New Year weight loss plans ???

"Grumman-581" wrote in message ...
".Blueskies." wrote in message
t...
The next question will be "Doesn't *anyone* make a car in the USA
anymore?"

Nawh... "Which is more patriotic, buying a Toyota made in the US or a Dodge
made in Mexico?"



A Chevy built in Canada...

Mark wrote:
A couple options:

www.bikefriday.com
www.dahon.com

I have had my Dahon for a while, still love it but might get me a
Hummer or a Montage because my daughters are embarassed to ride along
side daddy on a Dahon. To them it looks like a kiddie bike. :^)

The Monk

Jay Honeck wrote:
Hey Mark -- does your company make a decent (and affordable) folding bike
for pilots?


I've thought about it many times, but haven't moved forward on it
(yet). A folding titanium bike would be a very, very narrow niche
market


It's not just for pilots. I've often thought that the bike manufacturers
have under-estimated the size of the folding bike market.

As with LED spotlights, battery powered air compressors, and those
"instant-jump-start" thingies, when a product becomes affordable, it
suddenly becomes a "necessity" -- and the market simply explodes.

Every one of the items I mentioned above were unaffordable -- or
unavailable -- just a few years ago. Now, they have become "standard
equipment" in each of my cars.

If marketed as a convenience, or even as a safety device ("Never get
stranded again!") I believe that an affordable folding bike could become the
next "gotta have" thing for the general population -- not just pilots.
I think marketing is really needed here. How about, "To far from the
(Metro, Subway, Bus) to commute, but hate driving in to the city"?
"Tired of paying high parking fees?" "Zip along in our NEW folding bike.
This bike folds down and fits into this simple, carry-on bag ..."

Now we have a market!

Margy

"Margy" wrote

How about, "To far from the (Metro, Subway, Bus) to commute, but hate
driving in to the city"? "Tired of paying high parking fees?" "Zip along
in our NEW folding bike. This bike folds down and fits into this simple,
carry-on bag ..."

Now we have a market!

There you go! Sounds like you could make yourself "indispensable" in an
advertising company.

Are you branching out? g
--
Jim in NC

Jay Honeck wrote:

If marketed as a convenience, or even as a safety device ("Never get
stranded again!") I believe that an affordable folding bike could become the
next "gotta have" thing for the general population -- not just pilots.

agreed; what I have been looking for for a while now
is actually a road worthy, i.e., street legal, not
toys, foldable scooter (I have bad legs, I need an
engine), not only when flying, but something I could
have in the truck of the car at all time (again, can't
walk far, and getting stuck in the middle of nowhere,
where Murphy's law demands lack of cell phone coverage,
is something I kindof dread);

The one thing I found so far that would fit the bill quite
nicely, except may be for its 50cc which seems a bit weak,
especially since it would not be considered a mopped in
California anyway, is the Italian built Di Blasi:

http://www.diblasi.it/Folding_Scoote...rodotto&Lng=En

The snag is though that they are not cheap by a long shot -- note:
I am not connected to this company in any way, just wish I could be
as a customer :-))

anyone out there knows this bike, i.e., has actually tried it?

--Sylvain

Sylvain wrote:
Jay Honeck wrote:

If marketed as a convenience, or even as a safety device ("Never get
stranded again!") I believe that an affordable folding bike could
become the next "gotta have" thing for the general population -- not
just pilots.


agreed; what I have been looking for for a while now
is actually a road worthy, i.e., street legal, not
toys, foldable scooter (I have bad legs, I need an
engine), not only when flying, but something I could
have in the truck of the car at all time (again, can't
walk far, and getting stuck in the middle of nowhere,
where Murphy's law demands lack of cell phone coverage,
is something I kindof dread);

The one thing I found so far that would fit the bill quite
nicely, except may be for its 50cc which seems a bit weak,
especially since it would not be considered a mopped in
California anyway, is the Italian built Di Blasi:

http://www.diblasi.it/Folding_Scoote...rodotto&Lng=En

The snag is though that they are not cheap by a long shot -- note:
I am not connected to this company in any way, just wish I could be
as a customer :-))

anyone out there knows this bike, i.e., has actually tried it?

--Sylvain
We have a pair of them (both fit on the backseat of the Navion quite
well). Ron does really well with his, I crashed mine the first day I
had it and had to wear an ankle to upper thigh brace for a week or so
and still have the remnants of Fox Mill Road stuck in my chin. I'm not
as much of a fan. I really liked it until I crashed :-). The wheels
are tiny, don't twist around too much or it goes over. Wear a helmet!
We used them in Georgia when we were at a week long fly in and they were
great (small roads, etc.). Driving during OSH on the main roads gives
me the creeps but Ron can zip around no problem. Yes, I am a wimp!

Margy

Margy wrote:
Ron does really well with his, I crashed mine the first day I
had it and had to wear an ankle to upper thigh brace for a week or so
and still have the remnants of Fox Mill Road stuck in my chin.

Dang Margy! Fox Mill Rd? You are only a stone throw from me. You
must be in Herndon/Reston area. Are you using your DiBlasi at all? I
might want to take it off your hands for a reasonable price. :^)

The Monk

Hummer or a Montage because my daughters are embarassed to ride along
side daddy on a Dahon. To them it looks like a kiddie bike. :^)

Before we had 2 folding bikes, I borrowed a friend's Dahon and we took it
and a Go-ped (gas powered) in a 172 to First Flight NC. We agreed I'd ride
the go-ped and she'd ride the bike to the beach, and we'd switch on the way
back.

On the way, a woman sees us ride by and yells "Typical man! Making the woman
do all the work!"

We still laugh about it with great regularity...

Morgans wrote:

There you go! Sounds like you could make yourself "indispensable" in an
advertising company.

Well, first, you've got to find a bike that folds up into something the size of
a carryon bag. I've not seen one. Try taking a Montague into NYC on a rush hour
New Jersey Transit train. Let me know how it works out.

George Patterson
Coffee is only a way of stealing time that should by rights belong to
your slightly older self.

Are we still talking portable vehicles? How 'bout this one?

http://www.roadraceengineering.com/s...dcase-open.jpg