Tern Link C8 Folding Bike Review - Should You Buy This Bike?
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- Опубліковано 18 чер 2024
- New bike day this week and something a little different!
I'm doing quite a bit of 'integrated transport' travelling at the moment and so decided to take the plunge and become one of those strange folks with the dinky folding contraptions tucked away on the tram/train/bus ... or in the supermarket (as you'll see in the video)!
After far less research than was probably required I settled on the Tern Link C8 and here are my initial thoughts on the bike.
Thanks as always for watching and if you have any questions about the bike or accessories, leave a comment on the video.
Happy cycling, folks!
Love the vlog, I have a 24 speed Tern from 2012 and love it , it has a 3 speed internal hub a bit like on a Brompton that's linked to a 8 speed rear cassette, my seatpost was alloy so I just scored the black paint with a Stanley knife and that was perfect. Keep up the good work regards Bob.
Thanks, Bob. I've seen a few of the internal hub and cassette set ups and they're a neat combination. I don't know much about Tern as a company/brand but good to know there's at least one other satisfied customer out there! Happy cycling! 🙂
Good review, tern's are good bikes. The steerer feels really solid compared to the adjustable ones, which being a bit older I fitted 30mm riser bars and sprung saddle made the bike perfect for me. You've put a good rack on your one.
Thanks for the comment. Yes, done a good few miles on it now and really pleased with how well it's riding - to the point where I'm pretty much forgetting I'm on a folding bike at times. Also thinking about a saddle change for a bit of extra comfort. Happy cycling!
Regarding the saddle height, what works for me on all my bikes (but is particularly useful on my folding bike) is to put my arm over the bike (if I'm standing on the right of the bike, my left arm, if on the left my right arm - but I'm not sure this is relevant), touch the crank bolt dustcap with the pad of my middle finger, and raise the saddle into my armpit - it gets the height correct every time, for me at least. Also, when folding the bike and lowering the saddle, turn it back to front - it helps in carrying the bike.
I really like my Link C7 (a few years old now) but my gripe with it is that it's still a bit too big and awkward for public transport - otherwise a lovely bike. The bottom gear isn't as low as I like for my local rural hills either but for urban cycling, it is fine. Non cycling friends find the handling a bit "lively" but I love it.
Great tips, thanks. I'll try your 'armpit hack' next time I'm folding it! Happy cycling! 🙂
At the end of the day a bike is 2 wheels and 3 mounting points for a meat motor, get the motor mounts in the right place and these smaller folding bikes are pretty nippy. I love my Birdy with a Rohloff hub, I wear casual clothes most of the time and I do find it doesn't antagonise other road users compared to riding my racing bike while wearing lycra. Being able to just hop onto a train without having to book a bike space, hop onto a bus or even grab a taxi opens up a whole new range of journeys. Folding bikes are very popular in the Far East and plenty of folk use them for touring, mine has rear rack, two forks mounts for panniers, mudguards, dynamo lighting and a sidestand, with the huge gear range of the Rohloff it will climb anything!
Love it! Thanks for the comment and happy cycling (in Japan?)!
I presume the handlebar height is adjustable whereas on the Btwin it’s fixed. I love folders but prefer internal hubs as they don’t get knocked out of true so easily as derailleur gears, which are also closer to the ground. You can take a Folder anywhere- bus,train, car etc, no need to book, and there’s less farther to fall as you get older !! Keep up with the videos - thank you !
Thanks for the comment, Maureen. Yes, great to have a folding option to fully open up integrated travel - something I'll definitely be doing a bit more of now. Tern claim the strongest, stiffest handlebar post available - which is probably another way of them saying it's non-adjustable! I do like the clamp to rotate the bars though, a nice touch and different to the Btwin. Happy cycling!
Excellent review. Love it. Just a shame about your experience with the bike shop and initial setup. Ride safe and take care. Jay
Thanks, Jay. I'm glad to have a bit of bike tinkering experience to sort these things out. Happy cycling!
Great piece of kit... But yeah EVERY NEW bike I've bought has had an issue it's disgusting what's not been checked or correctly set up, I'm just glad I can sort em out myself... Anyway I'll stop now cos I could go on and on... Enjoy your new ride fella.. 👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks, Chris. I really want to support local bike shops (and do, I think) and I know there's some brilliant mechanics and service out there. But there's also some really shoddy practice kicking about too. I suspect like you I tend not to get onto the topic too often as I could go on and on ... 🙂
Is it a threaded BB . so you could fit a hollow tech chainset with maybe a 46 ring. I guess u could also retro fit hollow QR axels to get around the spanner issue.
Hi - I have an older Tern 7 speed. I use a Gold permanent marker pen to identify my seat post height. All the best with it 👍
Appreciate the comment, thanks. Yes, I think a marker pen will be first port of call (and much better than paint!). Happy cycling!
Looks great for shopping and commuting. I'm terrified of leaving my bike outside a shop. It's a bit like watching supermarket sweep when I go shopping 😂
I just scratch a line into my seatpost.
Thanks, Dal. Scratch a line seems to be an emerging common solution. Having lived in and around the Republic of Mancunia for a good few years now I know exactly what you mean about supermarket sweep! I think I'm gonna be pretty comfortable looking like a supermarket wally with a bike in his trolley, knowing that I haven't got two ne'er-do-wells hacking through the lock outside! 🙂
Always dreaming of an epic voyage starting with a flight into an obscure airport with a folder.
My children are all on 70's folders and shoppers at the moment, collosal weight, 12kg is great.
Yes, how nice to be able to just land somewhere, unfold and go! Whenever I indulge in a bit of bicycle daydreaming it might be slipping out at first light with the whole street still in slumber, popping keys through the letterbox and heading off on a classic tourer set up - RTW with all the time in the world to do it! Right, back to reality! 🙂
Using a high speed ⅛" to ¼" steel drill bit, drill into the very front of the seatpost....no deeper than necessary to allow that white paint drop to avoid being scraped off. You can always go deeper but not the other way around.
I love your videos here in the Colonies, Indiana.
Thanks, Frank. I suspect my own paranoia about material strength integrity would probably prevent me from drilling the post (freely admitting my engineering ignorance here). Food for thought though and appreciate the comments and support as always! 🙂
Oh use a dremmel with one of those small round diamond heads and score a little line on your seatpost if you use a little rest around the tube you get a perfect line.. 😉👍🏻
Get a silver Sharpie permanent marker pen. Used one to mark my black chair at work 😊
Thanks, Simon. I see a trip to the local stationary shop on the horizon!
Or Tippex!
If I'm changing right of seat post tend 2 mark it with bit of masking tape
Yeah, do the same. I think putting the post down though it will catch - I should try it though and see.
@onemorecyclist yes v true. Or Mark it with a tippex pen......yes, I'm old😅
Lets make a wee film of the Tern at Whinlatter?!
Haha, sounds like some kind of Red Bull challenge! 🙂
Why do you sometimes wear a helmet and other times you don't?.
Hi Richard. If of interest I had a go at covering this on another video and I also really like the way the helmet topic is laid out in the book 'Bike Nation' by Peter Walker. Happy cycling!
use electrical tape to mark the seat post height