Although the company got their start building bike carrier racks, over the years Allen Sports has expanded their product line to include bicycle trailers, joggers, and even folding bikes. At this point they’ve built some experience to bank on, with this latest Atocha model being the 12th folding bike the company has produced.
The Atocha breaks new ground for Allen Sports (and for folders) as their first folding bike to feature 24” wheels. It also offers some nice features like an 18-speed gear range, trigger shifters, mechanical disc brakes and an alloy frame and fork…
The Atocha uses a simple and familiar system allowing riders to fold down the bike in about seven seconds. The frame’s front triangle folds in half sideways, leaving the two wheels attached and sitting side by side, the front raised just off the ground. The stem/steerer flips down so the handlebars tuck in against the frame, and the folding pedals can be flipped into storage position. Once compacted the Atocha’s dimensions are 33.4 x 13.7 x 27.5” (85x35x70cm).
The Atocha features an 6061 alloy frame and fork, and the complete bike weighs 29.1lbs/13.2kg. A glance at Allen’s comparison chart shows that this is roughly 3 or 4lbs heavier than their basic 20″ alloy models, but as mentioned above the Atocha is the company’s only folder with 24” wheels and offers a much wider gear range vs. the lesser models, which have only one or seven speeds.
The Atocha’s components are a mashup of price-point bits and pieces. They’ve tossed a Shimano Sora rear derailleur, microShift triggers, and SRAM brake levers into the mix, but aside from that there aren’t many esteemed brand names on the spec sheet. Realistically value should probably be a higher priority than performance, because you won’t be getting too radical on a folding bike anyways…
The 18 speed (2×9) gear setup is controlled by a microShift front and a Shimano rear derailleur, mated to microSHIFT’s shifters. Jocund mechanical disc brakes bring the Atocha’s 24×1.5” wheels to a stop. The bike rolls along on Glebe rims, and a Jiankin crankset puts your power to the ground. The frame has mounts to accommodate a rear carrier rack, and it comes with a kickstand included. Not that many people will spend the effort to lighten it up, but there is certainly room to work with there.
The Atocha claims to be designed to fit a very wide range of riders anywhere between 4’-11” and 6’-7” tall (15o-200cm). The frame comes in Red only, and the new model sells for $1300. The bike is available through a bicycle dealer networks in the US, through several online retailers, and through international dealers.
