Big-wheeled Kansi – just in

Aside from making some of the best small-wheeled folders available, Kansi have now branched out into big-wheeled folding bikes, which BikeRadar first spotted at the Fisher Expo back in February 2013. We’ve just taken delivery of a 700c prototype with a flat bar, slick tyres and disc brakes. The commuting bicycle will retail for under £1,000.

The Kansi looks and rides like a fast, flat bar urban model. The subtle difference lies in the clever frame – a folding mechanism around the seat tube and an under-BB lock system mean it can be folded over on itself, halving in size. There’s also a frame mount, so you can remove and clamp the front wheel, further reducing size. The packed-down bike has been designed to fit into the boot of a small hatchback. We tried it out in a VW Polo and it went in with space to spare.

Ergo style lock-on grips with integrated bar ends

With a SRAM Rival drivetrain and Avid Elixir 7 hydraulic brakes, the bike is well specced for the money. The production model will feature a quick-release seat clamp and a wider flat bar up front. Our prototype tips the scales at 11.2kg including the flat pedals.

Our first spin on the bike left us impressed, with the mountain bike-like geometry making for fun handling and rapid acceleration. If we didn’t know it was a folder, we’d never have guessed from the ride feel, with no telltale flex or noises emanating from the frame.

The 700c Kansi folded, with the front wheel mounted onto the rear seatstay

The big-wheel Kansi won’t be launching until next spring, but we’ll be giving our test prototype a thorough hammering to see whether it stands up to the rigours of commuting.