Folds Up! Folding Bike Ride and Festival

[See the calendar for a complete list of upcoming events!]

THE RIDE

WHAT:  A leisurely 10-mile ride through Manhattan and Brooklyn showcasing folding bicycles. (But all types of bikes are welcome, as long as their riders are folding-curious!)

WHERE:  Start location: West 23rd Street on the Hudson River Greenway, Manhattan. End location: Stuyvesant Cove Park, East 23rd Street at the East River, Manhattan.

WHEN:  2 p.m., Saturday, May 19, 2012
Optional meeting at 1:00 at Bethesda Terrace, Central Park, to cheer on the small-wheeled bike race and ride to Folds Up!

THE FESTIVAL

WHAT:  Learn all about folding bicycles, and see and try out different models, with special guest demo by the inventor of Swift Folder, a long-time supporter of TIME’S UP.

WHERE:  Stuyvesant Cove Park (East 23rd Street at the East River)

WHEN:  4 p.m., after the bike ride, Saturday, May 19, 2012

BOTH RIDE AND FESTIVAL ARE FREE TO ALL!

Think you can’t fit a(nother) bike into your apartment? Think again! Learn about all different makes and models of folding bikes, including New York’s own Swift Folder as well as classic folders, electric folders, porta-trike folding tricycles, and more.

Test ride all kinds of makes and models and talk to expert users and even bike builders such as Swift Folder. We’ll have demonstrations of folding bikes and space for test rides. Here is a partial list of Folding Bikes we will have at the festival: Brompton, Swift Folder, Dahon, Strida, Moulton, Bike Friday and more! Peter Reich of Swift Folder and other bike builders and dealers will discuss and demo various models at this outdoor event. Questions are welcome.

This ride is for bicycles, skates, skateboards, scooters or anything else that moves without polluting the air. This leisurely tour will take in sights in Manhattan and Brooklyn while enjoying the benefits and promoting the use of folding bikes. We’ll roll together through greenways, across bridges, and along city streets, trading tips and tales of folding successes.

  Folding bikes old and new. From left to right: A Downtube (with a Bike Friday), and an Italian “Safari” from the 1970s.

You got to know when to hold ’em … Know when to fold ’em …
Know when to roll away… Know when to bike …

PHOTOS AND VIDEO FROM PAST RIDES:

2009 ride photos by Pedal Powered Pete

2003 photos by John aka Fixer3

2002 photos by John aka Fixer3

2001 photos by John aka Fixer3