I'm going to call Bike Friday to ask about options for front suspension, but I just wanted to get the collective wisdom of the forum first. Ideally, I'd like to retrofit my Pocket Rocket, but would consider a new Bike Friday if that is what would have to be done.

It seems that Bike Friday offered a Pocket Gnu with front suspension at one time, but now no longer.

I've heard of the Pantour suspension hubs, but I'm concerned about the rim movement and braking, despite claims on the manufacturer's website saying it's not a problem.

I know RST makes a 20" suspension fork, but that has issues with (1) weight, (2) V-brakes instead of calipers, (3) needs a 406 wheel instead of a 451, and (4) packing in the suitcase for air travel.

Any other ideas?

If you haven't done so, you may want to get some Schwalbe Big Apple tires first. They've got some built-in suspension capabilities (especially at low PSI's), and are a significantly less expensive upgrade than a suspension hub.

Good suggestion ... but I'd probably have to get a new fork in order to fit the tires.

I think you'll find a mixed bag of reports on the pantour hub from searching this forum and dahon forum.

My personal experience - I have not had a problem with braking and I find the hub works well at smoothing the road. The hub doesn't move a obviously noticable amount like a suspension fork. It's much more subtle. I have a couple of hundred miles on it now. Including a ride over a wooden bridge with wood expansion joints every 8 inches or so. The handlebars felt smooth as silk while the seat jostled me all over the place!

Bear in mind I've never swapped the fork on my BF, but wouldn't you have to cut a slot in the back steering column in order to install the handlebar post?

If push came to shove, I'd get a solution directly from BF just to be sure.

Good suggestion ... but I'd probably have to get a new fork in order to fit the tires.
That's got to be one heck of a narrow fork then, if it can't handle a 20" x 2" tire. ;) It looks like the Big Apples are only 406's though. Back to the bulletin board....

I'd say talk to BF directly, just be prepared for them to upsell you on an Air Friday.

mek makes a suspension fork which looks nice.... the rst would be a real turn down on a friday ...
german A makes real expensive ones as well, unfortunately they will not sll to the US as they cannot afford product liability insurance

thor

The BF susp fork is an Action-Tec. Go here http://www.bikefriday.com/ServiceCenterInfo.cfm and scroll down about two-thirds for:

Suspension fork upgrade for Air bikes
If you would like to give the front of your AirGlide the feel of the rear, this is the way to do it. Price includes the Action-Tec suspension cartridge, loose bearing headset (which can be upgraded), and painted stem and fork.
· $630.00US (includes parts, parts & paint upgrades available)

I have a Pantour hub, but I don't think it's worth the money. You can get as nice a ride from fatter tires, and with much less hassle, than you can with the hub. I know of several other compact bike owners who feel the same way.

A sprung fork is another matter, however. I have an Action-Tec fork on a bike with 451 mm tires and it does a fantastic job at smoothing out all the bumps and potholes. I ordered the fork directly from Action-Tec (it was a custom size), and it cost about $450. I think I paid extra ($120) for the 1 1/4 King headset.

Suspension is great if you want to run high-pressure tires (Schwalbe Stelvio, for example) and you ride on rough roads from time to time (I ride in NYC regularly). Combine the sprung fork with a sprung Brooks or a Thudbuster, and you'll have a very comfortable ride.

If the roads you ride on aren't that rough, you can just use fat, low-pressure tires to keep things smooth.

I could certainly recommend the BF upgrade if you want a sprung fork. It's worth the extra dough to get all the right parts.

Pics of my Action-Tec bike: http://tinyurl.com/m32d9

Pics of my Action-Tec bike: http://tinyurl.com/m32d9

What a nice bike!!!!

You built a marvel!

Do you have pics of the stem extension setup?

What a nice bike!!!!

You built a marvel!

Do you have pics of the stem extension setup?

Thanks, it's a lot of fun to ride.

Unfortunately, I don't have any good shots of the stem extension, either finished or under construction. It's three pieces: a sleeve that fits over the Action-Tec fork, which takes a standard 1 1/8 stem (the top of the fork is turned down from the 1 1/4 diameter through the headset); a 1-inch extension brazed to the inside of the sleeve; and finally a small 1 1/8 sleeve brazed to the top of the extension so I can use 1 1/8 stems straight from the box. The bottom sleeve is secured to the Action-Tec fork with two pinch bolts, though this is not what I used originally. I built a "new and improved" extension after riding the first for a few weeks.

I said it before that bike rocks
get the fork WITH disc brake mounts and V brake studs. just in case you want to upgrade to disc later

Thor