genius Folding Bike

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I don't drink, do drugs or run with fast women but I do seem to collect folding bikes - Mobiky is the latest - and ride one or the other of them about eight miles a day. The Mobiky with its 12" wheels is unique but there are some points of comparison with two others I have with 16" wheels - a Brompton and a Dahon Presto - and I thought it might help potential buyers if I compared and contrasted.

All three folding bikes have in common beautiful design and construction --they are worthy of museum exhibit as superior achievements of the machine age. Folders come in several sizes, but these small-wheel ones are meant primarily for intermodal transportation - folded, they can be taken on buses and trains where full size bikes (the folding community calls them `cumbersomes') are not permitted, so you can begin and complete your journeys on them. All use three-speed hub gears - a super-reliable hundred-year-old technology which won't get grease on clothes. The gear range isn't sufficient for, say, a postman in the Swiss alps, but it's fine for modest rolling hills. Folders take up much less room in confined living spaces. They can be packed for plane travel without incurring airline surcharges, checked at cloakrooms, brought into offices, kept in the trunk of even a small car, taken into restaurants; and by being with or near the owner, are much less likely to be harvested by thieves than bikes left locked on urban streets.

Because folders are more complex and critical machines, they cost more than equivalent cumbersomes. However, one can find lots of cheap folding bikes from China. Avoid them like poison; let user comments on the internet be my witness. A good small-wheel folding bike will likely cost $500 or more, and with these products, you get what you pay for. In many instances, a folding bike will pay for itself in funds not spent elsewhere, plus they're fun to ride, good conversation-starters, and excellent exercise.

To get down to cases, the French Mobiky has three advantages over all others: it rolls nicely when folded, so you don't have to carry it on train platforms and the like; it really does fold to rolling position in about three seconds; and when folded to rolling position, the seat and handlebar settings are retained, so you can actually unfold it, hop on, and go in three seconds. When you do have to carry it, there is a padded handle, but it's about 28 pounds, one of the heavier folders on the market. The wheelbase is short and the tires are small and with recommended pressure of only 35 psi, have noticeable rolling resistance (I inflated them to 40 psi yielding a great improvement in performance), but once a rider is a bit used to Mobiky, it's very agile and pretty comfortable, although it's really designed for fairly short trips, definitely not for the Tour de France. It would be great to use running errands and making frequent stops.

My Brompton is a T6. It's regarded the Rolls-Royce of small-wheeled folders. The three-speed hub is doubled to six gears by an ingenious two-position derailleur. The fold is amazing - Brommie comes down to a package little larger than the wheels. It's a fairly fast fold but realistically takes me 30 seconds or so, and the seat must be repositioned each time. With its excellent 100 psi tires and fairly long wheelbase, it rides beautifully and I have done 40-50 miles on it without fatigue. It has a great system for carrying luggage. Mine weighs about the same as Mobiky, but newer Brompton models offer optional expensive titanium bits for savings in weight. I'd rather eat more salads, fewer potatoes, and take the weight off myself instead. For a combination of compactness and performance Brompton is unbeatable; it's also made in England by fine craftsmen who live in heated houses and is much more expensive than the competition.

The Dahon Presto (no longer made, the current equivalent model is the Curve) is a beautiful little aluminum bike, two-thirds the weight of the Brompton or Mobiky and substantially less expensive than either. It rides almost as well as, but does not fold as small or as fast as Brompton, and folding speed is pathetic compared to Mobiky. Still, if you don't have to fold and unfold it several times a day, it's a superb piece of machinery, excellent value and a serious contender. Dahon tweaks all its models every year. The older Dahons were not so hot, but the last few years have been outstanding. ADDED COMMENT AS OF APRIL 11, 2009: It appears as if Mobiky may have withdrawn from the U.S. market. As this bike contains many unique parts, I would suggest any prospective buyer carefully verify whether this product is still supported before purchasing one. (I got parts for mine via a friend in Paris who ordered them for me direct from Mobiky's headquarters in that city, and they were graciously supplied at no charge).

I first saw the Mobiky featured on "I Want That", a TV show about new products on the HGTV cable network. I was impressed by the Mobiky's easy, quick folding and the ability to roll on its own wheels when folded.

Thanks to Abikestore.com, a week after the show I had my new, cobalt blue Mobiky.

FIRST IMPRESSION
The Mobiky's construction speaks "high quality". The aluminum finish, the paint quality, and weld joints are all exceptional.

Due to weather, the Mobiky stood in my living room for a couple of evenings before my first ride. Many times, I'd catch myself looking at it, as if admiring a piece of industrial art. If the Aeron office chair can be on display at the Museum of Modern Art in NY, so can the Mobiky. I regretted riding my Mobiky, because it will get dirty.

PRE-RIDE
My Mobiky needed a little adjustment, before I could ride it. The manual warns riders to make sure the "stay tube" locks in place. Mine did not. After using a screwdriver and hammer to reseat the plug the "stay tube" rests on, my Mobiky was ready to go.

Adjusting the proper height of the handlebars and seat will take some experimenting. You'll also have to play with the tension of the adjusting clamps or your seat will slowly sink as you ride. If you collapse the Mobiky for maximum smallness, your height adjustments are lost. I wish the tubes were scored with measurements, so settings could be remembered. I will mark the tubes with a felt pen.

The front and rear brakes were in perfect, factory adjustment.

RIDING
The Mobiky will not compete in the next Tour de France. Someone on a conventional 10-speed breezed right past me. The Mobiky has 3 speeds so that's an unfair comparison. But the Mobiky is a lot faster than walking.

The factory literature touts the Mobiky as a tool for bridging short range commuting. To that design goal, the Mobiky is on target.

I did notice an alignment issue with the front and rear tires. My Mobiky wants to veer right ever so slightly; maybe one degree. I feel this excusable when you realize there are 9 connection and weld points from axle to axle. With that many connections, it's amazing the alignment is as good as it is. Remember this is a folding bike. To compensate, you can offset the handlebar down tube with the front wheel so the bike goes straight when the handlebar is held straight. I believe I can correct this misalignment, as I get familiar with the mechanics of my Mobiky. If you're not as handy, bring the Mobiky to a professional bicycle mechanic for a final tweak.

As promised, the Mobiky pedals like a big bike. The ingenious, dual chains are silent and smooth. The 3 speed shifter a bit stiff, but I expect that to wear in over time.

STAR APPEAL
The Mobiky will draw stares. As I pedaled past a gas station, 60 feet away, a dude and his chick were gassing up their Harley. These hardcore bikers were dressed head to toe in black riding leathers and skull caps. Without a word to each other, they turned and stared as I pedaled by.

At the first store, I folded the Mobiky in 2 seconds, opened the door, and parked the Mobiky inside with easy approval from an employee.

At my next stop, I got bolder and didn't ask for permission to bring the Mobiky in. I folded the Mobiky in 2 seconds, opened the door, and parked the Mobiky at my lunch table. The employee making my sandwich wanted to know more about this unique looking bike.

At my third stop, I folded the Mobiky in 2 seconds and rolled the bike around the store drawing stares and comments from store customers and employees. In the folded position, I found the seat to be a comfortable armrest, too.

At my fourth stop, I folded the Mobiky in 2 seconds and paraded up and down the narrow aisles of a neighborhood market. The aisles were so crowded, I had to fold one pedal and ½ the handlebar. I noticed people stop their shopping to get a look at the Mobiky. An employee nodded in approval. A four year old kid twisted his head backwards as his mom towed him away.

When folded, the Mobiky has an incredible turning radius, which makes easy maneuvering in very small spaces. Unlike most other folding bikes, the Mobiky's ability to roll while folded cannot be oversold.

When folded the built-in, padded, carry handle is well placed. Although the Mobiky is a bit aft heavy, it certainly balances well enough to easily lift over stairs.

The kickstand works well.

Why can the Mobiky go places no "ordinary" bike would be tolerated? Star appeal. I believe people are spellbound by its beauty, unique folding, and small footprint, so, like a movie star in a public place, it gets the "star treatment".

LESS EXPENSIVE THAN YOU THINK
At first blush, the Mobiky seems expensive. But you don't need a $150+ bike rack to transport it. And, how much is it worth to not damage the finish of your car with a bike rack? What about not having to install, remove, and store a bike rack? Does the inconvenience of installing a bike rack keep you from using your bicycle more often?

Also, consider not having to buy a $50+ bicycle lock. Never worry about your bike being stolen because you take the Mobiky indoors with you. How stupid is it to buy a lightweight bike only to add the weight of a lock and chain? Also, you don't have to waste time looking for a safe place to chain up your bike, too.

The true value/cost of something is proportional to how much you use it. I plan to use my Mobiky to shave time off my 40 minute, 3 mile, daily walk to work. I also plan to keep my Mobiky in the car, so I never need to stress over convenient automobile parking. I can park blocks away and simply Mobiky in. Also, the US distributor tells me a hardshell luggage carrier is planned, so you can take your Mobiky on commercial airplanes. However, you will have to pay an oversize charge, as the Mobiky misses the airline luggage maximum size by 5 inches. Maybe they won't notice.

In other words, what`s a better value; a seldom used $400 bike (plus bike rack + lock/chain) or a bike that costs more but is used more often?

SUMMARY
The Mobiky is of French design and construction. It is the pinnacle of folding bicycle engineering. Because of it's convenience and cool factor, you'll be riding this bicycle more often. That's good for your heart and the environment. Vive la France!

Douglas Chew
Oakland, CA
"Please don't bike-jack me."

I researched a lot of folding bikes before deciding on one. I wish I could take my full-sized bike everywhere with me, but I am going to be traveling a lot this year, and taking a full-sized bike in a case on airlines around the world is expensive, and complicates travel. As such, I wanted to find a bike that I could check as luggage, and use for multi-modal transportation around the cities I was visiting. Of all the bikes I checked out, the Mobiky seemed to be the best fit. I wouldn't want to go on a 10 mile ride on it, but for short hops from one train station to another, or just around a neighborhood it is pretty cool.

It does have some problems though, that keep it from being perfect. I am pretty tall (6'4"), and weigh a fair amount (200lbs), so the bike feels a little flimsy with everything cranked to the highest settings. Also, as someone else noted, the front brake isn't the best in the world. It can be tightened down to work better, but on my bike at least, the rotor was slightly warped, and I had to spend some tender time with a pair of pliers carefully truing it before I could really get the brake working like it should. I also hate the saddle that came on it as the fabric it is covered with sticks to everything, making it hard to get on the bike, but that is easy to fix with a new saddle. I am also not all that impressed with the shifting hub that came on the bike. The gear range isn't very good, and it is very stubborn about shifting into first if there is any tension at all on the chain. However, I haven't found a bike yet that will fit in a suitcase that doesn't require some sort of sacrifice.

On the plus side, the build quality is quite good, and the design is very well thought out. It handles much better than I expected it to, and while I would never replace my street hybrid with it, those little wheels on the Mobiky soak up more bumps and road irregularities than you would think. The real selling point though is the fold. Most of the other folding bikes brake apart on a hinge, and then basically have to be locked up somewhere, or carried when you go on a train or in a store. Not the Mobiky! I ride up to where I am going, fold it up in a few seconds, and walk right in with it. I haven't had a single person complain, going into restaurants, bookstores, grocery stores, large retailers, or trains. You just roll it beside you, and it hardly takes up any room at all. It also seems to be the most popular bike I have ever owned. Normally people don't even notice my bike, except to note that there is a guy on a bike. I can't go anywhere on the Mobiky, without people commenting on how cool it looks, and asking me questions about it.

It isn't a perfect bike, but it is good enough that I am going to buy a second one for my wife, which I guess is a pretty good recommendation.

I have been riding my Mobiky for about four months now, and I am still in love with it! I work in an urban downtown area, but I detest the idea of spending $100+ per month on parking. My solution is to park on the fringes of downtown for free, then bike the rest of the way. My Mobiky easily fits in the truck of my Honda Accord (perhaps only 50% of the trunk space). Once I find a place to park, I pull-out my bike, unfold it in a few seconds and am on my way! What used to be a boring, tedious 15 minute walk is now an enjoyable 5 minute ride. The three speeds really help with the hills that I encounter. (In fact, I don't think that I could do the same ride on a single-speed bike.) Some people question whether the small tires make the bike difficult to ride, but I have never had an issue. Plus, the dual-chain ensures that you only need to pedal at a normal rate. Once I get to my office building, I fold-up the bike and wheel it onto the elevator and into my cubicle. You would be amazed at how often you get questions about what it is, how it works, and what it costs!

I have owned other folding bikes and think that the Mobiky is far and away the best design. The fact that it can roll while it is folded is a HUGE selling point for me. I highly recommend this bike for anyone that is seriously considering a folding bike.

i have one, and i cannot go anywhere without it. folds i a second and unfolds i 2 seconds hehe love it!!!

i have to get another one for my wife

Living in the big city such as New York is tough... Well, not quite, if you have Mobiky Genius. It will make a very tedious 15-minute walk into a very enjoyable 2-minute ride. It will make subway inhabitants and bus drivers smile at you every time you give them the luxury of seeing you. It will make ordinary daily chores of grocery shopping into a constant entertainment, where the audience participates; - people will want to help you! If you are a dating material, what better way to attract a mate than with a help of Mobiky Genius (It will only take care of the initial attraction - the rest is up to you :) )? For those who go to the gym on a regular basis, Mobiky Genius is an excellent way to replace it[the gym] altogether.

Those who get addicted to Mobiky Genius might seriously consider a $30 Suspension Seat Post upgrade, - your behind will say BIG thank you. Mobiky Genius will also ride quite well on a grassy surface.

Get it. Ride it. Enjoy it.

About a month back I was in the market for a folding bike. I needed something I could take on the train and fit into the truck of my small car. After researching online I found the Mobiky Genius. It sounded perfect. So I ordered it off Amazon.

As usual, the Amazon transaction went off without a hitch and the bike arrived exactly as promised. The packaging looked solid without dents or holes.

That's when the problems began. Even though the packaging was un-damaged, when I opened the box I noticed the front brake assembly was bent. I'm guessing at happened at the factory before it got into the box but who knows. It was bent to such an extent that I could not lock the bike into its unfolded position. Rather than dealing with hassle and delay of returning the bike I took it to my local bike shop and paid $80 more for repair. They actually had to bend the caliper back into shape by hand because they could not locate any source for replacement parts. The brakes are now weak but adequate. I thought they were weak because of the kluge repair but, based on the other reviews on this page, I'm starting to think it might just be how they're designed.

Oh well. A small price to pay for all the time this cool little bike was going to shave off my commute. And it did exactly that...for the first week.

Riding to work one morning I noticed the right pedal starting to wobble. I pulled over and found the main screw attaching the pedal assembly through the frame was loose and starting to strip. So I found a hardware store, bought a wrench, tightened it and went on my way. That night I got home and took apart the pedal assembly. Turns out a washer was missing which caused the rotation of the pedals to unscrew the assemble! So I did kluge fix #2 having to do with blue thread locker and an old washer. Not exactly what I expected on a week old $600 bike.

Another week goes by and the thing is great. Easy to fold and unfold. Fast. Nimble. And saving me a ton of time. Then I notice a little wobble in the back wheel when cornering. The first couple times I thought it had to do with lack of traction. But the wobble kept getting more and more pronounced until yesterday when the whole back wheel stated to bend on my ride home. F@#$! What now. Turns out some of the spokes started to separate from the wheel hub and break. Once a couple spokes break it puts more pressure on the remaining spokes and they go too. Long story short, I took it to a couple bike shops and, you guessed it, nobody can locate replacement parts. The rear wheel is not repairable so the bike sits in my garage and I walk to work.

I tried contacting the manufacture several times via email and phone. No response. My bad luck.

Very frustrating. It's the perfect solution for my commute dilemma. The design and frame quality are really outstanding. But many of the components are sub-par, the assembly is of poor quality and the manufacturer support sucks.

The bike has been a real disappointment...mostly because it has such promise.

This is a great bike for people who live in cities.

I can easily store the bike in my apt. I save lot's of time getting to wrk. I can store the bike at work because it folds up. I figure it will pay for itself soon with all the subway, taxi and bus fares!

I got mobiky as a gift and been loving it. It's very light and collapses easily. And so compact that you can take it anywhere - elevators, subways etc. and you can store it right in your office. It makes commuting to work great. Techies and gadget lovers will fall for this product. And it's great for the environment!

Mobiky Genius Folding Bike
The bicycle was a work of art and I loved the way it folded and unfolded quickly and easily. But it arrived with a very large hole in the box that caused a pedal to wear a hole all the way through the carry bag and out the box. I also immediately noticed that when I held the handlebars straight -- it turned to the right! I took it to a reputable bike shop (that had never seen a Mobiky before which caused me some concern), and they confirmed that the handlebars were welded wrong, the bike was defective, and would have to be returned.

I tried to contact the manufacturer but it was impossible to reach a live person and they never responded to my call or follow-up email. I loved the bike and wish the manufacturer had been more responsive as I'm afraid to order another one without full assurance that I can easily obtain "routine replacements" in the future.

Amazon phone staff were great. They were patient, helpful, and reimbursed me for a new box. While I'm still waiting to hear they've received the bike, which was picked up from the bike shop a week ago, they've promised to reimburse the purchase amount.