Originally Posted by 50PlusCycling

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.