Originally Posted by
factotum
Quick update- went and rode a Bike Friday NWT disc for sale locally today. And . . . hrmph. The bike had oddball riser bars, but even holding them down near the stem the handling felt spongy and the flex in the stem assembly when braking was unnerving. Is this something you eventually get used to? Or might it be because the discs are over-powered for the frame/wheel size?
It sounds like a weird setup. While the long stem and saddle mast without a diamond frame generally makes a Bike Friday somewhat more flexible, you shouldn't get wild amounts unless the headset is out of adjustment or you're riding way outside the specs.
Needless to say, the more different you are from the average buyer, the more you'll probably benefit from a custom build. Personally, I always recommend the best headset you can afford for a Bike Friday. The long stem mast puts a lot of stress on it.
For a travel bike, I'd generally recommend against disc brakes. The discs would seem to be susceptible to damage during transportation. Moreover, weight limits do matter when traveling: they're almost always checked by agents as opposed to size restrictions. I don't think you get any increase in general performance from mechanical disc brakes over rim brakes.
One thing that you should consider is that the small wheels of these folding bikes result in much lower trail than the typical road bike sold nowadays. You should expect some minor handling differences -- the bike is relatively more responsive to handlebar inputs -- that you'll indeed get used to pretty quickly. But in general, the bike will handle better with more weight over the front wheel.
Broadly, I'd stick to designs that can fit 40+ mm wide tires.
Anyway, years ago I wrote down some general thoughts on getting a Bike Friday which should still be relevant.
The part-time epistemologist: If you're interested in a Bike Friday ...