Forte

It's my second Forte. I use it for everything.

Hi! I am an older guy, 71 years of age. I purchased the bike because I have arthritis severe enough to keep me from walking as far as my more nimble wife (76 years of age) can. I can ride as far as she can walk, now. I found the bike without flaw. The brakes, gear shift, and assembly/disassembly proceedures and fittings work flawlessly.

I’m really pleased with my purchase!! My only issue is folding/unfolding is not as quick as I thought it would be.

Love it! But I’m a skinny old lady and the seat hurts. I’m getting strong before TKR surgery. No knee pain while biking! Cant walk but I can bike. Wonderful feeling.

This is my second Zizzo and was great right out of the box. Have about 200 miles on it and only slight adjustment for cable stretch. My Liberte has over 3000 miles and still running strong.

A good value. Nice, sturdy construction, without feeling overly heavy. Nice wheels and derailleur. Good presence of ZiZZO staff on Reddit FoldingBikes sub as well. I only have 50 miles on it, but so far, so good!

Just took my first ride on my Forte. Performed flawlessly right out of the box. Out of my other 5 bikes, I think this might become my favorite (including my Liberte)

Rides like a champ, gears slip occasionally and the chain falls out but the more I used the bike it seems the less that happens. Very sturdy and perfect size for me (6 ft)

Everything checks out and Forte looks great. Shifting seems fine on work stand, as snowy days continue in New York State. The rear rack seems solid. I added a derailleur guard and would suggest it should come with the bike. Tires look decent, but I will certainly slime them. Overall fit and finish get an A+. No issues with shipping. Pre-purchase contacts with Zizzo staff were courteous and helpful.

Love to be mobile again and Zizzo is making it happen

I use the Forte for pleasure riding and for grocery and other shopping - adding the Brompton bag attachment to the Forte was brilliant - I use my Brompton bags on my Fortes (I have 2 Fortes and 2 Bromptons) all the time - the bike comes delivered in a well packaged box, assembles quickly, pump the tires and go! The only issue I’ve had with all the Zizzo bikes I’ve purchased is I have to adjust the front brake tension so the pads don’t grab the wheel - but that’s easy to do - I also replace the 48T ring with a 42T ring - you might think of that as an option for us older folks - I guess you could say I’m a fan of Zizzo bikes because I have 3 Libertes, 2 Fortes, and 2 eFortes and am pleased with all! I learned of the Zizzo brand from Brian’s YouTube channel @ibikeunfolded and decided I needed to check it out. Thanks for a great product.

A nice bike to ride so far my wife and I have them for a week so it is difficult to judge how good they are.

This is packaged very well. Better than I expected. It came in great condition and rides smoothly straight out of the box.

This is my third folding bike. The first was a Dahon Boardwalk and another off-brand bike with nice features--that were non-standard. I was looking to get a folding bike that I could use for bike touring, so the Forte was the natural choice. I like the solid foundation of a strong frame and wheels. I've already changed the gearing to a 11-40t rear cassette that also required a new chain and derailleur. The seatpost is only 580mm and doesn't allow for micro-adjustement of the seat angle, so I'm getting a different 600mm seatpost and will also be upgrading the seat. A great foundation to build upon...

I was impressed, nothing to assemble. Inflated tires set seat & handle bar & was off riding. If the seat was more comfortable I'd have posted 5 stars. Bike rides great, can fold it up & take it in my car or truck.

The Forte was easy to unpack and setup. It rides nice and is very well made. Very glad I chose this bike.

perfect

Love it! It’s fun to ride and easy to fold and put in the bag.

So far, so good. One of only a few bikes that can hold 300lbs. Folds as described. Packaging 5/5 not a single scratch or dent. Included multi tool. Unpacked, checked the items required for the warranty, aired up the tires and was riding within minutes. Seat is good for the price, but will be the first thing i upgrade. peddles, while cool that they fold, will be the second thing. 5/5 would buy again. Great product.

The bike is good for riding around town. I am a truck driver and is good for me to carry inside my truck. I rode only once and it was a good ride. The gears change nicely and no noise. The only problem is the rack, I am 6’1 and my heels hit the milk crate I put on top of the rack. Would be nice Zizzo upgrade the rack?

Not had a lot of time on the bike yet but so far I am very pleased. Opened a whole new world of possibilities for an elderly mobility compromised guy with a 29 year old mind.

The bike arrived well packaged and without damage. I watched the videos, unpacked and safety checked the bike and then rode it! The bike feels well built, rides nicely and shifts effortlessly. I bought the bike so I could store it in the closet at my parent's condo in Florida so I had a bike to ride when I visit them. It checks off all of the boxes! I'm very happy with my purchase!

I got the Forte because I am a big guy... a wee bit over the max rating of 300 pounds. After 2 months, with a fair amount of riding, it seems fine. I don't sense any weaknesses... though I always ride carefully. I can break anything. I do notice some bracing around where the seat post goes in... Good. I got it for exercise nd the folding bike lets me easily go places where that is more fun. Aside from that, it's nice looking, rides great and is mechanically fine. It has a good derailer. I did do a 27 mile ride and it didn't seem much different than a road bike. You aren't going to ride as fast perhaps, but that was not my plan anyway. I'm an old fart and still getting stronger. I highly recommend this bike.

very impressed! I am used to uncomfortable seats and lots of adjustments with new bikes. Not the case with this one. everything adjusted to the milimiter. brakes at the slightest touch of the handles. Agile,fast and surprisingly very light. But the biggest surprise is the seat. first ride lasted 4 hours non stop and the only reason I did not ride longer was I had to go to work. I can only immagine how the comfort seat is going to feel. pig nose in the front is the best solution for commuting. Waiting to buy the front bag,the comfort seat,the lock. It is 90 % perfect. All it needs for a 100% is mechanical disc brakes,(personal opinion). the standard brakes are more than enough. You got yourselves a very very very satisfied customer! Been riding no less than 4 hours daily since I got it. Thank you for a super product! Dejan Ninkovic One happy zizzo owner.

Great bike for my husband who needs something sturdier. Now we have 2 ZiZZO’s that fit in the back of our pickup. Great delivery and service from ZiZZO. I got the handlebar bag too!

Love the bike! Love the way its foldable I can put it in my room. When I need it I can take it to work. The bike looks nice and feels strong.

I've been riding the Forte 2023 for one and a half months now and it's a great commuting bike! Really lightweight at around 28lbs, folds easy and compact which makes it easy to store it in a house/apartment. It doesn't perform as well on trails or steep incline because of the wheel size but it can still keep up relatively well given its designed function. If you're looking for a small, compact, foldable bike for daily commute, this is a great and affordable choice.

Love the bike! Easy to adjunct derailer..shifts as smooth as silk. Lightweight. Maneuverable. Like the portability.. fold and load in my car's trunk..no hitch and rack needed. Suggest enhancement...would like to be able to raise the handlebars a bit more. Highly recommended.

I have now road the bike for over a week in 40°F-75°F in a thunder storm and on sunny days. I ride 13 miles to and from work each day some days taking a side trip just to see new areas. On my trips I pack 1L of water a full lunch box, and a back pack of my gear for work. The bike is perfect for my need minus one thing. The saddle. The saddle is not the best when you first get it out and squeeze it it tells you “I’m super squish and will treat you so well” after 26 miles your tail bone and spine will tell you differently. I just bought a new saddle and hope it’ll be the fix it needs! The 8 gears are a treat. I was in between this bike and a Brompton for 2 months, and I don’t know what I’d do if I only had 3 gears at this point. I highly recommend but get that saddle changed. The ZiZZO reddit team will even tell you!!

It is a good bicycle for the price. Had a problem with one of the rear rack bolts being stripped and one of the other screw in ports for the rear rack bolt has stripped out some. All this was discovered when I changed out the rear rack for a bigger one. Just bear in mind this is a $500+ dollar bicycle. If you are used to riding premium folding bikes you will notice the differences in quality of parts and components (drivetrain, wheelset, brakes). You will likely want to change/upgrade items to make the bike workable and comfortable for you. This bicycle is apparently made in China, and they do not have the best quality control at times. Perhaps Zizzo could inspect the bicycles more before shipment to customers. Maybe somethings just get missed sadly. Aside from these small items it is a nice bicycle for those on a budget.

All good coming out of the box. Instructional video was informative and exactly what I was supposed to do preparing this bicycle. My commute to work consists of 3.6 mi to train station board, train to New York City and then 2.1 miles on the most roughest roads in New York City to my work location. Yours truly, thank you. Franco V.

Good bike, real sturdy, also getting plenty of compliments on the cool "Coral" color.

Exceeded my expectations… I ride my bicycle to work Monday through Friday and the front basket proves fantastic on the Forte 2023 with an added bonus, rain cover :-) now, I just need the bell… Thank you Zizzo for being here for me 

Outstanding quality at an affordable price is point is best what best describes my purchase. The fit and finish is above expectations along with attention to overall detail of build and safety of operation concerns for this bike. All instructions are comprehensive and easy to follow. Therefor I can recommend Zizzo bikes without hesitation or reservation. You just can't go wrong with a Zizzo folding bike. Well done, Team Zizzo !

I've had a few rides, and here are my thoughts. The bike is very nimble - turning a 20 inch wheel happens much faster than a larger wheel, so it's very responsive. I haven't folded and unfolded it much because it's so compact that I just roll it in my closet unfolded. Folding/unfolding is pretty easy, though. It feels very solidly built. Nothing looks cheap or likely to break any time soon. The only significant changes I've made are adding a bell and a narrower seat. The bike is quiet and rides really smoothly. Oh, and I love that it has rim brakes! They work great, are easy to maintain, and I love the feel. I'm really satisfied with the Forte, and thank you Zizzo for making the bike affordable!

Out of the box I rode from Beverly Hills to Redondo beach and back. I had no problems, one peddle doesn’t fold but whatever. Amazing bike!

I test rode Brompton (most uncomfortable bike ever), Dahon, and Tern. My riding partner bought a Tern which is a very nice folding bike. But my new Forte rides equally as nice, is built much stronger, is the same weight, and costs less! What’s not to love about that! And the best part- you can easily fit 2 into a 172 Cessna for getting around airstrips and town with no taxi services.

Light weight and easy to fold. Nice comfortable seat and it feels like the bike is gliding along the road when I’m riding it.

Nice bike with good workmanship

Wow! My first ride I took this on a 60 plus mile bike ride, it held up perfect and was a joy to ride. I weight 255 and has no issues at all. Very impressed!

Toured all of the C&O Canal Trail. I made a few mods and adjustments to make things run better. Biggest problem out of the box is the hubs were binding (overtightened) and lacked a good store of grease. The overall build is very good for the price and would highly recommend. I am very picky, but hopefully this info is useful. Your email tech support is excellent I should mention as well. Issues: Hubs: See above. Saddle: fine for short rides, upgrade if you plan hours and days riding. Pedals are inadequate. Replaced. I replaced the tires too with Schwalbe Marsthon 1.75” although the stock tires seemed adequate for lighter use. Pig-nose came loose multiple times. Plan to Loctite. Chain can slip over the front guard under certain circumstances. (Upshifting too quickly on a steep downhill. Happened only once.) Brakes are fiddly to adjust and never correct when rear wheel is dropped and remounted. I will likely replace since it’s an inexpensive upgrade for a lot less annoyance. A larger gear range, like a second front ring would be a welcome addition to attain a lower gear. Would be worth the extra cost IMHO.

I'm loving it! It has taken me a little while to dial things in, but I love how adjustable and portable it is. Unfolding and folding it is becoming muscle memory and I'm getting faster at it. I'm not a bicycle expert, so I can't really speak to the various parts or compare it to other bikes, but it seems well built to me and has been fun to ride so far. I like that it came with a rack, but I haven't made use of that yet. In due time.

Great bike to fold an put in the SUV. Easy to peddle and just about as fast as my mountain bike.

I was surprised at how much fun this bike is. It climbs well and maintains a good speed on the flats. Very enjoyable to ride.

bought this bike a few weeks ago and i do like it - easy to set up, register, adjust derailleur, safety check - took it on a few trips around the neighborhood before the inaugural ride around the lake natoma loop (roughly 11 mile ride near sacramento). the bike handled beautifully and i had no issue riding up and down a variety of inclines and curves (and dodging the spandex guys). on that ride, the handlebar stem was dropping so i simply unlatched the latch, hand tightened the allen and latched it back up. so far so good. my only complaints are: i think the way the teeth are cut on the (my) smallest cog (they kinda warble back and forth) is the reason my chain jumps under load in 8th gear (adjusted derailleur when i received bike, and again after a few rides). in addition, halfway into my second weekend ride around lake natoma, i got a flat tire and had only pulled off the paved path two or three times to take a breath or let someone pass. after inspection, i pulled a small thorn out of the tire. on a positive note, my wife picked me up since i didnt have a tube, and i was able to fold it up and chuck my bike in her sedan no problem easy bike to ride, handles hills and cruising well, albeit i am tallish 6'1" so real top heavy in low gearing on steep inclines, a little awkward to actually carry but it feels very sturdy overall - the tires/tubes i can replace and if i need to pop a cog off and beat it into shape it cant be that hard(?) overall i am happy with my purchase - im not a commuter, not a city dweller, just wanted a cool small footprint bike to cruise nature with, pretty much

I can't complain for the price, the build quality is really good. It's easy to fold and unfold once you get the hang of it. As far as issues with the tuning and setup, some of the clamps were tightened too much or too little (seatpost, handlebar, handlebar height), so look out for that and adjust as needed. The brakes seemed a little tight too, and some weren't aligned to the rim. When the bike was folded, they would contact the rim making it hard to roll it around. The tires needed to be filled, which is likely for shipping safety purposes. I would definitely recommend a thorough inspection of the bike by yourself or a bike mechanic before your first ride. Otherwise everything was solid. The gearset shifts fast and it has a good range. The rear rack is a great addition, it vastly increases the versatility of the bike. I have not used the front mount, but the assembly is well-attached to the bike, I trust any bags attached will be secure.

The bike arrived as expected and it rides great! It folds easily and carries plenty of groceries. The only minor flaw is that due to frequent quick maneuvering and bumps on my commute, the adjustable handlebar will sometimes slowly sink to its lowest possible orientation while riding, and I'll occasionally have to stop and both adjust the handlebar height and tighten the clamp with a key from my multitool, which takes just a few seconds. Overall I am still very satisfied

Did not expect to love it as much as I do! New ticket to freedom in the city...have had for a few weeks and did 11 Miles on my longest ride. Many more to come. I love my 2023 Forte!

I looked at a lot of folding bikes for our camping trips. The Zizzo was by far the best build at a reasonable cost. Before we bought our Forte, my wife made lots of excuses to keep from riding. Now I can't keep her off the new Zizzo. She is 5' tall and can adjust things just right for her comfort. The gearing has a nice sweet spot 11 to 48 teeth in the rear. This makes it fast enough and still have a pretty good climbing gear for those hills. They are really comfortable and can hold up to 300 pounds. Only Zizzo could make a bike so Tough and Tender! ZIZZO!

easy to install and perfect size for ladies.

Just got done with our first camping trip with the bikes. Great money spent. Did several rides about 17 miles. Bikes are solid and easy to put away for travel and security. Variety of surfaces ridden on including dirt asphalt and gravel. New gravel is a bit sketchy fyi. Really pleased as is my wife on hers.

Item was very well packaged. Bike does ride like a big bike. Very sturdy and well put together. I love it!

Very well built, easy to fold and unfold, shifting gears is smooth and bike and awesome! I've already recommended the bike to several individuals who have asked about it.

I ride it every chance I get .

I love this bike! As a heavy person I was delighted to find a light weight folding bike that is crazy easy to ride.

We are a Zizzo family with 2 Urbano and 2 Forte models. One of the Fortes is the new 8 seed version and that is the bike i am reviewing. Good: 1. Great packaging - yeah I know not technically about the bike but kudos to the packaging designers - well constructed and bike arrived in great shape. 2. Drive train including 8 speed vs older Forte's 7 speed. 3. Much improved (IMO) handlebar stem compared to previous model Forte and the older one wasn't bad - it's just better on the new model. 4. The Brompton style bag mount built onto the headset is nice. I have not added a bag yet but am aware of this from following Brompton bike enthusiasts for awhile. 5. This is a general description I am left with; the bike seems rock solid when encounter road irregularities (which Indianapolis has in such abundance). The other Zizzos are sold but this just seems impervious to potholes as far as stability and "strange noises" from the frame or accessories. 6. Lighter weight of entire bike. Adding an extra gear + losing ~1 1/2 pounds and not lowering weight capability of frame + adding the Brompton style mount is impressive. Very satisfied. Larry Webber

This bike seems to be a good quality build. The step through is a bit high for my wife at 5'2". I would recommend that you buy the bag for this bike. That is also high quality.

Very satisfied. One of my sons got the Forte also around two years ago. I had a Dahon then, when it came time to replace it, I checked the new 8 speed Forte and decided that it had almost same features with a better price. It rides great and very comfortable. Thanks

Forte 2023-OMG!!!!! I love this bike SO much. It is strong, tough and freaking awesome. Worth every penny.

I bought the 2023 Forte to commute to work and back since there's no safe place to lock a normal bicycle to. I fold this up and put it on the passenger seat of my semi truck. It takes a couple times to get the folding down exact. I'm 6ft and 285lbs and this bike feels very sturdy and holds me and a backpack just fine. It rolls down the street with very little effort. I suggest buying puncture resistant tires right off the bat as a sharp pebble caused a flat on my first ride. And the stock saddle is a bit too wide for my liking. I plan on taking this bike with me on flights to bike friendly places. I give it a 4.5/5 I wish the stock tires were a bit thicker material

I bought this bike for my 12 years old daughter. We both love it. Well built quality, user friendly, easy to ride, food very compact and above all value for money. I can see this bicycle for many years of service. Worth the penny.

a great choice for I gave up on my plans, a decade ago, about getting a fold up bike due to weight limits. I am very happy for this opportunity to have this choice.

Like I said in my other review. This bike is awesome and this is my wife’s bike. I got the green one and she got this color. These bikes are awesome, don’t hesitate, just buy it.

This bike has turned out to be better than I even expected. It is a great handling bike and it’s easy to transport. The gear ratio on it is very nice, but the company and the customer service is outstanding. I lost some screws for an accessory and they quickly replaced them. They also help me with some of the set up with the bike itself. I am very pleased with this company. This review is for both of the bikes that I bought because I bought two1 Forte 2023s, as you can see in the picture. Very happy I did business with this company.

Amazing bike, I just got back from a ride. And I am already thinking about the next.