Long Term Look at Design Details and Improvements.

After 3 years of use, These are some of the areas I would like to see improved on.



Frame Locking Lever

Replace the plastic levers with an alloy die cast metal type like the one used on the seat post assembly. With the right metal, they would stronger then the plastic type being used now.

The seat clamp design needs to be improved. As it stands now, I have just tightened up bolt to get the seat post to stay in place. The quick release lever is now basiclly locked close and acts as a nut, not lever.The lever lacks a well designed cam set-up to allow a tight smooth seat post tightening.



Rear Tube scar lines

Seat Clamp assembly.

The rear tube has a very tight fit and from day one has caused the upper rear tube have scar lines on the rear upper clamp assembly has always been coming off when the bike it is unfolded. When the hose clamp was put on to the stop the lower rear tube from splitting it also clamped down a small tab on the clamp assembly preventing it from moving out when the bike was unfolded. Some sort of factory installed part should be placed there to beef up the frame structure.

Repaired Rear bottom tube with hose clamp.

Rear Tire Wear at about 700km.

Tire wear with the solid tire design has lasted better then I thought. The rear tire is taking the bulk of the load but is holding up well. The only problem with this set-up is once the tires wear out and become unuseable, the bik can no longer be used. The same can be said any part on the bike. Since there is no support from the manufacturer, once any part goes on it, it is just junk after that. Given the amount of wear so far, it should last a while at this end anyways.



Folded Bike Frame.

The stiff rear tube assembly has me now just folding the bike down to middle section without taking the locking clamps off to lower the upper tubes into lower frame tubes. It makes it easier touse the bike. The upper rear tube pulled up the plastic clamp assembly before the hose clamp was installed to fix rear lower frame crack..




The A-Bicycle next to 20" tired folding bike.

The last picture shows my A-bicycle next to a 20"(405mm) tire sized folding bike. Althought they look different, they share about the same gear ratio. The two bikes have about the same top end speed. The frame structure is far stiffer on the Schwinn folder and although it is slower then a non-folding bike, longer rides can be done on it. It lacks the light weight portable design set-up of the A-bicycle but each one is fun to use. As with all bikes, each will have there own weaknesses and strengths.

The Bike after Three Years of Use.

Here is proof that with a bit of bit of TLC these bike designs types can withstand the test of time. This picture of the as of Oct. 11, 2012.  

Old Ideas Become new Again.

One of the last notes on this blog before starting something new. In the mid 1990's I was looking up the history of the bicycle design. One of the designs I noted was a bike designed in 1919 by Charles Haskell Clark and patented in 1921. Although the bike used a solid fixed frame and a shorter wheel base then the new age A-bike, it shared the same base design used in the newer folding A-bike has cashed in on. A bike that can be carried on to public transist without any problems.

It is great to see old ideas be reborn into new product designs to be used by the public.

2012 Bike Design Up-date.

The bike has been reduced in use since the last post but it is still alive a kicking! The overall design is still holding up with a a few signs wear. I still like the design and feel that with copy version of the bike is useable with a bit of TLC. Some small cracks have started on the front lower tube section on the upper areas by the frame locking sections. So far no problems has come from it but I will take a look at it early next year. I hope the people reading it this blog have a good idea how this bike design is holding up.

This is small crack starting on th front steering tube section.

Year mark since ordering the bike!

On this date late year, I ordered posted the drawing of "my" home built A-bike design on this site.The A-bicycle copy from the hobby shop in B.C. was ordered on Oct. 20, 2009. As noted in past blogs, I really like the bike. I has about 473 km on it now. I did some riding on it before the computer was put on so I figure I have about 500km on the bike. That was about the target range I had in mind when I got it on Nov. 3, 2009. It is a too bad this bike is not really promoted more since some of the people I have seen like the idea it uses.

Other then some passing notes starting next year about things happening to the bike as far a future wear and tear, this blog will go quiet. I hope that anyone looking at this web page will get some idea of how the bike is in terms of quality and long term use.

One Year mark coming on Oct. 20th.

I has been almost one year since I ordered the bike from the hobby shop in B.C. The bike has been working better then expected. In the time I have had it, it has come in handy for rides where I had use as my way home while my girlfriend had to go to work. We where on trips out of town and she had no time to drop me off at the apartment. The bike was the only way to get home. At times it was nice to get out on slower paced ride offered on my other bikes. I have listing of the things I both like and dislike on the design of the bike.

Likes

- Light weight frame, it makes it easy to carry around when not being ridden.
- Comfortable set-up, once the original factory seat was replaced.
- Good speed given the lower gear ratio.
- Easy to work on, I have taken it apart to fix a few things and I wanted to see how it worked!
- Overall it has held up to regular useage.*

Dislikes

- Low quality parts used that wore out too fast, namely, the pedals.
- Improper fit of some frame parts, example being the misaligned handlebar to front wheel assembly.
- Poor rear frame lock assembly. This needs to be looked at. This affects the opening of the bike.
- The rear bottom frame section. When the rear frame lock becomes loose, it comes out from the bottom frame section allowing over time develop a metal tear to start*. A hose clamp fixed this but this should not be happening. This not restricted to the copy version of the bike. The original versions have problem as well.
- Total lack of support for the product. There is no parts list or 1-800 help number to support any problems that can happen over time.

So even with these problems I enjoy using the bike. Having moved from a house into a apartment makes the folding design even stronger. It takes up a less space with a ful sized bike. Once you get used to the feel of the bike, it is very rideable, unlike some reviewers comments on it. It is a different feel to the ride due to the smaller wheels. I was disappointed to find it had the solid wheels but I have gotten used to them and for the most part, there are working out well.

The bike has now been ridden 450 km since last fall and feels as solid as the day I bought it. I was logging the rides of this bike along with my other rides and found out that it has been used 26 percent of the 2010 riding season. The average speed for this year on the A-cycle is 12.614 kph. The cruising speed is around 17 to 19 kph. Not too bad for a little wheeled bike. The gearing on the bike works well most of the time. I noted a bit on chain slip in the drive train. I think that the fine pitched 1/4 inch chain is sensitive the pressures of the riders pedaling. It happens on small hills ans when you start the bike from a dead stop when the pressure on the system is the greatest. Small adjustments on the rear wheel tensioners helps out to some degree.

I would recommend this bike for people doing short distance rides and fit the specs set buy the designers. Sadly, the biggest problem the bike has is the weight limit. Set at 185 lbs, many North American are too heavy for the bike. It is too bad that this design is not too well know because the people that I talked to really like the design. Buying it is a challenge since you have to hunt down places that will carry it.

Although I own this copy, I would recommend that you look into buying the original version that is supported by a warrenty. You get the on-line store to get replacement parts if needed. You are supporting the people that designed the bike in the first place. The biggest problem I see with the original is the price. It is about $500.00 to buy. Since there is not too much to the bike in terms of weight or size, many may look at alteratives but the quality models do cost you. You have to decide the model that will suit your budget. I was tight for money so buying a copy version was the best type for me. So far it has been holding up.

*- note1

Repaired frame section

Today, I bought a hose clamp to tighten up the damaged rear frame tube section. It works great! I test rode the bike from the apartment down to the downtown core and back, a 8 km ride. The bike felt very solid. A average speed of 14 kph was reached. I now trust the bike again. This was reached on areas that are a little hilly in areas. The designers of the bike really need to do their homework in thr design of this rear section of the frame. I figured out that I have had about 32 hours of riding time on the bike when this happened. This should not be happening! Anyways, I feel the bike lives up to it being a fine short range machine. I have gone as far as 9 km (5.5 miles) it with no problems other then the slow pace it provides.