In my eight years on college campuses—first as a student and then as the girlfriend of a grad student—my cheap beater bike was stolen four times. Once, the wheels were gone. Another time, the seat. Twice, it just vanished into the ether, leaving only a busted U-lock and broken dreams in its wake.
Even if the bike itself cost only 50 or a hundred bucks, the inconvenience was annoying. I still remember standing at a bus station with my bike frame in hand, reading routes and schedules, and seething at the indignity. All that stress and hassle—not to mention the cost of replacing bikes and locks—could have all been avoided with a small, affordable folding bike that I could tuck under my desk. A bike just like the Tern Link A7.
Founded in 2012 by ex-employees of the folding-bike giant Dahon, Tern makes folding bikes that emphasize convenience, comfort, and portability. The Link A7 is its latest entry-level bike, featuring a lightweight aluminum frame. My tester model came in an eye-catching deep crimson.
Folding and unfolding the bike might seem daunting at first, but it’s easy to get the hang of it. Tern estimates the folding time at 10 seconds, which seems … optimistic. When I timed myself, it usually took from 45 seconds to 1 minute, which still isn’t very long.
Tern gives you an easy-to-read manual and has posted how-to videos online. When I messed up, it was usually because I’d forgotten a step or thought I could take a shortcut. Any time you think you’ll save from not lowering the handlebars all the way or rotating the seat, you will spend puzzling over why the final locking clasp just Does. Not. Close. If you’re racing into class or work with minutes to spare, you’ll want that time back.
Folded, the Tern is slightly larger than a premium folding bike, like a Brompton. It’s 28.7 inches tall and 31.5 inches long, compared to the Brompton's 23-inch height. But it still fits neatly under the desk in my home office or by the shoe rack in my entryway. I found it pretty easy to hoist its 26.6 pounds under my arm while carrying my backpack.
Its tiny wheels produce something like a trompe l’oeil effect. “Are you riding a BMX bike?” my spouse asked, when I pulled up in front of my house.
In fact, I measured its wheelbase at 990 millimeters, which makes it comparable in terms of length and stability to a road bike. It just looks a lot smaller than it is, which has other beneficial side effects. Every time I popped into a coffee shop or store in my neighborhood, no one objected when I left it standing on its kickstand in the corner.