i-Ped 20 Inch Folding Bike
i-Ped 20 6-speed folding bike gives you an instant ride anywhere! Travels in the trunk and stores in the closet! The folding i-Ped goes wherever you need it and is ready to ride in less than 14 seconds! Live in an apartment, dorm room, condo or other place with no space? Don't want to hassle and risk locking your bike to a rack? This i-Ped is for you! It folds down to 34 x 12 x 22 in just 14 seconds to tuck neatly in the back seat or trunk of your car, SUV or RV. You can even take it on the bus! The frame, handlebars and wheels are crafted from sturdy steel for years of use and it has a quality 6-speed Shimano gear component. Also has front and rear brakes, kick stand, adjustable rear shock for a smooth ride, extra soft seat with adjustable height, safety reflectors and encased pedals. Not intended for children under 13 years of age.
*Note that I ordered this directly from the Heartland of America website.
I am 20 year old male of 210lbs and about 5'6. This has been my first bike in over 7 years and I didn't feel like spending much for a short commute to campus. I enjoy horseback riding, walking along my private beach, cruising the coast of California on my Yacht, and write romance novels...lol no, anyways.
-The bike was ordered on 04/23/10 and it arrived in a large cardboard box on 04/29/10. Inside the box, it had been securely packaged, the only problems was that the chain was loose and it requires a 6 and 8mm hex tool and 15mm wrench for the pedals which were not included. It took about 10mins of fidgeting to get it aligned and I already had the necessary tools needed. Wheel reflectors might also be loose, push them toward the wheels to secure them.
-Unfolding the bike and setting it up is quite easy. Unfolding it and storing it is more difficult. See that hoop at the bottom of frame? That is the leg in which keeps the bike leveled to the ground when folded and it is small. You also have half the bike to the side with no way securing the fold together except by having the front wheel act as another leg.
-The steering pole is difficult to insert into the socket, as the cables were a tad bit too short. I had to release the front braking cable to just insert the pole.
The only other problems with the bike are the stiff saddle and horrible handles that press hard into a naked hand. Finally, all nuts, bolts, and screws are pretty tight. I had damaged the screw securing the Shimano gear shifter when I tried to rearrange it. It also comes with a small bell that requires a manual cocking action to strike it. Similar to that of cocking a pistol hammer. I took it off right away.
-The bike is approximately 30-33lbs. It's bulky when folded, yet it can most likely be placed at the corner, end of a hallway, etc.
-The curve piece on the frame is a handle/security loop (Well, I use that way). U-Locks and Chains are fine, I haven't tried a cable of any sort as of yet.
-The middle of the bike is the only folding mechanism beside the kick stand and quick release of the seats and steering bar. The steering bar is dependent of a screw mechanism for turning the handle bar for a narrow storage.
-The bike is produced by YTO, Distributed by Strokin' LLC and was Produced in Mar 2010. I thought this might help, who knows?
-What you definitely need if you are 210lbs or more are:
"A New saddle or Seat Pad Cover (Seat Cover for me.)", "Gloves", "A Bike Tool", "15mm wrench", "Tire Pump", and finally a "Tire Gauge".
-What is possible to add is a "front fender and a seat pole rear fender". Also a "seat pole rack". If you aren't willing to get a rack, Velcro is your friend. The Velcro Reusable Self-Gripping Cable Ties can candle holding a small water bottle, a small tire pump, and bike tools. Also, there are no hardpoints for water bottle cages.
-So far, I have ridden this bike for trips less than 2 miles and have no problems. I use the Metro Buses, and it can be placed on the rack easily. I however found it quite difficult to fold the bike and bring it inside to bus. End of Review. -- Straight from Heartland
