Well today I decided to take another look at the Giant Halfway, with my wife. We went to the Giant store on the corner of Jianguo and Xinyi and they let us try one out.
We ended up buying 2, one black and one red. 8800 each for the base models + 200nt for a Giant Tote bag (normally 750).
The ride back to the car (taking the long way) was a blast. Will post some pics if anyone is interested, they are pretty well engineered and light.
Sounds good. Right close to my house, that Giant store.
Just a thought, but might work well as a Christmas gift. Was thinking of getting my SO a new cellphone but maybe an exercise device such as this might be better.
If you can fold and put on the MRT, it could make trips to Xiandian or Beitou quite enjoyable.
Anyone had any experience traveling with these to some interesting spots around Taipei?
Giant Halfway:
Hey, those look real nice!
Thanks for the pics. I’m really thinking of getting one in the next couple of days. Might be a good Christmas gift, but not sure how much they’ll get used.
Does it take a long time to fold it down?
Very fast. less than 20 seconds. Everything(seat post, pedals, fold) is a single action lever/clasp except for the handlebar stem which is a fast screw t-bar.
Using the velcro strap on the the wheels is optional, and takes a bit longer.
Sweet. How do they ride? I saw there was some discussion about choosing a special seat for nad comfort, but those look like they’re pretty good.
I was thinking this could be a good way to get out of the city and get a more intimate view of some towns, around the coast especially.
[quote=“rocky raccoon”]Sweet. How do they ride? I saw there was some discussion about choosing a special seat for nad comfort, but those look like they’re pretty good.
I was thinking this could be a good way to get out of the city and get a more intimate view of some towns, around the coast especially.[/quote]
It rides like a very light BMX. The tires are fatter than most urban folders so it’s quite comfortable on pavement or dirt.
The seat seems fine to me. It’s adjustable in lateral position and angle. Easy enough to change at a later time if you want to as it’s a standard fitting to the post, which is very long and part of the overall design of the bike (i.e. non standard).
The 7 grip shift gears and shimano deriallier move either way very smoothly and fast.
Oh no. You said BMX. Now I think if I get one I’ll be trying to jump it over the curb trying to show off. I give a month before I break it. 
Regardless, I think I’ll head to the same shop you went to on XinYi and Jian Guo…let’s pray they’ve got a good warranty.
You’ve piqued my interest, Truant.
I don’t have a bicycle now because I’ve nowhere to keep one in my smallish and already cluttered flat. I could accommodate a folder, but I’ve hesitated about buying one thus far because of the high price of the good ones and my doubts about the quality of the cheaper ones. With its modest price, decent quality, and good looks, the Giant would seem to fit the bill quite perfectly. And one or a pair of them should fit in the back of my Suzuki Swift quite comfortably.
Since I’ve earned a few bob this year from buying and selling Giant shares (including some I bought last week and sold for a tidy little profit this morning), it seems only right that I should spend some of it on their products.
Tires make a HUGE difference in folders, since smaller wheels generate more road shock. The holy grail of tire design for folders is to combine low rolling resistance, good grip in the wet, shock absorption, and price. Many folder enthusiasts regard Schwalbe Big Apples as the best choice for ISO 406 wheels for a “commuter” riding profile.
Hey Truant, how are the wheels on the Halfway? It seems to be a good price for a folding bicycle, so I’m assuming the Big Apples (ISO 406) are going to be more expensive.
I went to the store on Xin Yi and Jian Guo last night around 9pm and they were closed. Walked down to the neighbor store and the old man there had a couple of folders but they seemed to be quite cheapo @ 4000.
The wheels seem fine. In fact I was just thinking last night how little rolling resistance they seem to have.
If you ever intend to change the wheels, bear in mind that the Halfway uses special hubs that mount from one side only. Personally, I think they are fine and for the overall price the halfway is a GREAT buy. They are 20" wheels which are bigger than some folders out there.
As for the enthusiasts, if the wheels don’t suit, I’m guessing that buying a bike thats under 10k probably wouldn’t suit either. As for me, I just like to ride it, fold it, ride it, fold it, ride it, fold it…and it’s perfect for that. It’s one of the tightest/smoothest bikes I’ve ridden actually.
Edit: I just realised you guys were talking about tires. The tires seem fine to me. I do a bit of riding around farms next to our place and 95% of it is smooth hotmix, but small parts are dirt tracks and the Halfway’s tires have got a bit of grippy tread that works well for various terrain.
Regarding getting foldables on the MRT, yesterday there was this guy in full cyclist gear -helmet, lycra shorts, the works- at 7:30 am, right in the middle of the morning rush hour. He got on at/before Xindian City Hall. Lo and behold, he was carrying a foldable. It was too crowded for me to get nearer and see/ask what kind it was, but even so, it was no big deal. Nobody was giving him nasty looks, and the conductor did not scold him or anything. So I guess it is OK, even at that not so auspicious hour.
Maybe the conductor should have scolded him for wearing lycra in public!
I hear you on the ease of use, Truant. I think folding and riding are the most important features. Well, that and price.
*** Post deleted because it was a question no one answered and because I found the answer to the question.
OK, so I’ve put on about 30km on my new HALFWAY and the following is my detailed review:
The Good:
The 20’ wheels are better than smaller wheels on many folders in terms of handling. The bike handles really well- it doesn’t really feel like a folder bike. I like the tires because they work well on pavement, but they also work alright on dirt roads and trails. The bike feels solid and it’s pretty light. The shifting is smooth and the gear ratio is very good for casual riding. Maybe not the best for steep uphill or for going fast, but like I said, very good for casual riding. Average speed of about 20-25km/hr without too much effort. Up to about 40-45 km/hr but that requires a lot of effort. Can go faster on a downhill, of course. Another good thing is the bike is allowed on the MRT, train, bus, taxi, etc.
The Bad:
By far, the worse thing about this bike is the breaks. They suck. Good enough for casual riding, but still, stronger breaks would be much better. I upgraded the break pads with some of the best pads on the market and it made a big difference. The bike breaks much better now by at least 50%, but that cost me NT$900 for the break pads. I don’t know why they did not design a U shape bracket around each wheel that would support V brakes. That would be a huge improvement. Some of the newer 2009 models have different breaks, but they are still not as good as V breaks.
There’s a bit of an engineering flaw with the headset/fork. If you turn the handlebars all the way to the left, the front break hits the frame which can cause paint to chip and possibly damages to the break in a crash.
The bag they sell to fit the bike into costs NT$750 and that is just outrageous. The bike is ridiculously cheaply made. The zipper is very weak, the material feels very cheap and the bag is WAY too big for nothing. I guess they made the bag so big to make it easier when putting the bike inside, but they exaggerated. You can almost fit two bikes in one bag. Instead of paying for the bag, I’ll have one made by a local sewing lady. The bag will be smaller with a bigger zipper and better straps. I bet it will cost me less than NT$750.
In conclusion,
Despite the breaks which is the only thing that really bothers me, the bike is an excellent buy. I paid NT$8800 + NT$900 for better break pads and I think that overall, it’s an excellent deal. From what I have seen, the HALFWAY is by a long shot the best folder in its price range and it’s just really fun to ride.
marboulette
you can’t put V brakes on a single side fork… any kind of U bracket would either flex too much or be too heavy. caliper brakes are fine: the fastest bicycles all have caliper brakes, until we’re getting into special world speed record bikes which have disc brakes. modern caliper brakes have two pivot points, and offer the same mechanical advantages as V brakes. if you have thin flexible caliper brakes that’s a different matter. the brakes should not flex visibly when applied… if they do, then a brake upgrade to Shimano 105, Campagnolo Centaur, or even the cheaper two-pivot Tektro is called for.
without changing the brakes themselves, the single biggest improvement you can make with the brakes on any low-end bicycle (and if it costs less than about 30-40,000 NT$, it’s low-end equipment-wise) is to put better pads on. the next biggest improvement comes from orbital pad alignment, to allow you to adjust the angle of the pads to the rim. (buying after-market stuff like Jagwire Dura-Ace pad holders for 1200 bucks gives you DuraAce (best Shimano offers) quality pad adjustment and better pads, all in one). the next biggest improvement is cables and housings: better, stiffer teflon-lined housings improve feel and modulation, but not necessarily much increase in power. all of this comes at a cost, of course.
the engineering ‘flaw’ with the front brakes is common to all front fork-mounted caliper brakes, on pretty much every single frame i can think of. the answer is: don’t turn the fork to that side. or pad the frame there during transport. in a crash, you probably will break something including on yourself: breaking the brakes are the least of your worries.
wear gloves and a helmet, always, regardless of the speed you travel at. trust me on this. and if you go much above 10 km/h, wear glasses, day and night (if you do much riding at night, you can get non-tinted lenses). a bug in the eye at 30 km/h will almost certainly make you crash, especially if you’ve never experienced it before. trust me on this one too.
have fun, and always ride as if the people around you have no idea that you are there. normally, they don’t.
[quote=“urodacus”]
you can’t put V brakes on a single side fork… any kind of U bracket would either flex too much or be too heavy. [/quote] I would gladly put up with the extra weight if it meant having a good set of V brakes. But yes, weight is an important factor when comparing folders and I’m guessing GIANT did what they had to do to stay in the competition as far as weight is concerned. [quote] modern caliper brakes have two pivot points and offer the same mechanical advantages as V brakes.[/quote]That’s what the newer models (89) have on them. And as I mentioned, they do appear to be stronger than what is fitted on our models (88). I couldn’t quite make out what was different about them compared with the brakes we had on our bicycles more than twenty years ago. But that’s what it was… The extra pivot. It all makes sense now. Thanks for clarifying that.
This said, I still don’t think they are as strong as V-brakes. V brakes are probably not used on speed bikes because they are not as aerodynamic as calipers. I’m sure V brakes must be stronger, and they sure feel like it.
[quote]if you have thin flexible caliper brakes that’s a different matter. the brakes should not flex visibly when applied… if they do, then a brake upgrade to Shimano 105, Campagnolo Centaur, or even the cheaper two-pivot Tektro is called for. [/quote]Then that must be the problem on the HALFWAY. The levers are mounted on a flimsy horseshoe shaped bracket secured with a single 1/4" bolt onto the fork. It’s garbage. The whole thing flexes at least 5mm forward if you just sit on the bike and push forward while applying the front break. Never mind when braking in an emergency situation. I bet it flexes as much as a centimeter. Have a look at the breaks on the GIANT HALFWAY:
Whatever the above are, they are not dual pivots calipers like the ones shown below (which is what I think you are talking about, and which is what is fitted on the 89 HALFWAY model.):
[quote]without changing the brakes themselves, the single biggest improvement you can make with the brakes on any low-end bicycle is to put better pads on.[/quote]I have done that, and indeed, the breaks work a lot better. In fact, they brake enough for what I use the bike for. With the original cheap pads, the breaks were just too weak for my liking. This brought up a new problem, though. The rear brake squeals and it’s driving me crazy. It’s squeals a lot, and it’s loud. The pads I put on are called Garradine or something like that. They are the ones with replaceable pads and they are supposed to be good in rainy conditions. Do you have any tips on how to solve the squealing break problem? The pads are perfectly aligned with the rims. I have no clue why it’s doing that.
[quote]the engineering ‘flaw’ with the front brakes is common to all front fork-mounted caliper brakes, on pretty much every single frame i can think of.[/quote]The 89 HALFWAY model doesn’t have that problem. The smaller caliper break system swings right under the frame and all that is hitting the frame is the cables. I think the bakes on my bike are definitely a flaw in the 88 model design.
[quote]the answer is: don’t turn the fork to that side. or pad the frame there during transport.[/quote]When the bike is folded for transport, the handlebars clip into a plastic fitting so there’s no worries there. But still, my point is that it would be easy to think these details as far as engineering of this bike goes. I bet that’s one of the reasons the 89 model has different brakes.
[quote]wear gloves and a helmet, always, regardless of the speed you travel at. trust me on this. and if you go much above 10 km/h, wear glasses, day and night (if you do much riding at night, you can get non-tinted lenses). a bug in the eye at 30 km/h will almost certainly make you crash, especially if you’ve never experienced it before. trust me on this one too.[/quote]Sound advice, there. One thing I’m finding is that it seems to be far easier to fall off bicycle than it is to fall off a scooter. Maybe it’s because I haven’t been on a bicycle for so long.
[quote]have fun,[/quote]Thanks! [quote] and always ride as if the people around you have no idea that you are there. normally, they don’t.[/quote]You know… As a somewhat accomplished scooter rider, I find it hard to ride a bicycle without mirrors. On a busy bike trail, I had no idea who was where. It takes some getting used to and a lot of shoulder checks. 
marboulette
Brompton folding bikes seem to be on a whole other higher level than my current cheap folding bike that I really like.
Brompton bikes are convenient to fold and roll like a suitcase, so convenient for Taiwan public transportation. Haven’t checked yet but there are shops in Taipei that sell new and used.
Any one know them or have one in Taiwan?
I’m wondering if they rust easily like bikes do in Taiwan?