sanford_w/o_son

so I've been getting more into bike touring, and i'd like to start doing tours that require first travelling a good bit by train or plane. i'm going to get a bike that's more dedicated to touring, and after mulling over normal bikes with s&s vs. takedown bikes vs. folding bikes, i've decided the folding bike would be the least re$trictive on airlines. while there's a lot that's pushing me toward a swift, i think i'm going to pony up for a bike friday nwt because of the custom fit, steel frame, and case trailer (so i'm not confined to looping).

i imagine using this bike for a very long time to come (maybe 20+ years?), but (never having ridden a folding bike) i'm just not sure i'll use it much outside of a multiday loaded tour (with the trailer case) a couple times per year. so this is a roundabout way of getting at the question of components. posted below are two nwt configurations, both separated by about $500 worth of component upgrades. i'm most concerned with longevity, a little less concerned with performance, and by far the least concerned with saving weight. which upgrades should i seek out for my needs?

my limited bike knowledge says that i should upgrade the cranks, bb, hubs, and maybe the chain. am i right so far?

i have a feeling that the brake upgrade isn't worth it (probably a slight increase in performance and a little less weight). makes sense?

seatpost worth the upgrade? (i'm going to pop a brooks champion flyer (sprung saddle) on this sucker)

i really don't know much about what to look for in headsets and what "great" ones do that lesser ones don't. i do know that the price for that particular upgrade will *probably* be like +$100. worth it?

btw, this is all assuming that multiday loaded touring on a nwt using the travel case trailer is a good idea. stop me if i'm wrong here and i'll go back to the drawing board.

thanks for your help!


NOT AS EXPENSIVE MODEL

Frame Bike Friday New World Tourist™
Headsets: 1 1/4, 1 1/8", & lockrings 1 1/4" BF Alloy Headset
Stems BF 25.4 Ahead for Adj Riser(size w/ bike)
Handle Bars Bike Friday Touring H bars 50cm
Handlebar: Tape & Grips Black Cork Tape
Brake levers Avid FR-5 mica
Brakes: V, canti, & dual pivot Avid Single Digit 5 w / solid pads
Shifters SRAM Dualdrive 3x9 double shifter (ESP compat.1:1 only)
Derailleurs, Front Not required with 3x Hub
Derailleurs, Rear SRAM DualDrive Std. med cage (compat. (ESP 1:1 only)
Cranks Shim Sora spline double 39/52 (165, 170,175) 130
Chainrings 46 tooth with protector ring (130)
Bottom Bracket, bearing sets Shimano Tiagra/Sora Spline Double 113mm BB
Chains KMC Chain Z-9000 Sil/Brn 116L 9sp
Cassette: cog sets, cogs, spacers, etc 11-32 9sp SRAM PG-970
Rims Sun CR-18 (406) 32o 20x1.5"
Spokes DT 14 ga. Stainless w/ brass nip
Hubs, Front Shimano Deore 32o M530 qr
Hubs, Rear SRAM DualDrive 32o 3 X 8/9 Rear Hub
Tires Schwalbe Marathon Slick 20 x 1.35" (406) Kevlar 40-65psi
Tubes 20x1.125-1.5" SV 406 (label 18x1 3/8)
Seatposts & Shims Uno 28.6 x 350 SP Silver
TravelCases BF Extra Heavy Duty Shipping Box only
Pedals Not included in base price
Saddle Not included in base price
Weight (show) 24.5 lbs. (With out pedals or saddles except on stock bikes and bikes with a reclining inclination.)

MORE EXPENSIVE MODEL

Frame Bike Friday New World Tourist™
Headsets: 1 1/4, 1 1/8", & lockrings 1 1/4" Chris King GripNut Silver
Stems BF 25.4 Ahead for Adj Riser(size w/ bike)
Handle Bars Bike Friday Touring H bars 50cm
Brake levers Avid SpeedDial 7 mica
Brakes: V, canti, & dual pivot Avid Single Digit 7 cartridge pads
Shifters SRAM Dualdrive 3x9 double shifter (ESP compat.1:1 only)
Derailleurs, Rear SRAM DualDrive 9 med cage (compat. ESP 1:1 only)
Cranks Shim 105 10s 39/52 (165,170,172.5,175) 130
Chainrings 46 tooth with protector ring (130)
Bottom Bracket, bearing sets Shimano 105 10s (5600) 68xEnglish
Chains SRAM PC951 9 Speed Chain
Cassette: cog sets, cogs, spacers, etc 11-32 9sp SRAM PG-970
Rims Sun CR-18 (406) 32o 20x1.5"
Spokes DT 14 ga. Stainless w/ brass nip
Hubs, Front Shimano XT 32o (M760) qr Silver
Hubs, Rear SRAM DualDrive 32o 3 X 8/9 Rear Hub
Tires Schwalbe Marathon Slick 20 x 1.35" (406) Kevlar 40-65psi
Tubes 20x1.125-1.5" SV 406 (label 18x1 3/8)
Seatposts & Shims Thomson Elite 27.2 x 250mm w/ 28.6mm shim
TravelCases BF Extra Heavy Duty Shipping Box only
Front derailleur Not required
Pedals Not included in base price
Saddle Not included in base price
Weight (show) 23.9 lbs. (With out pedals or saddles except on stock bikes and bikes with a reclining inclination.)

Kenal0

I got the base model Pocket Pilot and upgraded the components myself. I went with Ultegra all the way around. I did it much cheaper than ordering a Pocketpilot withan upgraded groupo from the factory.
For example the stock Pocket Pilot was $1000.00 (and I will say rode perfect out of the box). The upgraded 105 groupo is 1850. That is $850 upgrade price. I went one step above the 105 group for far cheaper. Around 350 got me everything with the exception of shifters, I left the bar end shifters on so my point is do some homework on the upgrades. If you do not want to mess with it then go with the better components but if you are inclined to do so then check some prices for components and do it yourself.
Here are some examples
Cranks Ultegra 53-39 $80, BB $40, chain SRAM $35.
If you are like me then you will use your new bike a lot more than a few times per year. You will see
Kenal0

sanford_w/o_son

thanks for the advice. that makes sense for most of the components. i'm really interested in the dual drive, though. is that something you can find elsewhere for 20" wheels, or should i go with bikefridays dualdrive upgrade? and what about the headset? if it's worth the upgrade, that's something i would need to go to a mechanic for if bikefriday doesn't do it for me.

Kenal0

As far as the dual drive, I cannot answer that. Both configurations you list have the same drive and components. If it were me, I would get the drive from Bike Friday unless you have a LBS that specifically has knowledge of Bike Fridays.
You cannot go wrong with any bike you get from them, first class all the way.
kenal0

spambait11

Hm. Maybe it's just my commuter mentality, but if you're going to tour, wouldn't you want to know how to completely strip your bike and then reassemble it again, just in case you have to do a (major) repair on the road? All the bling components might not make you want to try to touch, fix, or adjust anything, and besides, the high end stuff is usually for racing - light but not extremely durable (from what I've read anyway).

In any case, I would think that low maintenance shifters - either bar end or top mount - and a good rear and front derailleur would be the first look. And a good wheelset.

dalmore

That shouldn't be a problem to get the parts and wheel. But be aware that the dual drive use 135 mm spacing for the fork. You'd want to make sure that the Bike Friday you order is also 135 mm if you plan to upgrade yourself to the dual drive. Gaerlan carries the complete dualdrives and builds custom 20-inch wheels so you can them there if nowhere else. I also expect that your favorite LBS can procure the parts and build the wheels for you.

I love the dual drive. It's a bit noisy - click click click as you coast but the ability to change gears at a stop is fabulous for commuting and the like where you sometimes are forced to stop unexpectedly. That said, for your intended use I'd be tempted to go with a more traditional front derailer setup. Primarily because the dual-drive is not that common - if you break the little plastic casing that changes the hub gears while on your trip, you'll be less likely to find one at the local bike shop than you would a suitable front derailer. But then again - that little plastic housing is about all you'd ever conceivablly break and you could carry spare since it's small and light. Hmm, I think I just talked myself back into a dual-drive ...

DaFriMon

One difference between the two setups is the Chris King headset on the more expensive one. That's an upgrade I've thought of doing to my Crusoe, on the theory that it would be good for a multi-day tour. Right now I've got the standard plain vanilla BF headset. Anyone else have opinions on this?