DVC45

Not a good idea.

jur

The severity is the issue not the activity itself. I think if you don't do big drops then MTBing will be fine. Rolling over uneven ground will be OK. My trip on Kangaroo Island subjected the frame to corrugations which have a similar severity to rolling over gnarly roots and rocks, as long as that rolling isn't too reckless. Don't give it too much air.

treebound 

I'm back to thinking again about getting a folder. There is a Birdy 7 for sale locally, I'm thinking his price is a bit high but will wait to see what he says.

Are there any issues with the Birdy 7 that I should be concerned with or to check for if/when I see the bike in person?
I'm about 6' tall and currently run around 225Lbs (slowly aiming for below 200).

The folder will be used for commuting. My bike/bus commute option is not viable due to changes in the bus schedules (which is probably better discussed in the commute section). So I'm thinking a folder might work since I'd be able to snag a ride from a northbound co-worker after work to get me closer to the northern bus route, my full sized bikes would be a hassle trying to fit them into the co-workers Prius or Mustang.

Also, what is the general opinion on a Birdy 7 being used for a 15+ mile bike commute, mostly roadways with a little bit of MUP/bikepath mixed in. If I miss the north-half bus then tag on another 25 miles one way to the commute.

Anyway, just looking for opinions on the Birdy 7.

Thanks in advance for any input.

Image is imagelinked from his CL posting which may go away if he updates or deletes the posting, not my image to I'm just linking to it.

BruceMetras

My Birdy 7 is one folder I have kept through the years .. it folds reasonably small .. comfortable ride .. it's the bike I take on camping/vacation/road trips ... at over 200lbs, you will probably want a stiffer rear elastomer (probably the black one) .. and at 6', you may need the 'sport handlepost' which will give you a little more cockpit room, although you could just install a longer stem as it's standard 1 1/8" .. when I travel with the Birdy, I utilize the Xootr CrossRack + bag as seen in pic below... when I vacation, I routinely do hilly 30 mile days ..

ratdog

Just an fyi, the early version of the RM Birdy cannot be fitted with the Birdy rack, so you may be left with using a backpack for commuting.

Maybe others can comment further n this as I have yet to experiment with my suspension, but for your weight, I would check to see if a stiffer suspension/elastomer will help with getting more power to the pedals. Mine tends to bob a bit & I lose a bit of power when going up hills.

By the way, just my opinion, but the asking price is not that out of line from what I have seen for used Birdys over the last 2 years.

treebound 

Okay, thanks. He's about a 2-hour drive away and is selling it for a friend. I'll definitely have to take it for a spin for a few miles before I make any final decisions. I'll have to see if he still has it when I get the bike funds together.

energyandair

Like Bruce above I use the CrossRack. For my purposes, I find it a better solution than a standard rack

ratdog

Yes, but Bruce looks like he takes the CrossRack off to fold the bicycle whereas the Birdy rack lets the bike fold.

BirdyUK

Good day Birdy enthusiasts!

Yesterday my company, Wisper Bikes, signed an exclusive distribution agreement with Riese & Muller for the UK. We have been calling UK IBD's over the last couple of days and are getting a very good response. I must admit to still being very "wet behind the ears" regarding all things Birdy and was hoping that some of you "experts in the field" could give me some advice as to what the ups (and downs) to riding a Birdy are?

Thanks in anticipation and Best regards

David Miall

bhkyte

Hi , this thread contains alot of information about birdies. ( surprisingly lol).
I suggest you see posters "Jur" excellent review early in thread.

Does that mean that birdie parts and assessories will be available from yourselfs in UK. If so tell me,(us), more.

badmother

They have been here https://www.practicalcycles.com/userimages/procart6.htm for some time now.

Winfried

Hello,

My Birdy World Speed was missing the Expedition Carrier rear-rack that I had ordered, and elsewhere where I bought it, it was missing the joints that go between the rack and the frame.

I put some I found at the hardware store in the plumbing section, but they aren't soft enough. As a result, the rack makes noise when ridding on non-smooth terrain. Also, I can't screw the rack too tight or the bike won't fold.

Here's a picture of the current situation, where the orange/brown joints are those I put. As you can see, there aren't any on inner sides, which means it's metal against metal, hence the noise:



I was wondering how the rack is normally screwed onto the frame. What would you recommend I do?

Thank you.

yangmusa

Have you tried contacting the shop where you bought it? Or contacting R&M directly? They might be able to send you the missing parts.. (I'm being optimistic about their customer service here, but I feel like a good company would do that).

Winfried

Yes, but RundM don't reply.

The store are a bit annoyed by this issue, as the bike was shipped without the rear-rack after RundM messed up, so I had to buy the rack elsewhere and install it myself.

It's too late for my trip now, so I'll just buy some rubber washers to soften the noise and check again later.

Thanks.

darukhan

I'm not sure if this has been posted here yet, but I was cruising on YouTube and found this video of a off-roading Birdy. (...not my video)

decyph3r

Ironman from France...

Winfried

Hello

I'm a bike newbie and having a problem with the Shimano RD-2300 (rear) derailleur and the Shimano Revoshift SL-RS41-8A twist shifter available on my Birdy World Speed :

1. I need to shift two gears to move from 8 to 7 (ie. smallest/fastest gear to second), since the derailleur doesn't actually move when I turn the shifter. Same thing happens between 6 and 5. FWIW, the sprocket is a Shimano 8-speed CS-HG40.

2. I can no longer go below 5 (ie. fourth ring from the right), so speeds 4-1 are unavailable.

3. It's a minor thing, but the 8 number is no longer displayed when I shift back to it. It seems to be stuck within the ring, and only the blank, black space between 7 and 8 is shown . I don't know if it means anything.

4. Generally speaking, I don't know what to do with the two screws at either end of the cable, how to adjust the cable itself, and whether this issue I'm having requires adjusting the H and L screws. So many options, so little time :-)

I'd like to learn to adjust this myself to 1) avoid going back to the store and paying $50 just for this and 2) be able to fix this on the road if the same issue pops up again.

Thanks for any help.

yangmusa

Unless your derailleur got bumped and bent somehow, then the most likely cause is incorrect cable tension. It's very common for the cables on new bikes to stretch a little. Increasing the cable tension should fix the problem. Try turning the adjuster at the point where the gear cable meets the derailleur. Shift to the gear with the lowest cable tension, and then increase the cable tension while turning the pedals to the point where the chain starts wanting to jump the the next cog. Then decrease the cable tension a little. It should now be about right...

treebound 

Derailleur adjustments is one of those things where it is easier to show someone in person than it is to explain with types words, so see if this will help:
https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-...nts-derailleur

Sometimes when I have or get a bike that is just not cooperating then I just have to take it back to the starting point and disconnect the cable from the derailleur, re-set any adjustment/tension barrels to nominal, verify that the shifter mechanism is working properly by using hand tension on the cable and working the shifter to verify that I can feel the cable move in or out with each click of the shifter, then setting the derailleur limit screws by pushing the derailleur by hand (watch out for your fingers around the cogs and chain) and ensuring the derailleur lines up with the smallest and largest cogs at eacg end of the range limited by the limit screws, then re-attaching the cable to the derailleur with a little tension on the cable, then fine tuning the shifting with any barrel cable housing adjusters if your bike has those.

Like I said, easier to show in person than with typed words. Hopefully the ParkTool link will help.

A long shot, since your location says you're in Paris, would be to go to the finish of the Tour de France tomorrow, find one of the team mechanics and ask them for a lesson since the race will be over then. And if you do manage this then post a pic of your Birdie on a team repair stand.

There could be other issues such as a worn our derailleur, worn pivot pins, bent hanger, worn shifter, stretchy cable housing, frayed and stretching cable, and so forth. Give the ParkTool link a read and see it that helps.

Winfried

Thanks for the infos. I looked closer this morning:

1. Even with the cable unscrewed, the shifter won't go beyond 6, so 7-8 are unavailable:


2. When dialing the shifter, the other end of the cable doesn't move at all:


Incidently, how do those cables work? Is the wire somehow fixed within the protective black shaft, so we need the screw + spring to adjust things? On a regular bike, I don't see those screw + spring thingies.

Thank you.

treebound 

I have an older gripshifter where the cable came out of the internal track/channel and wouldn't shift right. Try posting in the Mechanics section to see if anyone has better understanding of your specific gripshifter, include a link back to this thread so they can read the symptoms and see the pics.

yangmusa

So you're saying that with no cable tension at all, gears 7-8 are unavailable?

• 1. If you at some point adjusted the H/L screws - try adjusting them back to their original setting.
• 2. If you didn't adjust the H/L screws, then your derailleur hanger may be bent. If you look at the bike from the back you might be able to see this. I forget if the Birdy has a separate hanger, or if it's part of the frame. Aluminium doesn't like bending, so be very careful.

Winfried

Thanks for the info. After removing the derailleur cable entirely, the last part close to the derailleur was damaged and stuck within the protective shaft, which explains why it was no longer moving when turning the shifter.

As for the shifter: Even with no cable engaged, it won't shift beyond 6, ie. can't reach 7-8. Maybe it's broken, although I didn't use force or heard any funny noise:


So I'll just get a new, similar shifter. Hopefully, it's easy to replace. For those of you Shimano experts: Is the Shimano Revoshift SL-RS41-8A still available, and if not, which model could I get that will fit right in?

Thank you.

darukhan

Winter Birdy anyone? (...or at least a "Birdy-inspired" or "modified-Birdy" frame).

darukhan

How about a jet powered Birdy!?