Citizen Bike ALHAMBRA 3-speed Folding Cruiser Review

Since I started reviewing folding bikes, I’ve seen many many manufacturers discontinue their products and they completely disappear from the market. Fortunately, there are more persistent manufacturers and Citizen Bike is one of them. I bought the Citizen Bike ALHAMBRA 3-speed folding cruiser 3 years ago and this is still an attractive option until today.

Specifications & Features

• Color: Khaki
• Weight: 29 lbs
• Folded size: 32.5″ x 25.5″ x 16.5″
• Frame: alloy
• Front fork: steel
• Speeds: 3
• Gear inches: 60.1 ,44, 32.3
• Rear derailleur: Shimano Nexus 3-Speed internal hub system
• Handlebar: Alloy cruiser style with plush grips
• Stem: Adjustable in seconds with alloy quick release.
• Seatpost: Alloy, adjustable
• Saddle: Classic styled spring comfort saddle
• Chainwheel: 33T steel, 152mm alloy crank arms, includes double-sided chain guard.
• Pedals: Alloy, foldable
• Hubs: Alloy front and rear hubs
• Rims: 20″ alloy
• Tires: Kenda Kwest 20″ x 1.75″
• Brakes: Alloy V-brakes
• Fenders: Premium fenders with rubber mudflaps
• Kickstand: Installed center, alloy, adjustable length
• Suggested rider height: 5’0″ to 6’0″
• Maximum rider weight: 220 lbs
• Dropout Spacing: F/R 100/120mm
• Crankarm length: 152mm
• Length of Bike: 60 inches
• Chainring Teeth: 33
• Rear Sprocket Teeth: 14
• Saddle height: 27″ to 36.5″
• Wheelbase: 40″
• Seatpost/handlebar distance: 23.5″
• Minimum handlebar height: 38.5″
• Maximum handlebar height: 42″
• Pedal to saddle (min): 22.5″ – 23″
• Pedal to saddle (max): 32″

Image Gallery

Performance

The ALHAMBRA Citizen Bike is actually my first folding bike. After days of researching on Amazon and Google, I couldn’t find a better bike for the price. You might agree with me that the bike is just beautiful and it looks so different to folding bikes I’ve reviewed here. Citizen also has a female version of this bike, it is called Barcelona Citizen bike and it looks so gorgeous with a curved frame with low step-over design. The 2 bikes have almost the same specs, there are just a couple of differences like frame design and the ALHAMBRA doesn’t include a rear rack, so it is 2 lbs lighter.

What I love about the bike is its clean design and Citizen really cares about small details. Apart from the included mudguards, it is also equipped with chain guard and especially, the Shimano Nexus 3-Speed internal hub system which looks so compact and requires less maintenance.

Unfortunately, the bike is quite heavy and bulky in folded position. Folding and unfolding the bike requires some straps and it takes a lot more time and efforts to open or close the stem and frame hinges. Obviously, the folding mechanism is outdated and needs to be upgraded soon.

Basically, the Citizen bike has a clean design as some single-speed folding bikes like Dahon Speed Uno, moreover, it delivers a slightly better riding experience with the 3 gears. However, you shouldn’t expect a speedy ride because the Citizen bike is still on the heavy side. The bike is designed for upright riding posture and relaxing rides only.

Conclusion

Pros

• Attractive design
• Internal shifting system

Cons

• Folding/Unfolding is very slow
• Heavy and bulky

The Citizen Bike ALHAMBRA is my first folding bike but I don’t ride it much in the last few years because of its disadvantages in portability. I only recommend this bike if you really love the beautiful design.

Price: $399