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On this page we are going to be taking a look at the Vilano Urbana Single Speed Folding Bike which is a popular and stylish lightweight single-speed folding commuter bike with a coaster brake and is a great choice for anyone who wants to zip freely around town on their own terms and is short on storage space .
We will begin this review by walking you through the main features before going into each one in more detail and giving you our recommendation on whether or not we think it is worth buying and who we think should consider buying it.
Next, to give you the full picture we will then take a look at the customer feedback, the good and the bad, so that you can see exactly how it is performing in the real world, and we will also tell you where you can pick it up at the best available price, and get super fast delivery too.
We understand you may not have the time for the full review right now and so if you would prefer to just head straight over to Amazon.com and grab yourself a great deal on this bike just click here…
Alternatively if you do have a few minutes and are staying with us for the full review let’s get started right away…
Vilano Urbana Single Speed Folding Bike Review…
A quick look at the main features:
- Lightweight aluminum folding bike with coaster brake
- Quickly and easily folds for storage
- Great urban commuter in flat areas
- Folds quickly to 12″ x 32″ x 25″
- Super Lightweight – Weighs only 21.5 lbs.
A Closer Look…
As you will have read in the main features list above, the Vilano Urbana has an incredibly light folding aluminum frame. This is actually the lightest, and most convenient single speed folding bike we have come across so far and weighing in at just 21.5 lbs makes it the easiest bike to carry, which is a godsend if you happen to live or work on the 9th floor, and it is also a breeze to take on and off elevators as well as buses and trains for a partial commute.
This folding bike also has a coaster brake which means no brake levers, all you do to bring the bike to a stop is pedal backwards, this activates the braking mechanism and the bike stops, no cables getting in the way, especially when folding the bike down, no brake shoes to replace and no adjustments to make, all of which goes to make the Vilano Urbana a very low maintenance bike on which there is virtually nothing to break or go wrong. Goodbye repair bills!
And when it comes to folding and unfolding this bike it really couldn’t be any easier, you can have it folded down for storage, or folded up and ready to ride in under 30 seconds. And speaking of folding it down for easy storage, how easy does a nice compact little bundle measuring just 12″ x 32″ x 25″ sound to store? Really easy? Yep, we think so too, you can stow it away just about anywhere, in the trunk of a car, a closet, under a desk, even under a bed!
A great urban commuter in flat areas, this bike is well built and strong and rides pretty much like a BMX, it’s a great ride on the flat, handles moderate hills pretty easily and handles corners really well too making it a great choice for zipping through traffic on weekday commutes as well as for leisure riding at weekends.
Click here to check it out for yourself on Amazon.com…
Additional Features…
Folding pedals:
These are a really cool feature which keeps the bike folded footprint to an absolute minimum allowing it to be stored away in even smaller and more compact spaces than other folding bikes.
20″ wheels:
This bike also has 20″ wheels which have been shown to provide the ultimate balance between foldability and performance while also giving you a stable and solid ride.
Adjusts to fit most users:
The seat and handlebars on the Urbana can be fully adjusted to fit riders from around 4 ft 8 ins to 6 ft 1 ins, making this bike a great choice for ac shared bike, and also for kids who still have some growing to do.
Water bottle and rear rack mounts:
You can also easily attach a rear carry rack to this bike as well as a front basket giving you the option of carrying books for school, items for work, and goods home from the store. You can also attach a water bottle to the seatpost for some on board refreshment when riding on hot days.
Kickstand:
For ultimate convenience this bike features a kickstand which allows you to stand the bike up stably wherever you may be. This is a great feature for if you want to grab a coffee, take some snapshots of the scenery, or just grab a break from riding and stretch your legs.
Choice of colors:
The Vilano Urbana is available in 2 color choices; Gray and Matte Black.
Vilano Urbano Single Speed Folding Bike Specs…
- Colors: Gray, Matte Black
- Frame: Aluminum
- Handlebar: Aluminum
- Seat Post: Aluminum
- Brake: Coaster
- Brake: Coaster
- Wheels: 20″ Wheels
- Speeds: 1
- Max seat height: 35″
- Max handlebar height: 43″
- Folded dimensions: 12″ x 32″ x 25″
- Weight: 21.5 lbs.
- Maximum user weight: 200 lbs
Performance…
Well, to start with, the Vilano Urbana is easily adjustable allowing you to set it at the most comfortable riding position for you, it feels strong and sturdy, which it is considering how lightweight it is, and once you have it adjusted it’s a pretty comfortable bike to sit on.
Once you get moving it picks up speed pretty quick and rides and handles really well. It gives a nice smooth ride that is similar to what you get on a BMX, and like a BMX it takes uneven roads, bumps and small curbs pretty well indeed. It’s a great bike for riding on the flat where it’s pretty fast considering it’s single speed, and it’s also pretty good on hills as long as they aren’t too steep.
The coaster brake works pretty well too. It will probably take some getting used to if you’ve never ridden a bike with this type of brakes before, but once you have the hang of it braking really couldn’t be simpler.
It also has to be said that the seat on this Vilano folding bike can become hard and uncomfortable after 5-6 miles and so we can’t recommend it for long distance riding, unless you either add a gel seat cover, or replace the seat entirely with on that’s easier on your butt.
Another thing you will notice is that due to this folding bikes light weight it is very easy to maneuver, particularly on corners and when zipping in and out of traffic on a commute. Being lightweight it is also very easy to carry and get on and off buses and trains as well as up and down flights of stairs.
The folding aspect of the Urbana is also pretty impressive, however there is a bit of a low learning curve involved. The latch is pretty stiff to begin with, which isn’t a bad thing, and once you have the hang of it you can have this bike folded down, or up, in under 30 seconds.
All-in-all, we think the Vilano Urbana folding bike is an excellent space saving choice for commutes as well as for leisure riding. It’s strong, solid and reliable, extremely low maintenance and well worth checking out.
Click here to check it out for yourself on Amazon.com…
Pros And Cons…
Pros…
- Incredibly lightweight
- Simple design-nothing to break or go wrong
- Very low maintenance
- Strong and sturdy
- Smooth ride
- Great for commutes
- Easy to carry
- Incredibly easy to store
- Quick and easy folding
- Easily affordable
- Scratch resistant frame
Cons…
- Coaster Breaks can decrease control
- Single speed reduces hill climbing capabilities
- No fenders
Verdict-Should You Buy The Vilano Urbana Single Speed Folding Bike?
If you’re in the market for a low budget and very low maintenance single speed folding commuter bike we strongly recommend checking out the Vilano Urbana Folding Bike on Amazon.com
For total convenience like ease of storage and being virtually maintenance free and very lightweight, this bike is really hard to beat.
It rides amazingly well, nice and smooth on the flat, a great traffic beater making it ideal for commutes plus it’s also incredibly easy to maneuver, and folding it down and storing it away, just about anywhere is a breeze.
OK, so this bike didn’t make it onto our top 10 list this time, however it’s probably the best single speed folding bike we have come across so far and if that’s what you are looking for we think you will every bit as impressed as we are with it.
Click here to get all the latest information on the bike on Amazon.com…
The customer feedback being left for it is pretty impressive too…
Customer Opinion Of The Vilano Urbana…
At the time of writing this review customer opinion of the Vilano Urbana is impressively high according to the feedback being left for it by customers buying it on Amazon.com, where it has a near perfect average score of 4.4 out of 5, from 164 customer ratings, and 68% of them are 5 star ratings, with a further 18% of then being 4 star ratings.
Going by these figures it seems that as far as the Urbana is concerned, Vilano are definitely doing something right, and some of the things which customers are liking the most about it are the fact that it is virtually maintenance free. Basically there’s hardly anything to go wrong or break and they love the simplicity of it. They also like that it is really compact when folded down which makes it easy to store and the fact that it folds down really easily too.
They also like the price and the value for money you get with this bike as well as how incredibly lightweight it is and how it gives a good, solid ride.
There are also a number of customers who give this bike 3 stars or less and their main concerns which you may wish to bear in mind when making your final buying decision are firstly that a small number of these were shipped with parts missing which must be pretty annoying. Some customers had issues with the seat being a little on the hard side and they felt the pedals were too low to the ground making turning difficult. Another concern is that the instructions are pretty poor however most people managed to fathom things out for themselves without too much difficulty.
Recommended Alternative Choices…
If you like the sound of the Vilano Urbana Single Speed Folding Bike you may also be interested in our detailed reviews of the Judd Single Speed Folding Bike and the Dahon Mariner, which is geared and of a similar overall style, and the Zizzo Urbano which is another lightweight folder and a similar design too. These are both very good alternative choices and well worth comparing before deciding on which folding bike to buy, to see which one you feel will be the best fit for you.
A Quick Sneak Peek Before Buying…
Click on the video below to see the Vilano Urbana Single Speed Folding Bike in action before spending any money…
Best Place To Buy Your Vilano Urbana Single Speed Folding Bike…
By far the best place we have found to buy a folding bike is Amazon.com as they usually have the best prices, they quite often offer discounts and they deliver really fast too.
Apart from getting a great deal you also get the opportunity to carry out price and product comparisons just to make sure you’re getting the best deal you can.
As far as comparisons are concerned, we recommend checking out the Judd Single Speed Folding Bike, the Dahon Mariner Folding Bike and the Zizzo Urbano which are very good alternatives to this bike, and we also recommend taking a look at the latest customer feedback before you buy just to be sure you’re getting the best folding bike out there for you.
You also have the chance to pick up any accessories you may need such as a Quick Release BV Bicycle Light Set Super Bright 5 LED Headlight and 3 LED Taillight, to make riding at night safer, and a Titanker 4-Feet Basic Self Coiling Resettable Combination Cable Bike Locks with Complimentary Mounting Bracket, 1/2 Inch Diameter to keep your bike from being stolen should you need to leave it outside unattended for any reason.
Amazon only sell the genuine article too, so you’re guaranteed to receive the real thing and not some cheap and nasty, and potentially dangerous fake.
And finally, they also make it really easy and painless to return any item you may not be completely satisfied with.