Folding Bikes - Thinking of getting a used Bike Friday...

Anything I should look out for in terms of wear/damage?

Which one? NWT owners show anecdotal instances
where the set stay to the QR clamp dropout has cracked, and BF replaced it.

they may have ridden rough, thru the Andes to the straights of Magellan too..

You could get a Pre Owned BF bike from them, they would be able to stand behind it
for any replacement issues then, rather than 3rd party..

not sure about transferability of damage and defect warrantees on to non original owners,
they will answer that.

It would be a pocket expedition

'Have also seen (in forums) the cases of the rear triangle seat-stay-clips -- asside from these, what are the real warranty statistics ? Would be curious to know.

It seems that BF might be OK replacing those seat-stay-clips (minus freight) given that it's a demonstrated failure. Anyone not under warranty had experience ?

Something as I'm sure others have noted is that their used price is a bit high - compared to what they pay the person for the bike, and given that that value is applied toward their normal bike price. Would have to bet in many cases there is no need for doing anything to the used bike (from them), and definitely no need for a repaint.

Why don't you ask the manufacturer?, they have people to respond to potential customer concerns.

Why don't you ask the manufacturer?, they have people to respond to potential customer concerns.

+1

And with BF, phone works better than email. They are very helpful when you call them.

I would think twice about the used BF unless you get a really good price. They are really temperamental machines.

Bike Fridays are not temperamental at all. I have had mine since 1994 and do less maintainance on the Pocket Rocket than I do most of my other bikes. All the components are standard bicycle parts. I am assuming you do not own a Bike Friday. Roger

I have owned several BFs new and used. Very good value and no problems.

BF has a "pre-loved" section on their website that shows some used bikes. In this section there are also some bikes that are new, but were not taken by customers for some reason and a few bikes they built on spec. During the slow season, winter, they sometimes build up a few bikes to have some on hand when demand builds up in the Spring. I also recommend calling them as this list is dynamic and usually has some other bikes not shown on the site.

We bought two new NWT this way as standard sizing works for us. We have toured loaded in France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic with them, folding and unfolding, packing and unpacking without any problems at all. They are very stable and comfortable and easy to handle even when loaded. Not even one flat with the Marathon tires and no component failures.

Why don't you ask the manufacturer?, they have people to respond to potential customer concerns.

FB - your response was to OP or ?? Difficult to follow when posting this way ..

I did a lot of chatting with Walter at BF before the sale completed,
and shipment was done,
and the guy in the service department after it got here , parts were OK
assembly work had to be redone, by me, in part.

may have been payday at BiFri, and the assembler's mind drifted to the weekend.

Mine, a Pocket Llama, BTO customer backed out due to color on finished bike
not to his liking.

Bke Friday was having a demo sale.

Bike Fridays are not temperamental at all. I have had mine since 1994 and do less maintainance on the Pocket Rocket than I do most of my other bikes. All the components are standard bicycle parts. I am assuming you do not own a Bike Friday. Roger

I do own a crusoe and have had problems: flexing stem, loose headset, brakes that constantly need adjustment, pulsating brakes, chain falls off every time you fold....

Did you call Bike friday and complain? Generally if you are really unhappy they will gladly give you your money back. Without knowing the model brakes and head set you have it is hard to comment on your problems with those items. My bike has a Chris King head set and it has never needed adjustment yet. The brakes on bike were Shimano Ultegra/600 (1994 model) side pulls originally but I did put 105 dual pivots on it 4 years ago. There was really nothing wrong with the originals but I like to tweak bikes and dual pivots work better and are a better design. As far as the chain I generally just take my chain off the front chain rings before I fold my bike so the chain is out of the way. Roger

I do own a crusoe and have had problems: flexing stem, loose headset, brakes that constantly need adjustment, pulsating brakes, chain falls off every time you fold....

This is very unusual. If you live near BF why not take the bike to their shop for a checkup. If not close then at least a phone call is in order. We have three BFs and lots of friends with them with no problems.

Just to be clear, I am not deriding Bike Friday. I think they are a superior touring folding bike. Excellent quality and fantastic ride characteristics. But no, I didnt complain and I definitely didnt want my money back because I love this bike. Im not suggesting that its a poor choice for a bike, but it may not be as perfect out of the box as lets say a purpose built folding bike like a Brompton, which I also own. The Brompton has had really no issues with the components and function, but thats because everything is pretty much a standard build, whereas the Friday is a lot of customization and so it may be more temperamental than other bikes. The issues I am having with the Friday I am working out on my own. If I did call Green Gear I am certain they would do everything possible to make me happy, as they have excellent customer service. If you are interested in purchasing a Friday I would go with a custom build and new. Used Fridays hold their value very well so there would not be much of a price discount on a pre-owned model.

The j hook that clamps to the BB shell get ordered with the bike?
My PL came with one, it holds the chain while its being folded [for packing]
I have a single ring, chainguard outside (stock), chain minder inside (added) ,

Chain tensioner on the back, IGH, I fabricated a piece added to mudguard eyelet bolt,
to keep it from coming off the cog to the inside [R'off]
which sorts out the symptom perhaps, chainline being off
short a bit in front, till new longer BB is bought.

The chain dropping is not a big problem to be honest, as long as I'm using it as a travel bike and not as a folding commuter bike. The loose stem has gotten better over the past year. The front avid v brakes need adjustment to the tension spring after each folding, which is a pain. The less than ideal fold has resulted in a lot of superficial scratches to the otherwise nice powder coating . Some of this may be user error.

I ordered a BF Tandem last year. Some tandem folks warned me about BF tandems being temperamental. Given that their tandem design is fairly complicated and it carries so much weight I could see how it might require more love than other tandems. I went for it anyways. So far it's been rock solid and hasn't needed any attention at all.

My GF & I ride that tandem for 90% of our rides and love it.

This being my 5th BF my perspective is that a BF is a great option for a folding commuter or touring bike. Of course you can have an issue with your BF. It's a product made by humans!, but BF will sort you out and get you back on the road. Since your BF was made with love in the US you can actually call them and talk to the folks that made your bike. That's a level of support you don't get from Asian made bikes.

If you are buying a folding bike used and can't see it yourself it might be worth having the owner take it to a LBS in their area for a look over [ideally a folder savvy one] even if you have to pay a few $$. Hopefully that will identify any abuse, crash damage, drivetrain wer, etc...

If you do buy a BF at least you know that they can provide repair/replacement parts for any bike they've made and you won't find some proprietary part's not available any longer.

I do own a crusoe and have had problems: flexing stem, loose headset, brakes that constantly need adjustment, pulsating brakes, chain falls off every time you fold....

Jscalia,

I used to tour on a Bike Friday NWT (New World Tourist) since the early 90s and have had experienced the same issues as yours, but I do have to admit that while it had some issues, it had been a reliable bike. Reliable enough to have taken me over 8000 miles of continuous touring for 1 year with only the Sachs 3x7 IGH hub breaking down due to a stripped internal gear and with many years of commute.

Older BF stems are a bit flexy, usually that's the connection point issue and sleeve on the headset and the goose neck stem. Wear and tear can make it jiggle loose. I know the feeling -- standing up trying to hammer a 55 x 13 on an uphill climb can be extremely scary. Even the latest BF stem setup is NO MATCH against the stiff Tern stem oversized setup when climbing with big gears, even with the latest Pocket Rocket. However, standing on a long stem while pounding those big gears away is not usually done while touring and a majority of recreational riders -- you tend to sit down and spin away with granny gears.
So perhaps you are a really strong rider to be able to do this. :thumb:

The folding design of the Bike Friday, with the exception of the Tikit, lends itself to provide the best riding experience with a slightly less compact fold. The Bike Friday is designed as a travel folding bike, not a compact folding bike like the Dahon, Tern and Brompton. Some people who ride full sized bikes appreciate the ride quality of the BF models which give them the ride of a full sized bike with as little compromise in handling as possible. With one exception -- you may have to deal with loose chain when folded, a compromise most people are willing to accept.

Brakes on folding bikes is always a constant issue, especially with Bike Fridays of the past equipped with the death trap Diacompe Big Dogs. This has to do with the extra long cables. Long cables means lots of possibility in cable friction due to cable routing and weather elements. If you fold your bikes a bit, you'll stress the cable housing and cables that it can make the brakes stick and less responsive than you like.
Certainly bikes are designed in a way to reduce cable stressing while folded and this is anticipated in the design factor. Bikes that are meant to be folded constantly will have cable routing with less folding interference as opposed to bikes that are less likely to fold often (Bike Friday). If you are treating your Bike Friday like your Brompton, than perhaps you are misunderstanding its true main purpose.

Hope this helps.

I do own a crusoe and have had problems: flexing stem, loose headset, brakes that constantly need adjustment, pulsating brakes, chain falls off every time you fold....

I think you'll find workarounds for most if not all these issues if you look - some may be related to component choices. I think most people getting into folding bikes are going to also be quite bike-mechanically oriented (perhaps by necessity) - and that may cloud BF's eyes a bit as some of the small adjustments should be realizable by the owner. But you're right, maybe there should be more FAQ style suggestions posted by them, but this wouldn't be interpreted as good marketing recognizing some small issues.

There is a trick for the chain falling off issue. (a BF video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvENx6X7sXs