KALAQ Q5 Foldable Exercise Bike - Yet another Singapore internet sale darling...

As internet sales become more and more popular in Singapore, the OCBC Cycle event which just ended witness quite a number of Hachiko and KALAQ riders among the Community/Foldie rides. The refreshing bright and attractive frame colours with matching coloured tires are enough to give some entry level users sufficient head-turning interest to try-out such bikes.

Today we will look at another fashionable brand KALAQ which have been around earlier than Hachiko and sporting equally fashionable colour combination.



SPECIFICATION:
20″ Wheel-size
Shimano 7 gear.
High carbon steel frame.
Disc brakes front and rear.
Quick release wheel locks.
Weight 14 kg.
Free bottle cage and bell
7 colour- Red, White , Blue, Purple, Yellow, Matt Black & Orange
52T Crankset

KALAQ is selling around S$299 (which Hachiko should be selling as both are sharing almost similar parts).  Sporting similar Dahon's Mu frame design as per Hachiko, the features are rather similar apart from the heavier 14 kg weight on KALAQ (Hachiko should weight ~13KG in actual).

If you are looking for trendy and colourful foldable bike with casual riding once or twice a month, KALAQ, ALEOCA or similar priced bikes below $300 will likely appeal to you. ALEOCA lack the colours, disc-brake and freebies (bottle cage, locks) while one should not pay more than $300 for similar specs bicycle consider it shares over 50% similar parts to it's ALEOCA $100 counterpart.


Pros:
- Very fashionable design with matching tires..
- Disc brake (good if you love to challenge the slope, but bear in mind it's just a 7 speed basic gear)
- Easy foldable Dahon's Mu frame design (subject to rusting and maintenance)
- Wide range of colours (who doesn't love trendy colours?)
- Generic Shimano gear system (reliability is without doubt but beware of the rust)
Cons:
- Large 52T crankset (as compared to Hachiko's 48T)
- Easy to rust components (frame, fork, handle-post, folding joints, gear system)
- High cost at almost 3x the cost of a Aleoca bike (without all the frills)
- Disc brake may not be necessary for such setup, as it simply add on more unnecessary weight)
- Heavy at 14KG

Summary:
If you love to ride, wants something fashionable while unable to afford more than $300. This is a good alternative with very trendy design and colour combination that's as good looking as a $700-800 foldable bike (except that the parts may start to rust faster than you could imagine). Take good care and avoid high moisture areas (never go into the rain!) and it will last as long as possible for your bucks.

- Good for leisure rides at PCN

Price: 2 / 5
Looks: 4/5
Value: 2/5
Upgradability: 1/5 (requires to change almost every single components)