Paikesi

My first folding bike, bought new from a bike store in Makati, Philippines for a mere $503.92USD in 2024. It's a clone of a popular folding bike, the Brompton, which sells for around $1800 to $3500 new.

I bought it primarily for this "shopping cart" mode. I regularly ride mine to the nearby supermarket, with a basket mounted to the front to carry groceries. It turns heads almost every single time I go there.

It has a number of difference from Bromptons, including one advantage you can see in the above photo - the "shopping cart" mode can be done by folding just the rear wheel inward.. Bromptons require an additional fold of the front wheel, because the unfolded front wheel collides with the rear wheel.

The company is Indonesian, but their website doesn't seem to have this bike listed anymore. It appears to be a popular bike in the Philippines, where there are many reviews, and a Facebook group.

Parts and specs

Drivetrain

The chainring is 5 bolts in a 130mm bolt circle diameter, or 130BCD. Originally came with 45T chainring, which I've since swapped to 38T to make hill climbing easier, but also reduces my top speed.

Has a Sturmey Archer SRF3 internal gear hub , controlled by thumb shifter on right handle:

• Gear 1 75%
• Gear 2 100%
• Gear 3 133%
• Weight: 970g

Also has 15T and 13T sprockets attached to the gear hub, controlled by shifter on left handle.

This person put a Sturmey Archer 5 speed internal gear hub on their Pikes. Weighs 1950g, so adds 1kg of weight.

This video might be useful to me later if I want to increase gearing.

Wheels

Like Brompton, it has 16" wheels. Brompton website recommends pressure between 65 and 100 PSI, so I have mine at around 80 PSI. There is debate around what pressure is ideal, but I don't understand it all.

Unlike Brompton, I have to use bike tubes with long valves. Standard Brompton tubes have short valves that I can't get an air pump onto.

The rear wheel fork has a space for a plastic pump, but I've removed this pump because it doesn't work very well.

Removing the rear wheel is complex because of the internal gear hub. My local bike shop charges me $40USD to remove the wheel and replace the tube, not including the cost of the tube.

Upgrade culture

Bromptons and Brompton-clones have a thriving and active community of aftermarket parts.

I have 64mm rollerblade wheels installed on the back of mine. They were extremely affordable and easy to install.

This 2019 forum thread seems to have lots of info