Folding Bikes - the ultimade go-anywhere-do-anything Tikit

Walter from BF just sent me this picture of my dream bike, a custom Seasons Tikit :)
obviously, it still needs alot of work, but it will have front and rear racks, Shimano Alfine hubs (8sp rear and dynamo front) BB7 mech disk brakes and an Edelux headlamp paired with a B&M tailight, full fenders and H bars...
I am so psyched I cant contain myself!
If anyone knows for sure whether SHimano Deore or LX levers will work well with the BB7's please let me know!
I will post more pics as they come in!

Cool. I wish mine was a Seasons Tikit.

It's in a very basic state - tubes cut and ready to be welded!

BF uses jigs like that to insure it has cut every part needed for each bike. The custom equipment pretty much reflects how the whole manufacturing process is organized. All those components OP mentioned are in a basket with info on it as to which bike the parts are for.

Very organized.

I remember the anticipation of the finished bike very well.

Have fun!

I'm having a hard time finding even a remote outline of a tikit in that photo!

Very interested in this kind of "ultimate go-anywhere-do-anything Tikit" though, so please post more pics and keep us updated.

Wouldn't it be great if BF brought out a tikit with 20 inch wheels?

why would 20" wheel be an advantage?
anyway, here are some more pics of the build!!

should be all assembled and shipping tomorrow!! :)

why would 20" wheel be an advantage?
anyway, here are some more pics of the build!!

I reckon 20 inch wheels would improve ride quality in that bike would be less twitchy and absorb bumps better. Same way as 26 inch or 700c are better that 20 inch.

Bike is looking good. Like the disc brakes. Good luck with it. Looking forward to lots more pictures.

I reckon 20 inch wheels would improve ride quality in that bike would be less twitchy and absorb bumps better. Same way as 26 inch or 700c are better that 20 inch.

:rolleyes:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=524435

Bike is looking good. Like the disc brakes. Good luck with it. Looking forward to lots more pictures.

will be happy to continue posting pics!

I'm tuned in! : )

Chiapas, that is awesome! My Pocket Crusoe should have been spawned and shipped right about now. I can't wait. BF customer service is the best.

Excellent....:thumb:

oh boy! oh boy! oh boy!
almost ready to ship!!! :)
(not very good pics though...)
bad news is the front rack wont work with the 100mm fork. good news is Rob E. from BF is going to design a special rack to work! Plz tell me what other bike company in the world would do this?
I wont get the bike until April 27 or so... cant wait!

Chiapas, sorry you have to wait, but man, Rob himself designing that>? How damned cool! I just got word mine shipped Thursday 16th, should be here Mon-Tues. Good luck on yours, and I want pics of you riding that masterful bike! Nice color, too.

the UGADA Tikit arrives on Wednesday!!! Cant wait to try it out on all the wonderful bike paths here :)
I will post pics as soon as I get it set up....

the UGADA Tikit arrives on Wednesday!!! Cant wait to try it out on all the wonderful bike paths here :)
I will post pics as soon as I get it set up....

Cool! bike's look'n great thus far! :)

Wouldn't it be great if BF brought out a tikit with 20 inch wheels?

The real plus would be the greater selection of tires in 406 compared to 349. The minus would be folded size. Other than that, we have had a gadzillion discussions on wheels size here.

....although between the marathon, the stelvio, the greenspeed scorchers and the two brompton models, what other options do you really want?

....although between the marathon, the stelvio, the greenspeed scorchers and the two brompton models, what other options do you really want?

Schwalbe Big Apples of course :D

Schwalbe Big Apples of course :D

hmm, i have read it on more than one tikit forum/blog that the scorchers are actually more comfortable and faster than the BA's...
even if they made BA's in 349 size, apparently then would not fit a Tikit.
So I guess if you are hell-bent on having the BA's, then you would need a 20" bike... but I dont see a reason for this myself unless someone is just psychologically dependent on that tire.

The UGADA Tikit will arrive with the stock marathons, which is how I will ride it for my initial review. Once they wear out, i will prolly get the scorchers, which apparently do make a big difference....

hmm, i have read it on more than one tikit forum/blog that the scorchers are actually more comfortable and faster than the BA's...
even if they made BA's in 349 size, apparently then would not fit a Tikit.
So I guess if you are hell-bent on having the BA's, then you would need a 20" bike... but I dont see a reason for this myself unless someone is just psychologically dependent on that tire.

The UGADA Tikit will arrive with the stock marathons, which is how I will ride it for my initial review. Once they wear out, i will prolly get the scorchers, which apparently do make a big difference....

I haven't ridden the scorchers, but I gather the BAs are more durable/flatproof. I don't doubt that the scorchers are faster, but I like riding through glass with impunity. :p

Just a preference I guess. I also would have opted for the SA hub brake w/ dynamo over the shimano dynamo w/ disk brake. :)

The TR version of the scorcher have a kevlar belt to inprove flat protection.

do you mean an SA hub with drum brake or roller brake? what do you precipice as advantageous in that hub?

do you mean an SA hub with drum brake or roller brake? what do you precipice as advantageous in that hub?

Isn't Rollerbrake ® just the Shimano brand name for a drum brake?

Anyway, I prefer it to a disc brake on a folder because it's cleaner and lower maintenance (by virtue of being fully enclosed). I also think smaller wheels favor braking surfaces closer to the axle in the stopping power.

The disadvantage is that the disc brake is probably still more powerful and the Shimano dynamo is said to have less drag. I'm not sure which setup would be lighter overall.

yes, apparently rollerbrake is just a glorified drum brake..
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gloss_ri-z.html
the weight for the two hubs, once you add the disc and caliper to the Alfine, is about the same, a little shy of 2kg....
you are right in thinking that the drum brake is more protected from potential bashing when folding the bike, on the other hand a disc brake is essentially mounted on the axle so it does stop the small wheels well, and is less prone to fading on long descents (which when touring in the mountains with gear is IMPORTANT!)
all in all, I am happy to stick with the Alfine....

got the Tikit! Was so excited to set it up, but when i tried to put the seat post in, I realized they sent me the WRONG SIZED SHIM!!! &%##!!
Luckily this is Bike Friday and they are FedExing me the right one, so i will be able to get on the bike soon (I hope!)
Will keep ya posted, pics coming soon too.

Can't wait to see it! Yeah, send pics, pics and more pics. Good luck and as you state BF customer service is the best.

When my Pocket Crusoe came, one of the mini-fork tips on the bottom of the seat mast (which hook onto the QR) was just a tad off-angle (bent) and the customer service team helped me out immediately and basically gave me the confidence and liability go-ahead (no voided warranty) to slightly bend one of the steel fork tips back into its correct plane. Was easy and worked perfectly. No problems since then.

Here are a few from yesterday....

ChipasFixed, great bike! I have a couple of questions:

1) you did choose the T-screw version instead of the hyperfold. Why?
2) there have been reviews on the Tikit saying the front hinge has play. Is that true?
3) when folded, does the ahead stem stick out? Could not BF give it a more forward angle such that ahead stem wouldn't be necessary (see Dahon or Brompton).
4) can you comment on the ride, in comparison to your other bikes (NWT, Joey)?
5)How does the folding speed and size compare?
6) uniform rear triangle constructions get a lot of force on their rear hinge. Do you notice any flex or play when stand and crank? What kind of bearings to they put there? I am a bit skeptical as other URT bikes have massive hinges, e.g., Airnimal Chameleon.
7) does the disk brake help for taking front wheel off for suitcase fold? Or is it more problematic?

Best,

Peter

1) you did choose the T-screw version instead of the hyperfold. Why?
Not sure why, seemed simpler and less likely to malfunction. It also seemed I would be able to tighten it down more and get the hinge stiffer. In practice, I am a bit leery of the plastic twiddly knob as it seems like it may strip easily if torqued too hard. I am looking into getting an all metal knob to replace it.

2) there have been reviews on the Tikit saying the front hinge has play. Is that true?
The stem hinge had some play at first. Then I got BF to send me a new twiddly knob (as the first one was actually bent) and they also recommended to tighten the hinge screw a bit. This seemed to solve the problem. I also experimented with a thin piece of stiff cardboard in the hinge between the plates, this actually stiffened it up even more to where no play was noticeable.

3) when folded, does the ahead stem stick out? Could not BF give it a more forward angle such that ahead stem wouldn't be necessary (see Dahon or Brompton).
The ahead set does not seem to stick out much, as the stem actually angles under the bike when folded. My H bars do stick out a bit, though.

4) can you comment on the ride, in comparison to your other bikes (NWT, Joey)?
The ride is fantastic, it feels as comfortable as the NWT, though maybe not quite as stiff as the Joey. It is a softer ride than the Joey, though, for this very reason. Longest continuous ride so far has been 40km. I think I could easily do 100 in comfort.

5)How does the folding speed and size compare?
Fastest fold in the world, hands down. No problem folding and unfolding several times a day, no hassles here. The size is manageable, though not the smallest.

6) uniform rear triangle constructions get a lot of force on their rear hinge. Do you notice any flex or play when stand and crank? What kind of bearings to they put there? I am a bit skeptical as other URT bikes have massive hinges, e.g., Airnimal Chameleon.
Have not noticed any rear triangle flex when pumping up hills, nor have I heard of any Tikits failing there. Any flex there may be would come from the stem.

7) does the disk brake help for taking front wheel off for suitcase fold? Or is it more problematic?
Just loosen the QR lever, and remove the tire. No need to touch the brakes at all, even easier than V brakes!

ChipasFixed, thanks for insight. Regarding comfty ride, it seems that the CroMo rear construction works as a suspension. Could you test it? Does it provide certain give if you put your weight on the saddle?
What I like in comparison to my Dahon Mu is, that is doesn't have a hinge in the main tube. Other than Birdy or bigger Bike Friday the Tikit's URT design can handle gear hubs or single speed setups without tensioner (version with horizontal dropouts). Folding speed and size seems to be pretty similar to the Dahon's.

Fold is faster than Dahon for sure, and a big advantage is you do not have to re-set the saddle height or center the handlebars, you just unfold and go!
I agree the cro-mo softens up the ride vs the Joey's aluminum.
Had a major blowout yesterday, a friggin car key got impaled in my rear tire, right through the kevlar, and shredded the tube! I am now on the lookout for new 349 tubes, which in N Australia may be tough to find. I had understood it was common practive for Bike Friday to send a few spare tubes with every new bike purchase, but they did not do this for me!!

Congrats on an excellent choice. I've got a Green one too though a June 98 model. K-Mart may have 16" tube, at least they have it in Perth.

Keep us posted on your rides on your excellent bike.

a 1998 tikit?? wow!
do you know if the k-mart tubes are 305 (16x 1.75- 2.15) or 349 (16x 11/8- 13/8)
and if they are the 305's do they still work for the Tikit's 349's?
thanks :)

I agree the cro-mo softens up the ride vs the Joey's aluminum.

It's might not only be material but also construction. The seatpost lower part works as a lever for the URT. It might in total have some 1" up/down travel, working as a suspension, e.g., similar to the Airnimal Chameleon. Just my guess seeing the construction. Could you investigate that?

I can ride my Speeding Tikit no-handed for several minutes...I heard that was a no-go on Bromptons. What about Dahons?

I can ride my Speeding Tikit no-handed for several minutes...I heard that was a no-go on Bromptons. What about Dahons?

Being able to ride without hands is largely a function of the amount of trail on the front wheel. IIRC the tikit has about half the trail of a racing bike, which is sufficient to do the job; I believe the Bromptons and most Dahons have much less than that. [FWIW: Dahon has a history (http://www.johnforester.com/Articles/BicycleEng/dahon.htm) of fairly low trail.]

BTW: I can't reliably ride no-handed on my Tikit, because it tends to lean subtly to the left when I do so. Rob English says this was due to a minor bike flaw in the tube latch assembly which BF has since cleaned up.

Being able to ride without hands is largely a function of the amount of trail on the front wheel. IIRC the tikit has about half the trail of a racing bike, which is sufficient to do the job; I believe the Bromptons and most Dahons have much less than that. [FWIW: Dahon has a history (http://www.johnforester.com/Articles/BicycleEng/dahon.htm) of fairly low trail.]

BTW: I can't reliably ride no-handed on my Tikit, because it tends to lean subtly to the left when I do so. Rob English says this was due to a minor bike flaw in the tube latch assembly which BF has since cleaned up.

Do you have the impulse fold or hyper fold?

Hyperfold. I first thought it was the hyperfold cable issue. Rob assures me it's not.

This isn't to say I can't ride no-handed on the bike (how many double negatives are in that sentence?). But mine is a bit more challenging. Still much easier to do than ride no-handed on the Bromptons I've tested.

Hyperfold. I first thought it was the hyperfold cable issue. Rob assures me it's not.

This isn't to say I can't ride no-handed on the bike (how many double negatives are in that sentence?). But mine is a bit more challenging. Still much easier to do than ride no-handed on the Bromptons I've tested.

Interesting. Mine is the Impulse fold. Thanks!

...
even if they made BA's in 349 size, apparently then would not fit a Tikit....
No, but if you have disk brakes on both wheels, there's no reason you couldn't put 305 rims on there; then the BA's might fit (dunno, just speculating).


...
do you know if the k-mart tubes are 305 (16x 1.75- 2.15) or 349 (16x 11/8- 13/8)
and if they are the 305's do they still work for the Tikit's 349's?


Kmart tubes are 305 (16" x 1.75") with schraeder valve. You can use them in 349 (16 x 1 3/8) tires, but it's not as easy as you'd wish, and you have an increased risk of pinch flats since there's a bit of extra tube.

I can ride my Speeding Tikit no-handed for several minutes...I heard that was a no-go on Bromptons. What about Dahons?

Yeah, I have done it with a Curve D3, but that bike has wide tires. Not sure about the ones with narrow tires.

I can ride my Mu XL hands free while drinking a cup of coffee (or a beer). Actually it is easier than on my full size bike. Partially this is due to the super wide Big Apples I have attached. Very stable ride. Mu SL with skinny Stelvios, there it is a challenge, but doable.

3) when folded, does the ahead stem stick out? Could not BF give it a more forward angle such that ahead stem wouldn't be necessary (see Dahon or Brompton).
The ahead set does not seem to stick out much, as the stem actually angles under the bike when folded. My H bars do stick out a bit, though.
I found this pic:


The ahead sticks out quite significantly. And it does not stand as tripod.
I also would prefer the rear to fold into the fork just as on the Airnimal Joey. This would allow for a more flat package. Suitcase fold seems to be quite wide. So, does it fit into a 29" Samsonite Oyster? Or only into the larger F'lite?

Figured I would update the thread with pics of the completed UGADA Tikit, now ready for anything (and just back from a 600km maiden voyage in Sumatra and Malaysia).
Features include:

-special 100mm fork to accommodate the Alfine generator hub.
-Special rack to fit the wider fork and bolt onto crown fork mount (due to lack of cantilever braze-ons). Fits Ortlieb backrollers, or the smaller MEC panniers shown here. The smaller ones can also go on the rear rack with the Ortliebs up front for self supported tours, but I have not needed that much space yet.
-Edelux headlamp and B&M toplight flat plus rear (work amazingly well, though still waiting for the proper connector to arrive)
-Avid BB7 disc brakes, amazing stopping power!
-Alfine 8 gear internal rear hub, nice silent, wide range shifting with no dramas!
-DIY garden-variety twiddly knob, looks a bit like a flower which could potentially reinforce the clown bike look, but I actually like it.

I am really really pleased with this bike, have done back to back centuries on it with the front panniers fully loaded, commuted on buses, taxis, planes and ferries, ridden accross Sumatra, ride it to work every day, fold it several times a day, ride it down stairs, through the woods, late at night, and can fully recommend it!

Sorry for the in-office pics. I have lots of nice outdoor pics from Indonesia and Malaysia but they do not feature the bike really. I may post some of them in a different thread, maybe in the touring forum.
edit: per the suggestion of a fellow bikeforums member, I may have to change the bike's name to the Steampunk Tikit :)

a 1998 tikit?? wow!
do you know if the k-mart tubes are 305 (16x 1.75- 2.15) or 349 (16x 11/8- 13/8)
and if they are the 305's do they still work for the Tikit's 349's?
thanks :)

Opps,I mean a 2008 June. Senility is setting in :(

DIY garden-variety twiddly knob


Looks great, maybe I try to find one for my Brompton.

Hi ChiapasFixed,
Bike looks awesome. I know Malaysia very well (we are just about to move to the DC area after living in the region for the last 10 years. Great times!)- if you can survive some of the roads there I reckon you could tour anywhere.

I am looking at building up something very similar- primarily for a Mon-Fri commute when we move to Washington DC. Idea being some days I might go the whole distance (15 miles one way) other days take the metro and a 2 mile short ride. So Tikit seems one of the few bikes that can do this easily in Spring, Summer and Fall.

Winter is my concern. Can the Tikit survive in the winter with the snow and ice we would get in the DC area? IGH + disc should handle most of it but a bit concerned about the 18inch tires through the snow/ice (unplowed MUP). Would probably have to build my own studded tires based on 349 as I dont think they are availble commercially yet.

Was hoping you could give me some insight as to whether a tikit could be a true 4 seasons ulitmate commuter- or would it need to rest for the winter!

Thanks

elmatto:
hmm, havent ridden it in the snow yet, some mud, yes. The schwable marathons are not supper grippy and slip easly. if you could manage some studded tires, I think you would do fine.
I know some folks have used a season Tikit in the winter. Look at Vik's blog...

Last year DC had almost no snow. When there is snow, it's negligible. The primary issue is ice, and last year there was little of that.

Studded tires are not called for here.