Originally Posted by
astage
I didn't have blue Loctite available at the time, but the bike is due for the first service next week, so I'll get it checked over and done then.
Since my Birdy has a Rohloff, I'm not really short of gears to choose. But, I've had a couple of 'roadies' shout "get out of the saddle" as they've left me in their wakes on the steepest inclines. To be honest, I can't remember if I've ever managed to do that, but that was 40-plus years ago.
So far, apart from the price, the most annoying thing with the Birdy is the number of times I've been asked "Is that one of those new electric bikes?"
I used to race, in America and Europe, and still remain something of a "hardcore roadie". My living room used to be decorated with classic road bikes, I had 8 of them hanging from wooden racks on the walls. Now that I am married, hanging bikes in the living room is a no-no.
My Birdy was built to be light and fast, I converted it to 20" wheels, replaced all the steel with titanium, and installed a 22 speed XTR/Dura-Ace drive line, I have managed to get the weight down to 18 pounds. It's quite fast for a folder, and I have little trouble keeping up with most roadies. I find that I don't use the granny gear, so soon I'll dump the extra chain ring on the front, and get rid of the related components, this will drop the weight a little more.
It's fun to ride, smooth, quiet, and absorbs the bumps. It's not as fast as my road bikes, but it's fast enough.