June 2- 8, 2005

mixpicks

Know When to Fold 'Em

by Brian Howard

wheels up

Folding bikes, or folders, look kind of like toys. When they're in riding mode, they've got those little wheels that are just barely bigger than the chainring. The long seat posts. And giraffe-like stems. And when they're folded up, oh, when they're folded up, they're just adorable. Like bikes sucked suddenly into a vacuum. They're the Transformers of vehicle world.

But much like Autobots and Deceptacons, there's more to these little marvels.

Think of them as the antidote to Bic pen-wielding, U-lock-rocking bike thieves. Because they fold up to the size of carry-on baggage, they never need be locked up outside. Take them into the office; leave them at the coat check of your favorite club; bring them inside with you and snuggle up with them as you sleep. Since the little buggers rarely leave their masters' sides, says Michael McGettigan, proprietor of West Philadelphia's Trophy Bikes and organizer of this weekend's third annual Round UP USA Compact/Folding Bike Festival, "an inordinate amount of people name their folders."

McGettigan, the proud owner of his own folder (which he's named Twells after obscure British cycling writer Twells Brex, natch), says folders have come a long way from being mere curiosities. "There are some that outperform full-sized bikes," he says. "A small wheel gets moving faster than a big wheel, and they're more maneuverable."

But you don't have to take his word for it. The three-day festival, coinciding with the Wachovia USPRO and Liberty Classic races this weekend, will bring folder enthusiasts and manufacturers from the world over. It will also feature the debuts of three new bikes, including the Swift XOOTR, a collaboration between New York bike designer Peter Reich and Wharton professor Karl Ulrich, who met up at last year's Round UP.

McGettigan's shop will be the festival hub, but many events will involve getting out and around. On Saturday (6:45 a.m.) and Sunday (8:30 a.m.), the folder brigade will be at the Art Museum for the Wachovia time trials and race start, respectively, and Sunday noon will feature a "fast-fold showdown" on the museum steps to see who can "fold, walk, unfold and ride" their contraption the quickest.

Round UP USA, Fri.-Sun., June 3-5, 3131 Walnut St., 215-222-2020, free. For a full schedule, visit www.trophybikes.com.