Size is a key aspect for Wren Bicycles. We realised that many people were choosing to buy fold up bikes because their size makes them convenient, not because they fold up – but because they have small wheels, small frames and low step through cross bars – making them ideal for smaller cyclists. We discovered that many cyclists using fold-bikes rarely even folded them up.
Surprisingly there are very few options for small bike that don’t fold up – mostly European designs and some rather expensive British options. The trouble with the cheaper variety of fold up bikes, and for that matter, cheap bikes in general is that they simply don’t stand the test of time – within a year or so you are having to spend the price of the bicycle again just on repairs and replacements. This can be especially time consuming and expensive if you are unable to make these repairs yourself and have to visit you local bike shop every time you have a problem.
At Wren Bicycles we developed a simple step though frame with a low seat pillar to allow even the most ‘vertically challenged’ of cyclist to ride the bike without problems. A big challenge with the popular Dutch city bike is they are so large and unwieldy, the seats can’t be positioned low enough for a lot of cyclists to even reach the pedals. Yes, the Dutch are a notoriously tall nation so it make sense that Dutch style bike won’t be right for everyone in the UK. We have a friend in Amsterdam who complains she simply can’t buy a bike over there that will fit her (she’s not a native).
One final point on the Dutch is not only that the landscape is famously flat, but the cities are designed around the cyclist with plenty of room to get though traffic, and communal space provided to store bicycles safely outdoors. In British cities such as London we have quite the opposite situation, which is why we felt a new small wheel by Wren Bicycles was needed – to get though small spaces in traffic and to get in and out of your flat or place of work the end of the day.