The ride is what it is. People around here use rollerblades. The ride on this couldn't be worse or more dangerous that those, I'd imagine. This actually has brakes and pneumatic tires. I agree for the most part. For a while there, I REALLY wanted a nice folding bike to take with me more easily. After several false starts, I finally realized that you get SO much more for your money in a "regular" bike. And surprise! You take off both wheels, and it is amazing how small the bike suddenly becomes. Folding up a bike is a PITA no matter how you cut it. I have a stable of regular bikes here, and just don't sweat the folding any longer. OK... here's the real kicker. There are THOUSANDS of people (hundreds of them right here on PC) who buy a Pruis for their three mile commute. If you think $2k for a short commute is bad, try buying a car for it! For the record, my commute is 23 miles each way, so I'm going to assume that my $3,000 road bike is acceptable for that distance? I know many people who spend $25,000, $25,000, even $50,000 on a vehicle to go shorter distances that that! And they still have to pay for gas. And probably a gym membership. Suckers. Do YOU have a 3-mile commute? How do you transport yourself?