Flatbike, Inc. Reviews 341

Received the bike and it was packed well with no damage. Installing the pedals was confusing (until I read the instructions). They work great once you take a couple minutes to understand how they work. Once unfolded it is just like a quality non-folding bike.
There are the obvious benefits of having the bike inside the car when traveling, like not dealing with a bike rack, security and it being out of the weather but also we noticed in the past that on long road trips in the car our fuel mileage was greatly reduced with the bike rack and bikes on the car. Not an issue any more.
Our main reason for getting the flatbike was for when we travel on our boat. We were not fans of the folding bikes with little wheels and tired full size unfolding. Putting two full size bikes in a dinghy and going to shore was next to impossible. The flatbike stores below deck out of salt spray and is ready to go in minutes.
Love the bike and planning on getting one for my wife.

Recent purchase of a used DF-6 folding mountain bike.
Until now I have been riding 20" folders for touring. This bike fits in the same bag as my 20" so long as I put the front wheel on the wrong side and remove the handlebar, less than 3 minutes (only necessary for long distance trains). No comparison this bike is fantastic quality, and the ride is amazing, nothing like a 20" folder.

Great experience working with Bob on the purchase of my Adventure Bike. Bob replied to emails and and my numerous inquiries very quickly, even on a holiday weekend. I also enjoyed reading the Flatbike blog for all of the various topics.
My Adventure Bike was well packed for shipment and included detailed unfolding instructions.

Flatbike is great! They kept me updated with helpful information on my bike purchase throughout the process and my bike arrived earlier than expected!

The quality of the bike is unparalleled- truly a premium mountain bike- nothing is compromised with the folding design. The customer service years after purchase and much use is just as good as day one. Thank you for the best folding bike and customer service.

I wrote my original review Dec 11, 2022 and promised an update after riding it a while. Still have mostly positive things to say. The convenience factor of keeping this bike in the trunk of my Honda Accord 8 months a year is enough reason to get a folding bike from Flatbike. I wanted to show pics of bike in the trunk but still do not see anything on this review website to download pics.

The bike is sturdy and thus has held up well and I have no reason to think it won't in the future. I saw at least one review mention the quick release pedals coming off while riding. They're right about getting acquainted with the directions on this. I went through a spell where I couldn't keep them on while riding. And this leads me to a possible small design flaw. Bob maybe you can test this out. For several months I didn't have a water bottle holder attached. And I was able to keep the pedal on at all times while in my trunk. When I went to fold the bike the first time after installing the holder the pedal kept hitting it. No matter how I manipulated the pedal I couldn't get it past unless I took that pedal off. And that's when the pedal kept coming off every so often while riding because I wasn't sliding that sleeve over. A more intrusive instruction for dummies like me would be helpful Bob.

Is it full size? I'm no bike expert to know what constitutes full size. Perhaps in a mtn bike it is. I have an old Raleigh C50. While riding the folding bike I don't feel like I do on that bike. One of the reasons is that the diameter of the rims on my old bike are 25" and the flatbike rims are 23 1/2". I can feel a subtle difference while riding the two. Bigger is better here. But that just might be a concession to folding it smaller. If you plan on riding long distances consider this.

And this brings me to the title of my review. Absolutely buy a Flatbike. But choose the correct model for you! And here I have nothing but my own naivety to blame here. If you are riding in parks and places with some gravel and a little dirt and no really really steep hills. The 809 street/mtn is ok but you'd be better served by probably the road warrior. I thought the front suspension would give me noticeable extra comfort. It does not unless you are using it on a mountain which I am not.

The gearing, I only use the 4 or 5 highest gears exclusively. And wish I had a few more gears to be able to go faster. Again, naive to gear setup and ratio's and all that to even ask about it.

We are basically buying a bike sight unseen. I couldn't find a dealer anywhere here in NJ that carried a Flatbike to see it up close. I would have traveled for 2 hours to a dealer to look at one because they are expensive. Bob, if somehow you could partner with one dealer in big metropolitan areas to carry a floor model of your bikes, I bet people would come to see one if you advertised it.

So this is my advice to prospective buyers. Ask a lot of questions. Bob will answer them quickly. And choose the right model!

I’m 340 lbs, 6’4”, live in a condo, and space is a premium as well as bicycle security. I wanted a full-sized bike but didn’t think I could accommodate it until I learned about full-sized folding bikes. During my research I gravitated toward the Change bike because based on the advertising it seemed like the only model I could trust to support my weight and height. However cost of folding bikes deterred me from jumping right in. In the end I didn’t pull the trigger without some lucky timing when I saw the 811 model go on sale. So I bought a 21” 811 model in Arctic Blue. I also responded to a promotional email and received an additional coupon as well as optional mountain bike tires (sign up and pay attention to your emails!). Delivery was quick, Bob was very responsive by email, and his assistance was pleasant and helpful. Overall I’m very pleased with my purchase. Is the bike a perfect fit? No…but not bad for a tall guy’s internet purchase. Actually, I was expecting to be less satisfied as I wasn’t buying a bike optimally sized for my height and wasn’t sure it could handle the weight. Ultimately, it’s easily 95 to 98% everything I wanted it to be. That said I would say it exceeded my overall expectation! I love that it’s very sturdy but light weight and best of all performed like a full sized bike more than capable of handling my weight. After years without a bike and many pounds later…I’m glad I purchased the 811 from Flatbike. I would recommend giving Change bike a try if you want a quality full sized folding bike and great customer service!

would have given 5 it's just that they know a kink will be developed in the install with tube ,until inflated and expanded so let us know! THANK YOU LOVE THE PRODUCT!

Amazing bikes. Even the folks at the largest bike retail store in Dallas were impressed when I brought them by to see them! Well-made, shipped professionally, and great customer service.

I ordered 2 of the flat bike kits for 2 electric bikes.
I needed to flatten them out for moving on a car
rack without scratching them up. What great products.
And I have to say the guys there are right up on emails.
I thought I was having an issue with the pedals coming
off, but it was only because I didn't read the instructions all the way through. You've got to push the
rubber ring over after connecting the pedal...
Great to have, easy to use. Would buy again for sure.
Keep up the good work guys...)

Personal service when I was having a problem online ordering. Fast delivery.

I bought my bike a few years ago and the experience was amazing! I love my bike! Bob has fabulous customer service and really goes above and beyond for his customers! I'm training for my first 50 miler and perhaps 100 miler this year.

An extremely easy ordering/paying process.
I had to contact Bob Forgrave as I live in Spain and had special instructions, and found him to be very helpful and obliging.
I also found the delivery time to be unbelievably quick.
Very pleased and impressed with the whole process of my purchase.
I would 100% recommend Flatbikes!

Quick Release pedals arrived fast, with clear instructions and work exactly as described.

I am looking for a very specific things. The website selections don't have the ideal setup that I would like. I have a few rounds of communication with Bob. He offered a few options that are customized for my specific request and with good price. Throughout the communication, he is always fast and I can tell he really want to do his best to satisfy all customers. Overall, I got a great bike, great service with reasonable pricing. Thank you, Bob. Really appreciated your service.

Bob went out of his way to set up my new bike as a perfect fit for me.

I'm so excited to get my first THINstem in the mail! It's like Christmas in March! This baby is going to make my bike look so sleek and sexy. It folds up so nicely with the Flatbike pedals that I can stack it like pancakes and still have room to walk around. Now I can add another layer to this delicious bike cake - an eMountainbike with a cherry on top!

Haven’t received the bike yet but I’m looking forward to it!