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Tern Bicycles Create a Folding Bike Embraced by Transportation Systems

Written by Peter Suciu
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Folding bikes make for convenient movement through cities.

For growers who really want to be anonymous, and like a little exercise, nothing beats a bicycle. Of course, most cities are big enough to require some sort of bike-transit hybrid to complete your journey. And not all cities are civil if you want to ride a bus or train with your bike.

Taiwanese urban transport specialist Tern Bicycles has come up with a solution, and recently announced a partnership with the Stuttgart Tran-sit Authority that could serve as a model for other cities: exemptions for folding bikes, which don’t take up much room.

“The trick to taking a bike on board a train has been creating something compact,” says Steve Boyd, Tern’s general manager. “On many transit systems, folding bikes can go 24/7, making these a much more convenient tool.”

Tern has also realized that while one-size-fits-all may be good for transit systems, it isn’t so good for riders who expect a lot more choice.

“We pride ourselves in having something for everyone,” he says. “We have bikes that begin just over $400 and go upwards from there.” This in-cludes the new Eclipse X20 Pirate Ninja ($2,200 ternbicycles.com), which features a 20-speed drivetrain along with lightweight 24-inch wheels that are built for speed. The bike can also do its transforming fold in just 10 seconds, ensuring that riders can get off their bikes and on the train — and vice versa — in a snap.