bookishboy
06-15-06, 07:34 PM
Anyone? How was it?
Folding Bikes - Any reports of the Philly Round-Up?
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JTriumph
06-15-06, 11:11 PM
Anyone? How was it?
A whole weekend devoted to exploring the folding bike universe, how fun is that? Very.
Actually, I only was able to be there for some of Saturday and Sunday, but I'll give you my idiosyncratic point of view. I see that on the Trophybikes.com site, Mike already has posted a photo and is promising to post a report on the Round Up, so keep an eye on that site.
Saturday
I missed the time trial and very early morning activities, but I was there for the series of talks on the UPenn campus. Michael Lin (?) of Pacific Bicycle and David Black of Birdy USA did a show-and-tell of their lines (Pacific manufactures the Birdy and a lot of other bicycles). Birdy has a new model whose frame is made of a kind of molded metal (aluminium?) sheet that is more squarish than the usual tubular Birdy. The resulting frame is supposedly stronger/stiffer that the tubular model. I rode it later, and it does seem solid as a rock, with the usual sweet Birdy suspended ride. Pacific has its own model, the Reach, that looks a bit like the Birdy, but but which is really more of a bike that disassembles rather than a folder. I had a chance later to try this bike, and it was a great ride (and a bit more expensive than the Birdy, I believe). Michael (I hope I have his name right) exuded engineering competance as he described his design. He'd be my go-to guy if I wanted to build a bicycle design. He explained that if you want to do so, you can show up at Pacific with your drawings, and they can have a prototype of the design in a few days. Stunning.
Peter Reich also gave a short talk/demo on the Swift folder. The talk was short since he had to head back to NY for his son's concert at Carnegie Hall. Talented family! When asked about what is in the works in "R&D", he said that a steel version of the Swiftfolder will be coming after some months that will fold a bit smaller. The change in the design sounded rather subtle, but many people were happy to hear about it.
Bob Thomas, an architect of green buildings, bicycle paths and bicycle master plans, gave a talk about his work. I found this talk to be really inspiring. Here's a guy who has stuck to his values and is making a difference. (BTW, he rides a Bike Friday everywhere, in all conditions.)
Isaac (last name?) gave a demo of the tiny-wheeled Mobiky, which is being introduced in the United States (Trophy will show one). It folds really compactly in a sort of vertical package, a great short-trip-multimodal tool. Isaac explained that they're also working on one with wheels that are a bit bigger.
After lunch, there was a multimodal ride. We put bikes on the R6 train to Norristown and rode back to Philly on the Schuykill River path, which includes a segment through the Manyunk neighborhood. On the way, I got to try a 1966 Moulton, a Moulton spaceframe, the Birdy, and a few other folding bikes. How often can that be arranged? In Manyunk, I made it up the famous Manyunk wall (barely) on my Xootr Swift.
Back at Trophy I was able to try the Reach model and the Dahon Solo (?). The Dahon, a single speed, was a nice bike. Riding it led to a kind of revelation -- I love mustache handlebars. I am keeping them in mind for my Xootr Swift.
Sunday
Sunday morning the folder fanatics met at Logan circle to watch the beginning of the Philadelphia Commerce Bank bike race. It was a spectacle -- those guys and gals go pretty fast. Later we decamped for Lemon Hill in Fairmont Park -- a lovely spot where you can watch the cyclists wind up a hill at superhuman speeds.
At about noon, Mike organized the folding competition at the Schuykill River Park, next to the river across from 30th Street Station. The course was to ride your bike a few yards, fold, run a few more yards with the bike, sit down on some stairs, cross your legs, uncross, stand up, unfold, and ride back to the starting line. Pretty crazy, eh? With all the Brommies, Bike Fridays, Swifts (me), Birdys and other modern folders, guess who won? A guy riding an ancient Japanese folder that weighs about 35 pounds. A writer from the Philadelphia Inquirer was on site and something will be coming out about the folding contest in the Inquirer this coming Saturday. I realize that this whole business might have looked strange to "outsiders". What fun!
After the folding competition, a musical folder ride was organized, but alas I had to go back home.
Overall, an outstanding weekend. Great weather. Great town. Great people (folder riders are extra enlightened, don't you think?). I'll be back next year.
And of course the credit and thank-yous go to Mike McGettigan.
A whole weekend devoted to exploring the folding bike universe, how fun is that? Very.
Actually, I only was able to be there for some of Saturday and Sunday, but I'll give you my idiosyncratic point of view. I see that on the Trophybikes.com site, Mike already has posted a photo and is promising to post a report on the Round Up, so keep an eye on that site.
Saturday
I missed the time trial and very early morning activities, but I was there for the series of talks on the UPenn campus. Michael Lin (?) of Pacific Bicycle and David Black of Birdy USA did a show-and-tell of their lines (Pacific manufactures the Birdy and a lot of other bicycles). Birdy has a new model whose frame is made of a kind of molded metal (aluminium?) sheet that is more squarish than the usual tubular Birdy. The resulting frame is supposedly stronger/stiffer that the tubular model. I rode it later, and it does seem solid as a rock, with the usual sweet Birdy suspended ride. Pacific has its own model, the Reach, that looks a bit like the Birdy, but but which is really more of a bike that disassembles rather than a folder. I had a chance later to try this bike, and it was a great ride (and a bit more expensive than the Birdy, I believe). Michael (I hope I have his name right) exuded engineering competance as he described his design. He'd be my go-to guy if I wanted to build a bicycle design. He explained that if you want to do so, you can show up at Pacific with your drawings, and they can have a prototype of the design in a few days. Stunning.
Peter Reich also gave a short talk/demo on the Swift folder. The talk was short since he had to head back to NY for his son's concert at Carnegie Hall. Talented family! When asked about what is in the works in "R&D", he said that a steel version of the Swiftfolder will be coming after some months that will fold a bit smaller. The change in the design sounded rather subtle, but many people were happy to hear about it.
Bob Thomas, an architect of green buildings, bicycle paths and bicycle master plans, gave a talk about his work. I found this talk to be really inspiring. Here's a guy who has stuck to his values and is making a difference. (BTW, he rides a Bike Friday everywhere, in all conditions.)
Isaac (last name?) gave a demo of the tiny-wheeled Mobiky, which is being introduced in the United States (Trophy will show one). It folds really compactly in a sort of vertical package, a great short-trip-multimodal tool. Isaac explained that they're also working on one with wheels that are a bit bigger.
After lunch, there was a multimodal ride. We put bikes on the R6 train to Norristown and rode back to Philly on the Schuykill River path, which includes a segment through the Manyunk neighborhood. On the way, I got to try a 1966 Moulton, a Moulton spaceframe, the Birdy, and a few other folding bikes. How often can that be arranged? In Manyunk, I made it up the famous Manyunk wall (barely) on my Xootr Swift.
Back at Trophy I was able to try the Reach model and the Dahon Solo (?). The Dahon, a single speed, was a nice bike. Riding it led to a kind of revelation -- I love mustache handlebars. I am keeping them in mind for my Xootr Swift.
Sunday
Sunday morning the folder fanatics met at Logan circle to watch the beginning of the Philadelphia Commerce Bank bike race. It was a spectacle -- those guys and gals go pretty fast. Later we decamped for Lemon Hill in Fairmont Park -- a lovely spot where you can watch the cyclists wind up a hill at superhuman speeds.
At about noon, Mike organized the folding competition at the Schuykill River Park, next to the river across from 30th Street Station. The course was to ride your bike a few yards, fold, run a few more yards with the bike, sit down on some stairs, cross your legs, uncross, stand up, unfold, and ride back to the starting line. Pretty crazy, eh? With all the Brommies, Bike Fridays, Swifts (me), Birdys and other modern folders, guess who won? A guy riding an ancient Japanese folder that weighs about 35 pounds. A writer from the Philadelphia Inquirer was on site and something will be coming out about the folding contest in the Inquirer this coming Saturday. I realize that this whole business might have looked strange to "outsiders". What fun!
After the folding competition, a musical folder ride was organized, but alas I had to go back home.
Overall, an outstanding weekend. Great weather. Great town. Great people (folder riders are extra enlightened, don't you think?). I'll be back next year.
And of course the credit and thank-yous go to Mike McGettigan.