Zizzo Forte Unboxing

This is what I found outside my door this afternoon — Zizzo Forte folding bicycle. It’s supposed to be designed for heavier riders, carrying up to 300 pounds safely. I ordered it on Amazon for about $600 and it shipped from somewhere in California. This thing is popular enough that the quantity in stock was dropping over just a few hours. This will open a new chapter in my cycling.

The bike comes double boxed. The inner box has no branding or anything. I was told that it’s just in case you need a box to ship it on an airline or whatever, no one can tell what’s in it. However, it’s much easier to strip it down a little more and pack it in a bag designed for carrying, as this typically fits inside the limits for regular checked baggage. Half the reason I bought this was the likelihood I’d be traveling, and this thing is the best way to get around once you get where you are going.

There’s a lot of packing: foam, zip ties, cardboard with tape, plastic bags and some clipped on hard plastic protectors for various protruding parts. It wasn’t too annoying to remove. The only bad part was a plastic film covering the fenders, and they applied it before it was mounted on the bike. Unless you take it all apart, you can’t get the last few shreds of clear plastic off.

It wouldn’t come loose pulling upward, but once I turned it on its side, it came out quite easily. It turned into a mini-workout for me, because I’m so much larger than this thing when it’s folded up like this. On the other hand, it’s much lighter than any of the regular bicycles I’ve owned.

It took awhile to remove enough packing for the frame to unfold. There was a nifty Velcro belt that you can keep for use when you bag it up for travel. When I do travel and I’m not driving, I actually prefer to go by bus. This thing would easily fit up under the bus. I’m going to order a bag that makes it less obvious what it is.

Once I got it unfolded for the first time, it still looked like a little child’s bike. The wheels are 20″, which is becoming quite common these days, not just on folding bikes, but recumbent trikes typically run this size. Tires and tubes are easy to get all over the place.

It took maybe 20 minutes to remove all the packing materials. It was a lot of stuff to wade through.

This is pretty close to ready for riding. The main thing for me was getting the seat height just right. I really like how it sits upright; I’m getting too old for head-down riding. I’ve got arthritis in my shoulders and elbows, so I need to keep my hands up well above the seat level. The handlebars came fully extended and I left them that way. The handlebar itself also tilts easily with a lock just for that.

The tires come deflated to just 10 pounds or so. I had a relatively new floor pump for Schrader valves and it fit just fine. Once I got it all ready, I rode around a bit, stopping repeatedly to adjust the seat height, until the seat felt comfortable pedaling. Then I got on the bike and grabbed the box, dragging it around to the far side of the apartment complex where the dumpsters are. A couple of neighbors commented and laughed at the sight. I’m still a clown.

This is not for off-roading, though it can take just a little of that. It’s mostly for big heavy guys riding around town or on roads. However, YouTube is loaded with videos of people who use folding bikes for touring the whole world. This thing comes with a special mount on the front of the frame. There is a whole range of bags and racks that slip onto the fitting. I’ll worry about fully equipping it later, as the extra goodies cost a bit. At least my old saddlebags fit just fine.

In that last photo, I’ve already mounted my lock and cable, some bungee cords on the rear rack, and right in the center of the handlebar is a soft bottle carrier. I like having a water bottle up close to my hands.