sfbay2wheeler

So I had been keeping an eye on the MIT V8 for quite some time. I went ahead and bought the light orange (cantaloupe orange?, almost pinkish) 2015 version. Rode it a couple of time around the office parking lot and in the neighborhood. So far, I'm pleased with the bike's performance.

I still own my 2012 Downtube 9FS. It has been ridden many miles during my trip to Japan in 2012. I plan to take the MIT V8 to Japan in 2016.

Since they do not have distributors in the USA, I had it shipped from Taiwan via Express Mail Service. Total cost of the bike plus shipping was around $1120 (bike was $865, shipping was $255, international wire transfer).

I have some upgrades that I plan to do. I swapped the folding pedals with Wellgo QRD-079. I have not swapped the long arm rear derailleur to a short arm, probably with a Shimano Zee RD M640 (this version is for 10spd, not sure if it will work with the existing 8spd cogs). The shifting mechanism is a twist grip SRAM 3.0. If I do swap for a Shimano Zee, would I need to change the twist grip shifter to the trigger style?

I have a Samsonite F'Lite 31" 2-wheel hardcase. Putting the Downtube in the case required an almost full disassembly of the bike, something I did not enjoy as much (took almost an hour and some jigsaw puzzle fitting). I was hoping to put the MIT V8 in this suitcase. Unfortunately, the MIT V8 is still slightly bigger. I've taken the rear rack, rear fender, and seat/tube separately; still wouldn't fit. If I do take the headset off, it may fit.

The planned trip is still a year off, so I'm not too worried about how I will be packing it. For now, the bike will get some use whenever I visit the downtown areas (it will be stored in the trunk of my car).

If anyone has suggestions on what I can add/remove to the bike, feel free to comment below.

sfbay2wheeler

Winfried

The chain tensioner is awfully low to the ground:


"BOTH INTER GEARING & OUTER GEARING COMPATIABLE" : Does it mean its eight-speed gearing system is available either as a derailleur or an IGH?

tds101 

It's nice,...but it looks like a Brompton.

HGR3inOK

You might want to consider a B&W Clapton case if the MIT V8 will fit without disassembly. See: https://www.amazon.com/Folding-Bike-C...%26w+bike+case
As some of us have learned, being able to just fold a bike, stick it in a case, then unfold it and ride when we get to our destination, can be worth quite a bit.

-HANK RYAN-
Norman, Oklahoma USA

sfbay2wheeler

I think they refer to the front and rear derailleurs working together. The MIT V8 does have a mount for front derailleur.

There are 2 models, the MIT V8 (8spd) and Pro-BP01 (IGH).

Winfried

Much cheaper option: Call Brompton dealerships in your home city and get a free box off their hands. Do the same in the city from which you'll be flying home.

https://img2.leboncoin.fr/images/2b5/...8c5f123d06.jpg

keyven

^ This. Still arguably the best option.

Or if you must, a cheap option is the Vincita B132B Case. Soft padded case with wheels. Saves on weight vs hard case, and you can just pack clothes and/or packing material to protect the bike. Not sure how easy it is to get in the US though.

smallwheelsbigsmile: Vincita Sightseer Brompton Bag first review

The higher headset of the MIT should fit, but you have to double check.

I've flown both my Bromptons to-and-from Australia (7 hours) twice on both the Brompton box + Vincita bag, and both have fared perfectly. I got the Vincita first-hand for about US$80 so I think it is a good investment compared to the few hundreds of most hard cases.

For me, one of the advantages was the ability to zip to halfway down the sides for easier packing. Not to mention the rolling. The disadvantage is the cost as well as the additional weight.

Joe Remi

The derailleur swap you want to do could get messy. The SRAM 3.0 shifter has a 1:1 actuation ratio which is unique to it, so you'll need to swap both. Then there's something different (I'm not clear on this) about new Shimano 10-speed mountain derailleurs which may not be compatible with Shimano 8-speed shifters. If I was going to do this project, I would mate an 8/9-speed compatible Shimano derailleur with an 8-speed Shimano compatible shifter. Which, to be honest, I wouldn't actually bother with. The SRAM parts are fine unless you find yourself dragging the long cage through mud on a consistent basis.

Shahmatt

I own the previous version of this bike, the Flamingo NX7 (Flamingo changed their name to MIT).

I must say that this bike had a few problems. Mainly they appear to have skimped on the quality of assembly components, e.g. allen bolts used are soft and are easily rounded off when trying to tighten/loosen.

Also I found the frame holding the rear skate wheels would sometimes bend out of shape causing the wheels to lose alignment. The bolts holding the skate wheels would also easily unscrew and come off.

But worst of all, the bolts holding the rear frame in place near to the bottom bracket would come loose very easily and need to be constantly retightened every month or so. These bolts were also soft and easily destroyed through retightening a few times. I replaced them eventually. But this is a major structural component. If the bolts were to fall off mid-ride the rear frame could fall off and cause a major accident.

On the plus side the frame and hinges seems sturdy and secure enough. Perhaps they fixed some of these problems with the MIT. I dunno! But I felt as though the Flamingo was not good value. My cheaper Oyama bike, though much less compact, is still a dream to use and component quality was quite high.