Folding Bikes - Official Carryme Owners QA Thread (tips, tricks, fixes, mods, etc)

I had a few questions asked to me via PM. So I thought it would be better to have this question and answer thread for posterity.

Is 210lbs too big for a carryme, would anyone say ?

Is 210lbs too big for a carryme, would anyone say ?

Officially, yes, but my wife and I rode home together 2.5 miles on mine friday night and my frame doesn't have any visible cracks. Yes, that's right, the two of us were on a single Carryme: me in a normal riding position and her standing on the rear rack trying to put as much weight onto my shoulders as possible (240 pounds total).

It was a bit chilly and when the diner surprised us by cutting back their hours to 3AM we didn't want to wait for the next bus. So it was a good thing I had my bike with me.

The official weight limit can, naturally, be found in the owner's manual (http://www.pacific-cycles.com/upload/download/Carryme%20Owner%20Manual%202008%201P%20V2%20web.pdf) and although you can probably take it with a grain of salt I think the Strida, with it's 100kg weight limit, might be a better choice for larger individuals like yourself.

just curious, how did you get this thread to become "Official"? Did you have to talk to a moderator or something?

Thanks for starting this thread makeinu :thumb:
I always felt, how good it was to have for example one huge "swift thread" to make it easier to search and such.

Here is a first question: on my Carryme the seatpost seems to be rather narrow (standard 27,2mm) for the seat-tube. Or the other way round: I wonder if the tube is too big in diameter. The tube looks too big already when I insert the post. In other bikes I have, the posts slides more skintight into the tube.

What happens is, that when at maximum extension, I can move the post slightly in the tube with my hands. There is for/aft play even when QR is pulled very tight. When moving the post, I can hear the post "clacking" inside against the tube. The post is not slipping when I ride and it feels very stable, so I thought this maybe normal with such long post at maximum extension? Do people get this with long posts a maximum?

just curious, how did you get this thread to become "Official"? Did you have to talk to a moderator or something?

Oh I just typed the word "Official" :o


Thanks for starting this thread makeinu :thumb:
I always felt, how good it was to have for example one huge "swift thread" to make it easier to search and such.

Here is a first question: on my Carryme the seatpost seems to be rather narrow (standard 27,2mm) for the seat-tube. Or the other way round: I wonder if the tube is too big in diameter. The tube looks too big already when I insert the post. In other bikes I have, the posts slides more skintight into the tube.

What happens is, that when at maximum extension, I can move the post slightly in the tube with my hands. There is for/aft play even when QR is pulled very tight. When moving the post, I can hear the post "clacking" inside against the tube. The post is not slipping when I ride and it feels very stable, so I thought this maybe normal with such long post at maximum extension? Do people get this with long posts a maximum?

Hmmm, since you say you have fore/aft play and not up/down slippage are you sure it's coming from the post/tube interface and not the seat-tube/seat-stay interface? I have a lot of fore/aft play in my seat-tube/seat-stay interface which is also accompanied by "clacking". I just put a rubber band to fill the gap and call it suspension.

Hi, all:

I did experience some play in the seatpost as well. Although I did not have the clacking sound it does need a tighter lock to support my weight.

I like the rubber band idea and would like to learn/share some mods/fixes as I commute more often.

Question ... at the max extension of the seatpost, what is the total length to the center of the crank?

thanks all for answering :)


Question ... at the max extension of the seatpost, what is the total length to the center of the crank? hmhm, not sure if I understood what you mean? Well, its 80 cm from seatrail to center of pedal adapter. Its 64,5 cm from seatrail to center of bb und 27,3 cm from top of tube to saddlerail. The seatpost is only 8cm inside the tube at minimum insertion...but...

I looked again more carefully. It seems that actually my impression was mislead and "the play" is actually not at the seat clamp but a little lower, where makeinu said:
the seat-stays being not welded to the seat-tube but snap into a lock for folding issues and the tube clacks against that "lock":
http://i532.photobucket.com/albums/ee323/Tarmacblossom/IMG_78.jpg

Still I feel the post is unusually small in diameter for the tube. The tube has to be pressed very hard. After closing the seatclamp the ***** in the tube is, at the top, a whole 1mm smaller (3mm) then at the bottom (=4mm), feels much for me. What you think?

After all it should be fine though, sorry for hassle, I will try the "suspension" idea.

Sounds like a seatpost shim would be a good idea.

hmhm, not sure if I understood what you mean? Well, its 80 cm from seatrail to center of pedal adapter. Its 64,5 cm from seatrail to center of bb und 27,3 cm from top of tube to saddlerail. The seatpost is only 8cm inside the tube at minimum insertion...but...

I don't know what you mean by a pedal adapter. But I am interested in the distance represented by the red line in the attachment.

Is the seatpost replaceable? Could one just use a longer seatpost to get more extension? Of course, there would be a limit with regards to maintaining its small fold when one inserts the seatpost as far as possible.

Hi, thx for caring.

Ah the red line. That is 64,5 cm (I call it "from seatrail to center of bb"). Yes, I will swap the seatpost for a longer one. The regular seatpost is already 35mm so I will have to look for 40mm or more which are not that frequent. I spoke to Tom from Pacific Cycles about this issue of swapping the post. He warned me, that the tube might be bent then because of higher leverage, no guaranty any more then. (I don't have that anyway, have no bill) Then I spoke to Mark Sanders about this issue and he said with my weight I could relax and do it. The bike is free for 85kg and at that weight, he would not recommend to use a longer post.

Yes, folding size will be compromised but footprint here seems more crucial to me then folded height, so no matter. And perhaps I also try a shim or a slightly bigger in diameter post (which would have to be an unusual diameter of 27,3 -27,4mm then). My worries are solved for the moment as the post is actually not moving, it was the "connection between Seat stays and seat tube.

What is the horizontal distance between seat post and stem riser (which is called stem in the pic)? I found the CarryMe too cramped when I tested it, but that may be better with a longer stem (which was called 'extension stem' in the pic).

thanks all for answering :)

http://i532.photobucket.com/albums/ee323/Tarmacblossom/IMG_78.jpg



Does anyone know what bags you can fit in the front? Who sells them? Do you have to rig your own system?

Ah the red line. That is 64,5 cm (I call it "from seatrail to center of bb"). Yes, I will swap the seatpost for a longer one. The regular seatpost is already 35mm so I will have to look for 40mm or more which are not that frequent. I spoke to Tom from Pacific Cycles about this issue of swapping the post. He warned me, that the tube might be bent then because of higher leverage, no guaranty any more then. (I don't have that anyway, have no bill) Then I spoke to Mark Sanders about this issue and he said with my weight I could relax and do it. The bike is free for 85kg and at that weight, he would not recommend to use a longer post.

Yes, folding size will be compromised but footprint here seems more crucial to me then folded height, so no matter. And perhaps I also try a shim or a slightly bigger in diameter post (which would have to be an unusual diameter of 27,3 -27,4mm then). My worries are solved for the moment as the post is actually not moving, it was the "connection between Seat stays and seat tube.

Hmmmm, interesting. Usually my top of the saddle to center of the BB measurement is 75 cm. I figure the distance from the rail to the saddle is probably another 4 cm ... perhaps one could move the saddle back a bit to get a couple another two cm (since I care about the hypotenuse, the distance will be less than the amount the saddle slides back).

Anyway, it is something to mull over. Thanks for the clarification.

What is the horizontal distance between seat post and stem riser (which is called stem in the pic)? I found the CarryMe too cramped when I tested it, but that may be better with a longer stem (which was called 'extension stem' in the pic).

Yes its quite cramped - the distance between top of seat post (I measured from middle/center of clamp area - of laid back stem) to top of stem (center) is 45cm (when all extended to the max). I had the same idea like you Jur and think about ordering a longer high rise "extension stem" to get the bar higher and more forward, in addition to that perhaps some bullhorns - or some drops:
http://i532.photobucket.com/albums/ee323/Tarmacblossom/CarrmewithDrops.jpg

With the narrow wheelbase and my planned modifications it will probably be a "almost unicycle" experience :D

Michael Lin said that I was too long for the bike and that they will think about a slightly bigger Carryme for the West.

Does anyone know what bags you can fit in the front? Who sells them? Do you have to rig your own system?
The Carryme front carrier that can be ordered extra is a simple tubeframe where bags can be strapped to:
http://i532.photobucket.com/albums/ee323/Tarmacblossom/CarryMeFrontgepcktrger.jpg

Here is a pic of a modified adapter for klickfix:

http://i532.photobucket.com/albums/ee323/Tarmacblossom/modifiedklickfixadapter.jpg

http://i532.photobucket.com/albums/ee323/Tarmacblossom/bottlecageholder.jpg

- but Pacific also sells a special bottlecage holder that is fixed to the same spot

Yes its quite cramped - the distance between top of seat post (I measured from middle/center of clamp area - of laid back stem) to top of stem (center) is 45cm (when all extended to the max). I had the same idea like you Jur and think about ordering a longer high rise "extension stem" to get the bar higher and more forward, in addition to that perhaps some bullhorns - or some drops:
http://i532.photobucket.com/albums/ee323/Tarmacblossom/CarrmewithDrops.jpg

With the narrow wheelbase and my planned modifications it will probably be a "almost unicycle" experience :D

Michael Lin said that I was too long for the bike and that they will think about a slightly bigger Carryme for the West.

I personally like the short saddle to handlebar distance because:
1. It allows you to put more weight on the handlebars without sacrificing an upright position. The typical "begging" upright position with the hands up high or far in front is very uncomfortable to me. I figure a lot of people like to ride flat backed because they really want more weight on the hands than because they actually like being stretched out, but with a short cockpit you don't have to. It's not aero, but anyone that thinks drop bars are aero when they could be riding a recumbent is just kidding themselves.
2. It allows you to better pull on the handlebars without standing and when you do stand you don't have to lean as far forward (which is good because the really short wheelbase makes the handling sensitive to changes in the weight distribution).
3. It keeps the stem riser from flexing when you pull on it because you're pulling it more lengthwise instead of backwards.

Honestly I think it's a better configuration that's not traditionally used simply because the toe overlap of larger wheels doesn't allow it.

makeinu, I can see your points and want to say that the narrow posture is comfy - but so far I could not get used to the knee/bar collusion risk, maybe with more practice.

Anyway, in another thread there arose the question how much weight you trimmed of your bike and if it was possible to get rid of 3lbs so get it to 15lbs.

Thats what my scale says about Carryme parts (and some expensive ideas):
getting rid of the rear brake (incl. lever + cable) - which is rather poor anyhow so not too much sacrifice: - 317 g

getting rid of the kickstand: - 93 g

seatpost = 332 g for tune starkes stück =180 g: - 152 g

saddle = 371 g for Steinbach = 150 g: - 221 g

grips = 2x45 g = 90 g for brompton grips = 2x7 g = 14 g: - 76 g

pedals = 408 g for MKS Promenade = 303 g: - 105 g


Total =964 g ~ 2,1lbs

some weight loss if one files away the to rear brake cable holders, polishes frame, changes screws to ti or carbon, probably bb, stem and headset are candidates.
More difficult:cranks (160mm and 4 arms) and the axles?
no chance to save weight in wheels, chain, chainwheel.

makeinu, I can see your points and want to say that the narrow posture is comfy - but so far I could not get used to the knee/bar collusion risk, maybe with more practice.

Anyway, in another thread there arose the question how much weight you trimmed of your bike and if it was possible to get rid of 3lbs so get it to 15lbs.

Thats what my scale says about Carryme parts (and some expensive ideas):
getting rid of the rear brake (incl. lever + cable) - which is rather poor anyhow so not too much sacrifice: - 317 g

getting rid of the kickstand: - 93 g

seatpost = 332 g for tune starkes stück =180 g: - 152 g

saddle = 371 g for Steinbach = 150 g: - 221 g

grips = 2x45 g = 90 g for brompton grips = 2x7 g = 14 g: - 76 g

pedals = 408 g for MKS Promenade = 303 g: - 105 g


Total =964 g ~ 2,1lbs

some weight loss if one files away the to rear brake cable holders, polishes frame, changes screws to ti or carbon, probably bb, stem and headset are candidates.
More difficult:cranks (160mm and 4 arms) and the axles?
no chance to save weight in wheels, chain, chainwheel.

Sounds like you have access to an accurate scale.. have you weighed your new CarryMe in its 'ready to ride' state ?

Sounds like you have access to an accurate scale.. have you weighed your new CarryMe in its 'ready to ride' state ?

No, my skale is only up to 5kg. I will scale the bike in parts the next days.


stem is w/o bolts 163 gr



additional rear rack = 144 gr



front rack = 144 gr

makeinu, I can see your points and want to say that the narrow posture is comfy - but so far I could not get used to the knee/bar collusion risk, maybe with more practice.

Anyway, in another thread there arose the question how much weight you trimmed of your bike and if it was possible to get rid of 3lbs so get it to 15lbs.

Thats what my scale says about Carryme parts (and some expensive ideas):

getting rid of the rear brake (incl. lever + cable) - which is rather poor anyhow so not too much sacrifice: - 317 g



getting rid of the kickstand: - 93 g



seatpost = 332 g for tune starkes stück =180 g: - 152 g



saddle = 371 g for Steinbach = 150 g: - 221 g



grips = 2x45 g = 90 g for brompton grips = 2x7 g = 14 g: - 76 g



pedals = 408 g for MKS Promenade = 303 g: - 105 g


Total =964 g ~ 2,1lbs

some weight loss if one files away the to rear brake cable holders, polishes frame, changes screws to ti or carbon, probably bb, stem and headset are candidates.
More difficult:cranks (160mm and 4 arms) and the axles?
no chance to save weight in wheels, chain, chainwheel.

1. I did rear brake, kickstand, seatpost, and saddle. But I believe my Carryme started out a bit lighter than the newer ones (not sure why, but mine has a few less extra bits attached to the frame, a front freewheel, and a slightly different frame). My stock bike was 17.5 pounds or so on my bathroom scale.

2. I'm surprised that the Brompton grips are so much lighter. Does your Carryme have regular foam grips like mine or something else?

3. It would actually be very easy to save weight on the chain as there are plastic and mixed plastic/steel chains available in this size. There are also regular #25 chains (as opposed to the 25H, with thicker sideplates, that the Carryme is equipped with). Not sure if these would all snap in half on the first ride, but they are available and would certainly be lighter.

2. I'm surprised that the Brompton grips are so much lighter. Does your Carryme have regular foam grips like mine or something else?
...

Grips came on my carryme look like solid rubber in grey and black certainly more heavy than foam but I believe brompton grips are within category of the lightest one can get.

Thought I'd share some pics of my CM mods.

I put an Easton CT2 carbon fiber seatpost ($27 shipped on ebay) to save weight and eliminate the dirty metal filings that rub off aluminum seatposts:
85573
Speaking of saving weight, the kickstand is completely unecessary even for the unfolded bike:
85574

I also put an ISM Adamo Race saddle (http://www.ismseat.com/) ($105 shipped from bikeisland.com with a no questions asked return policy) to save weight, increase comfort, and...
1. decrease the size of the fold:
85575

2. make the folded bike tightly lock together for easier handling:
85579
85580
85581

3. make it easy to hang off..
the side of a bar, table, or desk:
85576
85577
or coat hook:
85578

Very nice makeinu. I lusted after the Carryme a long time for basically a 5~6 km commute to the light rapid transit train station in a city setting. However, the price and lack of availability in Vancouver meant that the only viable option for a USA purchase + shipping. I ended getting a Xootr Scooter and have no regrets. Goes easy on the bus between my legs, at 10 lbs, is light, no chain, no pneumatic tires, I can maintain 20 km/h on a level asphalt surface with sprints of 23~24 km/h and is a zero-maintenance personal mobility device.

In your experience, what is a comfortable cruising speed on the Carryme?

Very nice makeinu. I lusted after the Carryme a long time for basically a 5~6 km commute to the light rapid transit train station in a city setting. However, the price and lack of availability in Vancouver meant that the only viable option for a USA purchase + shipping. I ended getting a Xootr Scooter and have no regrets. Goes easy on the bus between my legs, at 10 lbs, is light, no chain, no pneumatic tires, I can maintain 20 km/h on a level asphalt surface with sprints of 23~24 km/h and is a zero-maintenance personal mobility device.

In your experience, what is a comfortable cruising speed on the Carryme?

I can't really be bothered with a speedometer so it's difficult to say how fast I could cruise in ideal conditions, but looking at gmap-pedometer what I can tell you is that it takes me about 15 minutes to commute ~5km with 6~7 traffic lights up/down 3-4 hills ranging from 3-5% grade on badly rutted roads.

However, since the singlespeed Carryme is geared so low I think the distinction wouldn't be in terms of speed as much as:
1. Effort- the larger pneumatic tires are much more efficient for coasting as are the gear driven wheels much more efficient for propulsion.
2. Maintenance- polyurethane wheels wear down rather quickly and their bearings are usually quickly destroyed by wet and grit.
3. Versatility- surface roughness, minor debris, hills, and wetness can transform problems #1 and #2 from minor drawbacks to showstoppers for polyurethane wheels...plus a seat gives you more ways to control your balance which is very important with small wheels (ex you can't wheelie a kick scooter).

I have to admit that I've never used a kick scooter for more than a couple blocks, but I think a good pair of inline skates is a better way to build a vehicle with skate wheels and I've been thinking about getting a pair of these:
http://www.cooltownstudios.com/images/stealth2003.gif
which are way smaller and lighter than even a razor scooter when you consider that the bulk of the device replaces your normal shoes. I have a lot of skating experience, so I don't think they will replace my Carryme for the same three reasons outlined above, but if I end up liking them for good weather then I might increase the gear on my Carryme or upgrade to a two speed.

However, since the singlespeed Carryme is geared so low I think the distinction wouldn't be in terms of speed as much as:
1. Effort- the larger pneumatic tires are much more efficient for coasting


Xootr Says (http://www.xootr.com/xootr/nwheelassembly.shtml)

Xootr Says (http://www.xootr.com/xootr/nwheelassembly.shtml)

Yeah, but what about what they don't say? I think it's pretty well accepted by scooter, skate, and bicycle enthusiasts alike that as surface roughness increases optimum rolling resistance shifts from harder to softer wheels. Feel free to disagree, but I have not found the hard Xootr wheels to coast as well as my Carryme's on typical road surfaces.

Yeah,... but I have not found the hard Xootr wheels to coast as well as my Carryme's on typical road surfaces.

yes, and let alone mild off road surfaces like bike paths and footpaths.

My son's used to be great skate fans a few years ago (maybe about 8 or 10). I had a go with them and their skates since as they had grown bigger than me in their early teens, they had a few pairs that fitted me, but it has to be the worst ever way to travel. A bike is vastly easier - any bike - even a strida. We had a good laugh, but I ended up head first in mud in the park, had very sore feet and put more energy and skin into that trip than if I had done ten times the distance on a bike.

There are several really beautiful and extraordinarily efficient folding bikes. If you don't go down below sixteen inch wheels you will usually get a serviceable form of transport from any of the usual makes. In comparison to skates or scooters they will all be sheer heaven and will last far longer.

My son's used to be great skate fans a few years ago (maybe about 8 or 10). I had a go with them and their skates since as they had grown bigger than me in their early teens, they had a few pairs that fitted me, but it has to be the worst ever way to travel. A bike is vastly easier - any bike - even a strida. We had a good laugh, but I ended up head first in mud in the park, had very sore feet and put more energy and skin into that trip than if I had done ten times the distance on a bike.

There are several really beautiful and extraordinarily efficient folding bikes. If you don't go down below sixteen inch wheels you will usually get a serviceable form of transport from any of the usual makes. In comparison to skates or scooters they will all be sheer heaven and will last far longer.

In all fairness I think that inline skates can be just as misunderstood by cyclists as bicycles are by motorists. There's a big difference between a quality skate and a cheap one, between a well maintained skate and a poorly maintained one, and between the technique of a good skater and the technique of a poor one. Moreover, skates with bigger wheels are actually faster because a bigger wheel imparts more mechanical leverage to the skating motion (as opposed to bicycles for which leverage can be set independent of wheel size); Since this was only recently recognized today's skates have bigger wheels and are much faster than what you would've found ten years ago. So I'd liken your experience to someone taking his kid's rusty old undergeared department store for a ride without even setting the seat high enough for a good stroke.

Save offroading, people do many of the same activities on inlines that cyclists do. Speed skaters boast that they can beat the pants off of cyclists when sprinting and going up hill and I just read a guy's blog who used the detachable skates above to complete a 250 mile three day tour of Belgium (and he was concerned that his 80mm wheels wouldn't keep up with the 90mm wheels sported by his mates :p ). Many skaters also claim that inlines are faster than bikes for suburban commutes up to ten miles due to the ability to take pedestrian shortcuts, seemlessly walk up/down curbs/stairs, board transit, etc (obviously there's a bit of overlap here with folding bikes) and blow bicycles out of the water in urban environments for the same reasons.

So I think skates are an excellent way to travel. Although they suffer from the many disadvantages I outlined in my prior post, they are still tremendously smaller and lighter than even the smallest folding bike, as they are way more maneuverable, and cheaper.

Unfortunately I can't don the same praises on scooters, which seem to combine all the worst qualities of skates and bicycles:
-scooters have all the disadvantages of small polyurethane wheels
-scooters are less maneuverable than skates
-scooters have an even less efficient method of propulsion than skates
-scooters have big and heavy frames like bicycles
-scooters force you to stand like skates

One thing I've glossed over (and I think is the biggest disadvantage of skates) is that they are way more cumbersome and annoying to "fold/pack" than even the worst folding bike. Hopefully detachable models have solved this problem, but it depends on if they aren't too uncomfortable as shoes and if they skate as well as regular skates.

Does anybody know where to buy a chainring for the old (I believe 2006) model with 90t?

Reason: Sometimes I find the gearing on my carryme too low. I tested the dual speed but was not convinced and would like to try to swap the chainring -my chainring has 84t. (I did pm makeinu and I will ask Pacific also but thought, I try here first.)
Thx in advance
:)

Thought I'd share some pics of my CM mods.


Pretty cool Makeinu

the tugnuts and the rear axle bolts may need some adjustment. The tugnuts are the nuts covered by the black rubber caps at the end of the horizontal track ends. They adjust the amount of chain tension in the system.

In my case, I felt a measurable amount of rolling resistance which I put down to the small wheels. The rear wasn't able to freewheel very well at all. Loosening the tugnuts and holding the inner axle lock nut tight while tightening the outer axle lock nut did the job.

When you turn the pedals, the rear wheel should freewheel and spin easily then slow down gradually. If the system is tight and doesn't spin freely in proportion to the speed of your pedal turn, you need to loosen the tension in the system.

I'm glad to see this thread.

I'm actually thinking of increasing the weight of my Carryme-to-be with a suspended saddle or a Thudbuster. (Am I just defeating the purpose?)

Any thoughts?

I'm glad to see this thread.

I'm actually thinking of increasing the weight of my Carryme-to-be with a suspended saddle or a Thudbuster. (Am I just defeating the purpose?)

Any thoughts?

The way the seat tube hinges foward to fold is already similar to the thudbuster motion and I've always thought it ripe for suspension modification or redesign. It hinges at the frame tube and has two contact surfaces:
1. At the seat stays.
2. At the frame tube.

Thudbuster will obviously be more refined, but I'd try sticking an elastomer at one of those contact surfaces first. For example, a rubber band at the seat stays is an easy and popular mod which I've found very comfortable, but YMMV.

In my case, I felt a measurable amount of rolling resistance which I put down to the small wheels. The rear wasn't able to freewheel very well at all. Loosening the tugnuts and holding the inner axle lock nut tight while tightening the outer axle lock nut did the job.

Is there anyway to make the Carryme's wheels roll easier?

Are the Carryme's wheel bearings repackable?

Can ABEC 7 bearings be pressed into the Carryme hub?

What happened? Change your mind about the effectiveness of retensioning the chain? The hubs are a sealed custom design and I haven't tried to disassemble mine yet so I don't know if they have replaceable cartridges or not. Why don't you take it apart or contact www.pacific-cycles.com (http://www.pacific-cycles.com) or www.alternativevehicles.com (http://www.alternativevehicles.com) and find out for us? :D

All I can say is that if yours aren't worn out, my front wheel spins easily enough for the lopsided weight of the tube valve to completely obscure my observation of bearing friction and the rear wheel is dominated by freewheeling friction (which isn't noticeable under load). But I've been off my Carryme for a few months due to decreasing brake performance (I live in a hilly area and after servicing my brake made it worse I decided it wasn't safe to ride until I have a chance to upgrade to something more reliable...cheap single pivot calipers with long cables are the absolute worst combination).

A few questions:
1. Does the problem affect both wheels? If it's rear only then it's probably a drivetrain issue. Like I posted in your inaugural Carryme thread, logic says that decreasing wheel size has to begin favoring front freewheels, so perhaps the Carryme has crossed that threshold.
2. Do you detect a problem on the work stand? If you only feel it while riding then I think you'll get much better results by switching back to pneumatic tires than messing with the bearings. I don't think small tires deflate faster than larger ones because there's less surface area to cause leakage and pumping up is easier because you need fewer pump strokes. Also, while the 8x1-1/4 tire size is rare, the 8x1-1/4 tube size is surprisingly common (I guess electric wheelchairs are easier on tires than tubes).

Hello everyone,

I just bought a pre-owned 2008 CarryMe based on your reviews and comments yesterday and do not regret it... It has flat tires and I think there's a chain tension problem as mentioned by puppypilgrim (http://www.bikeforums.net/member.php?87572-puppypilgrim) in another post (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?538268-Dahon-Helios-met-a-Carryme&p=8886120&viewfull=1#post8886120) but it was still riding well so far! Attracted a bit more attention than I wanted on the train while going home though!

My 2008 Carry me weighs 8.1kg on my digital bathroom scale with no mods...

I'm new to fixed wheels so I have a few questions...



1. I did rear brake


How would you do an emergency stop if needed?? Normally I would just flat out brake on both front and back... but if you do that on the front brake alone, won't you go flying off over the handle bars???



kickstand, seatpost, and saddle.

Wow sounds like nice upgrades... I'm planning to upgrade to an ISM Sport saddle (http://bikeisland.com/cgi-bin/BKTK_STOR20.cgi?Action=Details&ProdID=820), which is about half the price of your Racing model, costing only $US50 shipped. While it weighs 417g, which is heavier than the standard saddle by 100 grams, it seems much more comfortable, and the 'mouth' in the saddle will probably avoid me having to move the saddle sideways... I don't mind the extra weight, since weight will be cut in other places... I don't feel like spending an extra $50 to cut down 100g at the expense of comfort :) Thanks for the reference to BikeIsland by the way, they're much cheaper than Amazon!!

By the way, I was doing some research and found the luggage rack has been beefed up each year, which may explain in part why the bike became heavier each year!!

Pre-2008 Carryme:
145692

2008 Carry me
145693

2009 Carry me
145694

2010?? Carry me. Slightly angled at the back
145695

Makeinu has been banned and I not aware that he maintaining a presence under another name. :(

Banned? oh no... what happened?!!! Seems sad to bad someone with such valuable contributions!

Banned? oh no... what happened?!!! Seems sad to bad someone with such valuable contributions!

yes. any reason why ? we wanted to know the reason so that we could avoid being banned, too....

thanks,
vic

I don't know... I can only guess he repeatedly insulted someone, that's usually what will get you banned. (I have had a warning myself. ;) ) I also enjoyed his contributions.

Is there anyway to make the Carryme's wheels roll easier?
Are the Carryme's wheel bearings repackable?
Can ABEC 7 bearings be pressed into the Carryme hub?

I dismantled my Carry me's wheels (ver. 2008 with rear freewheel) and found out that the front wheel uses bearings that seem to be the same size as for skateboard wheels. However, while one of the bearings came out, the other one seemed to be stuck in.

As for the rear wheel - the freewheel comes out, but again, the bearings on the other side refused to budge... Don't know if it was due to tightness or if it was glued in!! Out if curiosity, I tried hitting it a few times with a screwdriver handle to see if it would come out but I was afraid to break it so I gave up when it refused to budge.

The bearings look like this, and just like skateboard wheels, there are two per wheel (one on each side):
146441

Ahhh technology. Used my computers web cam to explain the unfolding of my girlfriends recently acquired Carryme what a fiasco that turned out to be, but in the end success

I have the first series CarryMe
This is the Chainring/Freewheel the green highlighted part including chainring is the part that has some lateral movement. Anyone have any knowledge of this older carryme drivetrain
Can it be tightened any ideas... Thanks again for the input...

I have this problem on another bike, but not my CarryMe. Probably the bottom bracket needs to be tightened, but I don't know how.


As for the rear wheel - the freewheel comes out

Is the freewheel and cog one single piece or two separate pieces?

I have a 100/16 ratio (50 gear inches) on my front freewheeling CM, but I want to go higher. I wonder if the 14T cog will fit.

Lately I had the chance to exchange a few emails with aka Makeinu. I asked him how he got banned. He said that it has been due to a discussion over clean un-greased chains that he did in other areas of the forum and that gathered a lot of trolling. Banning happened after several warnings. Banning sucks, because it is linked to the IP, therefore right now he is back again under another nickname but he keeps a low profile not to get banned again.

His Carry-Me is doing pretty well. He is using it and modding it.

Lately I had the chance to exchange a few emails with aka Makeinu. I asked him how he got banned. He said that it has been due to a discussion over clean un-greased chains that he did in other areas of the forum and that gathered a lot of trolling. Banning happened after several warnings. Banning sucks, because it is linked to the IP, therefore right now he is back again under another nickname but he keeps a low profile not to get banned again.

His Carry-Me is doing pretty well. He is using it and modding it.

That truly sucks - hope he eventually can come back and contribute as he did before.

His enthusiasm and advice really helped to sway me towards towards taking the plunge and buying my first folder a few years ago. Turned out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made. Sooo, if you are reading this - Thanks a ton Makeinu!

Makeinu's enthusiasm and knowledge about the CarryMe was most helpful in enabling me to feel confident in buying one. I love it!

Had to ride a huffy the other day to transport it for a weak friend. It made me realise what a great little bike the carry-me is.

I'd rather ride the carry-me five miles than a single mile on that huffy (and that day I did both back to back).

Lately I had the chance to exchange a few emails with aka Makeinu.

Really? I should drop him a line since he is not far at all. The kiddies have temporarily quashed a lot of friendships.