Adapted from Heng Choo Chian – Thebicycleguy
Hello guys and welcome to today’s review of the Fnhon Gust 20-Inch folding bike. Early this year I reviewed the Fnhon Gust 16-inch wheel folding bike. It received a great deal of traction as well as a number of questions asking if I’m 180cm (5 feet 11 inches) could I fit on the bike or if I am 100 kilos (220 lbs) can I fit on the bike or if I’m 90 kilos (200 lbs) can I fit on the bike? The answer is “no” because the Fnhon Gust 16-inch wasn’t designed for a bigger sized rider.
So what do you do if you are taller and a bit heavier – there is an answer today and it is the Fnhon Gust 20-inch.
Editor’s Note – the Origami Lotus 16-Inch is a modified version of the Fnhon Gust which is produced for the US market and compensates for height and weight limits of the current frame and seat post
Before I start I want to thank Philip from PP Cycle who loaned me the folding bike in order to do this review. I’m just an average joe like you and would not be able to afford every single folding bike that I review so the support of PP Cycle and local bike shops helps me keep the content coming.
As usual, I’ll break down the review into a few segments. The first will be the frameset, the second will be the groupset, the third is the wheelset, the fourth is the finishing kit, and there’s one more extra for this review in which I will make some comparisons of the Fnhon Gust 20 inch and the Fnhon Gust 16-inch.
Lastly, I will provide you with the three items that I like and three items of concern.
So let’s go!
Fnhon Gust 20 Inch: Frameset
So let’s talk about the frame for a little bit. You can see the frame feels like there’s not much different from the 16-inch model. I explained in the previous review that Fnhon is actually a Chinese company that used to manufacture the OEM folding bike for Dahon. As most of you probably already know Dahon is one of the largest folding bike companies in the world.
Over time Fnhon started its own brand it has been a few years since the Fnhon Gust launched and it has always stayed at a 16-inch wheel size. I guess after a few years Fnhon received enough requests asking to please do something to cater to taller riders and asking for a bigger wheel and overall a bigger bike. So here it is – the 20-inch Fnhon Gust.
It’s just like an enlarged version of Fnhon Gust 16-inch. It is still the same, the rear fork design with no seat stay over the rear triangle. For reinforcement, it’s still straight tubing made with 4130 chrome-moly. The black paint color was the new addition to the 16-inch. I guess the sales were quite good because they also applied it to the 20-inch. The main tube on the older version of Fnhon didn’t have the gold logo words embossed as they do now.
Previously there were complaints about Fnhon’s workmanship. I can see thought that they have really improved in this area with the new batch of frames as the welding is not necessarily perfect but decent enough.
One thing that is very interesting is there is a front derailleur hanger here so I guess that’s good news for most buyers because now you can easily make this bike into a “two by” and you can have a wider gear ratio to climb or to go on the flat routes in terms of design.
I don’t have much else to say because it’s almost exactly the same as the previous version. You have your water bottle cage mounting and of course, I love the gold hint on the black frame. The paint job I feel is one of the main selling points of the Fnhon Gust.
It looks really good but there’s one more thing that I realized which is this frame doesn’t come with any kickstand mount. I prefer to have a kickstand mount because for a 20-inch folding bike I probably want a double kickstand that would enable me to easily park my bike. So there is a downside to having this rear fork design and now I’ll move on to the next part which is the groupset.
Fnhon Gust 20 Inch: Groupset
In terms of the groupset, the one part about Fnhon compared to the other folding bike brands is the customization. Fnhon was one of the brands that offered a frame only option to the marketplace.
This bike by PP Cycle is already fitted with every component into a complete bike and is a light spec. If you’re buying from PP Cycle they actually offer a few ranges of finishing kits or wheel setups.
One interesting thing about this bike is when I look at the derailleur and the shifter it is by a brand named Sensah and the model is Mx9. So by the name the Mx9 usually means the 9 represents how many speeds are in this groupset. The shifter looks very similar to an SRAM shifter. The bike also has the derailleur which is part of the Mx-9 series.
The Avid FR-5 brake levers used on this bike are very popular brake levers in the folding bike world. I would say these are one of the best and most affordable brake levers you can get in the marketplace. The brake system for this bike is V-brakes in the front and the back which explains why it is an Avid FR-5 which is considered a long pull lever. A long pull lever is usually used for a V-brake or a long pull disc brake.
The crankset being used is a Litepro which is one of the more popular brands for folding bikes. I think if you are into folding bikes you have probably heard of them.
One very interesting note here on the rear derailleur is I couldn’t find the barrel adjuster. The barrel adjuster is actually at the trigger shifter instead of the rear derailleur. So if you want to index your gear this is where you tune your gears. Cable wise no surprise here in that it is an external cable. Everything external is a good thing since I wouldn’t want my folding bike to be internal because an internal gear cable is actually quite hard to work with compared to an external cable.
The brake cable and shifting cables are by Jagwire which is commonly used in folding bicycles. The cassette is a nine-speed Sensah 11-28T. I’m not very sure what is the max capacity of this derailleur but looking at a distance you probably can handle up to 11-32T. It’s up to the rider to choose what is the best gear ratio, but with the front derailleur option, 11-28T is a decent cassette to start with. Once you add on one more derailleur or a small chainring in the front you will be able to get really light gear because of the wheel size.
And now moving on to the wheelset.
Fnhon Gust 20 Inch: Wheelset
The wheelset is the first thing you can see that is not fully black. I like this because it is a rim brake bike and there are wheelsets out there that are just painted black. The main issue is after you ride a few times the black paint will rub off which I feel makes it pointless. Only use a full black wheelset if you are using a disc brake.
Nothing fancy over here just a Litepro K-Fun which is a 20-inch 406 wheelset. For those who are new or for those who don’t know 20 inch wheels basically break down into 406 and 451.
So what is the difference between a 406 and 451 wheel size?
The 406 wheel size is actually smaller in diameter but you can fit wider tires on it while the 451 wheel size is actually slightly bigger in diameter. Some riders say it’s like 21 to 22 inches and the tires you are fitting on it are usually a bit more narrow. If I were to compare it’s like the 406 is like mountain bike tires and the 451 is the road tires. So of course 406 and 451 there are pros and cons. There is no best wheel size as it always depends on what you are looking for as a rider.
The tires used are basic CST City tires with no particular model just a basic commuter tire. The usual characteristic of a commuter tire is the rolling resistance which is usually higher but the puncture protection is better. Of course, if you want that look that everybody has that tan wall look Schwalbe does have 406 tire that is Schwalbe Marathoner. Do your online shopping if you want to upgrade the look to a specific tire.
I guess that’s it for the wheelset. Next up is the finishing kit.
Fnhon Gust 20 Inch: Finishing Kit
The finishing kit I would say is very standard from PP Cycle. The handlebar grips are Litepro foam grips which are okay for comfort. I like these gold handlebars spacing rings that keep the black/gold essence of the whole bike in balance.
The seat is pretty generic and is usually changed to something more suitable for each rider. The seat post is a Litepro A61. You can see the main difference between a 20-inch and a 16-inch in the seat post. The same seat post that I have on my Fnhon Gust 16-inch is at its max but on the 20-inch it’s only at a four which leaves plenty of room to raise it up. If you’re a taller rider, for example, you can easily raise this seat post to fit you.
One interesting component from PP Cycle is the models that they sell all come with a curved gooseneck handle post. This is something that I don’t care for as I like a straight handlebar stem. I like it to be aggressive but based on the owner of PP Cycle they feel that because the standard reach on a Fnhon Gust is very short they use a gooseneck handle post to increase the reach and give a more comfortable riding posture.
As for myself, I like the handlebar stem straight. I like it aggressive so my saddle is always higher than my handle post with a racing kind of look although I’m not a racer.
The pedal over here is a pretty generic Wellgo pedal. It’s good to start with but as time progresses you may want clipless pedals. You can just change pedals which is a component that is very easy to upgrade.
As usual, I will just fold down the bike for you guys to see how it looks. I will just comment a little bit on the folder size since it is a folding bike. One thing I realized is that the gooseneck handle post actually folds out instead of folds inward which increases the width. It becomes more thick right with the curved handle post. Since this is a bi-fold folding bike there’s no surprise that the shape and package size are just very normal. Most folding bikes fold this way and most of the folding bikes fold down to this size.
I don’t think this is a very good package for you to bring on any public transport because it’s actually quite big. If you stand it up inside the train this will take up too much space and people might give you a weird look. If you want to load it into your car then yes this overall size is fine. I load it in my vehicle and it doesn’t take up a lot of space.
I probably can fit two or three of these into my vehicle which is okay. It’s a decent size for a folding bike if you want to do a car plus bicycle, but if you want to do a train plus bicycle or bus plus bicycle this might be a bit too big. In terms of storage, this one probably will not fit under your desk as easily compared to a 16-inch wheeled folding bike. It all depends on the height of your desk of course because the Fnhon Gust 20-inch is a little bit bigger in terms of size.
Now let’s go to another interesting part. I will bring in my Fnhon Gust 16-inch so you can see the size difference (13:17 minute mark).
Fnhon Gust 20 Inch Compared to Fnhon Gust 16-Inch
Laying both folding bikes side by side you can see the differences. The first thing I notice is definitely the reach and also the height of the saddles. I think my 16-inch has a similar center height. As I mentioned before, my seat post is already maxed out on my Gust 16-inch but on the Gust 20-inch, the seat post still has additional room to increase the bike seat height. If you’re a tall rider (180cm) I feel you should have no problem.
The increased wheel size from 16 inches to 20 inches changes everything. For example, the bottom bracket height is higher by having a bigger wheel size so you will also have more stable handling compared to a 16-inch wheeled bike which can get twitchy. A 20-inch will also be much better when you are going downhill or riding at a high speed.
Lastly is the difference in folding sizes. From the side-by-side comparison, you can see there is quite a significant difference. I have my Gust 16-inch folded and even with all my accessories attached to it, the Fnhon Gust 20-inch is still bigger. Make sure that’s part of your consideration factor if you are in the market for this folding bike.
Fnhon Gust 20 Inch: 3 Goods and 3 Concerns
And now last but not least the three things I like and my three concerns.
When I found out about the Fnhon Gust 20-inch I was happy for the taller rider.
The first thing that I like is that it can fit taller riders or plus-size riders so it doesn’t have that limitation for people to start cycling. I always say cycling is supposed to be something easy, affordable, and accessible, and having this 20-inch version makes cycling accessible again. You don’t have to buy the Gust 16-inch and go back and realize it’s too short for me or I’m going to get knee pain from pedaling.
The second reason is more the usual benefits of a 20-inch bike in that the handling and also the clearance are much better. I think this is very basic physics, when you have a bigger wheel the handling is better. This same reasoning applies to everything from gravel road bikes to folding bikes to mountain bikes. Mountain bikes, for example, kept increasing their wheel size throughout the years from 26 inches to 27.5 inches to where they are now at 29 inches. This obviously shows how a wheel size will significantly improve your handling which is one of the most important elements in the mountain bike world. So when you ride a folding bike with bigger wheels the handling is always better which is a good thing.
The third thing that I like is this frame actually comes with a front bracket mount which is something I really really really really like. Back when I got my Fnhon Gust bike there was nothing in front. The front of the head tube was just a Fnhon logo and that’s it. In terms of practicality, it is not the best. I guess Brompton set the standard of practicality and that front bracket mount idea actually came from Brompton. This is where you can put your bag if you’re commuting, for an e-bike you can put your battery or your water bottles. Basically, everything makes this bike very suitable for daily commuting. If you want to go for groceries or you want to ride to work you need space to put all your stuff. Having the front bracket mount makes this folding bike very practical.
And, my 3 concerns about the Fnhon Gust 20-Inch...
My first concern is that I don’t really like the folded size. The side-by-side comparison showed that this folding bike is rather big. I guess it’s even slightly bigger compared to your usual folding bike because of the curved handle post. It’s just big. I don’t know maybe because I’m so used to a 16-inch wheel folding bike that isn’t very small for me anymore. Yes, it’s foldable and you can fit it into your car easily with no need roof rack or rear rack.
When we talk about whether you can take this bike on public transportation or go to work, I don’t know. Maybe you can do it if you are taking the train during non-peak hours but during peak hours this folding bike is a little too big. I guess this is not a Fnhon Gust 20-inch problem but more of a 20-inch folding bike problem. It’s just that Gust has an even bigger folded bike package.
The second point of concern is the proportions. It doesn’t look great to me. I guess it’s because it looks like they just took the smaller frame and then just made it bigger. There’s no geometry research and it just feels like this wheel is not supposed to be on this folding bike. I don’t know if it’s just me or if everyone is okay with it.
My third concern is actually related to the bike’s aesthetics. I feel like it is losing that vintage modern bike aesthetic feel. The is this thing about Fnhon Gust that made everyone crazy about it. It is that vintagey design, that very minimal straight-line design, the embossed logo, nothing loud, just very subtle yet elegant. I guess maybe it’s just me, but for those people who can’t fit on a Fnhon Gust 16-inch, it’s probably not something that bothers them.
Well, that’s all for now.
Bye Bye
