Helix Update?
#1976
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,456
Likes: 98
From: NorCal
Bikes: Haibike Sduro Trekking SL, Rivendell Appaloosa, Concinnity singlespeed, KHS mini velo (Japan market), Trident Spike trike
That's a lovely story. I'm going to keep commenting on this bicycle as interest warrants, and you guys can keep complaining about repetition and posting "dead horse" emojis. I don't care.
#1977
Senior Member

Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 3,540
Likes: 454
From: SF Bay Area
Bikes: Now: HPV Gecko FX 20 w/ assist.. Old: Trident Spike 2 recumbent trike w/ e-assist
I dont find my Bike Friday Pakit hard to carry folded at all....I have a Brompton Off Yer Bike handle on it and carry it just by that handle. Same way you would carry a Brompton, except my BF Pakit only weighs 19 lbs, lol.
#1978
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,456
Likes: 98
From: NorCal
Bikes: Haibike Sduro Trekking SL, Rivendell Appaloosa, Concinnity singlespeed, KHS mini velo (Japan market), Trident Spike trike
I presume the poster is thinking of the traditional NWT-type design, which is indeed unwieldy..it's really more a packable bike than folding one. PakiT OTOH is a very compact and light, it's a great little folder.
#1979
Senior Member

Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 3,540
Likes: 454
From: SF Bay Area
Bikes: Now: HPV Gecko FX 20 w/ assist.. Old: Trident Spike 2 recumbent trike w/ e-assist
Perhaps, but the NWT is a packable bike for travel, not a bike made for multi-modal use. It fits in a standard suitcase so there's no airlines fees. I do think I was very restrained in my response, however......holding back that "passionate" attitude, lol.
#1980
55+ Club,...


Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 4,834
Likes: 1,213
From: Somewhere in New York, NY
Bikes: 9+,...
#1985
Member
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
After chastising some posters in the past for complaining about a now existent "non existent" bike, now its my turn to complain. The primary reason I plunked down money for the bike was the weight. For me, that what made the bike stand out over the rest. Now that advantage is gone, I'm really not sure why I needed another average weight folding bike. I ordered the bike with the single speed option. Anyone want to trade cash for my expected for delivery in July bike?
#1986
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
Yea I am talking about the original design; the newer ones were designed to be multi-modal friendly. I have a pocket rocket pro which is also about 19 lbs, which is great. But when I take it on the bus all the dangling parts pop out and poke people in the shins.
#1987
Senior Member

Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 3,540
Likes: 454
From: SF Bay Area
Bikes: Now: HPV Gecko FX 20 w/ assist.. Old: Trident Spike 2 recumbent trike w/ e-assist
Yeah, but that's not what it was designed for, unfair to judge it in that regard. It would be like complaining that the Brompton doesn't float, lol. That said, I did take my NWT on the bus a few times....folding pedals and velcro straps work wonders or you can use a carry bag. Or you can just get a Pakit for multi-modal and save the NWT for travel =).
#1989
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 52
Likes: 2
#1994
The current indication is that there's 5 bikes in the second batch (not confirmed by Helix). If that is confirmed, they're currently making 5 bikes a month. Looks like the ramp up in output is going to be painfully slow.
#1995
Junior Member

Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 126
Likes: 6
From: Coastal NC
Bikes: Brompton C Line, Fuji S12 Ltd, Dahon Helios XL
So... a hypothetical 10 bikes shipped. I recall there were over 1,000 ordered in the Kickstarter, plus perhaps some more after during an online ordering window?
What is the total order backlog?
What is the total order backlog?
#1996
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Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 52
Likes: 2
#1997
Senior Member

Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 3,540
Likes: 454
From: SF Bay Area
Bikes: Now: HPV Gecko FX 20 w/ assist.. Old: Trident Spike 2 recumbent trike w/ e-assist
Is it possible he's going slowly for a reason? My ShareRoller is ready to ship but the dev is sending a few units at a time to backers in his local area first to see if there are any issues or feedback he can incorporate before going into full shipment mode....maybe Peter is intentionally sending a few at first as well?
#1998
Senior Member

Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 2,529
Likes: 567
Once the parts are available (frame, fork, rear frame, components...) assembling the bikes is mainly done by hand and the amount of bikes assembled per day or week or month depend of the amount of people working on the assembly. Once the bikes are assembled, testing them is also manual work, testing more assembled bikes before shipping them, requires more people.
These people are different people than the one building the frames.
To speed up assembly, Peter must set up an assembly chain (search for video of the Brompton factory to see how it s done for a factory producing about 50K bike per year), does such a chain already exist ?
The Vellobike+ KS project had the same problem and could never reach the initially announced production rate (that was smaller than what Helix would need to deliver all bikes in a reasonable amount of tine). Shipment of Vellobike+ started about one year ago and all bikes aren't shipped yet.
For the assembly, I think that Helix also requires more effort/time than a normal bike (examples: the lefty folding fork will take much more work/time to be assembled and mounted on the frame than a normal fork, the rear frame with its complex locking needs also more work/time, same for the folding stem...).
These people are different people than the one building the frames.
To speed up assembly, Peter must set up an assembly chain (search for video of the Brompton factory to see how it s done for a factory producing about 50K bike per year), does such a chain already exist ?
The Vellobike+ KS project had the same problem and could never reach the initially announced production rate (that was smaller than what Helix would need to deliver all bikes in a reasonable amount of tine). Shipment of Vellobike+ started about one year ago and all bikes aren't shipped yet.
For the assembly, I think that Helix also requires more effort/time than a normal bike (examples: the lefty folding fork will take much more work/time to be assembled and mounted on the frame than a normal fork, the rear frame with its complex locking needs also more work/time, same for the folding stem...).
#1999
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 665
Likes: 14
Once the parts are available (frame, fork, rear frame, components...) assembling the bikes is mainly done by hand and the amount of bikes assembled per day or week or month depend of the amount of people working on the assembly. Once the bikes are assembled, testing them is also manual work, testing more assembled bikes before shipping them, requires more people.
These people are different people than the one building the frames.
To speed up assembly, Peter must set up an assembly chain (search for video of the Brompton factory to see how it s done for a factory producing about 50K bike per year), does such a chain already exist ?
These people are different people than the one building the frames.
To speed up assembly, Peter must set up an assembly chain (search for video of the Brompton factory to see how it s done for a factory producing about 50K bike per year), does such a chain already exist ?
#2000
More photos of bike 5. I haven't made enough posts to include the full link. sh/ndyg0gzagmrgius/AADMPg1vhfNBbdb2_Oaeeof9a?dl=0 preceeded by dropbox dot com and a forward slash. If you're lucky enough to get your hands on one of these things, the first job will be to fix some temporary guards to keep the road debris out of the helixes (helices?) and the rear frame latch mechanism.





