Pocket Crusoe versus Rocket Pro
 

I'm considering getting a Bike Friday for travel. Most of my riding will be on the road, but I want the option of doing dirt/gravel bike trails and cobblestones comfortably. I am looking at a Pocket Crusoe. The Crusoe allows the use of tires that are 1 to 1 1/2 inches in width, whereas the Rocket is limited to 1 to 1 1/8 inch. The other big difference is the bottom bracket height. The Crusoe's bottom bracket is lower by 3/4 inch.

The Crusoe is more of a light touring bike and normally comes with straight handlebars, but I can get drop handlebars for it which I prefer.

My question is how does the Crusoe handle compared to a Rocket. For instance, how about on high speed descents?

Other than cornering clearance, how does the bottom bracket height affect the feel or handling of the bike? Anyone have a Crusoe? Has anyone ridden both the Crusoe and Rocket?

Thanks in advance for any info comparing these two models.

I ride a Pocket Tourist which is similar to the Cursoe. I'm sure the bottom bracket height difference is because the PR uses 451 wheels vs the 406 wheels on the Cursoe. I've decended at over 40 mph on my Pocket Tourist and it is rock solid. Also I run 1 3/8" Marathon slicks on my bike and the ride is both comfortable and fast. I ride mostly on the road but I've ridden on crushed limestone with no problems. I run drop bars too. I highly recommend you get the drop bars.

Personally I think you'll be happy with either. I'm a die hard road rider and I've practically given up riding my big bikes for my Bike Friday.

Your best bet is a New World Tourist. You can modify the bike specs when you order, for instance switching the regular seatpost for a ThudBuster suspended post, getting a little higher seatpost tube, H-bars instead of flat, cross tires and the like. If you think you will take the bike off-road, a more robust frame choice like a modified NWT, or the Llama/Gnu frame (not necessarily the Gnu fork, though) would be a good solution. The Rocket Pro is a road bike, and is spec'ed to save weight. Bike Friday doesn't seem to recommend them for larger riders or off-road use. The Pocket Crusoe is lighter than the NWT, and is not as versatile, considering your expected uses.