Originally Posted by
Bonzo Banana
Well people who have them seem to love riding them even if you also hear of many strength and reliability issues which I guess have reduced over time as new revisions cured many of these problems. Does seem a high cost bike to both buy and maintain generally though. Personally I always aim for the sweet spot between price and quality which tends not to be entry level but not premium either and I hate bikes with non-standard parts for obvious rider wallet milking issues.
In my experience, having owned two Birdies, (as well as two Dahons and a Brompton) they cost no more to maintain than any other bike. There are no non-standard parts on a Birdy, every component is off-the-shelf except for the suspension bushings and elastomers. If you like upgrades and modifications, the Birdy offers almost unlimited combinations. My 8 speed, Sora-eqipped Birdy now sports 20" wheels, and a Dura-Ace/XTR hybrid driveline with 22 speeds. Neither of my Birdies have had any reliability issues, other than one having a cracked elastomer.