There is a pretty new company to the folder line up, Abio. This company is based out of New York City and has produced two different folder models since 2007. We will soon be previewing their belt drive, Verdion. I have a soft spot in my heart for their shaft drive, Penza, bike due to the purple color.
These unique bikes are one of a kind in the United States and I hope will catch much attention as I’m riding it around or posting photos online. The thought of a chainless, folder with no derailleurs to bother with or maybe twist up and no chains to grease up, well it feels very free to me. As a bike mechanic I’m always worrying about my commuter bike especially while transporting it in cars, buses or flying.
A few things that really stuck out to me on the design of both their models so far:
- Internally routed cables for less wear and tear.
- Snappy full size folding pedals
- Quiet! The internal hub and belt drive provide a very quiet ride
I’ll be commuting on this bike for the next couple weeks and will be documenting the experience!
Tags: abio, folding bike
The Big Wheeled Ballyhoo 
April 11, 2009 at 2:20 pm |
Hi, I’m writing from Madrid, Spain, i’m a little bit surprised by the similarity (identity rather?) between the Abio Penza and the European Beixo. You can check what I say in this link: http://www.beixo.com. Do you know if Abio Penza is made under Beixo license or is it the opposite? I wonder why there isn’t any information about this fact neither in Beixo web nor in Abio’s. Enterprise policy?
¡Gracias!