Touring - Bike Friday components

I talked to the guy from the company, and he asked me about components, so I thought I'd throw it out here to you guys. If you guys have a folding bike or a Bike Friday, what do you think would be good components and why?

I want to get this bike ordered as quickly as possible, since I will need the bike for a presentation I'm working on.

Thanks!

Koffee

Have you visited her site yet? She tours with a Bike Friday.

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/journal/page/?pics=small&page_id=5442&mtime=20031228101743

Thanks for the info. I hadn't checked.

I just sent you an email, though. I had a question to ask you privately.

Koffee

Koffee,
What model Bike Friday are you looking at? And are you getting their suitcase trailer? I've worked on a few of their bikes (singles, tandems and bents) I've always found their bikes to work well.

I'm getting the Pocket Rocket most likely. I'm also going to get the suitcase that converts to the trailer. I'm excited to be getting this bike. I hope it performs its function well (I'm sure it will...).

Koffee

I'm getting the Pocket Rocket most likely. I'm also going to get the suitcase that converts to the trailer. I'm excited to be getting this bike. I hope it performs its function well (I'm sure it will...).

Koffee

I'm sure you'll be happy with your new traveling bike.

I have a Pocket Rocket set up as a road bike (skinny tires, higher gearing, all Ultegra components) and an Air Glide set up as a touring bike (wider tires, lower gearing accomplished by combining Ultegra and XT components). Both great bikes. I use the Air Glide for loaded touring, and I've used the Pocket Rocket for credit-card touring. Check my journals at http://denisegoldberg.crazyguyonabike.com for photos and descriptions. My cross-country trip in 2002, and Hawaii and Ireland trips in 2003 were all on the Air Glide.

The base model Pocket Rocket?
The only thing on the spec sheet that I would change is the tires. Don't get me wrong the Primo Comet is a very nice, well made tire. But I find them to be easy to damage. Bike Friday also ships some models with the Primo Comet K (Kevlar) maybe they would swap tires for you when you order. Can't hurt to ask.

If your going to be touring you will want to carry a spare tire with you, there are still many bike shops that dont carry a good high pressure 20" tire. And when you ask for one they will look at you funny... Like you ride a recumbent or something :)

Did you check out Dahon ?I have a Bike friday metro and have never enjoyed folding it. Dahon is an easier faster fold.Sorry I forgot you are petite. A Dahon would leave you too stretched out . Dahons are better for somone taller and they do not custom make bicycles as BF does. :D

Thanks so far for the comments. I'm pretty much committed to the Bike Friday Rocket Pocket. I'm actually thinking that I would just go with all Shimano components and see what happens, but I will see if they'll throw in changing out the wheels.

They've been helpful so far at Bike Friday. I'm sure some of it has to do with the fact that I do lectures from time to time on touring by bike, and I'd like to bring that bike in for demos... :D

Koffee

I bought a used Traveller "Q" tandem from Bike Friday, and it was a very good experience. I travelled down to their shop/company twice, spent many hours talking with them, and overall I'm impressed by their knowledge and opinions.

One note: they believed that the component mixes chosen by some customers were not the best. Obviously, one's choices are a bit more limited by the need for the larger gear ratios for the smaller diameter wheels. If I were buying a Pocket Rocket, I would consider the Pro model seriously (if I could afford it). Also, I'd talk over component mixes with them carefully and get their honest opinion based on the experiences of previous customers.

Good luck, and let us know how it goes.

I asked about the Pro, and they seriously recommended against it. The guy (steve) said that the Pro was more of a racing bike, so I just said I'd stick with the Pocket Rocket.

I will call the guy back and try and get him to go over the different options for components.

Thanks!

Koffee

Thanks to everyone for their advice. I ordered my Bike Friday today, stopped at Yojimbo's Garage in Chicago and ordered my Ultegra components for my bike, and I got a spiffy new messenger bag from Yojimbo's while I was at it. He even threw in a discount for me if I promised to join the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation too, so I got an additional $45 off, which was good, because the whole total was extremely expensive. I almost fell out when he told me the total- my mouth went totally dry.

Then I headed over to the Rapid Transit bike shop later on (as Marcus from Yojimbo's suggested), and I found out they are the Bike Friday reps in the Chicago area, so I have the plan of bringing by bike to get fitted for accessories that are specific to the Bike Friday. The cool thing was, the people at Rapid Transit were really cool, AND I knew one of the sales people there- we used to seriously hang a few years back and lost touch, so the three of us sat around for hours and talked and laughed. So now I have two really good, small, local LBS stores to give my business to now. I am through with Performance, Nashbar, Kozy's, Village, etc. I'm all for the small stores- they have much better customer service and contact.

I swear, I had one of the best days today. I got my Bike Friday all ordered, I hooked up with some old friends, I helped out Yojimbo's Garage, and I made a couple of new friends too! Whoooooooooooooo!!!! :)

Koffee

Ultegra-- good choice.

I hope you post some pics and a ride review once you have it.

Will do!

Koffee

You can't go wrong with Bike Friday when it comes to custom made bicycles. In my opinion, it's the best folding bike out there for touring purposes. If you're only using this bike for commuting purposes with trains, a high end Dahon could also fit the bill (it would actually be better) but that was not the case in your situation.

I want you to know several things about folding bikes in general.

1. It's a hard ride - A small high pressure 20 inch wheel is a rougher ride than one with 700 cc tires. The Air Friday might be an exception because it has suspension travel on the beam. You might want to get a good suspension seat post (+$100.00) or Brooks saddle. This overall should not stop you from enjoying a smaller wheel bicycle.

2. You have to be more careful - Large ruts or potholes or objects will throw off the small front wheel MORE than one 700 cc tires. It adds an extra element of danger but then you're willing to make a compromise with a folding bike. In the past 3 years, I've only been thrown off my folding bike once while riding at night because a dip in the road swallowed up the front tire!

3. Bike Firdays don't fold very well - As James stated, the Friday is not going to win a folding contest against the Brompton or Dahon but that's not what you bought it for. Keep this in perspective when it's time to fold the bike the first time as it will take practice.

4. Some efficiency is lost - For some reason, a 20' inch wheel loses some efficiency compared to a 700 cc tire. You'll notice this when moving from a 26' inch tire to a 700cc tire also. If the 20' inch tire is hybrid size, you'll actually move slower than regular hybrid. Seriously. Bike Firday owners will never admit to this but then again, who wants to admit to having a hybrid?? You can still get good performance from a 20 inch wheel but you'll have to keep pressures pretty high and the tire better be thin.

I think you made a good decision overall. I envy you.

Thanks for the heads up. I'll keep this in mind when I get the bike. I do plan on getting tires as skinny as possible, since I know I won't be moving as fast as a regular bike. I'm also going to work on spinning more when I'm riding- I think that should help me keep a decent speed, although I'm not really too concerned about speed, except when I'm climbing a hill. Also, I plan on practicing folding and unfolding the bike A LOT- I think with enough practice, I should be able to fold and unfold that bike with little effort and minimum time. Even if it takes 5 minutes, that's still good for me, since before, when I'd take my bike on a train, I would have to take down all the bags and struggle to get the bike on the train. When I would be in a hurry, it would be stressful to get that bike on and off trains. I also want to continue using the bike when I'm in the States. Here in Chicago, the commuter trains that go to the suburbs make such a fuss about bikes on the train that it's ridiculous. Being able to fold it up and jump on the train and get out to the suburbs opens up a world of possibilities I didn't have before.

It's good to know about the potholes and stuff, although I normally avoid uneven surfaces anyway.

I will get a nice suspension seat- I'll be heading over to the Chicago Bike Show, and there's going to be a swap meet going on there, plus there will be a close out room too, so I think I'll get a good deal over there.

Thanks for the comments. I feel really good about the bike. I've never had one custom made, but I'm really looking forward to a bike with a good fit!

Koffee

>>>>>>Here in Chicago, the commuter trains that go to the suburbs make such a fuss about bikes on the train that it's ridiculous. Being able to fold it up and jump on the train and get out to the suburbs opens up a world of possibilities I didn't have before.<<<<

This is the Bike Friday web site that shows how to unfold the bike.

http://www.bikefriday.com/folding.cfm?step=1

It's kind of hard to find this information on their web site as it's not very pretty. Expect to get your hands dirty from the chain everytime! I have to say the weakest aspect of the Bike Friday is the folding. If they can only buy some of Dahon's technology, it would be incredible.

I've been preaching for years now the advantages of taking public transportation with folding bikes but it's like I'm talking to the wall. Very few cyclists have good public transportation and getting bikes on buses (Even a Bike Friday) is a topic in itself.

I was able to board Amtrack last summer on a trip to Philadelphia ONLY because I had a folder. Commuter trains are easier if you have a folder but the city subways maybe a different story. Subways that are jammed with people will be a real experience and I want to hear your war stories Koffee! In New York City, all bikes have access to subways 24/7 but that policy may be different in Chicago. It's funny seeing a bike messenger with a bike going to work during RUSH HOUR in the subway car with people literally hanging all over the thing! I love it. If you put it in a bag, I think you'll be safe. The only problem with "bagging it" is the fact that carrying a 27 - 30 pound bike gets HEAVY real fast! OH BOY DO I KNOW THAT!.. For some reason folding bikes feel much heavier when completely broken down. I don't know why, it just does. It's much better if you wheel the bike to the platform then bag it there so you don't have to carry this machine 200 yards! If you do that, your arms and back will be hurting for days! Trust me. Roll it to the Platform!

If you decide to start boarding buses, I want to know your experience as this is a fairly large package and most drivers won't allow it inside the cabin. At least that's my opinion but I could be wrong. I still want to know any success stories although. The bus is a very trickly subject and New York City bans ALL BIKES from entering the cabin. The bus driver can even make the decision to keep you off because it's a bulkly package. This is unfortunate as the bus REALLY opens up many more opportunites for cyclists that commuter trains won't.

I was thinking the other day of building a spandex cover over the bike to give an even tighter package. I would then put a sticker on the the outside of the cover saying "BABY CARRIAGE"! Most bus drivers thinking it was in infants carriage would have to let me on! (At least I hope so!) I'm still thinking of ways to get the folders on the bus.

For the first few weeks, you will be like a rock star in your neighborhood. Riding around in a folder (Especially a Friday) is like being on a recumbent. I hope you're not shy because people will STARE! My junk folding bike has made me a recognized figure in the small town I live in so I suspect this will happen to you. After several months when the novelty wears off, you'll be treated just like everyone else. ;-(

Anyone below the age of 12 will be envious of you. You'll will be the Man! I mean the Girl! On the other hand, most people will simply think you're strange. The quality of a Bike Friday will have people asking "How much did you pay for that"? Here's my answer

1. It's used
2. It's my brothers
3. I bought it off a guy who stole it
4. I got it for Christmas
5. It was a gift from the Easter Bunny (or make up your own fictional character)

Have fun. Welcome to the world of folding bikes.

Koffee,

How is the progress on your bike order? Do you have an ETA?

March 17th. They´re putting a rush on the bike too, so it may get here even earlier than that.

Koffee

I received our first Foldable Flyer newsletter from Bike Friday yesterday, and inside it was fun to see a quote from Denise Goldberg about taking her Air Friday on airline flights. Overall, the company is definitely in touch with the needs of addicted cyclists (and how to separate them from staggering percentages of income...).

My son and I got in a wonderful two-hour ride up and down the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon last Sunday on our Bike Friday Tandem Traveller "Q." The paths were crowded, though, and next time we're heading out into the country (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=43411&page=2).

Of course, I wouldn't want to get your expectations too high... :)

Koffee, did you get your new bike yet? I am anxious to see some photos of this thing

I got the bike last week, it sat at the bike shop, then I finally got impatient and ran over and got it. I put it together on Thursday night, and so far, it's just been a quick few minutes spin, because I've been working like crazy. Tomorrow morning, I'll be zipping out for a long spin- 30 miles. That bike rides incredibly smoothly- I love riding in the drops. It's the most comfortable feeling I've ever had on a bike, and I am actually faster on that bike than I was on my Specialized Sirrus hybrid. It's also lighter than my other bike too. My poor hybrid got stripped of the seat and pedals and is now sadly propped in the back room against clothes and a suitcase. I'm not sure if I'm going to ride that bike again anytime soon.

I have the pics, but I haven't gotten the internet up and running on my laptop where the pics are. As soon as I do, I'll get those pics online.

Koffee

I have the pics, but I haven't gotten the internet up and running on my laptop where the pics are. As soon as I do, I'll get those pics online.

Koffee

Hey, did I miss the pics or what? :)

I hope you're getting some good riding in. Weather's been great on the west coast.