Folding Bikes - IT"S ONLY TUESDAY but IT'S LOOKING LIKE A (BIKE) FRIDAY TO ME....

hi all,

thanks to sesamecrunch, without his advise i would not have jumped and bought this bike. i just added a bike friday to my list of folders. i recently purchased an almost new Bike Friday Tikit2 (hyperfold). only thing is - the front tire is flat so i haven't taken it for a ride yet. so excited now but have to wait. here are some pics. i was actually looking for a nice folding bike for my multi modal commute. i have a dahon mu xl (IGH) but the folding time is somewhat longer. hopefully and i am assuming that the fold of BF is really 5 seconds (without doing any parts unscrewing).

Congratulation and enjoy it!!!!

I always smile when I see a nicely pampered bike living in the house. It's where I keep mine. A good looking bike, congrats.

Congrats, nice bike.

thanks a lot. also i didn't realize there is no kickstand (reason why i am using a spool of twine in there) so i may need to get one. and also putting a rack bag will not work if you plan on folding it. the rack goes underneath once it is folded.

thanks a lot. also i didn't realize there is no kickstand (reason why i am using a spool of twine in there) so i may need to get one. and also putting a rack bag will not work if you plan on folding it. the rack goes underneath once it is folded.

Even though you already have the rear rack, I would use a front rack since it improves the bike's handling, IMO.

Congrats man. These things are awesome. A rode a friends and was really surprised at how well it kept up and normal it felt. GREAT bike if you like to vacation.

Even though you already have the rear rack, I would use a front rack since it improves the bike's handling, IMO.

hmmm. surprisingly - it's on my list of upgrades. i will check into that and nice to know that it will improve the handling. thanks..

I have a front rack but have removed it. Here's why: it makes rolling the bike folded much harder. It's challenging to balance the bike on its wheel while not scratching the rack on the ground.

Here's my perennial suggestion for your very first upgrade: a pair of Greenspeed Scorcher TR (http://calhouncycle.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=108&idproduct=968) tires will dramatically improve the bike's ride. Get the TR (kevlar) version for one primary reason: reflective sidewall.

Also I note you've got BF's seat. For a while they were selling the bike with Cloud9 seats, which I found much better. Anyway, time for a new saddle too! Have fun.

I like the color scheme.

I have a front rack but have removed it. Here's why: it makes rolling the bike folded much harder. It's challenging to balance the bike on its wheel while not scratching the rack on the ground.

Here's my perennial suggestion for your very first upgrade: a pair of Greenspeed Scorcher TR (http://calhouncycle.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=108&idproduct=968) tires will dramatically improve the bike's ride. Get the TR (kevlar) version for one primary reason: reflective sidewall.

Also I note you've got BF's seat. For a while they were selling the bike with Cloud9 seats, which I found much better. Anyway, time for a new saddle too! Have fun.

interesting. i was about to ask if the front rack is getting in a way of folding the bike and now that you mentioned it, it might not be a good idea after all. in any case i could try it.

Congratulations, Vic. You got a great bike there! And a good deal, too!!

We should coordinate a Bay Area Tikit ride sometime!



PS: If you're looking to spend all that money you saved on the purchase of the bike on some juicy upgrades, this is one that I really like on mine - A Schlumpf Speed Drive :-)

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e157/sesamecrunch/IMG_4515.jpg

Congratulations, Vic. You got a great bike there! And a good deal, too!!

We should coordinate a Bay Area Tikit ride sometime!

PS: If you're looking to spend all that money you saved on the purchase of the bike on some juicy upgrades, this is one that I really like on mine - A Schlumpf Speed Drive :-)

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e157/sesamecrunch/IMG_4515.jpg

thanks sesamecrunch... i owe you one..yes. we should at least have a fun ride come summer time. this upgrade is just awesome. i am now scratching my head. i know it's not that cheap for this upgrade but i bet you it is all worth it. did you install this yourself ? how much ?

i just noticed too that we have the same bike color, right ?

Hi All -- side comments on Feijai's rack issue in case it helps others with decision making --

I highly recommend the front rack and have no issues with rolling. When riding, the front load is nice for handling and I find the front rack helps me stabilize the folded bike when I need to hold it stationary and "tall" on a crowded elevator.

A guess on why some could have rolling issues when walking the folded bike with the rack installed: since the Tikit (and people) come in different sizes the front rack could interfere with rolling for certain size/height combinations. In my case with a large Tikit and given my hand position when walking, the bike is well ahead of me and there is no problem. I can see though that if I had a smaller Tikit and if my hand were higher, this would put the bike in a more vertical position and there would be a problem. Worth thinking through your personal geometry before deciding against the front rack.

My unexpected interference problem: when folded the front tire rubbed against my right side Ergon grip... with a slightly longer stem the problem was solved. A peculiarity of bike size, component, and bar height choices!

Cheers

It's gorgeous! Congrats.

It's gorgeous! Congrats.

thanks lucille. haven't had the chance to take it for a spin yet due to my front flat tire but loving it. it's been raining here in san francisco and we're expecting more rain next week so it's taking a toll on my excitement. hopefully weather might clear up the next couple of weeks so that i can take it for a spin. really loving it...

Hi All -- side comments on Feijai's rack issue in case it helps others with decision making --

I highly recommend the front rack and have no issues with rolling. When riding, the front load is nice for handling and I find the front rack helps me stabilize the folded bike when I need to hold it stationary and "tall" on a crowded elevator.

A guess on why some could have rolling issues when walking the folded bike with the rack installed: since the Tikit (and people) come in different sizes the front rack could interfere with rolling for certain size/height combinations. In my case with a large Tikit and given my hand position when walking, the bike is well ahead of me and there is no problem. I can see though that if I had a smaller Tikit and if my hand were higher, this would put the bike in a more vertical position and there would be a problem. Worth thinking through your personal geometry before deciding against the front rack.

My unexpected interference problem: when folded the front tire rubbed against my right side Ergon grip... with a slightly longer stem the problem was solved. A peculiarity of bike size, component, and bar height choices!

Cheers

i might go to a BF authorized dist. and check out the front rack. thanks for the heads up on the ergon grip. i have a set lying around thinking of putting it on.

sesamecrunch - i googled Schlumpf Speed Drive and cost is about $599 (wow....).

finally i fixed the front tire. it took me 5 bike stores to find the right tube. when i got there they only have 1 left (lucky me). i can get it online for at a cheaper price but you have to add the shipping cost and will take more time to be delivered. i am surprised that most local bike stores don't carry that tube size (16x1-3/8). what have i done so far to my bike ? i took my selle italia saddle from my MU to the BF, put a rear blinker and wiped the bike real clean. now it's looking like a brand new bike. i will post pics later.

NOTE: one thing i noticed is you can't put a bag on a rack and on the seatpost. so the only viable place to put a bag is if you have a front rack.the reason you can't put a seatpost bag is because you need to smack the underside of the seatpost to eject it when folding the bike. i might need to take a look at a front rack since i want to have a bag on a bike instead on my body.

PAGING SESAMECRUNCH/VIK,
is the fix for the seat post safety upgrade on a tikit easy to do or do i need to bring the bike to my local BF dealer ? i talked to one and they are willing to fix it free of charge but they need to keep the bike overnight. one day without a folder is just brutal......

PAGING SESAMECRUNCH/VIK,
is the fix for the seat post safety upgrade on a tikit easy to do or do i need to bring the bike to my local BF dealer ? i talked to one and they are willing to fix it free of charge but they need to keep the bike overnight. one day without a folder is just brutal......

It was quite easy if you have common bike/household tools on hand. Instructions are clear. I would give it a shot.

Congrats on the new bike...:thumb:

I agree. The fix is relatively easy. You shouldn't have a problem if you have the instructions.

--sam

What a beaut! Congrats!

PAGING SESAMECRUNCH/VIK,
is the fix for the seat post safety upgrade on a tikit easy to do or do i need to bring the bike to my local BF dealer ? i talked to one and they are willing to fix it free of charge but they need to keep the bike overnight. one day without a folder is just brutal......

The fix is easy. You just need an allen wrench. They provide pictures and good instructions. I think it took me 20 minutes, working very deliberately and carefully.

It was quite easy if you have common bike/household tools on hand. Instructions are clear. I would give it a shot.

Congrats on the new bike...:thumb:


The fix is easy. You just need an allen wrench. They provide pictures and good instructions. I think it took me 20 minutes, working very deliberately and carefully.

thanks guys. BF will be sending me the part.

is the fix for the seat post safety upgrade on a tikit easy to do or do i need to bring the bike to my local BF dealer ? i talked to one and they are willing to fix it free of charge but they need to keep the bike overnight. one day without a folder is just brutal......

Does BF still ship with the recall retrofit or did they redesigned the frame to address the issue?

Does BF still ship with the recall retrofit or did they redesigned the frame to address the issue?

for the older units they have an upgrade kit available but they already redesigned this for 2010. the seat mast is now one unit.