verification . please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . unsourced material may be challenged and removed . june 2010 learn how and when to remove this template message melon bicycle industry bicycle founded 2008 05 01 defunct 2014 12 29 headquarters chapel hill north carolina united states products folding bicycle website www.melonbicycles.com melon bicycles was a folding bicycle manufacturer based in chapel hill north carolina . many cyclists refer to the company as melon bikes melon bicycles or simply melon . melon bicycles went out of business in 2014 . 1 melon worked in collaboration with chick fil a and other companies in programs to improve overall employee well being and carbon footprint . these programs encourage employees to ride their bikes to work thus increasing exercise and cutting down on fuel emissions . contents 1 history 2 uses 3 folding system 4 specifications 5 strengths and weaknesses 5.1 strengths 5.2 weaknesses 6 references 7 external links history edit melon was founded in july 2008 by loran evans of rightline gear and lakeland gear in candler nc . evans was inspired to create a bicycle that was more convenient for recreational riders . motivated by neighbors with bulky bikes evans goal was to design an easy to ride easy to transport bike without sacrificing performance . uses edit melon bikes are designed to be multifunctional and can be used for fitness recreation commuting or travel . melon currently has one model on the market the slice . a slack head tube angle and long wheelbase distinguish melon from some other folding bikes . these features allow for increased performance however its dimensions may constrain potential riders who are over 6 3 . although the melon can be used by commuters its intended function is as an alternative to conventional hybrid comfort and fitness bicycles with all of the advantages of a folding bike . 2 folding system edit melon slice bicycle is portable with dimensions 34 l x 27 h x 13 w. 52t chainring . the melon slice folding system is relatively conventional and straightforward . first it folds at the pedals and then at the handlebar stem . the bike is then folded in the middle of the top tube so that the two halves come together . with practice the bike can be folded in about 15 seconds . the folded size of the bike is 34 l x 27 h x 13 w. specifications edit the melon bicycles slice model s frame and fork is made from 7005 aluminum . the slice uses a large size 52t chainring and a 12 25t cassette to provide enough of a gear range to conquer all terrains with only 8 speeds . grip shifters are used for shifting with an easy to read display indicating the current gear chosen . the slice uses 20 wheels 406mm in the 1.75 width . the bicycle geometry features a slacker head tube angle than most folding bikes which provides for smooth riding and greater maneuverability . citation needed the bike s frame is generally built to accommodate common industry standard components such as brakes and gear systems . the bike will accommodate riders up to 6 3 in height . strengths and weaknesses edit strengths edit melon offered multiple accessories . many municipal bus and train lines require that bikes brought on board be kept transported in a bag . 3 a folding bike carry bag carries the bike when folded and attaches to the bikes handlebars by velcro when not in use . in this position it has a water bottle holder and cell phone pocket that can be accessed by the rider . when used to carry the folded bike the bag has a set of carry handles an adjustable shoulder strap and an outer zippered pocket . the melon slice folding bike can be outfitted with a pair of mud guards to keep rain and dirt from soiling the riders clothing . the mud guards bolt onto the front fork and the rear reflector frame member . weaknesses edit as previously mentioned the slice model has relatively strict height and weight limits . it is also considered expensive by some . finally the slice s color options are currently restricted to only red or white . references edit https www.secretary.state.nc.us search filings 9699326 the folding bike solution . transportation alternatives . retrieved 2010 06 28 . the history of the folding bike . the folding cyclist . retrieved 2010 06 28 . external links edit on test melon slice issue 5 bicycle times magazine march 1 2010 pp. 40 41 archived from the original on march 31 2010 retrieved 2010 06 28 melon bicycles slice review . bike commuters . december 2 2009 . retrieved 2010 06 28 . product review melon slice folding bike . one less car review . retrieved 2010 06 28 . v t e american bicycle manufacturers current american star bike friday bilenky cycle works bohemian brooklyn bicycle co. bontrager calfee design cannondale catrike centurion chumba racing co motion columbia cortina cruzbike cycle force group dahon diamondback dynacraft bsc electra ellsworth handcrafted fantasy toys lowrider bicycle & hobby felt fuji fyxation gendron inc. gt haro huffy ibis independent fabrication international surrey company iron horse italvega jamis k2 sports kent international kestrel litespeed magna marin masi melon milwaukee mongoose moots next nishiki novara pacific pope priority pure cycles quality quintana roo r e rans designs razorusa redline rhoades car ritchey design rivendell roadmaster richard sachs santa cruz santana schwinn seven shelby shinola soma fabrications specialized surly terracycle terrible one tommaso torker transition trek turner suspension univega valdora van dessel sports villy custom volagi waterford precision wilderness trail worksman yamaguchi yeti zigo defunct american american machine and foundry chicago clark kent e. c. stearns eagle fat city fleetwing gary fisher gormully & jeffery jmc klein kogswell lemond lotus merlin murray overman pocket rambler ross serotta sol stelber sterling wright components bell sports bicycle technologies international coker tire fox racing shox fyxation giro hayes brake burley design rockshox slidepad speedplay sram l.h. thomson zipp rolf prima retrieved from https en.wikipedia.org w index.php title melon bicycles & oldid 739189691 categories cycle manufacturers of the united statescompanies based in north carolinahidden categories articles needing additional references from june 2010all articles needing additional referencesall articles with unsourced statementsarticles with unsourced statements from july 2010 navigation menu personal tools not logged intalkcontributionscreate accountlog in namespaces article talk variants views read edit view history more search navigation main pagecontentsfeatured contentcurrent eventsrandom articledonate to wikipediawikipedia store interaction helpabout wikipediacommunity portalrecent changescontact page tools what links hererelated changesupload filespecial pagespermanent linkpage informationwikidata itemcite this page print export create a bookdownload as pdfprintable version languages 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