Originally Posted by
Schwinnsta
It is hard to judge the size of the market. I might spring for a Birdy if they were available here, or near here.
It's no coincidence that Birdy's aren't widely available in North America, but Brompton's [both made in Europe] are widely available...Birdy's just don't sell that well nor are they of much interest to most cyclists even by the standard of the small numbers of folding bikes that are sold.
Originally Posted by
JulianEdgar
On recumbent trikes, I've lost count of the number of people who have suggested that suspension is a waste of time / effort / weight (etc) and then, when they ride a machine with suspension, rapidly change their mind! Of course, there are also some people who have sufficient body strength, innate resistance to vibration (etc) that suspension makes little difference to them. I have found many more of the former than the latter, though.
And yet there are still only a handful of fully suspended bent trikes made and very small quantities sold. Not much of an incentive for a bike company to made a radical shift in their design and manufacturing plans. Fully suspended 2 wheel bents have been around for ages and similarly a few people have bought them, but they remain a niche item in a niche market because most people prefer the lower cost, lower weight and simplicity of non-suspended bents.
I don't doubt that for some people a fully suspended trike or a Birdy is a great choice...I'm not suggesting nobody wants them, but a few people wanting a product doesn't translate into a viable business model - especially if that market is being adequately served.