Folding Bikes - Going to upgrade my Birdy Touring

I've had a little bit of feedback and a quick discussion with my LBS and have ruled out a Rohloff on account of huge labour costs. I use the bike every day so am happy to invest in it.

So based on what some others have done I'm looking at this as a possibility:

-KCNC brake lever
-xtr sifter
-xtr v brake
-sram dualdrive 27 speed
-xtr cassete 11-32
-ultegra SL crank set
-chris king head set
-Alex Folex wheels - the only 18" I've found - not custom-built aside

Any comments?:thumb:

I find the XTR stuff holds a huge premium for hardly any gain over XT gear:

The XT shifter now has the same functionality (although the XTR still looks nicer);
There are better V-brakes to be had eg Pauls, or Avid; (Pauls also have nice levers)
the XTR cassette is partly titanium at high cost and they don't last longer than XT at all;
I think FSA offer nicer, lighter cranks eg their team pro carbon cranks at comparable or better price;

Besides AFAIK the xtr shifter won't work with SRAM dualdrive derailer - the pull ratio is different.

Sorry - I don't mean to confuse you or tell you I know better - just my own opinion. :) And I'd like to see you get your money's worth of upgrades.

ningnangnong, of those options, the most cost-effective is to switch to the Folex wheels. Together, they weigh 1.2Kg, which is pretty darn good. However, that will reduce you to 9 gears from 27. Are you in Asia? If so, do you ever come to the US? I would gladly pay you for the inconvenience to bring a pair over.

If you need the gears, the SRAM dual drive system is pretty darn nice. If you don't go Folex and sell the dual drive system for more than the price of the Folex wheels.

my xt shifters do work with my sram dual drive..

Thanks for the advice.

I'm not happy to scale down from 27 to 9 gears as I do find I use them more than I thought I would. It's been a blustery few months in the UK and it has surprised me how many gears I've had to use to maintain a comfortable cadence.

pm124 - can't Folex take the sram?

Thanks for the advice.

I'm not happy to scale down from 27 to 9 gears as I do find I use them more than I thought I would. It's been a blustery few months in the UK and it has surprised me how many gears I've had to use to maintain a comfortable cadence.

pm124 - can't Folex take the sram?

No, the Folex wheels are pre-built. They have fewer spokes and lighter hubs, but the quality of the stock rims on the Birdy is very high. The Birdy front hub is also great, and reasonably light. Kind of sucks having the perfect bike. You can't upgrade it!

If you can find a cheap, lightweight crank set/bottom bracket, you could shed some grams there. But it would not be cost-effective, nor would it leave you with a more reliable drive train. You could also go with Stelvios or Kojaks (if available), but then you are in high puncture territory and the ride quality deteriorates slightly. I followed Jur's recommendation and put some slime liners in my Stelvios, and that seems to keep the punctures down.

Kind of sucks having the perfect bike. You can't upgrade it! :thumb:

Yep you're not getting many answers because it's hard to see where you can get a good upgrade. Tyres is about the only place to make sure you have the best - Kojaks seem nice but durability for commuting may not be the best? Don't know. The Marathon racers are a good compromise.

Perhaps the Swift is the way to go after all.