Here are a few thoughts
Originally Posted by
pibach
But the Birdy wheelbase is too short.
How much shorter and why is this a problem?
Originally Posted by
pibach
But Jumping curbs and agressively weaving through traffic ist not its task.
I agree on jumping curbs but mine is the best bike i've ever ridden for agility at speed in city traffic.
Originally Posted by
pibach
The whole geometry does not allow for sportier ride.
You are a tall guy and an agressive rider. I'm guessing that you were riding a Birdy with the 10 deg "comfort" stem. The Birdy comes with a variety of stems to suit different sizes and styles of rider. The 25 deg "sport" stem puts the handlebars more than 3" further forward and would be a much better fit for you. You can also get a straight pipe riser that accomodates standard mountain bike stems. The bike configuration can be as sporty or as laid back as the rider prefers.
A related point is that the suspension is quick and easy tp configure. The front comes with a medium/soft elastomer but a hard one is available. The rear comes with a medium elastomer that can be changed to soft, hard or extra hard.
Originally Posted by
pibach
Plus 18" small wheels and smallish tires (but upgradeable to Big Apples).
If you want speed and agility in city traffic, you want narrower tires not wider. Maraton Racers are a lot better than the OEM tires that came with my Birdy Red. Kojaks are a lot better again.
Originally Posted by
pibach
The suspension works, but makes the ride imprecise. No hands-free riding. Unfortunalely also the long handlepost is not as stiff as the one on the Dahon (its weakest part).
Mine handles as though it was on rails but it was not nearly that good until I changed out the OEM tires. I agree about no hands free. As long as I have at least one hand on the bars, mine is quite stable. With two hands, it is also very precise
Originally Posted by
pibach
Unfortunalely also the long handlepost is not as stiff as the one on the Dahon (its weakest part).
My fixed length sport stem seems solid to me, more so than the Dahon's I tried. More importantly, it stays that way without having to continually adjust the hinge. I'm guessing that you tried one that had an adjustable stem (they flex a bit. or a hinge that was not properly set up.
Originally Posted by
pibach
Also parts selection is quite mediocre in comparison to the Dahon (with Nexus hub).
My Red was the bottom of the Birdy line and came with very basic parts. For equal quality components, I agree that Birdy's cost a lot more than Dahon's but components can be changed and I was prepared to pay for what I felt was a better design with superior comfort and proven longevity
Originally Posted by
pibach
Also folding, rolling and overall handling seems to bee different worlds.
The Birdy fold is not that intuitive and there is a definite learning curve. Once learned, it is quite fast, is quite a bit more compact than any single fold arrangemets I have seen (eg the Dahon's I looked at), It stays in the folded position when you handle it, and puts the chain to the inside which is a big deal for keeping chain oil away from the inside of your car, other luggage and other commuters. If the fold seemed bigger than your Dahon, I suspect that the Birdy was not folded correctly.
As for rolling when folded: It doesn't unless you get a rack with rollers. It is however relatively convenient to carry compared to most folders with good ride quailities
Originally Posted by
pibach
I really don't understand why it gets so high reviews here. What am I missing?
I wanted a single bike for: riding around town, longer trips in comfort, commuting, fast riding, pootling, fitting in a standard suitcase for air travel, fitting two bikes with luggage quickly into the trunk of an average car and good enough at all of these things that I wouldn't spend my time wishing I was on something else. The Birdy was the only bike that I could find that met all of these criteria.
David