I'm glad that I am not the only person who thinks that the 24" folding bike is an efficient way to get around.
Tern Bicycle's Senior Product manager Eric Lin further reinforces my thoughts when he said that team Tern had set out to produce a bike for the hardcore urban rider - hence the introduction of the Eclipse S18.
With its development shrouded in secrecy, very few people knew of this and I am proud to say that being in the "loop" does have its privileges.
The bike will debut in Eurobike 2013 and folding bike enthusiasts would have a chance to get a look at it up close and personal including test rides on Demo Day.
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| Big bike, small fold: the Tern Eclipse P18 - folded |
The new Eclipse P18 is meant for the serious urban commuter.
It comes complete with a rear portage rack and the front spartan rack.
This means, you can snap on your panniers and bags for rides to the office.
I see a lot of potential on this bike - especially when it comes to intercity bikepacking.
The Eclipse folds pretty well and fast and once you pack it with a carry-on cover, no issues on bringing it up on a train.
Best of all, it's also packaged with the Joule III dynamo hub. This is an award-winning and green source of energy.
I tested this prior to its introduction at last year's Eurobike and I like it a lot.
The light is complemented with a Valo II headlight. This is said to be more efficient compared to the older Valo which comes standard on the Eclipse SS11i that is powered by the Joule HG dynamo hub.
So, that said, you don't need to purchase an additional headlight for your bike.
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| The Valo II |
I've tested the Eclipse last year and it actually convinced me to pursue a 24" bike.
That said, we committed ourselves to an Eclipse P9 (my wife is the owner) and an Eclipse X20.
There are some factors on why Tern's folding bikes would handle and perform very well.
When it comes to frame firmness, the OCL joint produces a solid lock-up.
Its complemented with the award-winning Physis 3D handlebar and steering system and I dare say that it maneuvers extremely well.
One particular advantage of the Andros steering system is the fact that you can adjust the height of the stem and handlebar to suit your style of riding.
And since its a single-piece stem, handling is superb.
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| Tern's latest: The Street Warrior |
The Street Warrior is priced at USD$2,100 (RM6.7k) excluding freight and tax costs.
And it will ship by the end of this year.
I am not sure if K2 Asia is interested in selling the bike as sales of their 24" bikes - Eclipse S11i is rather slow as there is a lukewarm reception for it.
Its not the case with the Eclipse X20 which is the hottest 24" folding bike in Malaysia where all five bikes that were specially shipped here were sold out.
To date, the Eclipse P18 is the third most expensive bike around with the Eclipse S11i and X20 at the top of the list.
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