igor455

a question to all I am thinking of getting either a ticket or a curve sl.
any thoughts . I have two larger fridays a NWT and a PT which i ride all the time. I am not going to use the small bike for commuting since that is not possible in my situation. I am planning to have thte small bike in the truck to use when i get the time to ride. folded size is not really a issue since i have a f-150 crw cab pickup. My main ocncern is price 1275 vs 630.00.
anyone have any thought on how each wouyld hold up. i will mainly be using the small bike for getting around short distances and exercise. although i love my 20 in fridays and have ridden them a lot for exercise( including my NWT in Cycle Oregon 2006) money is a little tight.
any thoughts folks?

SesameCrunch

Far be it from me to dissuade anyone from getting a new folder , but I'm confused by your writeup. If money is tight, and size is not an issue, what is wrong with packing your existing Bike Fridays in the back of your pickup for exercise??

Bacciagalupe

+1

The Tikit fold isn't much smaller than a NWT:

Bike Friday NWT, 20" wheels = 12" x 33" x 34" (13,464 cu in)
Bike Friday Tikit, 16" wheels = 15" x 24" x 35" (12,600 cu in)
Dahon Curve, 16" wheels = 13" x 24" x 26" (8,112 cu in)

I believe the Tikit will ride far, far better than the Curve, but won't ride as well as the NWT/PT.

If you're on a budget and want something fast, I'd just slap fast skinny high-PSI tires onto the NWT and call it a day. Or heck, go out and find a used road bike for $150....

14R 

I'd just slap fast skinny high-PSI tires onto the NWT. It will be hard to beat quality and price.

awetmore

I agree with others that it makes sense to just use what you have. It sounds like it will work well. The original poster could probably find a local dealer which has the Tikit and Curve if they live near Portland.

I don't think that looking at the volume this way is that helpful.

The Tikit is only 24" tall at the tail of the saddle (sticking up at the front of the bike when folded). The back of the bike is about 16" tall when folded. The bike is also wider at the front of the fold (which has the wheels and saddle) than the rear.

The Dahon is a little more rectangular, but it looks like it is also taller at the saddle end.

Either is likely to fit into smaller spaces (like under a bus seat) than the NWT. I can sit in a bus seat with the wheels of the Tikit sticking out between my legs, but with the tail of the Tikit tucked underneat the seat. I couldn't do this with the NWT. A folded Bike Friday NWT is much taller:
https://phred.org/~alex/pictures/bike...-quickfold.jpg

The Tikit is also a much more managable package when folded than the NWT. It stays together in one piece (due to the rear triangle latch), rolls nicely on it's front wheel, and the handlebars latch into position where they are sitting free on the NWT.

What's the best way to measure folded bicycles? I'm not sure. I think the best option is to look at them in person and see which one fits your space.

igor455

thanks for all the feedback, money is not nearly as tight as i may have made it sound. i could have the nwt in the rear seat of my pickup, putting it in the bed well some miscreant will lift it and that will really piss me off. i wanted to try something smaller with more than 3 speeds and didnt want to spennd a fortune on it. it will be ridden but not to death, ive got the nwt for that and yes i can fit it in the rear of the f-150.i guess im just trying to sound out ideas think fore i leap. if i got the curve well i could allocate the rest of the money for my skeet shotgun and get both quiker.
any more ideas will be welcome as what i have gotten so far have given me things to htink aobut

SesameCrunch

In that case, why not try the Downtube Mini? It's 16" wheels with 8 speed Sturmey Archer internal hub. Very solid build. Same price range as the Curve.

igor455

good idea ,ill look at them

igor455

hey can anyone shed light on how the downtubes hold up?

invisiblehand

My mini is holding up well.

BTW, if you are looking for a small compact folder and you don't care about carrying "stuff" on the bike nor rolling the bike, you might consider the Birdy too. Definitely more than the Curve or the Mini, but less than the tikit.

-G

invisiblehand

I should also write that there is some standard maintenance needed when you first pick up a Downtube. Nothing crazy ... but you should definitely go through the process.

igor455

i have another thought, i have a 3spd dahon 16 in i think it is called the presto lite. anyway it is lightly used ,how much trouble would it be to get acouple more gears. i dont care if the gears are internal (like it is now ) or external like my other bikes. 6 or 7 speeds would do nicely

invisiblehand

It would be a ton of work.

EDIT: Although a 5 speed Sturmey Archer hub might fit in the drop outs.

igor455

how bout making another front chain ring with the well like two rings which wuld give me 6 speeds if done right. just trying th thinbk outside the box

invisiblehand

If you installed a chain tensioner with a pulley (as opposed to something like a Surly Tuggnut) you could install a double crank up front. The length of the chain stays and the resulting chainline might make things interesting. More than likely, you would have to change chainrings by hand.

SesameCrunch

I (and many others) have done that with folders. It's a good, inexpensive solution, provided you are not fussy about getting your hands dirty with manual upshifting. On the downshift, I can kick the chain down from the big ring to the small.