sunburst

Picked this up yesterday. Could anyone identify the model, year or era perhaps (the questimate by seller was early 90's), and give me an idea of value?

Also, and this seems like a really dumb question, but does it fold!? I couldn't manage it. I see two quick releases on the seat tube: the top one's for the rack, the other at a pivot point on the frame, but it doesn't seem like a quick-folder, like for train duty. It seems to me the allen bolts on the bottom bracket would have to be loosened as well, for the frame to pivot.

It came with a suitcase, and many photos of it fitting inside, so I know it can be broken down for travel but that's not what I had in mind. The quick release on the head tube doesn't seen to release the handlebars either. I'm baffled by this bike!

Other details to help identify: 20" wheels (nice!), a triple crank, 8-speed cluster, mostly Suntour components. And for valuing, like I said previously, it included a rack and suitcase.

alhedges

That's old school!

But it seems somewhat similar to a modern one. Undo the bottom seat tube QR and lift the rear wheel to see if it pivots underneath. If it's been neglected, you may need to help it but slightly lifting the front wheel and hitting it against the ground a few times to loosen the pivot.

If it's like a modern one, the wheel will fold under and you could then fold the seat tube down. You would then undo the QR on the stem tube and lift the handlebars and post straight up (they don't fold). You then place the handlebars and post in the frame (you can kind of see a few places where it might fit).

prathmann

Looks like a 'New World Tourist' model; probably from about '94. There should be a serial number on the right rear dropout and a call to Green Gear could let them verify the date of manufacture.

It does fold, but things might be stuck in place from being left for a long time. You may need to use some force and spray lubricant to get things unstuck.

When you loosen the quick release on the seat tube the seat mast should fold down to rest alongside the top tube (that's why the water bottle cage is flexible plastic so it can be squeezed out of the way). And the same quick release also lets the rear triangle pivot down and around so the rear wheel ends up next to the front wheel (no need to mess with the allen bolts - they stay tight). There's also a quick release at the base of the stem. Loosening that should let you pull straight up on the stem/handlebars and separate them from the rest of the frame. Then you can spin the fork and front wheel around 180 degrees so the fork is reversed and rest the stem and handlebars in between the front wheel and the top tube.

It's not nearly as nice a folding operation as with a Brompton or the Bike Friday Tikit, but it does only take a minute or so and lets you board buses and other mass transit which don't take regular bikes.

sunburst

I'll give it (folding) a try tomorrow. I really just wanted something that folded easily enough to occasionally toss in my Golf, but that could also be folded if I was in danger of being bumped from the train when the bike car was full. It seems like about 10 levels above my old heavy Dahon. It's got a longer wheelbase (effective top tube may be a tad long for me), bigger wheels, better geometry, much lighter. It may be a keeper.

badmother

Envy!!!

You can get a different stem for it if the top tube is a bit long- or trade it. Take the time to get to know it first.

Nice find!

BassNotBass

Congrats on the acquisition. It doesn't have the most elegant or the quickest fold but the ride and build quality more than make up for that.

smallwheeler

nice find. a little WD40 and some TLC and you'll have a great bike that will last you until the apocalypse. as badmother said, ride it for awhile and see if in fact the stem is too far forward. i have a Bike friday straight fixed stem, quill, and H bars setup from my pocket llama that i can trade for the curved stem and drops.

fietsbob

Their Travel Bikes, such as you have there, the rear end folds, the seat mast folds, when you open that QR.
but the handle bar riser post comes out, for packing , you wouldn't do this daily .

the Idea is to get it into a Suitcase to fly to your Cycling Destination.. for less..
minus a special ' it's a bike in a big Box,' handling fee..

pacificcyclist

It's early 90s, probably 95 to 96 era and is a New World Tourist. You have a V-brakes at the front and Canti brakes at the rear. If the rear canti brake says "Diacompe Big Dog" then it's early 90s -- probably 92, but because you have a front V-brake installed which was then an option for existing NWT to replace the Diacompe Big Dog on the front to enhance braking performance. Stock NWT in 90s come only with a pair of Big Dog brakes. There was also an option to upgrade the rear triangle with V-brake posts as well. Earlier NWTs with a pair Big Dog brakes are the worst in terms of braking performance when loaded.

Value for that model isn't a lot. It's not the monotube version of the current models and roughly goes for around $500 or less. I would inspect all the welds and make sure they are no cracks especially near the steerer post area. Check for the steerer post for play or excessive play. If excessive play, you may need to replace the post. You don't want excessive play as it can play a significant role in causing excessive gyroscopic vibration when going down a steep hill.

Bike Friday bikes weren't designed as a quick fold solution like the Dahon, Tern or the Brompton per se. They are designed to ride almost like a road bike and be as efficient as it can be setup for a rider. They are designed as a folding travel bike. You can fold it to use for train commute, but it will become cumbersome and you'll just end up unfolding it anyhow cause the downside of the BF fold is that the chain may come off from chain ring due to the frame pivot fold mechanism.

The Samsonite case is probably and most likely pre-TSA approved, which means you can't lock it or TSA will break your lock for inspection. The current case is TSA approved and they can unlock the case with their own set of TSA keys like my Delsey Helium case. TSA approved case holds more value than non TSA approved case, but it doesn't mean you can't use it.

fietsbob

Fwiw the Diamond main frame is an advantage to use it as a commuter , since there is a place to put the Lock through.

My BF pocket Llama got their 'heavy rider option', it too has a diamond main frame and I enjoy that Benefit.



Now, Bike Friday has a quick fold bike, the Tikit .. their hyperfold advances the fold speed by having a cable

that pulls the latch -clamp on the handlebar mast, tight when the seat is pulled back in ride position.

pushing the seat forward slacks that cable at the same time , so the handle bar comes down with that same motion.

their T knob is simpler , unscrewed, by hand..

for yours the steering mast comes out, so bring more velcro or other straps
so loose parts dont get in the way.. when you do take the work to do the rear fold.

may want to find a big Bag so greasy chain schmuz wont be all over stuff.

sunburst

thx for all the info guys. yes, I'll live with it a while and see how I adapt. The ride is really surprising, really stable and smooth. The ergos seem pretty close to my Giant OCR and vintage Trek, but the reach of the stem and especially the bars is excessive. Both my Giant and Trek have short reach bars. But I may convert to an upright with risers or Dove bars anyway, like I've done with most of my bikes. I know this means they would have to be split to maintain the breakdown feature, but I really don't plan on putting this thing in the suitcase anyway.

smallwheerer, I'll consider your offer. pm sent.

graycenphil

As others have said, you have a '90s Bike Friday. I bought a similar one (Pocket Llama) sometime back then, brand new. I have put thousands of miles on it, climbef Mt Tam my first time and explored many cities, all with almost no repairs. I was more likely to bring it on the plane when you didn't have to pay extra for a regular suitcase, but you can pack it relatively fast once you get used to it.

I also bought a soft bag that it fits into after a "fast fold", ensuring that you will be allowed on trains or in buildings - it just looks like a piece of soft luggage.

I have the original manual which shows how to fold it to get it back into the suitcase. Let me know ifyou need a copy. I think you have a really cool bike (but what do I know about cool, says my daughter) and a little bit of history.

dynaryder

That's a canti on the front,not a V/linear pull. And the rear is a caliper/road,not a canti.

pacificcyclist

Opps, you're right. Didn't look closely enough duh!!

bjorke

Lucky you!

Make sure the chain is on the small gears before folding.

Warm Planet in SF, and Chain Reaction in Redwood City, may be useful Friday resources. There is a dealer in the East Bay, and a v good one in Santa Rosa.

fietsbob

since there are adapters for BMX bikes to go from center bolt caliper to V it is possible to go that way,

but given most of the braking happens up front the bolt on rear will probably be fine..

Canti to V a POCake.

sunburst

ynaryer is right re: the brakes. that canti is being a pain - won't center! I fussed with pad's post to compensate but it's still rubbing. A v-brake sounds intriguing. will have to look in my parts bins again. I had some I gave away recently.

anyway, got it to fold after reading the tips. that rear triangle was stuck. It was funny because I hung it up on a hook to squirt some liquid wrench in the joint and it immediately popped open just from the weight of the bike.

thx again everyone, for all the good info. I was able to get the stem/bars off, but eventually managed to fold it enough for train or car without even this step. It's not too bad really, but yeah, it doesn't fold into a small neat package.

graycenphil

I got the PM, but I can't respond. It seems the forum won't let me PM unless I have 50 posts, and I haven't been on here that long. I'm not smart enough to scan and attach, but I can fax or copy and mail, whichever you prefer.

rodar y rodar

Thanks for those pictures, Sunburst- very interresting. I don`t think I`veever seen close ups of those older Fridays before.

Contrary to Fietsbob`s mention of removing the seat mast, that looks to me like the folding mast. I thought that was a newer idea, though. And wow, how funny that capped BB hinge and the rear bottom view of the triangle look! Anybody know when they went to the current type hinge? Was there an in between version?

fietsbob

The front one the handlebar one is what I meant.. if you think it ambiguously stated.

Sorry if you got confused..

sunburst

yes, it just folds forward, towards the bottle cage like someone said. It folds at a slight offset angle so that it doesn't hit the downtube. Quite ingenious really.

fietsbob

NB, an accessory folding handle bar mast is available, My BTO (refused by original customer ) P Llama has one .

Front fork is essentially a 1.125" threaded type , so wedge quill of the folding Steering mast is 1".

the part is mostly aluminum ..

dynaryder

Just remember V brakes are long pull,canti's short pull. You'll need to swap the lever or install a Travel Agent.

Have you checked the canti setup sticky in the Cyclocross Forum? Might want to read through that first to see if you can sort the stock brake.

sunburst

I swapped some parts in that I had in my bins. Managed to squeeze in a semi-straight bar with a decent amount of sweep. My 1st choice, a riser, would not go into that split clamp of the stem. This setup greatly improved the ergos for me. Again, I'm gobsmacked at how stable and comfortable this bike is. Fun and maneuverable too. My old rusted Dahon is just tiny and twitchy, period. Can't relax for a moment.

Easily spent an hour+ trying to get the Suntour RD adjusted, and although a little better, it still can't reach the top or bottom gear. The FD is fine. Don't have to adjust a thing, but that rear is vexing. I even tightened the cable. And the indexing doesn't begin to work. Sometimes I hear 3 clicks before the chain jumps a cog. I'll probably take it all off, clean everything, new cables, try to get my brain in gear and go at it again. Really, things got so bad I got out Bicycling's repair manual. Although there are pages of instruction, what I took away was, for indexed systems, if you are not a shop-level mechanic, take it to a shop. Oh well, didn't have anything else to do on a beautiful Calif saturday than turn screws and scratch my head.




ps. don't know why the photos show up twice. can't seem to edit it out.

rodar y rodar

It`s just a bicycle, no rocket science involved. There`s no shame in taking a bike to a shop for work, but don`t fall into the thinking that shifter/derailler setup and adjustment is some kind of high flung mystery.

Your plan to clean it all up and replace the cables is right on track- if the housing is 20 years old, I`d definitely do that at the same time. When you put it back together, start by checking that you can move the derailler over the whole range by hand before you hook up the cable.

Glad you like the ergo after changing the bar.