Originally Posted by
Ultralight
Just as Peter has been a perfectionist about the bike, I believe that he's also a perfectionist about the assembly process. We are getting very close to a completed process. I've said this before that I think Helix is rewriting the rules of high end folder manufacturing - a new paradigm. Some have mocked me for that statement (I don't mind at all) and so time will tell if I am right. I bet that I am. Once everything is set up 'just so', ,the bikes should flow much more quickly.
I agree about the new paradigm in folding bikes. That's what lured me in, in the first place, and for all I see in the pictures and some review published, Peter had indeed made that. As a long-time Brompton owner, I have always been frustrated by its unfinished design. The proliferating industry of replacement parts is proof. Someone even sells a special Velcro band to secure the folded bike from accidental opening! And the direction that the company is developing into seems to be completely oblivious of the basic design flaws. Let's hope Peter makes it safely through production, then.
Still, to be realistic, I cancelled my plan to make our summer bike vacation on our Helixes. We are renting. Even if the bikes miraculously make it on time, that still takes mudguards and a reliable rack that fits the fold, etc. The summer of 2020 looks more realistic.