I’ve recently tested a Stowabike bike with 26-inch wheels, that’s actually a folding mountain bike so it’s quite heavy and bulky. Stowabike released another folding bike which is a lot more compact, let’s check out the Stowabike 20″ Folding City V2 Compact Bike.
Specifications & Features
- Colors: Black, White
- Weight: 34.1 lbs
- Folded dimensions: 36″ x 24.2″ x 10″
- Full dimensions: 60.2″ x 35.8″ x 25.6″
- Speeds: 6
- Frame: Steel
- Fork: Steel
- Shifter: Microshift 6-speed grip shifter
- Rear Derailleur: Shimano RD-TZ50 6-speed
- Rims: 20″ single wall
- Accessories: rear rack, steel mudguards and kickstand included
- Tyres: 20 x 1.75″
- Pedals: YH-8X with With CPSC Reflectors
- Chainset: 3/32″ X 46T Steel Chainring, Steel Cranks CP and Clear Single Chainguard
- Brakes: steel V-Brakes
- Handlebar: 560mm Low rise Handlebar
- Grips: Black rubber
- Maximum rider’s weight: 220 lbs
Product Images
Performance
I used to think that the Schwinn Loop is the heaviest folding bike with 20-inch wheels, however, the Stowabike is even 2 lbs heavier. They both are using steel frame but obviously Stowabike didn’t optimize their bike enough to make it more portable. You get what you pay for, so you shouldn’t expect too much when buying the Stowabike City.
The folded size of this bike is quite big because the handlepost can’t be folded down like other bikes. Besides, you can’t roll the bike in folded position. Even carrying the bike with hands is tiresome because there is no mechanism to secure the 2 wheels, the wheels will fall apart as soon as you lift the bicycle. Therefore, I really don’t recommend this bike if you are looking for a compact and lightweight solution.
The folding mechanism is similar to that on the Schwinn Loop, except that the handlepost is fixed. The frame lock is also the same and I really hate this lock because it requires more efforts to fold and unfold the bike. It looks ugly and unreliable in my opinion.
On the other side, there are some advantages that are attractive to many riders. The Stowabike is equipped with all essential accessories like a kickstand, mudguards and a rear rack.
The riding experience on this bicycle is not terrible as I thought. It is a slow and heavy bike but it’s totally fine for short distances. Shifting gears is also smooth and helpful when you ride on uneven roads.
Notably, this is probably the cheapest folding bike on the market. You can have it for just over $100 with free shipping, this is really amazing because most folding bikes cost at least $300.
Conclusion
Pros
- Incredibly cheap
- Good rides
- Accessories are included
Cons
- Heavy and bulky
- Cheap components
The price is clearly the competitive advantage of the Stowabike City folding bike, you will hardly be able to find a cheaper folder at the moment. The bike has some serious limitations but it works fine if you can accept them.
Buy Stowabike 20″ Folding City V2 Compact Bike on Amazon
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