A reader tipped me to the Crossbeed, a folding bicycle wheel. As our readers know, I’ve traveled extensively with both little-wheel folding bikes and regular-wheeled, S&S-coupled road bikes. There’s also MTB folders, but we’ve yet to try those (we really need to add a MTB blogger). In all those travel miles, I’ve never really thought of a need to fold a wheel; I’ve wished for a carbon-folding bike, just to get the weight down, wished that Brompton was slightly less industrial-age influenced, and that Dahon made a better travel case. But the Crossbreed is certainly interesting and innovative, check the video
Also posted on
And coincidentally, Halfbakery a site for various, half-baked ideas, posted on this [topic way back in 06](http://www.halfbakery.com/idea/Folding_20Wheel_20(collapsable).
Not at the level of difficulty required to reinvent the wheel, but a recent innovation that has made my travel by bike easier, is the Keyhole Bottle Cage available from SBS and at your local Independent Bike Dealer
3 turns of an allen wrench, and boom, it’s on/off. Small innovations like that really add up when traveling. The SRAM power link is a thing of beauty as well.
Now, I really wish that mini-pumps actually pumped air. Someone should invent that.


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You might look into the Topeak Mini Morph as a travel pump. It was recommended by experienced self-supported tourists and I have been impressed with it’s use. I haven’t used it to pump over 80psi, but it is very easy to use.
Topeak Mini Morph
Nathan,
Good tip and I should write a “truth in pumping” post. Some of the ridiculous claims are like 160 psi in a pump the size of a lipstick case. I’d heard about the mini-morph and it also address the problem of tearing the valve when you use a mini-pump and pump it furiously.