Talk to me about folding bikes

[45K10]

My wife is going to have to take the commuter rail into Boston three days a week next year (beginning in the Fall). Therefore, she is thinking about getting a folding bike so she can take it with her on the train during peak hours.

The ride from our house to the train station is ~ 5 miles. She will then need to ride it from the station downtown to the university where she works which is ~ 3 miles.

What are some the down-sides of folding bikes?
Are there any specific brands beside Brompton we should look at?
Any specific brands we should avoid?
Anyone have experience commuting on a folding e-bike? She isn't sure if she wants an e-bike but just curious what other people have experienced.

Thanks!

[Jdm]

Does she want to bike commute in the rain and snow?

Can she comfortably carry a folding e-bike? They’re awfully heavy.

I wasn’t sure about Bromptons until my trip to London where I saw a ton of them being used by commuters. Also, when I did a 50 mile Grand Fondo in Monterey, I biked next to a guy who brought his from China. He said he loved it.

[professerr]

You should also consider Bike Friday. No personal experience, but my understanding from pal with one is they ride more like normal bikes.

[weaponsgrade]

A Brompton has a more compact fold than a Bike Friday. A Bike Friday rides closer to a regular bike. I commuted for a bit on a Brompton. Sometimes I needed to take the Brompton on a crowded train. No way I could’ve taken a Bike Friday. I used an IKEA zippered bag to carry the Brompton. It gets heavy though if you’ve got to carry it for any appreciable distance.

[Louis]

Regarding the whole weight question, in addition to the bike, how much other stuff will she need to carry? For example, will she have to take a large-ish laptop? All that stuff will add up on the train, if she needs to carry it any significant distance or up stairs.