Trends: Know When to Fold 'Em

Buyers looking for a brand that offers them more price options are flocking to the current leader, Dahon. The manufacturer offers dozens of models and styles, weighing from 23 lbs. to 31 lbs., and priced from $379 to $2,000. But other companies are jumping in. Citizen Bike launched just over a year and a half ago, selling foldables directly from its website at citizen citizenbike.com with models starting at $179. "Our philosophy is affordability," says company president Avery Pack. Bike Friday, a folding-bike manufacturer since 1991, offers a more boutique product, with custom-made bikes beginning at $995 and averaging $1,500. The company sells not price but agility and convenience, an idea it captures with a motto that all the mini-bike makers might claim: "Performance that Packs."