Folding Bikes - stripped tikit twiddly knob

has anybody else had this problem?:
the only way I can get my Tikit stem to not wiggle is to tighten the twiddly knob down real good. Unfortunately, the handle is cheap plastic and I have now stripped a second knob, meaning the handle turns but the screw dosent, meaning no folding, meaning I am forced to choose between locking the Tikit outside or leaving it at home! my first twiddly knob arrived bent, and I thought this was part of the problem. BF sent me a replacement, which has now stripped as well!
has anybody else stripped their twiddly, and more importantly, does anybody know where I can get one that is not plastic? I know some machinery have a some butterfly type bolts that are cast out of one piece, or have a metal crossbar...

p.s. a full update of my tour of Sumatra on my Tikit coming soon (with pics)

I would call Bike Friday and explain your worries and problems and ask them to make a knob that holds up. I am sure they will respond quickly and promptly to your needs. I wouldn't whine about it to a general forum like this unless Bike Friday can't or won't make it right. Roger

the reason i ask here is to know if others have had this same problem. BF has already shipped me a second knob, and it also has already stripped. I am a big supporter of BF, and have sent several customers their way. I am disappointed with the quality of the twiddly knob and am wondering whether this problem is common, or whether I am doing something differently from most model T Tikit owners.

I'd chat with BF about how tight you are screwing down your "Twiddly Knob"...you might be exceeding their specs/expectations which is why the knob is breaking - I haven't heard of this problem before from other Model-T owners. If you get a metal "Twiddly Knob" you may end up damaging something else that is more expensive/difficult to repair. So it's worth checking how tight that knob should be before you proceed to get a tougher part or wreck a new plastic knob.

I can't say this is the case with the part n question, but often a good design will use soft parts that break before the user can apply too much force to some other part of the equipment that is more critical/expensive.

yes, I am communicating with the BF service dep. regarding the best course of action. Please let me know if anybody else has had a similar issue.

I apologize if you didn't mean your first post to be whining but that is how it comes off when you read it. I don't think you problem is common to Tikits. Roger

I've had the exact same problem on my Giant Halfway (also twice). The first time, Giant replaced the part free of charge. But after the second time, I just gave up on it. Now, I carry a small wrench with me to tighten/loosen the bolt that was hidden underneath the knob. Not as convenient or fast, but I can tighten the stem down much better that way. Of course, maybe I'm just overdoing it?

Shilun:
Yes, I see the Halfway's knob is similar to the Tikit's.
Would your problem be solved by an all-metal butterfly bolt? That is what I am looking for, or perhaps just having a butterfly welded onto the existing bolt, just need to find somebody who can weld stainless.
The BF service people say they may rig something up for me, they have also suggested lubricating the bolt a little so you dont have to put as much torque on it to get it snug.

I'm having the same problem too. My tikit's front has been reduced to a shiny nut, and i've somehow been getting by using my hand to tighten it down.

stormclad:
you get it tight enough just by hand tightening the bolt? no play in the stem?
In any case, it seems like I am not the only case then... I am discussing the possibility of a single piece cast metal knob with BF service dep. I may just have to get somebody to weld a butterfly onto my current bolt....
edit: I have also had a close look at the stem mechanism and have found that a possible cause of the stripping is that the bolt can actually screw in all the way and hits the opposite side of the stem tube before becoming fully tight. This can be fixed with a couple of washers, but each time you tighten the bolt, it gets pulled further in and therefore out of the plastic knob, leading it to become stripped easier.

there is still some jiggle, but not significantly more than if I had tightened with the twiddly knob. One thing I added though, was a spring washer to maintain the pressure on the clamp after tightening.

On a side note, the tikit has been a real pleasure to ride, but little things like this is an indication that this design needs more polish to stand the rigeur of daily use. Just my opnion.

The design is very similar to that of the Brompton. I’m not sure what size the bolt or bolt head is on the Tikit but maybe you could upgrade to the Brompton part:
http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/product-Brompton-Brompton-Hinge-Clamp-Lever--Bolt-Assembly--QHCLEVA-13606.htm

The plastic knob might fit the BF bolt :thumb:

Have solved the problem with a visit to my local hardware store. I find the result fun and esthetically appealing. Used pressure washer and plenty of red locktite to make sure the knob dosent spin. Wattadya think?:

I like that look. With a different color scheme, it would be very steampunk.

Maybe BF should offer a Steampunk Tikit. :)

That's cool, Chiapas - kill to birds with one stone - now you won't have to carry a water bottle :thumb:

hmm yes! Looks even more steampunk with the edelux, and will only get better with age :) :

oh that's damn cool. Gotta go fix mine now.... XD

Have solved the problem with a visit to my local hardware store. I find the result fun and esthetically appealing. Used pressure washer and plenty of red locktite to make sure the knob dosent spin. Wattadya think?:

:lol: what does it weigh?

:lol: what does it weigh?

the garden hose knob? hmm, not sure, but the edelux says it weighs 85grams, and the twiddly knob including the bolt and pac man feels like it weighs less than that. So it is probably not very different in weight from the original knob anyway, may even be less for all I know, but I am really not worried about a difference of 20 or 30 grams, really.

I doctored a photo to go with the steampunk theme, although if this had been the original purpose I would have gotten the bike painted beige and brown, with leather panniers and brooks handlebar tape :)

Too cool!!