Bicycle Showdown: Folding Bikes vs Normal Road Bikes

So, you’re in the market for a new bicycle that you plan to use for commuting as well as some fun weekend and evening rides.

Right now, you might be at a crossroads – do you go with just your normal road bike or do you do what’s trendy right now and get yourself a folding bike?

Each type of bike has it’s benefits, so at this point it’s probably just a matter of which one you prefer and which one is a better fit for your lifestyle.

To help you out, let’s do a quick comparison.

Advantages of Buying a Folding Bike

If you live in a city, then you have likely noticed that more and more people are riding fold up bikes these days.

That is because offer some distinct advantages over standard bikes for city dwellers like you.

Here are the top benefits of owning a folding bike:

• Easy to take on public transport due to small size
• Less worry about it being stolen since you can take it in anywhere
• Holds value better than road bikes, which means you can resell it used for more money
• Perfect for small apartments or condos since it doesn’t take up much space
• Some will fit in carry-on luggage for a flight

As you can see, there is a lot to like about this style of bike.

And, it’s not just for people who live in the city.

I live in the burbs and as someone who travels a lot, I really love the idea of being able to take my bike with me on flights so that I can then use it at my destination.

I think the biggest disadvantages would have to be that these things aren’t that comfortable and are usually higher priced.

Advantages of Buying a Road Bike

I think that road bikes are probably the most common type of bike used for commuting and recreational riding, and for good reason.

Here are some of the benefits of road bikes that I’ve come up with:

• Usually cheaper than a folding bike
• You can go faster on this type of bicycle
• You can get a better fitting frame for your body
• Overall, the ride is more comfortable

Obviously, the biggest problem with a road bike is that it’s large.

Taking it on public transportation is often challenging, if not impossible.

And, you can’t toss a couple of these in your trunk like you can a folding bike.

You also have to lock up the bike so that thieves don’t target it.

So, Which Is Better?

As you can see, each bike offers some great benefits to cyclists.

But I think in the end, the only way to know which of these bikes is the better choice for you is to answer this one question –

Is there a reason that I need to be able to fold up my bike?

So, if you need to take your bike on the train or bus, or if you expect to travel by plane with it, or if you have a small apartment or condo – any of those reasons makes a folding bike the perfect choice for you.

Is a road bike better for you? Click here for our favorite affordable road bikes.

Did you decide that a folding bike better meets your needs right now? Click here to see our favorite inexpensive folding bicycles.