A brief review on Mobiky Genius

[Guest]

Hi Capt ! how is your mobiky holding up ? .. there are A LOT of joints.
Any reviews / comments ?

[Captain Spalding]

Hi Capt ! how is your mobiky holding up ? .. there are A LOT of joints.
Any reviews / comments ?

It's holding up well.

The plusses:
Really well made. Folds quickly, and in several stages. Rolls, steers, brakes while folded without me having to bear any of the bike's weight. It has a unique kickstand that can be used with the bike open or folded. I have used it as transportation on a movie studio lot. I park my car in the parking structure, pull the bike out and unfold, and then ride to the elevator. If the timing is such that the elevator door is open when I get to it, I can slow, dismount, fold, and walk into the elevator without ever coming to a complete stop (which always elicits oohs and aahs from pedestrians.) It has a really small folded footprint. When I was looking for a "sub-compact" folder, I considered it along side the Strida, which I rejected mostly because I wanted gears. I bought it without having ever seen one in person, and haven't regretted it.

The minuses:
It seems heavy for what it is (the price for being so well made, I suppose.) The weight is offset by the convenience of rolling it, I think. I only lift it for stairs or to put it in the car. The reach is a little close, which makes it tough to stand on the pedals. I'm thinking about some bar ends to improve that. If you have a rear flat, it takes a bit of time and lots of tools to change it. Swiss-Army-Knife type tools aren't up to the job. The tubes are hard to find, so better order some before you need them, or you'll be without a bike until you get them. (When I whined about this, Mobiky customer service sent me 4 tubes gratis.) Beyond swapping out the seat, don't plan on being able to modify it too much.

The ride is great. Very nimble. Shifts briskly. It doesn't ride like a big bike, but it doesn't feel like a toy either. It's fun to ride, and inspires confidence rather than wariness in spite of its size and the small wheels. Predictably, the 12" wheels are easily stymied by debris on the road. It's a great option for multimode commuting. I can take it down the escalator of the train station on the same tread of the escalator as I'm standing on (unless the goons are watching, and then I have to wait for the elevator. )

If you don't see yourself folding the bike very much, there are probably better choices. Likewise, if you've been considering a Strida because you envision putting the bike in the overhead luggage rack on a bus or train, go with the Strida. This little beast is just a bit too heavy to be doing that all the time. Beyond that, for any use that you'd put a Strida to, I think this is a superior choice.

If you have any more specific questions, I'll be pleased to answer them.

[marcandsebe]

That's a good review. What do you pump the tyre pressure up to? I have been thinking of getting one of these, as I like the compactness. I have the 6" wheel Sinclair A Bike, so this has to be better with 12" ones. I actually have 3 bikes, 2 folders (A Bike & Dahon Mariner of the early 90's) and a full suspension Marin.

[marcandsebe]

Just picked up a used Mobiky Genius today. Had to get the stand to work, pump up the tyres, adjust the brakes and set up the gears before my first ride. I must say its reasonably heavy, but is very well built and the quality shows in the final product. My first cycle down the road was a bit wobbly at the start, but once I had been riding for 5 minutes, I was fine. In some ways it feels like the Sincair A Bike in the way it steers, which is due to the small wheels. I have read that the brakes were not very good and I would agree that the rear band brake is not up to the task, but the front disc more than makes up for it. The way it folds is amazing. I paid £250 with bag and lock and think it was a great buy.