I have a confession to make. As someone who constantly travels to ride bikes, I rarely travel with a bike of my own. That’s largely due to the fact that I am usually traveling to ride other bikes, bikes that are being launched.
But it’s also because traveling with a bike can be a real hassle.
Part of that hassle has to do with the feeling that if I’m going to ride a bike, I need to RIDE, right? Like, there’s this expectation that if you’re not doing tons of miles in full kit, then why bother? I’m here to tell you, it doesn’t have to be like that. You can just jump on a bike in street clothes and pedal aimlessly around a new town for as little as you want, and it will be a great time.
Tern knows this, and they’re making it as easy as possible to Bring Your Bike – hence the BYB. A folding bike that easily fits into a suitcase with almost zero packing, the BYB will make it so you actually want to bring a bike with you on your next travels.
Bring Your Bike (BYB)
Calling it an ultra-compact folding bike, Tern claims the BYB is 30% smaller than traditional folding bikes with 20″ wheels. That’s particularly important when the time comes to pack it into a suitcase for easy transport.
To that end, Tern sells their own suitcase specifically for the BYB, called the AirPorter Slim. The premium hard-shell suitcase is fitted with Hinomoto spinner wheels, and has two handles to easily maneuver it through airports. Measuring 525 × 325 × 828 mm (20.7” x 12.8” x 32.6”) without the wheels, the suitcase is actually big enough to fit the Link and Verge bikes with some disassembly, but the BYB fits right in with no disassembly required.
The result is the ability to pack your bike in a hurry, and get riding just as quickly when you get to your destination. The suitcase includes a soft covering that straps down over top of the bike with a single strap, and a reinforced pad for where the end of the frame meets the side of the suitcase. After both domestic and international flights, I’m happy to report that both the suitcase and bike arrived unscathed.
When I asked Tern about the possibility of reviewing a BYB, I had one goal in mind – flying to Eurobike with a bike of my own. For those who haven’t been to Eurobike in Frankfurt, it can be a long walk from your hotel to the venue. Heck, it’s a long walk just from one end of the venue to the other. Frankfurt does have plenty of public transit options, including electric scooters and bike shares, but to me, those are usually more hassle than they’re worth. Cory is a fan of the “scooters of death” as he calls them, but he was constantly searching to find one that was charged and available nearby. Multiple times, we had to abandon one scooter for another due to issues like flat tires, or they flat-out stopped working. He also had go out of his way to try. and hide the scooter near our hotel so the next time he needed it, it would still be available.
Conversely, any time I needed to use the BYB for transportation, I simply carried it from my hotel, unfolded it, and rode to my destination. Eurobike has an awesome bike check for easy parking, but while riding around Frankfurt, the BYB was easy to lock up when needed. Then, when I got back to the hotel, the bike folded back up in seconds, and it was easily stashed in the room.
Overall, my experience at Eurobike was absolutely improved by having a reliable bike at my disposal, and I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again.
How to fly with a folding bike?
Flying with the Tern BYB was the most hassle-free way that I’ve ever flown with a bike. Period. It took more thought to pack my regular suitcase than it did to put the BYB into the AirPorter Slim.
While it will depend on the airline, in my experience on Delta, the BYB in the AirPorter Slim was treated like any other suitcase. If you get free checked baggage, the bike bag would be free as well. If not, then you would be charged the standard checked bag fee – no more specialty bike fees. That, of course, is as long as the bike bag isn’t over-weight. The AirPorter Slim weighs 12lbs, and the Tern BYB only weighs 28.3lbs, so the combined weight of 40.3 lbs meant I still had plenty of leeway to stick a burly U-lock and cable inside the suitcase.
There wasn’t enough room inside the suitcase for a helmet without risking damage to it, so I put that in my other checked bag.
Other than that, you really don’t need much to have a good time on the Tern BYB. I brought a full tool kit with a spare tube, but I didn’t end up using any of it – except the Trek Air Rush. I used the electric inflator to top off the tires every other day, and it was so much easier than a pump.
Tern BYB Ride Review
Ultimately, the Tern BYB is a bike, so how does it ride? If you’ve never ridden a folding bike, they ride a lot better than you’d expect. There are the obvious drawbacks of 20″ wheels and tires – they ride rougher over obstacles, it’s easier to get them stuck in gaps in the pavement or train tracks, and it feels like you’re more likely to pinch flat, but it was easy to quickly adapt to those feelings and ride without any issues.
With that said, I couldn’t help wondering if the BYB would ride better with wider rims and wider tires than the 35mm Schwalbe Kojaks it ships with. I was sent the BYB P10, which is a ‘sportier’ version of the BYB S11 (which includes fenders, rack, and a chain guard), which has wider 40mm Schwalbe Marathon Racer tires. Even then, I feel like the BYB would be more fun with 50mm tires or above, and it seems like they would still fit in the AirPorter Slim without issue.
Otherwise, the BYB handles well and felt comfortable right out of the suitcase. The bike is impressively stiff for a folding bike with small wheels, which has a lot to do with the design of the folding assemblies and the 3D forged ‘handlepost.’
The Tern Adros G2 adjustable stem and Andros adapted flat bar make it easy to dial in the perfect fit, with the flip of two quick-release levers (which allows you to adjust the stem angle and the handlebar rotation at the same time). The only catch is that the Andros stem and bar make it more difficult to mount a computer mount. I have a lot of options at my disposal, and none of them fit in a way that I could mount my Wahoo GPS computer for navigating around town, since either the bar diameter was too narrow, or the bottom of the computer interfered with the large levers on the stem. I’m sure I could figure out a better way if I had enough time, but it’s something to consider before your next trip.
The 1×10 Shimano drivetrain with an 11-36t cassette seemed perfectly adequate for any situation I found myself in – don’t be intimidated by the huge 53t chainring, when combined with the small wheels, it works out to a fairly standard gear range with 28″ – 90″ (2.20 – 7.19 m) gear inches.
When it’s time to fold or unfold the BYB, it’s a very simple process. There are two main TriFold TFL joints on the frame, along with a clamp for the 3D-forged handlepost, two levers for the stem, and two quick releases for the telescoping seat post. There’s actually quite a bit of impressive engineering that Tern has invested in their TFL joint design to ensure that there are no weak points, and the joints will continue to function smoothly after repeated use.
At the rear axle, there is a lever that’s part of the Anchor Bolt system which locks the two halves of the bike together when folded. A quick push of the lever will spring the two sides apart to expand the bike.
Who is the Tern BYB for?
The Tern BYB is an excellent choice for anyone looking to travel with a bike, which is ideal for simply getting around town. The BYB can certainly be used for longer rides, but it shines during inter-city exploration and commuting from one part of town to another. The P10 model is perfect for those looking for the lightest, fastest ride, while the S11 is worth checking out if all-weather riding and carrying more cargo are on the agenda.
In addition to traveling on planes with the BYB, the compact size makes it an excellent choice for carrying it on a train, stashing it on a boat, or even keeping it in the trunk of your car or apartment for that matter if storage space is at a premium.
It’s a fun little bike that makes bringing a bike with you wherever you go easier than ever. Currently, the BYB P10 is priced at $1,849 while the S11 is $2,499. The AirPorter Slim suitcase adds another $345. You can order the BYB online, but Tern will then ship it to the closest Tern dealer for assembly, or to your preferred dealer.
