driftwork

I've been trying to figure out which folding bike to purchase for about a year now and the struggle is ongoing.

I live in Taiwan so my choices basically break down like this:

Birdy, Brompton, Flamingo Bike (Brompton Clone), Ori M9

I really don't have access to a Bike Friday Tikit.

I've ridden all of the bikes mentioned but the jury is still out on the Flamingo and the Ori M9.

I was not initially very keen on the Birdy Bike but have since become re-interested in it as my desire for a Bike Friday Tikit has diminished.

I really liked the idea of a Tikit but after really testing one out for a fairly long ride, I could not get over the stem flex.

Also, the almost total lack of support here in Taiwan for BF makes a purchase difficult.

Anyway, just today I took a Birdy out for a spin and quite liked the stiffness of the bike compared to my experiences riding the Brompton and Tikit.

However, I keep hearing some forum-talk about the fact that the Birdy has some sort of problem over the long term, either related to the folding mechanism or something else.

I'm trying to relocate those threads but can't seem to find them.

I'm hoping some folks could direct me to those threads or possibly comment on problems that they are having with their Birdy's.

Basically, I'm looking for a good quality folder that can do some distance riding and can fold up in a suitcase. It needs to fold relatively small and above all, it needs to be supported where I live.

The Birdy seems to fulfill these requirements.

Any advice would be really swell.

Thanks in advance.

msincredible

Here's the longest thread we had going about Birdys: https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...ighlight=Birdy

The most common complaint I remember are strange squeakings and creakings. Other than that I haven't had any issues other than those related to it being abused by baggage handlers and TSA while in its suitcase.

It's a great little bike, good luck with your decision.

yangmusa

My Birdy has been completely reliable and a great bike for long day rides and touring. I had some issues with creaking initially, but since figuring out what it was haven't had any further problems. The only outstanding thing is that my rear wheel has a 36-hole Capreo hub laced to a 24-hole rim - and every time I go touring I break a spoke or two. I want to get a 36-hole rim to build a stronger rear wheel, but nobody in the US is able to sell me the appropriate size rim. If the Birdy is more common in Taiwan (and they are made there, I believe!) then you should have less trouble with support.

jur

I also am completely happy with my Birdy. I have had it for almost 18 months now and the only thing that happened to me was a rear spoke broke and the front wheel spokes had to be retensioned. I do not regard these items as 'problems' with the Birdy, rather, the dealer really had the responsibility for these items. Spokes only break early if they are not tensioned enough. Since I can build wheels I fixed those items myself.

In the 17 months I have ridden mine, I have now worn out the back tyre and the front rim, and a few sets of front brake pads (I don't use the rear brakes).

Another item that requires regular maintenance is the rear derailer cable which gets sluggish over time and the shifting deteriorates. This requires me to pull the rear section of cable housing off, blow it out with WD-40 and a compressor, after which the shifting is back to like new.

You will see all these items are regular maintenance issues and nothing to do with the fact that it is a Birdy. As a folding bike this is a very good bike indeed. My colleague also has one and he also has had zero issues besides normal maintenance.

driftwork

Thanks very much for the good advice.

One of the main issues is the fact that -as I live in Taiwan- there is lots of support for Birdy.

Loads of people have them here and there are tons of modifications that can be arranged here.

I'm a little bit leary of the fact that the tire size is so irregular but perhaps its not such a major issue.

There is no question that the Birdy is pricey - even here in Taiwan- but it seems to be worth it when compared to other bikes in same relative price range.

Cheers

Chop!

In my opinion, you couldn't go wrong buying a Birdy, the squeaks can be annoying & early models had a problem breaking off at the weld at the bottom of the steering stem.

The Brompton copies are known to have problems with frames cracking near the seatpost.

Wishing you safe & happy Birdy-ing!

vincentnyc

Well birdy uses 18" wheel. If u tour in 3rd world countries, and get flat, 18" tires/parts are hard to find. But with the new frog model out which uses 16" wheel, u shouldn't have any problems.

driftwork

I have seen some talk about the 'Frog' elsewhere but have not heard anything about that bike here in Taiwan. I don't even see it on the Pacific Cycle website (the company that manufactures and distributes Birdy and such)

I wonder if the Frog is already appearing in the US?

Winfried

Hello

I'll take advantage of this thread to ask if someone had the same issue with the chain on my World Speed jumping out often of its socket while I downgrade from 2nd to 1st gear (ie. 7 to 8 on the shifter):



To put it back, I simply shift back to speed 5 or 6, ride a bit, and it magically gets back in place.

I went twice to the store but it keeps doing this.

Is the KMC X8-93 chain or the Shimano RD-2300 rear derailleur just crap, or do I need to spend time learning how to fix this myself?

Thank you.

goprofishs

yeah, i think so,The Brompton copies are known to have problems with frames cracking near the seatpost. thank you

jur

That looks like a simple over-shift. The rear derailer H-screw needs to be adjusted to prevent the chain from going too far. Go to the Park tool site and look up rear derailer adjustment.

invisiblehand

It's worthwhile to learn. Adjusting the limit screws is very easy and intuitive.

Winfried

Thanks for the info. I didn't know the Park website.

Sangetsu

I have been using a Birdy almost daily on my commutes in Tokyo, and it has worked flawlessly. My Birdy uses the older Shimano Parallax hubs, to which I have fitted an XT 10 speed driveline. I have had no issues with any part of the bike. The original V-brakes were crap; they worked fine, but rattled loudly on rough surfaces. I upgraded to XTR brakes, which are as good as might be expected. The bike developed a creaking noise after a few months of riding, but I tracked this to the Brooks saddle I had installed. A bit of laundry soap eliminated the sound.

The 18" tires are easy to find in Japan, the better bike shops usually have at least three types of 18" tires to choose from. I've worn through one pair of Kojaks with only one puncture, and that was caused by bad rim tape. I recently added a Nitto rear rack with casters which allows me to carry my camera bag easily, and also allows the bike to sit on the casters, and be wheeled around, just like a Brompton.

I have no complaints about my Birdy, I like it much better than my two previous Dahons.

Winfried

Thanks for the tips. I got two punctures this week-end on the stock tires on my World Speed (Schwalbe Impac Streetpac 47-355, reflex)

I need to find tougher, puncture resistant tires. I almost always ride on the street, not off-road.