My new Bike Friday Pocket Rocket / Campagnolo folding bike build
10-30-13, 11:11 AM
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My new Bike Friday Pocket Rocket / Campagnolo folding bike build
I love unique bikes, and a while back I started gravitating towards folders for their ultimate practicality and their unsurpassed ability to meld into your lifestyle. A few months ago I decided I wanted to build up my "dream" folder, and I wanted it to fit similarly to my full size road bike (Look 566). Based on research the Pocket Rocket seemed like the way to go to accomplish the "700c" feel. I ended up purchasing a bare bones pocket rocket and then quickly went to work modding it.
The basic setup is Campagnolo Chorus 11 speed throughout, with Rolf prima wheels with White Industries hubs, 11-27 cassette and 55/42 crank.
I have been nothing but pleased with it so far. The ride is comfortable and the bike lives up to it's name. Last weekend I took it on it's first long - 60 mile ride. I was coming from a SRAM Rival drivetrain and I must say the Campagnolo is like butter in comparison. The biggest surprise for me was that the bike rides like it is on rails. Not the slightest bit of twitchiness from the front wheel.
The second picture is what it looks like loaded into the back of my Prius. No fuss with a bike rack required!
The basic setup is Campagnolo Chorus 11 speed throughout, with Rolf prima wheels with White Industries hubs, 11-27 cassette and 55/42 crank.
I have been nothing but pleased with it so far. The ride is comfortable and the bike lives up to it's name. Last weekend I took it on it's first long - 60 mile ride. I was coming from a SRAM Rival drivetrain and I must say the Campagnolo is like butter in comparison. The biggest surprise for me was that the bike rides like it is on rails. Not the slightest bit of twitchiness from the front wheel.
The second picture is what it looks like loaded into the back of my Prius. No fuss with a bike rack required!
Last edited by vogtro; 10-30-13 at 11:35 AM. Reason: Photos
10-30-13, 01:00 PM
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The wife may dislike chain marks on 'her' couch, so its good to get the picture in, while everything is clean.
10-30-13, 01:03 PM
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woohoooo ... cool bike
10-30-13, 01:10 PM
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10-30-13, 01:22 PM
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i've seen plenty of BF campy builds, but yours is a real beauty with that rolf wheelset. not a weight weenie, but i'm curious what the overall weight is for this build. also, hereby requesting better pics to add to my bike porn folder.
10-30-13, 01:35 PM
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You're right, a glamour shot does seem to be lacking here. The bike weighs ~19.9 lb with the bottle cages and frame pump installed.
Not an ultralight, but the Rolf/White Ind. hubs sure do fly.
Not an ultralight, but the Rolf/White Ind. hubs sure do fly.
10-30-13, 01:49 PM
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It does look like I could shave about .5 lb by switching to Ultremo tires, but I've heard mixed reviews about them and have been getting good performance out of the Durano's.
10-30-13, 02:06 PM
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nah, don't bother trying to shave weight after the build is complete. you've got a 9kg all steel road bike with campy grupo. call it a day and enjoy the years of premium ride it's going to provide. well done.
10-30-13, 03:50 PM
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Another fast tire to try would be the Panaracer Minits Lite .. I'm running it both on 451 and 406 platforms .. comfortable and fast.. btw, nice build!
10-30-13, 07:20 PM
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Put red Bike Friday lettering on it, and it would look just like the Pocket Rocket Pro I tried out on the ride around Portland this Summer when BF came up to the bicycle exhibit at the Portland Art Museum. It was a bit small for me, but it accelerated noticeably better than my NWT or Pocket 8 do. Only problem, it cost almost as much as our FOUR Fridays put together...lol
First time I had ridden a Pocket Rocket - can see why you like it.
Lou
First time I had ridden a Pocket Rocket - can see why you like it.
Lou
10-30-13, 08:07 PM
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I am amazed at how truly normal it feels to ride. I put a Ritchey Curve compact handlebar which I highly recommend - gives a nice flat position for the hands and a nice ergonomic curve to the hoods.
Another thing that was immediately noticeable was the off-the-line acceleration from the smaller wheel. It also does surprisingly well at climbing the hills here around SF - I can't say I felt any worse for wear tackling the big ones and if anything the lower gearing this bike provides makes it more enjoyable to climb.
I must say that I appreciate having the quick access to the thumb shifter lever on the Campy. This definitely adds to the overall experience. The feel of the whole drivetrain is just more smooth and refined than the shimano/sram setups I've tried, but this is obviously subjective and a personal taste.
I still have more miles to log for a full assessment, but I can't see any real drawbacks yet comparing to a 700c for my style of riding.
Another thing that was immediately noticeable was the off-the-line acceleration from the smaller wheel. It also does surprisingly well at climbing the hills here around SF - I can't say I felt any worse for wear tackling the big ones and if anything the lower gearing this bike provides makes it more enjoyable to climb.
I must say that I appreciate having the quick access to the thumb shifter lever on the Campy. This definitely adds to the overall experience. The feel of the whole drivetrain is just more smooth and refined than the shimano/sram setups I've tried, but this is obviously subjective and a personal taste.
I still have more miles to log for a full assessment, but I can't see any real drawbacks yet comparing to a 700c for my style of riding.
10-30-13, 08:10 PM
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The cost is definitely high but I feel like the quality is high too. I think the biggest bummer was that BF does not sell framesets alone, so I was forced to buy the lowest spec'ed Pocket Rocket to do the intended build.
10-30-13, 08:23 PM
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10-30-13, 08:24 PM
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Outstanding build up! It looks fast just standing still.
About the the only similarity between it my BF Pocket Companion is the name
About the the only similarity between it my BF Pocket Companion is the name
10-30-13, 08:34 PM
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Campagnolo folding bike? Definitely dream-like! Nice build, hope you enjoy it.
10-30-13, 08:36 PM
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My frame with options cost more than the lowest spec build.
Llama pictuture next week as I've not ridden the bike yet - still got to shim the bottom bracket to get the chain line correct ( old style campag centaur 53/39 ISO taper BB )