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R: PHX, S: FEATURES, D: 10/05/2000, B: Leslie Robarge, A: >Bush was brutal, but the media - wanting to be fair and cowed by an ignorant public - pronounce him fit to serve,

Two-wheel origami

Will the folding bicycle catch on?

by Leslie Robarge

Riding a bike in the city is trickier than you think. Making sure your wheels don't get stolen is only one of the urban cyclist's troubles. Jammed subway cars and packed stairwells also make it nearly impossible to transport your bike without injuring someone (or yourself) in the process.

Enter the folding bicycle. Most are made with a lightweight material such as aluminum and are fitted with 20-inch wheels, making them easier to tote. They collapse with a couple of folds and clicks so you can stow them away in tight spaces or carry them with you.

According to Steedman Bass, owner of Somerville's folding-bike company Strida, the folding bike is popular in Japan and Europe, where space (or lack thereof) is a daily headache. Although the contraptions are catching on in New York City, most Americans aren't yet willing to ride something that looks a little quirkier than your average two-wheeler.

"Here in the US, you've got your SUVs and mountain bikes," Bass says. "Folding bikes don't exactly fit into the American psyche."

Each folding bike is different. Some have gears, some don't. Each brand collapses differently. Many online retailers, such as Island Hopper, sell fully geared folding bikes that cost between $189 and $350. Local retailers like International Bicycle Center in Brighton sell the more upscale Burley models, which range in price from $895 to $1199. Somerville's Ace Wheel Works sells the popular Birdy model for $1000. The Strida model sports an original design that has appeared in ID magazine; it starts at $395. Because the bikes are specialty items, you may not find many in stock, but local stores can help you order one from the manufacturer.

Bass says that folding-bike buyers are generally professionals and older city dwellers who use the bike to commute to work. But he admits it's not for everyone, and Ace Wheelworks' Memet Ozgoren agrees.

"It's kind of a cult of people who ride these bikes," Ozgoren says. "[Those who buy them] just want to be different. Some are just oddballs."

Stores mentioned in this article:

* International Bicycle Center, 89 Brighton Avenue, Brighton, (617) 783-5804

* Ace Wheel Works, 145 Elm Street, Somerville, (617) 776-2100; 480 Trapelo Road, Belmont, (617) 489-3577