daihung

I was looking at the Brompton but never tested it at Bfold. I like how unique the Brompton folds and how small it is after folding. However, ever since I checked out the Birdy, Brompton became my second choice. I can't really compare the two since I've never rode the Brompton.

I've read a lot of sites regarding the Birdy. In Taiwan and Hong Kong, you can almost put any components in the birdy. The problem is that it is very hard to get hold of them. I have friends that lives in Hong Kong so I might have to bother them to order for me and send them here in the US. Peter should be able to answer your questions regarding the upgrades.

Check out the Taiwanese forums Google ???? - Mobile01. It has lots of upgrade info on the birdy. You can use google translate or using Chrome to read it...but it might give you a headache. I mostly look at all the pictures they posted on their upgrade bikes.

wasabimaster

Great, thanks a lot! i'm still contemplating on a Birdy. Can you tell me the gear range on your birdy?

daihung

I think this is the exact model of my bike:
Birdy Disc 9-Speed | CycleLogy

I don't exactly know what the gear range I have...I'm really not that knowledgeable on bikes.

This bike weights about 25lbs. Carrying it on a short distance is okay bit longer will give you back pain. I haven't had a chance to carry it on public transportation yet.

I'm planning to get an easy wheel so it can roll...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ivOJtldKu0

Winfried

Is this adaptor for sale somewhere or is it home-made?

mconlonx

More Birdy love:

All winter, I've been commuting on full-size bikes. Because no one seems to make a 18" studded tire. Bike from home to the bus, lock up there; beater lockup bike on the work end to get from the bus station to the office.

We're finally into weather which doesn't threaten ice overnight, so this week, I've been back to commuting on the Birdy.

Funny, when I'm not riding, it, I find all kinds of "faults" which need to be addressed, maybe consider a different folder. Then when I'm riding it, I think nothing but, "Wow, what a great bike!"

And everyone loves it! Non bike riders seem a bit surly when I'm riding a hybrid/mountain/road bike, but on the Birdy? Nothing by compliments. The bus crews like it because they don't have to manhandle a full size bike and it takes up less space than some suitcases they have to deal with. Certainly weighs less than most luggage, and they are happy to let me toss it underneath in cargo and retrieve it.

Aside from that, admiring stares and curious questions from other bus riders. Yesterday, there was a group of elderly travelers, probably in their 80s at the station, and they were extremely curious about it, thought it was one of the neatest things they've seen recently. Cruising through lower income neighborhood, some kid yells out "Dude! Sick bike -- I totally love that bike!"

With the older folks, I think it's about the novelty and courtesy -- not intruding into their consciousness with a full size bike. With the young-uns... I actually think it's the suspension that does the trick, like they see it as a weird BMX full suspension bike or something.

In any case, now that I'm riding it regularly again, back in love with my Birdy!

marxmini

birdy world sport upgraded to shimano capreo 9 speed and shimano 105 crank arm.

jur

Very nice! What saddle is that? Looks like a butchered Brooks... If so how did you do it?

marxmini

thank you. the saddle is a brooks swallow chrome.

bhkyte

"Funny when I am not riding it, I find all kinds of "faults" which need to be addressed, maybe consider a different folder. Then when I'm riding it, I think nothing but, "Wow, what a great bike!"

I know exactly what you mean!

Just bought another something. Something about its feel which makes it special no matter how many times you ride it.

Flawed but brillant

ninox

This is my 2007 Birdy Anthracite 9speed. I had 9 speed capreo crankset and shifter derailleur etc (this is the second photo) but changed to 10 speed aftermarket Capreo (Joseph Kuosac) as described here along with a 56T crankset (the photo with the sandstone background). The shifting is an ongoing problem but I think it will get sorted out. Wheels are also Joseph Kuosac carbon rims.

The bike is currently 10.2 kg. I love riding it. Part of the reason is that it is so comfortable. I am 191cm and 93kg. I think there are a number of stand out comfort features in the Birdy - the suspension front and rear, the long seat post and the reverse setback on the seat post. These translate into some cushioning that makes the ride so good. I have a colleague who reads Chinese and this helps with upgrade fever. I also upgraded to the Multi-S front suspension. I found the rear Multi-S too stiff for me. Tyres are Schwalbe kojak. Overall, I love my Birdy. I use it 4-5 days a week commuting 60km (30kmx2), sometimes less as if I am tired I just ride to the train and fold it up!


I do sometimes wonder what is in my brain, that of all the bikes in the garage each morning, its 95% of the time the Birdy that gets chosen for my commute. And, when I think I want to get another bike I see myself thinking about Bromptons and Bike Friday pocket rockets and Dahon P8s. Or a Birdy disc...

marxmini

may i please know at which gear the shifting problems happens?

jur

Ah that's very simple... it's a condition called folderitis. Widespread in folder riders, it leads to uncontrollable upgrading and additional folder acquisitions.

"Folders are like chocolates. One is never enough."

wasabimaster

Does Multi-S ship to the USA?

ninox

I don't see why not. There is also Colorplus who do shocks for folders. My Chinese friend has taught me to just send an email in English and things will be pretty straightforward. I have also used Facebook to message folding bike parts people.

ninox

Hi, I can shift down, ie to the smaller cogs without problems but cannot shift up well. So I step down fine but to shift up I push the indexed Tiagra lever and it shifts up 1.5 gears and if I shift down one I get the gear I want.

marxmini

it happens to my 9speed capreo as well. there are times that i cannot shift up smoothly so i shift down and up again. it usually happens in the middle cogs (5-7). i am not an expert but i feel that the length of the chain has something to do with this. i will have it adjusted again after a few more rides.

daihung

How do you like the Multi-S front suspension? Right after I got my Birdy disc I though about getting the Multi-S but didn't know how they feel like. I read on some Taiwanese forums that the Multi-S are very good shocks. I see that you mentioned that the rear one is stiff comparing to the original red damper. Would you consider using other spring coil as rear suspension?

ColorPlus parts are very nice...but they are so expensive. For people in the US, it's just very difficult to get accessories for the Birdy. I would have to rely on my friend or relatives in the Asian countries to get me those parts.

ninox

The multi-s is very good. Suspect the Colorplus+ is better but Colorplus is very very expensive. I would like their rear light in particular. These parts are easy to get in Australia buying through Facebook.

jur

These fancy suspensions look mighty good, but I wonder about their efficacy... I had a folding bike with rear suspension, it came with an undamped spring. That was rubbish, at a particular cadence it would bounce badly. So I made a bush from rubber to use instead of the spring and that worked fantastically. So to replace the birdy rear elastomer with a spring, even a well damped one... I don't see how this is an improvement in performance.

So the birdy comes with a damped spring in the front. The travel of this spring is maximised. Long travel is good - it is the best thing you can have for suspension. Basically, the spring force must change very little over the span of movement. The shorter the spring, the worse the suspension performance. A short spring will not absorb road bumps nearly as well as a long spring. This is very basic filter theory. So these fancy jobs look good but it is very clear that the travel is much shorter than the original spring. So again, I don't see how the performance is improved.

Sorry to be sceptic but it is basic filter theory.

fietsbob

Mechanically speaking ... that hook on the bottom of the RD may allow a shorter Cage RD to work for the shifting , offer more clearance to the ground,

but the wire hook will take up the slack in the chain resulting from the rear fold .. or so it appears..

marxmini

i have been suspecting the RD as the cause of the problem in shifting. like you said maybe a short cage RD will solve the problem.

the wire hook (chain tensioner) takes up the slack when folding.

bluebirdy

A Birdy with niggly little design faults! I can't believe that!
but really even though Ive been so aggravated by the little things that need changing on my Birdy blue (old style) I would buy another without hesitation! I Love the damn thing, Its so comfortable, fast, quirky and does Everything I could ask of it except fold without damaging itself!

trekking bars/ home made rack/ polycarbonate guide

pics added of some of the changes I have made so far!

ninox

Hi Jur,
So I was having problems with front wheel bobbing while climbing and there are some 1km sustained climbs on my commute (and conversely an awesome downhill on the way home). I bought the Multi-s and the new shock has fixed that. I do think this shock (multi-s) performs better and if my Birdy was stolen I would get one for my bike again. But that's me. For the rear I prefer the standard shock as I am not sure there is any suspension in the multi-s shock rear. Nada. Nothing. Feels hard as a rock

ninox

I had some problems with the capreo shifting which is why I modified my Birdy. The follow up will be described in the Birdy Modifications Problem thread posted here. I spent a fair amount of time monitoring my gearing used while riding the Birdy and then used Sheldon Brown's gear calculator to work out what I wanted. It hasn't been entirely feasible but the bottom line is that my new group set shifts so much better than the capreo ever did, especially when trying to find an easier gear. But the capreo is fabulous in its way, a compact solution to providing decent gain ratios for small wheeled bikes and I would really like Shimano to continue to develop it with ultegra level components and 10 or 11 speed system.

jur

I think you did well with the multi-s, which does not reduce the amount of travel like the colour+ does. The only downside is the varying pitch spring. The ideal solution is to get a spring for your weight. The varying pitch version caters to a wide range of weights at the cost of reduced travel.

Regarding the bobbing, this is a very interesting question. I puzzled a long while where the energy might be going when you stand on the pedals. I worked out it actually goes back into pedalling. The effect of front suspension is to spread the bounce produced by the body going up and down over a pedal stroke. Some may be lost but I think most is recycled. Riders think it feels lossy but the reality is less loss than thought. If there is significant damping in the suspension, then some more is lost.