Originally Posted by
Jerrys88
Pacificcyclist - thank you so much for your very thoughtful response. Despite having gone through a number of modifications on my bicycle (and even learning how to remove and replace the bottom bracket myself), I am really very far from being knowledgable about the ins and outs of bike mechanics and terminology. I followed everything you said pretty well, except this:
I've never come across descriptions of gearing setups as "1x9x2 or 1x10x2" (and therefore am a little lost when you add the part about maintaining a good chain line). Can you explain this in layman's terms? I think the "9" in "1x9x2" means you have 9 chainrings on the back wheel and the "2" refers to 2 chainrings up front, but what does the "1" refer to? How does this keep a good chain line. Sorry to be so dumb. [EDIT: I think I figured it out - 1 = Internal Hub, 9 = back derailleur, 2 = front derailleur, but still unsure what it is about your 1x9x2 system that keeps a good chain line, unless you mean that the reason you don't refer to your it as having 18 speeds is that you discount the two combinations that are extreme opposites on front and back, which makes sense. Think that must be what you are referring to...]
Anyway, I had an interesting day trying out bikes today. Went to NYCeWheels and tried three bikes:
Tern Verge X10
IF Reach
Dahon Formula S18
Each of the bikes had good qualities, but other qualities as well that wound up not selling me on any of them (and made me really appreciate my Brompton). I discovered that it is quite difficult to evaluate bikes because you only get to try them with off-the-shelf seats and handlebars and gears that may not suit you (but that could be customized). For example, the Tern had a really hard saddle that I found uncomfortable. All three have straight handlebars that I found are not terrible comfortable for me. Also, I'm 6" tall and while I was able to adjust the seats to my height, the handlebars on the Tern and Reach were limited in height so I felt uncomfortably bent forward on them. The Dahon's handlebars felt too far from the seat for me - in fact I felt that a little on the other two as well I think.
What I did learn was very much in line with what you said. I don't need lots of gears. In fact, 10 might be enough for me because I simply don't need really high gears that all these bikes come with. I am not into speed. In fact, it astonishes me that bikes come with such high gears. On the Tern and IF Reach I felt I'd be happier with one lower gear, two on the Dahon. It seems to me that would be achievable with some chainring customization.
Anyway, all this is moot because the other important factor to me, portability when folded, were not satisfactory to me in all three. The Tern rolls only if you raise the seat post, but the rolling was very wobbly and tricky to control, and with the seat up, resting the bike down meant resting it on the front chainring (ouch). Also, I found that keeping the bike folded was a little precarious - magnets hold them together and several times when I lifted the folded bike it started to unfold. I was curious to see if I could live with having to carry, rather than roll, a bike if it was really light, but I discovered that carrying a 21 lb. package is no fun. Here my Brompton wins hands down. It rolls beautifully when folded and it even has a built-in handle like a vacuum cleaner if I leave the seat post up and rotate it facing backwards. The If CAN be wheeled (only forward, not backward) when folded, but it requires lifting the back end of the bike and it's quite heavy and a substantially larger package than my Brompton. Funny, I can't remember if the Dahon could be rolled when folded. Probably not satisfactorily. Anyway, while it felt the smoothest of the three to ride but, as I said, there was too much distance between seat and handlebar for me.
Bottom line, I came away with a new appreciation for my Brompton, and for the need to compromise. The geometry feels just right for my body. The Schlumpf drive gives me the perfect gearing I want - 12 evenly spaced gears, none overlapping, including the low gears I want and a perfectly acceptable high gear. That said, I think I will remove it and go back to using 2 chainrings up front for a while. Having lived with the Schlumpf for a while now, I think having to get off my bike at the top of hills to manually move the chain back onto the larger ring may be a hassle I'll be more willing to live with in exchange for reduced weight and a more direct and efficient drivetrain.
Last up might be a closer look and test ride of a Tikit as well (If memory serves, I think they are comparably small and wheelable when folded, albeit a little awkwardly - not as easily as the Brompton, but also more customizable in terms of gearing).