Differences of 16" and 20" folding bike wheel size / Ask Me Anything

[@johnsonjohnson9915]

Bigger wheels 20" are more stable when riding on any kind of roads. Speeding is also another consideration for bigger wheels over 16" for long riding journey. Cost will also be the last factor of consideration. I rather spend less for similar functions and use the extra cash to upgrade or purchase another better bike as technology improves..

[@HengChooChian]

Definitely. 16” will never be the most comfortable folding bike but the folded size is where it shine

[@pchykins6680]

I tried both but 16" is dangerously twitchy on long descents...they're only great for flat city streets but they are slow unless you put a 60T crank and pedal like crazy to reach high speeds...they ride rough on cobbled streets and dirt roads...so 20" with multi speed is better.

[@fender1000100]

My Tern Verge X11 uses a 451 wheelset. Super stable like a full sized bike. Even beyond 30mph.

[@kamotipstv6980]

When it come to foldies. That does not matter much. What matters most is the availability of parts. What has more available parts

[@RickSanchez-st3mj]

really appreciate your video! i've been looking at getting a foldie for my own personal use and your answers were exactly what i was looking for. very informative. thanks again for sharing!

[@snowy2875]

I have both 16 and 20 inch. And I personally mod both bike into the same specs. I can't ride more than 3km with my 16 inch titanium. But I find riding over 5km non stop with my 20 inch is easy. The 16" is over 20 times the price of the 20 inch. Wasted so much money into this 16 inch is unworthy. Now the 16 inch in cold storage for good.

[@nafiimmjoe1065]

Still riding my Dahon Curve D3 16" Apple Schwable tyres for many3 years. Being around Malaysia just bring it along on the bus express compartment and space saving in my hotel room. Now adding Qiroll fraction for paddle assist. A happy rider 🙂

[@HengChooChian]

Sounds great!

[@marcfng9975]

@@HengChooChian , 16" feels like can skid easily as compared to 20 when taking narrow turn. Not as easy as bigger wheels when making such as maneuver

[@udinashori3550]

16” wheel is ideal size and indirectly have its own identity as foldie.20” wheel looks more or less like bmx.Only different higher seat and stem post.Gust using cromoly is right choice since there is no down tube and seat stay.Alu can’t flex but when bend, it stays so misaligment will occur.

[@HengChooChian]

Yeap you are right! That’s the reason why they can do it without seatstay

[@TheZalaran]

Wonderful to have on hand for little ones.

[@elizabethhamilton1166]

I've lived in two American cities and each of them requires a bicycle to have at 20'' wheels if the user wants to load it on the front of a metrobus. So you might want to remember that if you are planning on a multimodal commute!

[@HengChooChian]

Woah didnt knew that! What if the wheel is smaller than 20"? 16" or 14" for example? as I guess the rules is to eliminate big wheel size to take up space in public transport

[@FrameDrumAndFlute]

Yes, I've read that on the LA Metro site. However, I believe you can walk onto the bus with a folded 16" bike.

[@speedyjongman]

I got my fnhon freedom 16 alluminiun frame its lightweight compared to my champeei size 16 but im a fan of 16 inches frame fb.

[@daytriker]

There are a few Singapore companies either selling or building 20 inch tri-fold bikes now without going to titanium or carbon. Mobot/Camp Royale has a version & also Takachia. I know there are others also but these 2 brands appear to be well established. I tried contacting both companies for further information & Takachia responded within 12 hours & answered my questions. They have a 16 inch aluminum model with a claimed weight of 8.5 kg & a 20 inch Chromoly version with a claimed weight of 11.7 kg. A couple of surprises are both of these models weigh far less than a real Brompton & have better gearing & other components. With comparison to size, the 20 inch folded size is 6 cm taller & 5 cm longer than the 16 inch. Any chance you are within easy distance of AEZOOM Kallang Pudding Road & could do a review of this brand? Thank you.

[@davidhunternyc1]

Great video. If you owned a Brompton T-Line, would your rather have 16" wheels or 20" wheels on it? Yes, Brompton only makes 16" wheels but if you could get 20" wheels instead, would you?

[@shaun_seow]

I heard 20" wheels can withstand heavier riders like those weighing 90kg and above as their spokes are studier. Is this true? Sorry I am new to foldies and i am quite heavy. Want my first purchase to be spot on.

[@HengChooChian]

Yeappp 20” can withstand heavier rider compare to 16”. Usually it’s Rated at 100-110kg for brand like tern or Dahon but depends on model as well. 16” usually at 80-90kg weight limit

[@shaun_seow]

@@HengChooChian thks for answering..makes my decision easier

[@SingaporeUntold]

Not always. I would always check with the manufacturer. There are other things in play like the folding design. A lot to 16” are 110-120kg. I’ve even seen a 20” at 90kg. My wife’s sava z3😂

[@anthonychin1374]

Hi, enjoyed your reviews on bike's equipment and such. Currently my rear gear configuration is 13T,15T & 17T and my front Chain ring is 46T. If I wanna upgrade my chainring to more tooth, will it affect the ride quality or there is a ratio issue when changing gear. I'm kinda confused on some videos stating bigger chainring is better and other videos states small is the best setup. Like to know more on how to calculate the ratio given on my instances stated earlier. BTW I am using a trifold bicycle. Tks

[@theonlyhal]

Hi, can i know whether is it possible to use smaller wheels, rims on my current 20" rims foldie?

[@alanyap]

Thanks for the detailed explanation. Ride soon!

[@HengChooChian]

🤞🏿🤞🏿🤘🏿

[@95lovi]

I’d like to install 20 inch wheels with Schwalbe Big Apple 2.0 tyres.They would be beefier and give a more off-road look and feeling. So looking for triangle and fork for these tyres and wheels.

[@sohbukhuat9227]

Why is there no numbering on the Dahon K3 plus gears. How do I know which gear I am riding on? Thanks

[@fender1000100]

Instinct baby.

[@kurui1984]

Hello, i saw some carbon fiber folding bikes like sava z1 and java Aria. How are they compared to the Aluminum folding bikes?

[@HengChooChian]

I think with today carbon fiber tech it should be good enough. Usually not the mainstream material for folding bike as carbon fiber are well known for stiffness which help in riding fast.

[@SingaporeUntold]

If you crash a CF bike it may be totaled if it cracks. Aluminum will bend. So depends how accident prone you are. Aluminum needs to be a traditional tube shape. CF can be molded into more aero design so if it’s top speed and lightness then go CF and pay the CF tax lol

[@mohammednabil964]

Bro is hito X6 or Java Zelo v2 better?

[@HengChooChian]

I don't have a chance to try on both bike so I'm not in the position to comment. However Java do have a stronger brand compare to hito.

[@bond281283]

In terms of height, is 16" wheels suitable for an male adult with 1.73 m?

[@john23del]

20" would be good for that height

[@javierteo8510]

Hey, may I get your opinion please, am looking into getting my first foldie. Should I dive straight into Brompton? Or pikes first?

[@HengChooChian]

If you have the budget for Brompton, by all means. Since the second hand value sustain very well and if you don’t like it can just sell off easily. But if budget is an issue pikes will be a good alternative to start with.

[@direxxion]

Hi what mic are u holding on to? Thank u

[@HengChooChian]

Hi, I’m using saramonic blink 500

[@weekdaycycling]

What's about the performance of a 14" compared to a 16" folding bike? For example K3 and K3 plus. I'm quite interested in K3.

[@HengChooChian]

I will say 14" will be too small. Also do note that K3 come with 3 speeds only which will be a problem when you stay at hilly area.

[@nikshaqil293]

Nice vid! Do you have any clue whats the pros and cons of spoke rim/sport rim?

[@HengChooChian]

I will always go for spoke rim as I like the flexibility and also the traditional look of it.

[@nikshaqil293]

@@HengChooChian Thanks man! Helps a lot in my decision 😊

[@gilberthuat372]

hi Heng, please advise : what type of ebike best / specs for me to cycle on city road n hill , commute by public transports n by RV. TQ

[@HengChooChian]

Hi, if you have a decent budget, Brompton é-bike is your best bet as you need your bike to be compact enough to be board in public transport

[@z33zyum-fi4ib]

Hello sir im just inquire about sa size of folding because im 5’10” what is the ideal size for me

[@oscartan1906]

Hi, which brand would you recommend for first timer? 3sixty, pikes or fnhon.

[@HengChooChian]

3sixty and pikes are pretty similar while gust are very different. I think for beginner I will recommend pikes as the riding posture are much more relax and almost maintainance free

[@mythsiprototype1739]

@@HengChooChian why is it different?

[@zuhairzulkifly4395]

Please make video comparing 20" and 24" folding too.

[@HengChooChian]

Heyyy would like to if I able to get my hand on 24” folding bike. Haven’t rode that so I’m not sure how to compare

[@imhravestyler]

Hi boss, what is the difference between a 20inch and 22inch then?

[@HengChooChian]

Main diff is the tires max width. 20” (406) use a wider tire like mtb while 22” (451) use a narrow tire like road bike

[@onijnc]

what is ur opinion on few hundred folding bike? good to ride?

[@HengChooChian]

I wouldn’t say those will be good to ride as usually they are using very outdated specs and clamp. It’s rideable but usually they suffer from flexing due to folding bike design and also creaking due to less surface on their clamp

[@TotoTortoiseNFriends]

my opinion 20 inch is the sweet spot of the bicycle. But too comfortable made the bike feel boring as well.

[@HengChooChian]

In terms of riding experience yes 20" is the sweet spot. But in terms of portability, im willing to compromise for 16".

[@Philipcs]

Don’t forget the Storm also.

[@yazidyusop]

what can u do to increase stability, handling and less twitchiness for a foldie

[@HengChooChian]

There’s no way you can reach the stability of a full size bike due to the design of a Foldie. The only folding bike that comparable with full size bike stability will be Pacific Reach but it does come with a cost. Some rider use a T shape handlepost and add a specific stem to further the handlebar but that’s just slightly improvement but won’t be significant.

[@SingaporeUntold]

2 hands 🤣

[@mrmrjims3865]

how about 14 inch? Aren't they better than 16 inch?

[@HengChooChian]

They do have their market but I will say /16 is the sweet spot for adult. 14” might be too small for regular adult and also it’s less common. A few limitation too which you won’t be able to have regular derailleur due to the ground clearance are much lesser. Usually it come with 3 speeds

[@赵秀华-e4j]

对一个刚入门的你会建议买什么样等级的自行车。

[@HengChooChian]

大概马币2000的脚踏车就好了， 可以看看这个影片 kzbin.info/www/bejne/j6bMlKZjhdBnmKs

[@gonzalogarcia7435]

Hello tern or brompthon????

[@HengChooChian]

It depends on your usage as both have pros and cons.

[@gonzalogarcia7435]

@@HengChooChian is really the brompthon a eternal bike?????

[@Braderzul]

Hi bro, thanks for the explanations... really benefit me. ✌😎

[@HengChooChian]

Glad to hear that

[@fender1000100]

Just get a TERN VERGE X RANGE. X10,X11,X18,X20,. Best folding bikes of ALLTIME.

[@fabianeng8605]

You never mentioned about hill climbs using 16" and 20". Could you share your knowledge I understand the 20" wheel covers 25% extra distance per wheel rotation. I noticed on other youtube videos it is hard to climb hills using 16" tyre bikes ( such as m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/kIOtd2loqKlgq5o and m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/kIeQXnaLa86Ne7s ). Yet I saw a Brompton rider as part of a road bike group on saturday morning riding along Upper Thompson Road where there are a few hills (but dont know whether he came down to push his bikes when he encountered the steepest hills but I saw a 20" biker and a road (29") biker (or maybe a mountain biker) pushing up a not so steep hill along the stretch of Upper Thompson Road). What are your experiences climbing hills using 16" bikes? Personally I did not have problems climbing hills using a heavy 20" foldable (>15kg) along the main roads surrounding the three central reservoirs (Mandai, Sembawang/Upper Thompson ( a few hills) , Thompson (a few hills) , Leonie, Adam, Dunearn, Bukit Timah, Upper Bukit Timah (Hume Area, Beauty World area)) , Woodlands). I avoided the stretch with more long hills along Mandai towards Sembawang Road and used old Mandai Road beside Seletar Reservoir .I do not have a 16" bike and is considering puting one in my car. Thanks.

[@HengChooChian]

Apologies as I’m not familiar with Singapore route. While I did climb quite abit here in Malaysia, with both 20” and 16”. If it’s for speed, then for sure 20” will be faster. But if you are not racing, 16” will be easier to get lower gear which can help you to maintain lighter gear to climb. Slower but you will be able to reach the peak without having bad fatigue

[@fabianeng8605]

@@HengChooChian Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Just wondering whether you could share more? Wondering how heavy are your 16" and 20" bikes? How many teeth are there on your rear gear 1 for both bikes? How many teeth are there in front for both bikes ( I presume only got one ring )? Thanks.

[@freemantan3554]

hi I stay in upp Thomson area and happen to own brompton 16inch, and tern and dahon 20inch. i would say all include brompton 6 speeds can claim hills in this and most areas in sg quite easily. brompton and tern almost the same effort but dahon (higher end model) done it much better.

[@douglaslin5469]

@@freemantan3554 And maybe the Brompton had a bag on the front, with a battery in it powering the front hub motor! Not always easy to pick up that a bike is powered if the frame looks that same as a non powered bike.

[@Philipcs]

Both also must have! Haha

[@HengChooChian]

Choice is for the kids, adult want it all! 😂

[@jaeatinerary1220]

20" suitable for long ride 16" suitable for bimodal or mrt

[@HengChooChian]

Yeapp. You are right 👍🏿

[@PhuongNguyen-yd9kg]

i expected see a real bike not his face

[@stuckinamomentt]

I didn't come here to see your face for 6 mins straight. show the bikes man!

[@johnericsusi4265]

First