I don't usually like the styling of Bike Friday's, but I really like the look of this bike. Have to say though it seems that the quick fold of a Tikit or a Brompton seems more suited to popping a bike in and out of a backpack. As a Dahon Curve owner, who commutes on it every day, I don't usually fold the bike unless I'm throwing it in the car, which is rare. At 27 lbs my Curve is too heavy to be carrying around.

Like most; I see a lack of buyers for this since the other Fridays do so well, but it's great that they are making new products.

Yeah it's not padded. Just a thin nylon bag. How would you not have parts jabbing you in the back?

If one is carrying it 50 yards, it may not make a big difference. It is only after carrying stuff for extended trips that it really starts being uncomfortable.

One issue is they appear to have designed an ultra-compact foldable bag for those times when the bike isn't stuffed in it.

It would be easy enough to design a bag with either padding, or a molded back that might even be designed for optimum weight distribution. However, the bag would loose compactness.

Except for the tikit most of BF's bikes are designed to fold for travel more than commuting. I can totally see this being great for going to a different country on an airplane, a day trip, or a deal where you commute in from the burbs then bike around all day.

A pocket in the bag where you can insert what you want for suppurt. Cardboard will do and can be thrown away when you no longer need it. An inflatable sitting mat (like the sleeping mats but smaller) if you need comfort. A pocket like that is easy to make after you bought it.

Good idea with the inflatable back pad. I'm not sure I've seen one. But it would be easy enough to make. It could be made quite rugged. But, it would be a pain if it took longer to inflate than to tear down the bike. Still useful if one has to carry the bike for more than a few feet.

Cascade designs "thermarest" has self inflating stadium sit pads.. just open the valve and they do the rest.

REI has them . its a back pad when you place it against your Back..

bag looks so big when on your back. would be nice if parts are not separated. having all these unassembled parts is a recipe for disaster - in the sense that when you lose one part, there goes your bike. can't they build a bike like the brompton's fold?

The thought of a crank arm jabbing me in the back is pleasant.

If they built a bike like a brompton fold then it's just a copy of a brompton which I think they where not aiming for at all. They do swing the back wheel under just like their other models. It would be awesome if they can incorporate that hyperfold technology into that bike then it would be amazing. If I remember their tikit seatpost and handlebar remains in one piece when it's pulled out. doing that would add weight, complexity and cost though.

Back when the tikit was still being designed, there was at least one prototype that had a Brompton-esque fold. There are pictures of Alan Scholz riding it in some of the old green gear newsletters.

Many of the Bike Fridays have a folding seat mast. But, I assume that adds a pound or two of weight. By removing the seat post, one gets a lighter frame.

I'm not sure why they don't fold the steering, but their solution is easy, secure, and strong.

Perhaps the easiest part to lose or misplace would be the pedals. Folding pedals are available, but I didn't think the ones I tried were very secure feeling. One might be able to get away with simply removing one pedal, and leaving the other side stick out.

MKS Ezy pedals pop on and off MIKASHIMA INDUSTRIAL CO.,LTD.-Catalog

Good idea !

Follow up #1 Answers to Questions about New Backpack bike under 20lbs!

Top 10 bike name idea's so far:
[TABLE]
[TR]
[TD="align: left"]1. Backpack Bike
[/TD]
[TD="align: left"] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: left"]2. BikePack
[/TD]
[TD="align: left"] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: left"]3. Packit (Pakit)
[/TD]
[TD="align: left"]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: left"]4. Packaday
[/TD]
[TD="align: left"] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: left"]5. BFF
[/TD]
[TD="align: left"] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: left"]6. EveryDay
[/TD]
[TD="align: left"] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: left"]7. Side Kick
[/TD]
[TD="align: left"] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: left"]8. Stowaway
9. Back Pocket
10. Uptik
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

Initially the "packaday" caught my attention as going with their haul-a-day. But, it has too much negative smoking connotations.
So, maybe . #3 Packit (Pakit)

Interestingly, at least to me, in 2004 Walter Lapchynsky, who was working at Bike Friday posted his fixed gear pocket rocket with 20 inch wheels and equipped with what he called heavier parts on Fixedgeargallery. This portly bike weighed in at 16.5 per Walter. The handlebar stem folded I believe. I think I would rather have Walter's bike than a single speed backpacker.

Hah! That never crossed my mind.

In 2004, it was almost certainly a separable stem post. But I suppose that an experimental stem post is possible given he worked there.

Walter is a relatively light guy. So I imagine he'd have the equivalent of a PR Pro. A separable seat mast is roughly a pound too. Did he have brakes on the bike?

Anyway, it's easy to imagine a fixed gear bike getting to a low low low weight.

Being fixed it was brakeless, and had 16 spoke wheels. Still, this was done over 12 years ago.

Bikey McBike face

Update #2


Update #3

Thanks for that. Of all the BFs, I like this one most.

saw the two new updates and it's pretty impressive they are really listening to alot of the issues you guys are bringing up like the bag not padded and folding times "could" be sped up. the new way she folded doesn't look as slow as it seems now if you even needed it in the backpack.