Used Bike Friday Tikit (worth the buy)?
 

Hi all I am looking for some advice.

I recently stumbled upon a Bike Friday Tikit on Craigslist listed at $900. It has the hyperfold stem and standard derailer in the back (not internal). It also has a BF saddle, racks and fenders.

As I understand it, this is a pretty decent price for this bike. Right now I have an upgraded Dahon Boardwalk S1 (http://www.bikeforums.net/folding-bi...-upgrades.html) (which I love) and a Hybrid Cannondale. I like the cannondale, it has a sturdy and somewhat quick ride but is heavy and takes up a lot of space.

I use the dahon for commuting and getting on and off the train which is about 2 miles away and the Cannondale I use for longer rides (5-25 miles) as it is geared and has a slightly more comfortable ride.

I love having a folder and my thoughts are the tikit could replace my Cannondale for my longer rides. I would likely keep the dahon for my commute because of its compactness and the way it fits onto the train. (I know the tikit is not quite as compact)

Does anyone have a Tikit, that could comment on the rideability for 5-25 miles rides on fairly rough hilly roads and possibly longer rides as I get more into biking. Is it worth the price or am I just fooling myself into believing this because I want a fancy new toy? Could the tikit eventually replace both bikes?

Had a Tikit for about 3 years but moved onto a Brompton but now I wish I had kept the Tikit..if you want a folder to ride 25 to 50 miles then buy the Tikit..They are a great ride ..much better generally than a Brompton..But the fold is reasonable but not great ..like a Brompton..I have an 8 speed steel Dahon and that is a great ride also..awful fold but a lovely bike to ride..perhaps like your Boardwalk..
In short go get the Tikit..you will not be diasappointed..
Got other folders as well..an Enda 16 speed..BF NWT..but spend my time wishing I had my old Tikit back..

+1
Just make sure the frame size is right for you.

Small size Tikit will be OK for up to 5ft 6 ins..You could always use a longer seatpost..Medium size Tikit..5ft 6 up to 5ft 10ish..Large Tikit..5ft 10 upwards..I believe the large size has thicker tubing in the stem?

I checked the craigslist listing. Nice almost like new bike but personally I won't buy it even for 500 because there is Helix is about to run on kickstarter.

If it fits, then you can ride it decent distances. And the tikit is generally upgradeable with standard parts. If you really want to replace a road-ish bike for 25 miles, you'll eventually want wider gearing which is straightforward to do on the tikit.

The Helix is not a bike yet, it is a crowd funding possibility. There are still unknown risks for the developers, hence I would play it safe and recommend he get the Bike Friday now. If the Helix works out, he can resell the BF for the same price and get the Helix for $200 more.

I would not be interested in risking $1200 to save $200....maybe that's just me.

Thanks,
Yan

I saw the helix and was considering waiting and dropping the extra 300 for what looks to be an awesome titanium bike with a compact fold.

That being said, it is an unproven bike, whereas the Bike Friday has had consistently great performance.

Maybe I will just get a full-sized road bike for now and wait to see how the helix is when it is released?

Not a bad suggestion, the BF should retain its value.

FYI the helix is spec'd with 165mm cranks.....which are really short. Normal length cranks may hinder the fold. There may be alot of other little things pop up ( most likely the fork area ). I would definitely wait until they work through the kinks. Especially since it is only a $200 savings to join the CF campaign, that is not enough to justify the risk ( in my eyes )

Thanks,
Yan

there is no way the helix can come with all the promised component's, even if they get the frame built for lets say 1/3 the price than everybody else

Never say never, I hope they do it.....but I would not fund it for only $200 savings.

Thanks,
Yan

Ohh I'm an idiot for some reason I thought kickstarter works like a retail store. I'm sorry for making all the suggestions about Helix.

I've ridden my tikit upwards of forty miles at a throw and feel like I could pretty much ride it as far as any other straight bar bike.

A new 2015 hyperfold tikit with rack and fenders will top $2000. If it's the bike you want - and it's in fine condition - that price seems like a bargain.

The highest gear ratio on the standard derailleur model is relatively low, and this isn't cheap to upgrade.

BikeFriday recalled these bikes on several occasions, issuing 'dangerous to ride until repaired' warnings. If this is an older tikit, make sure it has the jackleg installed to prevent the seat tube base from breaking, the steerer tube recall completed and the hyperfold cable upgrade.

I remember calculating -- on Sheldon's site -- that a 56-11 combination results in ~86 gear inches. Most definitely lower than standard road bikes. Although probably reasonable for non-racers.

A 60t ring should give a cheap quick 10% increase.

why would that be expensive to upgrade?

Not directed at me but my thoughts are ...

I assume that this depends on what "expensive" or "not cheap" means plus the gear you're trying to reach. I'm thinking a Capreo wheel plus cassette will be something like $300 new and that we'd want to get pretty close to a 100 gear inches. (I assume that they're hard to find used) A used nine speed bar end or similar could be found somewhere. I'd guess that an SRAM Dual Drive wouldn't be terribly far from that figure but you'd be able to get higher gears but have something with less sporty shifting, IMO.

Perhaps with the new SRAM GX "budget" single chainring system you can get a 10-42 11-speed cassette on the rear for ... $600? Wild assed speculation because I'm unclear on which hubs are compatible with the system or how much they cost.

Under BikeFriday's design policy of using as many industry standard, off the shelf components as possible, my tikit came from the factory with a 53x12 top, yielding ~71g.i.

Yes, allegedly the tikit will fit up to a 60T chainring - remembering of course that raises the bottom gear as well.

There's always the DD27 and CS-RF3 IGHs. :)

i'm guessing but, i'm pretty sure if you swap out the chainring for a 60t'er you'll be very close to 100 gear inches on the 10t sprocket.

has anyone here ever used the sturmey dual drive hubs? i'm tempted to build a wheel with one...

at any rate, the tikit is a gorgeous bike. it's at the top of my short list.

http://i.imgur.com/Lj1DBL9.jpg

How's a 42T cog and long cage derailleur work out in the real world when fitted on a bike with ISO349 wheels?

Excellent question!


Thanks,
Yan

My wife has a Tikit with Gates carbon belt drive and and Alfine 8 speed internal hub. She absolutely loves it and would never part with it. Last year we rode from Munich to Vienna on it and she had no problems at all. Some asked about the dual drive. I have it on my BF NWT I do like it. If I were to buy a new BF, and had the money, I would go for a Rohloff hub with Gates belt drive. I just love the belt drive. I think that 500 for a used Tikit is a good buy and if the bike fits you can't go wrong./

My Speed Pro TT has the SRAM version. It's heavy,you need to carry a 15mm to pull the wheel,and you have to watch the click box sticking out on the right side,but it def gives you a seriously wide range. Also note,it works with a triple brifter,but can be a bit fiddly at times do to the trimming clicks.