Lying about one degree north of the equator, or about 137km, lies our little island state of Singapore. With a total area of about 728 square kilometres, our little sunny island still manages to pack in over 5 million people, and anyone who has ever lived in Singapore for an extended period of time knows how precious our land is. Therefore with space being such a precious commodity over here, perhaps there is actually some logic in the reasoning that maybe bigger may not be better after all!
SEEKING INSPIRATION
The founder of CAMP Bikes USA took inspiration of his folding bike when he came across the Royal George Bridge while riding his in Colorado, USA. The rails, joints of the bridge and the iconic curvature of the hanging arches inspired the name of his next bicycle. Even as he left the bridge, a ray of blue light reflecting off the steel bridge gave him the idea of the colour and the aesthetic for his next bicycle, which he named after the bridge, ‘CAMP ROYALE’.
FANTASTIC FOLD
Perhaps the most fantastic feature of the CAMP ROYALE folding bike is the folding mechanism itself, it’s cleverly engineered design enabled a full sized 16” wheeled bicycle that is suited for almost any sized adult weighing up to 110 kilos to be folded down into a compact packed measuring only 600mm in length by 380mm in width and 630mm in height, in fact, I know of people who have flown on planes with similarly designed bikes packed into a suitcase!
If you are just planning to use this folding bike for the regular commute, then this bike will not disappoint as well, as a purpose built bike that was specifically designed to enable the rider to seamlessly transfer between the different types of transport. For example, this bicycle would be perfect for someone to quickly ride from home to the nearest train station, fold it up and bring it onto the train, reach their destination and then quickly ride to their workplace, furthermore, when this bike is folded, it stands firmly on its own on four small wheels that are part of the bike’s rear rack it, and with the seat tube extended, it can be easily pushed around like a small cabin suitcase. The small compact size is even able to easily fit under a desk or within a work cubicle without getting in the way, with such a small size, I don’t even think that your colleagues will notice that you have an adult sized bicycle hidden under your desk.
SMOOTH RIDE
The CAMP ROYALE folding bicycle comes with 6 speeds, made up with a combination of a STURMEY ARCHER 3 speed internal gearing hub that is located in the rear wheel and mated to a 13T and 16T 2 speed cassette which is controlled by a CAMP SL shift lever and a CAMP 2SP rear derailleur, the front chainring size has been carefully calculated and the 48T crankset matches the 6 speeds perfectly, whether you are attempting to conquer a hill or going all out for straight line speed, you will be able to easily find a gear that matches your pedalling effort and cadence. Stopping power comes from the CAMP Linear Pull braking system that easily controls your bicycle at any cycling speed, and the 16×1–3/8 tyres provide good traction as well as lots of damping comfort from road bumps. With the frame itself made from light and strong CAMP Chromoly Steel, it is no wonder that this bicycle’s frame comes with a 5 years warranty under normal usage, with the remaining general parts and components coming with a 1 year warranty, excluding the wear and tear and consumable part such as, but not limited to, tyres and brake pads.
Prospective buyers will be spoilt for colour choices as there are 6 beautiful frame colours to choose from, Black-Red, White-Red, Khaki Green-Orange, Red, Blue and Gold. I had the privilege of testing and reviewing the CAMP ROYALE Gold coloured model and the paint colour and finish is just spectacular, especially when its glimmering in the sun. This superb folding bike will definitely be an easy choice for anyone who needs a commuter bike for work and even leisure.