mainstreetexile 

I have a bike friday pocket llama, and I love the ride of it, but I often find myself throwing my dahon helios in the car when I want a quick folding bike since the folded package is so much easier to lift and move. I have the strap that mounts to the (top-)tube bottle cage that is supposed to wrap around the handlebars to hold them, but have never found a good way to use that.

Does anyone out there have any tricks for carrying / transporting their bike friday (with a non-folding stem)? Or pictures of their folded bike fridays using the handlebar strap or other retention devices?

Or, alternately, is the BF folding stem worth it? I talked to BF and I think they quoted me $200-ish to build a new folding stem for my bike.

rhenning

If you want that in a BF you should have bought a Tiket the quick folding Bike Friday. Roger

mainstreetexile 

Ok, thanks...

Anybody else have any actual advice for how they handle their bike friday when it's folded?

Pinigis 

Velcro straps are quick, easy, and reliable.

fietsbob

Have some things like Surly's 'junk straps' (extra long lengths of nylon webbing with toe strap buckles)
to tie it together.. put it all in a large sewn bag ?

or just buy the Suitcase Kit they make for Traveling. it is made to knock down occasionally to fly places ,

And skirt the Its A Bike Extra fees Airlines bill the traveling riders ..
that is what the knock down/fold combined design was centered around.



Bike Friday has its own forum, to use, And a [yak] Gmail forum too ..

2_i 

If it is of any help, I customized the velcro straps for use with my Bike Friday, in terms of the stretches of loops and hoops. I sewed the ends of those straps around the frame, to make them stay put and speed up the folding and unfolding. The straps I use match the frame in color.

Joe Remi

The strap is not for the handlebars. It's used to hold the rear wheel tight to the main frame tube when you pick up the bike. This does a reasonable job of keeping the folding seat mast, main frame and tear together. The bars/stem remove and then lay against the frame, which is inconvenient unless you have a carry bag.

fietsbob

Folding stem un avoidably creaks a bit , but you dont have a extra piece , loose but for the Cables..

smallwheeler

i've been thinking about this folding stem thing for awhile. couldn't something like this be made to work effectively?

fietsbob

Theirs comes with a Safety catch . You have to Hold A Button down and Lift it Up , before it folds down
the top is telescoping height fine tuned , adjustable, and a threadless stem goes on top.

the Dis Mountable easy pack steering mast comes off with a QR lever at the Bottom , those have a Quill stem inserted in it.

smallwheeler

yes. i know how there's work. i was just trying to think of something more simplified than the folding stem they sell that would also eliminate the creaking you mentioned. sorry that may have been confusing. my bad. the above illustration was made for a different application. basically, what i'm suggesting is a Bike Friday goose neck stem modified with a hinge assembly inserted into it.
additionally, the hinge pivot would be installed at 90 degrees to the orientation of the handlebars so that when folded, the stem folds sideways and rotates to rest on top of the folded seat mast. hope this makes sense.

fietsbob

the collar is on the Fork steerer, above the headset, if as mine.

I'm considering a 1"od tube-quill and a straight tube mast [1"id, 9/8" od.]

Robin Hood

Surely you have those sturdy twist-ties on your side of The Pond?
They're thin, flexible metal rods covered in a soft rubbery foam to protect your bike. They're very light, very strong and quite cheap over here.