Folding Bikes - Rome Commute on a Tikit

I made this for a friend but thought you'd be interested: video of my commute through Rome on a Tikit. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIU_SbUohIQ) With accompanying map (http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=41.888605,12.48476&spn=0.040446,0.065317&t=h&z=14&msid=116568519883819451509.00047587a041e9e872a94).

Awesome! You are very fortunate to enjoy the visual grandeur of the city of Rome on a daily basis.
When I started viewing, I expected Rome traffic to be the biggest obstacle, but it appears the pedestrians and tourists are the biggest challenge. Also, you ride over some pretty rough terrain. Big Apple tires, and thudbuster seat post suspension would maybe help to soften your ride, and a good bell. I think a bell, however, would not work very well. You would be riding with one hand on the bar and one hand on the bell all the time. Try clipping a baseball playing card to the front fork so it rubs against the spokes. I use a Mickey Mantle rookie card :)>.

When I started viewing, I expected Rome traffic to be the biggest obstacle, but it appears the pedestrians and tourists are the biggest challenge.

Well, I get to pick between very dangerous traffic or tourists. Of course I picked the tourists.


Also, you ride over some pretty rough terrain. Big Apple tires, and thudbuster seat post suspension would maybe help to soften your ride, and a good bell.

The terrain is indeed tough. The roads in Rome, unlike most of the rest of Italy, are paved with a special kind of cobblestone/brick (http://images.inmagine.com/img/valuestock/unz422/u10067525.jpg). And of course there's the dirt track down the Circus Maximus (which btw, I *love* to ride. I mean, seriously, how often do you get to ride down the middle of a two thousand year old stadium?

I'm on a tikit, so Big Apples aren't possible. Instead, I've got Greenspeed Scorcher TRs, which are still very fat and soft (at 40mm). Surprisingly the tikit does very well over this terrain. Interestingly the faster you go over the cobblestone the milder it gets.

I've got the standard tikit bell, but perhaps an airhorn might do a better job. :-)

no way in hell i would ride thru all those "cobbestones." in nyc, there are some streets with cobbestones ususally on those historic district like greenwich village, chelsea, etc. and they are usually are only 1 block long and i couldn't even take it. i had to stand up and look for paved road right away.

After walking around Florence last Nov. I can relate to just how congested (people, cars and motorcycles/scooters) your commute is. Traffic speed is incredible and much of the terrain you have to cover looks like off-road stuff.

Will be interesting to see how well the tikit holds up. Could be a great advert for BF.

Nice touch with the map; made understanding you route very easy.

Lou

did we meet you in rome last month? we were touring with a bike friday and a dahon and we met a gentleman with a tikit and his friend had a dahon outside the parthenon...
anyway, fun riding in rome especially at night, as crazy as that sounds!
ciao!

did we meet you in rome last month? we were touring with a bike friday and a dahon and we met a gentleman with a tikit and his friend had a dahon outside the parthenon...
anyway, fun riding in rome especially at night, as crazy as that sounds!

Yep! That was me and my wife (she was on a Helios). You were about to get on the train to Florence if I recall, and we suggested you check out Lucca. Did you get the chance?