Nothing but positives
I've been mulling the idea of owning a "full" size folding bike for a while. Not a lot of companies make them(or bike shops that carry them to just sit on). I was skeptical that they were actually full size in every way. I corresponded with Bob at Flatbike numerous times with a lot of questions. He responded quickly every time and after all my concerns were alleviated I ordered the 809 street mtn. So put a check next to customer service. It really is not hard to fold and unfold, quite easy in fact. Now I only took it out for a quick 5 mi ride so far. In the Northeast, December bike riding isn't all that pleasant. So I will update this review when I use the bike more often. But I will say that it feels as solid as any other bike. No looseness in the frame where it folds. The bike really is full size and rides like it. For those not aware, most folding bike companies use really small wheels to make the folded bike take up less room. Not at Flatbike. That might be okay for city commuting, but not what you want for most recreational riding. I wish there was a way to download pics to this review. I wanted to show the bike folded in the trunk of my Accord just to give a visual. Ok, only after clicking submit it asked if I wanted to upload photos. I did but I see it was only for a profile pic. Sure, it fits in there quite comfortably. But if you're someone like me that likes to keep 3 totes full of junk in there, you're going to have to make some choices. I plan on leaving the bike in my trunk about 8 months a year. For me that was the whole reason behind making this purchase. To have instant access to bike riding at any time. For this the folding bike is indispensable and I feel it's going to be well worth it in the long run. I encourage people to look into a folding bike so that riding isn't just relegated to the weekends. If you are an older runner like myself, this is the perfect supplement for that after work cardio in the park. I'm banking on this. One little tip I'll give. At least once a year I manage to open my trunk by accident with the key fob in my pocket. The first thing I bought was a bike chain to secure the bike inside my trunk. These bikes are not inexpensive so it gives me piece of mind if nothing else. And maybe it will do the same for you. So, like I said I'll give an update in 2023 regarding how the bike is holding up, etc. But for now everything is a positive.