On test is an Abio Verdion, a folding bike with a belt drive. Interestingly, this bike was spec’d with parts I’ve never seen before from Shimano, including a thumb/button shifter and 4-speed Nexus.
We’ve had this bike for a while here at Hugga HQ, but didn’t take it out of the box until the weather cleared and the roads finally got swept.
What the bike doesn’t offer in more refined folding (e.g., Dahon, Brompton), it makes up for in drivetrain options – a belt or shaft. The folding mechanism doesn’t include a magnet or latch to hold it together, so the cyclist will need to keep it against their bodies or have a toe strap handy for bus and train rides. It does fold/unfold quickly with secure hinges for safety and the frame was sturdy enough.
Under load, the belt slipped a bit, but just riding around it was OK and think that’s what this bike was intended to do, without getting grease on your pant legs.
At suggested retail price of $790.00, the Abio is offering an alternative drivetrain for the money and that should appeal to urban cyclists.
More Abio Reviews
- Folding bike – Cyclelicious
- Folding Bike Reviews: Strida 5.0 and Abio Penza | Momentum
- YouTube Video
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