Fold Fleet — Folding commuter bikes: wheel sizes | foldfleet.com
For a short train commute, the deciding numbers are weight, folded size and gear count — in that order.
Start with weight, because the train commute includes a carry. Commuter folders weigh 9–15 kg, and the lightest production builds drop to 7–9 kg; if you lift the bike onto a rack twice a day, every kilogram above 12 is felt.
Next, folded size. A Brompton-class fold stands about 585 × 565 × 305 mm — small enough to park beside a train seat — and that footprint is the reference point for judging any rival fold.
On narrow screens, swipe or scroll the plate sideways.
Wheel size follows. Sixteen-inch (349 mm) wheels fold smaller and suit short ride legs; twenty-inch (406 mm) wheels roll steadier when the ride to the station stretches past a few kilometres. Both sit 40–50% below a 700c road wheel.
Gears come last for a flat city: a 3-speed hub is enough. If the ride leg climbs, look at 7- or 8-speed hubs or a derailleur with up to 11 speeds.
Fold time ties the comparison together: most folders collapse in 15–60 seconds with 1–3 hinge releases, and the platform is no place to learn a slow mechanism. Once you have a shortlist, run the fold and hinge safety check before your first ride, and plan the route itself with the folding bike commute planner.
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