silverx

if want more light ~100g on your ultralight?
Can try change your seatpost

Jipe

For those interested (and confident in) Helix, I got a mail announcing sales on the Alfine 11 Helix + no shipment costs and duties for many countries (Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam, Mexico and the United States, seems UK is not in the list?) : Helix Sale (I wonder if this no duties claim means really no VAT and import taxes in the EU?).
Answer from Helix: no duties means no import taxes in the listed countries due to trade agreements between Canada and those countries but it doesn't mean no taxes, in the EU for instance, VAT must be paid and if there is any VAT to pay, the custom clearance agency is allowed to charges clearance costs on top of the VAT (they say that they reduce the bike value on the invoice but customs in many countries know that trick and look for the real price for instance like for Helix on the manufacturer's website)!

the_pan_handle

Hey, what seatpost is that?

Bleu

O.k. someone out there post a picture of a Helix in the wild. Picture that does not have that CG lack of background. Picture that isn't labeled copyright Helix etc... Nothing from Helix and no posting from anyone where it is your first post here.... Something like 100+ pages of "they haven't delivered the goods" Yada yada..... Was thinking this could be an ultra compact folder with brakes and big-ish tyres, but it appears to be a phantom.

john m flores 

the_pan_handle

Hey, can anyone help me. I'm trying to change the stem, but can't get the twisting black knob thing off.

Alan K

According to the website of Helix, both models are sold out and more are expected to be available on Jan 8, 2024.

I have left my email and they will inform me when these bikes are available.

Does anyone know the expected prices of each model?

Jipe

These people seems to have a direct link with the Helix factory and aren't normal customers.

john m flores 

What do you mean, "direct link"? Are you suggesting that they are paid and/or sponsored by Helix?

I have not watched all of their videos but I haven't seen anything about them being brand ambassadors or sponsored riders. Have you?

2_i 

The narrow window of time, the multitude of professional-level videos shot in that window, webpage, Facebook, all around touring on Helix. Similar professional area and geographical base. It looks to me like a promotional campaign - it could be a friend helping a friend, but with this much effort, I suspect some level of employment.

john m flores 

I did the modern thing and asked them directly...

Bleu

Clearly the folks in ultralight touring videos have some connection to the company, that apparently has made some prototypes. I did have high hopes that this was available on the market, and as good as people have said, but there's no availability on the website and previous postings in this thread indicate that Helix has no problems taking money and delivering hot air. The Burke20 exists , yet doesn't have brakes (rim wreckers are not brakes) so I'll just keep looking. Yeah the Helix looks fantastic but it still also looks fictiitious.

john m flores 

LOL the only thing rarer than a Helix is a Burke.

univega.duder

I bought two Helix bikes. One is the standard Alfine model and the other is the ultralight 11 speed. They’re both excellent bikes. The ride quality is great and the folding mechanism is really well engineered. I’d highly recommend them. The main issue is the lack of accessories. I’m looking forward to fenders and a rear rack which are supposed to be coming soon. The sliding mechanism on the seat post is a little quirky but I think that’s being redesigned.

I’m a little nervous to ride them without hands - they don’t feel as stable as my other bicycles but otherwise they’re a really fun bike to ride. My only other quibble is that my thumb rubs against the shifter on the ultralight bike. It’s a funny mix of parts with a 105 flat bar shifter and xtr hydraulic brakes levers.

Jonesandrew

If you have access to the Helix customer portal you can find a video showing how to change the stem under the "Support" tab (from the dashboard) and then in the "Tutorials, tricks and tips" section. If not, here's a brief description:
First unscrew the locking mechanism and keep rotating the knob anti-clockwise until it comes to a stop. Remove both grub screws (2.5mm hex wrench) from the knob taking care that the knob doesn't spring off when removing the last screw so that you don't lose any spacer washers which may be under it. Pull the knob off - apparently earlier bikes had a tighter fitting knob, so you may need to twist the knob as you pull up.
To refit: push the knob all the way down and align the holes in the knob with the holes in the centre tube by inserting the 2.5 wrench through the lower screw hole. Then insert the upper (longer) screw. It has a tapered point to assist alignment. Then refit the lower screw.

Jipe

Titanium Birdy 3: only 250 pieces worldwide !

I followed the whole Helix project since the Kickstarter launch and it seems Helix never delivered anything as promised, either they didn't deliver at all either it was delivered (much) too late!

For people living nearby Seattle, it seems very easy to test and buy a Burke 20.

For the people of the video, what I meant is that they should have some special contacts with Helix factory because they have used two types of rear racks not yet commercialized, with one of them very similar to the sketch shown on the Helix website.
Without those racks its very difficult to use Helix for long distance touring.

Duragrouch

From the video, it sounds like they are local to the factory, near Toronto, and they said they actually visited to buy the bike, that makes things a lot easier, and Helix may prioritize local buyers. Yes, I was concerned from the start about mounting a rear rack, same issue as Brompton/Bike-Friday/Helix, a swinging rear triangle. I could envision how to mount one, just use forward rack stays down rubber/stainless wire clamps at seatstays, but would need to be removed to fold compactly. BF takes the rack off and folds (from what I've read, not durable, I could tell you why structurally). I wondered if that Helix rack folds automatically with the bike, but a close view on the video shows the rack verticals disconnect at the aft chainstay, rather quickly, I am guessing a ball socket, like the quick-disconnect steering linkage on some recumbents, and then it all folds against the bike. Not sure if that rack would support typical touring loads.

I have a Dahon Speed, haven't had to transport by air yet, but would anticipate pulling the rear rack and nesting it close on the frame, to make max allowable size. The rack itself is stout, rated for high weight, and fits well aft, placing the panniers behind the rear axle, for sufficient heel clearance. (This required super-XL length rack stays.) I prefer the Dahon because it has a much cleaner fold without greasiness, easily able to quickly fold for the train luggage rack, or ferry, for example, without rack removal. (What takes longer is removing and replacing the panniers (front and rear) and the trunk bag, I would need all for touring; trunk bag for tools and spares, front panniers for CPAP machine and batteries, the problem I have not yet worked out is how to CHARGE those batteries on the road, a front dyno hub is totally insufficient, so are solar panels.) The Helix, with single-side front fork, obviates a front rack and panniers, however the folding fork is brilliant in terms of a compact fold, close to that of a Bromption I think.

Other than the above, I would have preferred a Bike Friday, as MUCH better customer service (Dahon is useless), and already set up for touring, whereas it was quite a feat to set mine up for 21-85 gear inches, the frame isn't set up for it, I have significant adaptations. The BF price was also an obstacle, but they have made so many, they are now common on craigslist for half new price, but I would stay away from ones with an internal gear hub instead of double or triple crank, as IGHs are expensive maintenance and impossible to service in the field.

For soft soil, larger tires than 20" (406) should be better, but otherwise, 20" is no disadvantage on smooth roads, and still gives me a tall enough top gear with 50x11. I used a double crank, as 1X gearing with a low enough gear is out, due to the huge low cog causing the rear derailleur to be too close to the ground, that's the setup on a Burke 20, but I don't like it, and neither does an owner of one, he saw my setup and said he would have preferred it.

Jipe

These people published 16 video's advertising lightweight travel with Helix and promoting Helix as a folding travel bike, something impossible for all other Helix owners because the rear racks they use/received from Helix company is not commercialized and available for other Helix owners!

The Portugal and Greece travel video show 2 very different rear racks.

The one of the Portugal travel allow to fold the rear swing arm without any dismounting of the rear rack.





Now if you look for a folding bike with rear folding rack for full size rear pannier, front rack for low rider pannier and a Brompton front bag block, the Birdy has all these bag carrying.

Duragrouch

Yeah you're right, they must have some sort of "in" with the company.

Birdy? Looks like a nice bike, suspension and all. But expensive. I'm cheap. I have a Dahon frame, modified for wide gearing, tall/aft rear rack for big panniers and trunk bag, low rider front rack for panniers and platform for top loads (like a 6-pack of beer), or can hang a tall bag from the aero bars there; I don't like the Brompton and similar front attachments for the 3 screw head tube mount; As a retired engineer, that puts significant bending moment on that front cantilevered mount, without much span in the bolt centers. I'd much rather strap to the top platform on the front rack, centered on its mounts, the mounting bolts close to pure shear and not much bending moment. I do like that the Brompton and similar front mounts are fixed to the frame so do not add steered mass and inertia; Early Mouton "shoppers" had integrated racks rear and front with that quality. However, the added steered mass to my folder (racks, panniers, aero-bars and drink bottle), transformed the "twitchy" steering (original, unladen) to much more calm and stable (with touring or shopping loads), closer dynamics to larger wheel bikes.

Jipe

Yes, the Birdy is expensive but it has features not available on any other folding bike like the excellent front suspension that doesn't dive when braking or pedaling and 50mm wide tires.

Its rear rack that automatically folds when folding the bike and accepts big pannier without any heel interactions when pedaling is also unique.

Several Moulton have still frame mounting points for front and rear racks but the rear rack doesn't accept big pannier only a big trunk bag (for the big rear rack) and its not folding.

mallomar

There are plenty of people with a Helix. The Helix Hong Kong group on Facebook has 2,400 members, mostly Hong Kong based, with a Helix. There’s also a Helix telegram group with people from all over the world. And here ya go, some pictures of my Helix taken while commuting and at the office.

Bleu

I guess they do exist.

Jipe

Are you sure that Helix produced more than 2400 bikes (all owners aren"t on the Hong Kong Facebook group)?

The Kickstarter project had 1069 backers and a big percentage of them never received their bike.

mallomar

I can’t give you a definitive answer, as I haven’t polled everyone there, but the group is very active and constantly adding members. It seems like Helix is very popular in Hong Kong and Singapore. People also share links, like this one and this one, of companies making gear targeted for Helix, so there must be demand to justify it.

Duragrouch

(above) Hmm... Hong Kong and Singapore... my perception of both are "high rent", lots of money; Perhaps that has resulted in their getting a disproportionate number of Helix owners, if the pricing there, with exchange rate, makes Helix company more money? Or that the environment (pricey to own and park a car), with good public transport, places an extra premium on a good folding bike? Or there are Helix dealers with good company relations? I'd enjoy comments on any or all of the above. Thanks.