Durban Folding Bike Review [year] – 5 Reasons NOT to Buy

“One gear, one thousand possibilities.” Quite an ambitious statement by Durban, however, this is how they have decided to describe the Durban folding bike – while certainly true to an extent, this review outlines the downfalls of this entry-level Durban One budget folding bike.

Durban Bike Review

”Not a folding bike that I would personally recommend to anybody, a cheap bicycle model that has many downfalls and very few perks”

This single-speed folding bike really is the definition of what a budget bicycle is, it is formed out of cheap components in its entirety.

Straight out of the box, you can immediately tell this.

Firstly, every part of the bike seems to rattle when you move it and when you ride on it. This is not a great initial sign and it sums up our brief review of this model.

The bike is not the lightest bike around either, it is steel framed and weighs 30lbs, notably more than most other folding bikes around.

Furthermore, while their website states that the Durban One should be able to be folded away in less than 15 seconds, we found that it took well over 20.

The folding mechanism wasn’t particularly impressive either, this is one of the main sources of the ‘rattle’ we discussed previously.

The bike isn’t really suited for long-distance usage because it is extremely uncomfortable, the frame isn’t very stiff and you feel every single vibration. If you are planning on using it over short distances then I can’t see this becoming too much of an inconvenience.

The single-gear speed setup that the bike offers means that while it can get up to a relatively fast speed on flats, it really struggles when you are on any hills.

Some single-speed bikes can cope well with hills, however, the Durban One does not and for that reason, I cannot recommend it for anything other than flat urban environments.

Specifications

FRAME	High-Tensile steel frame with Durban B-Type Latch
FORK	High-Tensile Steel Fork
HANDLEPOST	Durban B-Type Steel Handlepost with Security Lock
SADDLE	Durban Comfort Saddle
SEATPOST	Steel Seatpost (Size 550mm)
BRAKES	Alloy V-Brake
BRAKE LEAVER	Alloy Brake Leaver
WHEELS	20″ Alloy Rims / 20″—1.5″ Tires / UCP Spokes
SHIFTER	–
DERAILLEUR	–
FREEWHEEL	16T Freewheel
CHAIN	KMC Chain
CRANKSET	48T Steel Crankset
PEDALS	Folding Pedals with Reflectors
QUICKSTAND	Steel Kickstand
MUDGUARDS	20″ Wheel Steel Mudguard
RACK	Not included (optional)
PAINT	Clear coating Over Decals
REFLECTORS	Front and Wheel (white) / Rear (red)
BIKE BAG	Not included (optional)
MAXIMUM LOAD	210 lb (95kg)
SUGGESTED RIDER HEIGHT	4’8″ to 6’3″ (1.40 to 1.90 meters)
ASSEMBLING	Fully Assembled (Final adjustment required)

Conclusion

Overall the Durban One, albeit a cheap model, is not a folding bike I could ever see myself purchasing. There are better folding bike models out there for moderately more money and a handful that actually cost less too. 

I would personally steer away from the Durban brand in general and go for a more premium name, while I wouldn’t recommend going for a name in all things in life, folding bicycles are generally well made by the bigger names around.

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