Swissbike

Like a penknife, only with pedals

Product

Swissbike LX Special Edition.

Promise

The most rugged folding bike you can buy, they claim. But how does the Swissbike ride?

Performance

At first glance, there’s nothing out of the ordinary about it. Front shocks, disc brakes front and rear, 24-speed gear shift. It’s even got fat, 26” standard wheels. Take a closer look and you’ll notice the Swissbike folding system, which amounts to little more than a lever on the crossbar. Unlike other folding bikes, the Swissbike system uses the seating column as the hinge axis, which means they don’t need to cut through the frame structure. All this adds up to a rock-solid bike that withstands a lot of punishment. During our review we took the bike into every pothole we could find, and the ride was superb, with tight handling and good balance. The mechanism itself is simple to use: just one major fold and the front comes round to rest on the rear wheel, while you take the front wheel off completely to fit the bike into a 36” x 28” x 12” bag (supplied).

Verdict

Perfect for the serious mountain biker who wants to venture further afield, the small packing size combined with strong construction make this a really good model. At just shy of a grand, it’s entry-level for the range. Be aware of weight though: if you’re flying with the Swissbike or planning on carrying it long distances you might hit problems with limits; but it’s still a fair trade-off for the build quality.