I called those fold up bike commuters show offs for two years, then I tried one from Ballard to downtown Seattle

Pat Sanchez · 2026-10-10T13:25:04.41822+00:00

I ride the 40 bus from Ballard into downtown Seattle every morning and for two years I rolled my eyes at the fold up bike crowd. Those little wheels looked silly, the riders all had that smug gear nerd look, and I figured it was a $1,500 way to look cool while still getting sweaty. Then a coworker let me borrow hers for a week back in March when my bus route got cut to every 25 minutes. My door to door time went from 45 minutes to 28, and the best part is I never once stood in the rain waiting on a late bus. The fold takes about 15 seconds once you get the hang of it, and it fits under my desk so nobody in the office cares. I bought a used one off Craigslist for $400 and I have put maybe 200 miles on it since. The hills around Queen Anne still wreck me, but I just walk it up the steep part. Anyone else here switch over after years of thinking it was a gimmick? What made you finally try it?

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I called those fold up bike commuters show offs for two years, then I tried one from Ballard to downtown Seattle | Commuter Conversations - Chatter Central