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Old 09-04-08, 09:40 PM
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feijai
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Originally Posted by castlerevolving
I'm considering a tikit, but I'm torn between the Impulse fold with the knob and the Hyper fold with the cable. I'm looking for simplicity, and the Hyper fold is simpler on day to day usage, but this thread makes me think that the Impulse fold would be less worry maintaining.

Any tikit owners with recommendations?
I personally favor the hyperfold. It's more elegant, and of course faster. It's what makes the tikit famous. Without it, we're approaching a Brompton that's not so compact.

The question mark on the hyperfold is its long-term reliability: we just don't have data on that, though Vik's further out than many. The only issue I've found maintenance-wise is that as the cable stretches initially (like all bike cables) you'll need to tighten it occasionally. For me, occasionally has meant twice in three months I've needed to turn a nut a few half-turns. And the only unfolding gotcha compared to the model-T is that you must remember to straighten the stem fully before extending the bike all the way. Hardly inconvenient.

Price *is* an issue of course. I think that's what it's really going to come down to.

To add to silverexpress, here are some things I'd look for:

1. It's a new model. A few tikits have had cracks on the flat part of the frame near the seatpost. BF has a lifetime warranty on their frames and are very good (and fast) about this; but you should double-check that.

2. When you unfold the bike, the "paddle" which disengages the lock will pass very close to the chainring. The tolerances are very tight. Verify that it does not rub against the chain.

3. While you're at the store, purchase: (1) a small tube of bicycle grease. You will need this to occasionally grease the inside of the C-clamp so that it doesn't stick. (2) A 10mm wrench and either a 5.5 mm wrench (better) or a pair of needle-nose pliers (worse) to do the rare cable-tightening. You can get these at Sears if nowhere else. (3) replacement grips. (4) The standard stuff: a lightweight hex-key set, tire irons, and patch kit.

4. If you buy a hand pump and intend to put it on the water-bottle braze-ons (as opposed to the "cloth handle" braze-ons up front), verify that it will attach to the braze-ons in such a way that it does not interfere with the handle of the bike when folded.

5. Verify that the seatpost stays tightly in the latch even when you pick the bike up by the seatpost and shake it.

Last edited by feijai; 09-04-08 at 09:59 PM.
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