Folding Bikes - Graduation weekend for my New World Tourist.

This past weekend I did the TOSRV-East (Tour of Scenic Rural Vermont) ride on my Bike Friday NWT. The ride name is a knockoff of Ohio's Tour Of the Scioto River Valley. This was TOSRV-East's 36th year, so even with the name ripoff it's gained respectability.

The ride starts in Ludlow Vermont and goes 100 miles up to Waterbury Vermont on Saturday. Then it's another 100 miles by a partially different route back to Ludlow on Sunday. I haven't verified it, but the ride leader told us there was about 3700 feet of climbing each day. That's flat by Vermont standards, but not a bad workout.

I've wanted to do TOSRV-East for a long time, but never had the right combination of being in shape to do the back-to-back centuries, or the time. This year it all came together, and it was something of a graduation exercise for the Bike Friday NWT. This weekend it went from "new" to "trusted steed".

The ride leader, concerned that he'd have to sag my sorry a$$ in, was very inquisitive about the Bike Friday. "Have you ever done a century on that thing?" Yes. "Aren't you going to be really uncomfortable with those small wheels?" No. By the end of the weekend he had a better opinion of the bike.

I finished each day ahead of about 75% of the other participants. Now, that's not to say that I was faster than them. Most of the people on this trip were seasoned century riders and randonneurs. On the road they would go zipping by me. But this was a weekend off for many of the other riders, so I would re-pass them as they lounged around eating organic vegan muffins on scenic Vermont commons. I managed to get done earlier by the simple expedient of keeping my butt in the saddle, and the wheels turning. So, while it would take a different "engine" to evaluate speed, it was a tribute to the bike that I managed to keep turning the pedals for eight hours over moderate hills, some fairly bad pavement and occasional dirt.

Speedo

Impressive, extremely impressive!

Real cool Speedo. Congratulations.

-G

So, while it would take a different "engine" to evaluate speed, it was a tribute to the bike that I managed to keep turning the pedals for eight hours over moderate hills, some fairly bad pavement and occasional dirt.

Speedo

I believe the winner here is the Combo NWT+YOU. Congratulations.

14R

NTW - newbie questions.

1) Is there any suspension on the NWT? How does it fare off road?
2) Is there a particular model (http://www.bikefriday.com/newworldtourist?sub=configurations) you would recommend? How to chose the right model for me?

thanks!

NTW - newbie questions.

1) Is there any suspension on the NWT? How does it fare off road?
2) Is there a particular model (http://www.bikefriday.com/newworldtourist?sub=configurations) you would recommend? How to chose the right model for me?

thanks!

Thanks to responders for kudos.

The NWT does not have any formal shock absorption. The stalkiness of the steel seatpost gives it a little shock absorption capability.

I would be leery of taking my NWT off road. That's not to say that a rider with very good bike handling skills couldn't do it, but I wouldn't think the NWT would be the right tool for that particular job. There is a mountain bike Bike Friday, but I don't know much about it.

If you are looking for a Bike Friday, start, like with any bike purchase, by asking yourself what you want to do with it. What features are must haves, and what features you would compromise away.

Speedo

I also have a NW Tourist with Rohloff gears and is the best bike,I was travelling januray-february in Cambodia with the bike load it with 4 ortliebs backs and ride on a very very bad routes like off road and the bike did a very good job,the money I pay for it is really worths
Here take a look of some pictures
http://www.der-radladen-mannheim.de/Cambodia/
I forgott I don t get anymoney from Bike Friday
greetings

I also have a NW Tourist with Rohloff gears and is the best bike ...

Nice pix! I bought my NWT with dreams of doing that kind of trip!

That Rohloff hub is neat. It must have been great on all those dirt roads.

Speedo

yes Speedo Rohloff is doing a great job ,so when are you going and where?

yes Speedo Rohloff is doing a great job ,so when are you going and where?

Alas! Still only dreams!

Well, sort of. My wife and I are doing a trip with some friends around the Finger Lakes region in upstate New York. It's not Cambodia, or Thailand, or even Europe or Oregon. It's a start.

Speedo

Speedo, well done. I would say Vermont was the start.

Alas! Still only dreams!

Well, sort of. My wife and I are doing a trip with some friends around the Finger Lakes region in upstate New York. It's not Cambodia, or Thailand, or even Europe or Oregon. It's a start.

Speedo

Same boat here, we wanted to do the Danube river from Germany to Austria this Fall, but home repairs and upgrades sucked up a lot of cash. We are looking at doing Pittsburgh to Washington, DC via the Greater Allegheny Passage, and the C&O Canal towpath as an alternative. Any touring is good touring!

Thanks to responders for kudos.

The NWT does not have any formal shock absorption. The stalkiness of the steel seatpost gives it a little shock absorption capability.

I would be leery of taking my NWT off road. That's not to say that a rider with very good bike handling skills couldn't do it, but I wouldn't think the NWT would be the right tool for that particular job. There is a mountain bike Bike Friday, but I don't know much about it.

If you are looking for a Bike Friday, start, like with any bike purchase, by asking yourself what you want to do with it. What features are must haves, and what features you would compromise away.

Speedo

Speedo, want to add my kudos as well. It's reassuring to read posts like yours, and to hear from others such as gdlerner and invisiblehand about the performance of the NWT...very tough to pull the trigger on a bike you can't test ride first. You guys are confidence-inspiring! :D

Speedo, want to add my kudos as well. It's reassuring to read posts like yours, and to hear from others such as gdlerner and invisiblehand about the performance of the NWT...very tough to pull the trigger on a bike you can't test ride first. You guys are confidence-inspiring! :D

Thanks.

I know how you feel. I was similarly inspired by other BF owners here on BF. At this point you've probably sweated all the details to the point that you should be happy when the bike arrives.

Oh, and I'm sure that I don't need to remind you to post pictures when it arrives! ;)

Speedo

The ride leader, concerned that he'd have to sag my sorry a$$ in, was very inquisitive about the Bike Friday. "Have you ever done a century on that thing?" Yes. "Aren't you going to be really uncomfortable with those small wheels?" No. By the end of the weekend he had a better opinion of the bike.
Speedo

Isn't it funny how people have biases against small wheels? On my commute, I sometimes pass the team guys and they get really upset about it, and try to sprint past me as if it's a competition! My wheels make the NWT wheels look big, but I would much rather be on my Birdy than any other bike doing 200 miles. The light suspension seems perfectly tuned. Also, it's nearly identical to the $11,000 Moulton, which holds the upright speed record, in that it employs sub 20" wheels with carefully tuned elastomer suspension.

Still, small wheels get no respect. I would like to see some real head-to-head races. Forget the regulation frame sizes; I bet that small wheeled bikes would take the race, all things equal.