Speedo
02-10-08, 11:00 AM
... had better be passed soon, because I've already spent mine.
In December my wife and I stopped by BFold in NYC and tried out various folding bikes. Why? Well, just because. We thought the Tikit was pretty cool.
Then in January BF introduced the Model T Tikit with some very attractive sale pricing. We thought about it, concluded that there was no particularly good reason why we NEEDED these bikes, and then ordered them anyway. We ordered ours with the fenders; about a $50 uptick.
They arrived on the 6th and went together fairly easily. The weather here in eastern Massachusetts has been fairly crummy this week, so we haven't done a test ride yet. I am fairly pleased with how well the size large fits me. I will be able to get a good riding position without pushing any of the adjustments to their limits.
There is one thing that I haven't seen discussed, and I think should be pointed out to anyone thinking of ordering a Tikit. It is a bit of an issue because the Tikits are being sold on an a la carte basis now.
When I assembled the Tikits out of the box the fenders (which were an option) were not mounted. I did a test fold and was surprised at how the bike rested on the ground. See the picture below.
http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=64761&stc=1&d=1202666300
Without the fender the bike rests on the front tire (not visible in the picture), rear tire, and the metal yoke that the seatpost snaps into when the bike is unfolded. That metal bit is fairly crucial, and if it were bent it might compromise the fold/unfold.
I was a bit annoyed, but then realized that with the fenders mounted, the "tripod" would be the front tire (not visible), the foot on the top of the fender stay, and the foot that is on a spar that comes down from the bottom bracket. Sure enough, as the second part of the picture shows, with the fender mounted, the critical yoke is protected and does not make contact with the ground.
So, if you are buying a Tikit and planned to go fenderless you should be aware of this. You will need to be somewhat careful about how you handle the bike in its folded state. If you are getting the fenders, then there's no problem.
Speedo
In December my wife and I stopped by BFold in NYC and tried out various folding bikes. Why? Well, just because. We thought the Tikit was pretty cool.
Then in January BF introduced the Model T Tikit with some very attractive sale pricing. We thought about it, concluded that there was no particularly good reason why we NEEDED these bikes, and then ordered them anyway. We ordered ours with the fenders; about a $50 uptick.
They arrived on the 6th and went together fairly easily. The weather here in eastern Massachusetts has been fairly crummy this week, so we haven't done a test ride yet. I am fairly pleased with how well the size large fits me. I will be able to get a good riding position without pushing any of the adjustments to their limits.
There is one thing that I haven't seen discussed, and I think should be pointed out to anyone thinking of ordering a Tikit. It is a bit of an issue because the Tikits are being sold on an a la carte basis now.
When I assembled the Tikits out of the box the fenders (which were an option) were not mounted. I did a test fold and was surprised at how the bike rested on the ground. See the picture below.
http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=64761&stc=1&d=1202666300
Without the fender the bike rests on the front tire (not visible in the picture), rear tire, and the metal yoke that the seatpost snaps into when the bike is unfolded. That metal bit is fairly crucial, and if it were bent it might compromise the fold/unfold.
I was a bit annoyed, but then realized that with the fenders mounted, the "tripod" would be the front tire (not visible), the foot on the top of the fender stay, and the foot that is on a spar that comes down from the bottom bracket. Sure enough, as the second part of the picture shows, with the fender mounted, the critical yoke is protected and does not make contact with the ground.
So, if you are buying a Tikit and planned to go fenderless you should be aware of this. You will need to be somewhat careful about how you handle the bike in its folded state. If you are getting the fenders, then there's no problem.
Speedo