Originally Posted by
linberl
Pocket Companion replaced the Metro as the entry level bike. It did not have the folding seat mast, you had to remove it to pack and fold (but that did save a bit of weight). More like the pakiT in that sense. The OSATA is completely different, it started off as a fleet bike for schools. It is a main frame length adjustable bike which has been carried over to the Haul A Day cargo bike.
It appears to be a slow evolution.
I believe the OSATA is the cheapest bike available by Bike Friday now. It has a similar non-folding short mast like the Companion.
There is also apparently a rear folding and fixed version of the OSATA (although the folding version doesn't have a price listed on the website).
So, as far as I can tell, the primary difference between the two bikes is the telescoping frame.
It may be that Bike Friday realized that it was cheaper to build an adjustable one-size-fits-all than it was to make multiple sizes.
I did bump into a website of a bike shop down in California that appears to have some NOS OSATA and Companion bikes that are quite similar.
https://www.chainreaction.com/produc...1273/?rb_br=76
Actually, it is listed as the Pocket Companion OSATA (One Size Adjustable to All)