Stowabike 26″ Folding MTB V2 Folding Bike Review

While we were not wholly impressed by the original Stowabike 26″ folding mountain bike, we will say right from the off that the V2 offers considerably more than its counterpart. This is a much more refined model that has still been designed using relatively cheap components, but unlike the original – you get far better quality with this piece of kit. Stowabike are becoming an ever present name within the folding bike community, not necessarily for their prowess, but for their capacity to drive exceptionally large numbers of sales. It’s not too rare to see the Stowabike on the streets these days and with this new model, this is only going to become more prevalent. This bike is available in both white and black – also, our review of its predecessor can be found here.

Obviously the stand out feature of this model is the fact that it consists of a particularly large frame and 26″ durable wheels too. The first thing that comes to everyone’s mind here is that it is therefore not portable. This is simply not true. While it’s certainly far less portable than a smaller 16″ folding bike, it’s still more than possible to carry the Stowabike around with you – okay, it’s probably not the most pleasant thing to have hanging by your side.

Obviously this is a hybrid bike, it can be effortlessly ridden off-road as well as on the road too, something that many people search for in a model. I personally don’t feel like this is a good starting bike for anybody due to the size of it, it may be better to find a bike that is a slightly more manageable size – however, don’t let me put you off if you have your mind set on a folding mountain bike as this is probably one of the best folding mountain bikes around at this current time.

The Stowabike V2 comes with a 26″ cast steel folding frame that has a decent suspension set within it. It has 18 speed gears and some durable Wanda 1.95″ x 26″ tires too. Obviously it is essential for a bike of this size to have an ample amount of gears and following our tests, we can reassure you that the bike shifts seamlessly through them with consummate ease. Off-road we found that the suspension, while certainly not the best that we have tried out, it was more than capable of handling a variety of different types of terrain. So if you’re currently browsing all the top hybrid models, it’s still worth checking out the Stowabike V2 and not be put off by its low price point. Money doesn’t always correlate to quality, remember that!

Full Review

One thing that I will say is that, unfortunately, being a 26″ bike – this bike is quite large still when folded down. It may be slightly too large to comfortable take with you on public transport, however it’s certainly possible for those that don’t mind a tight squeeze. Obviously for short journeys it’s more than fine, so long as you are okay with the extra bit of weight attached to these larger folding mountain bikes. We tested the folding mechanism on the Stowabike V2 and found that it was considerably quicker than its predecessor, it was all folded away within 20 seconds. Not the quickest by a long shot, but not too bad after all! Another slight complaint we had about this bike is the fact that it took quite a long time for us to remove the wheels, I’d like to be able to say that it may have been us, but in all honesty – they’re just a real pain! As we saw with the V1, these wheels are also not quick release which is pretty standard on most folding bike models these days, however for the price – can we really complain?

Specification

Color: White and Black

Weight: 38.5lbs

Frame: 26″ Steel Folding Frame

Fork: 26″ Suspension Steel Fork

Shock: Spring Shock

Chain: KMC C30 chain

Left Shifter: 3 Speed Grip Shifter

Right Shifter: Run 6 Speed Grip Shifter

Front Derailleur: Sunrun FD-QD-35

Rear Derailleur: RD-HG-03

Freewheel: 6 Speed

Rims: Single Wall Alloy

Tyres: Wanda 26×1.95″

Pedals: NECO WP-391

Brake: Steel V-Brakes

Handlebar: Steel Handlebar w/ Steel Stem

Grips: Black Rubber

Saddle: V2 MTB saddle

Kickstand: Steel Kickstand

Overall Dimensions: 67.3″ x 23.2″ x 55.1″

Folded Size: 38.2″ x 12.6″ x 29.5″

Weight: 38.5lbs

Speeds / Gears: 18

Wheel Size: 26″

Max Rider Weight: 280lbs (140kg)

Best Available Price: $139

Concluding Remarks

While there are better performing models out there, I wouldn’t necessarily go against the Stowabike in preference for them. If I had the money, I likely would, but if my budget was tight – then I believe that the Stowabike V2 is an apt folding mountain bike. The quality isn’t quite there, but it’s certainly good enough both on and off the road. Click here to explore our other Stowabike folding bike reviews.