I’m new to the folding world but have been lurking for the past few weeks. I am looking for a folder I can carry in my car (very small trunk) and have with me to drive around downtown St Petersburg and Sarasota Florida. I am just 5’8 and am looking for a bike that will allow me to be fairly upright with a handlebar height over that of my seat so that I can ride in a relaxed posture and have good visibility.

There appear to be a number of choices but these two seem like the best ones for what I want. Unfortunately there are no dealers within driving distance that I can find so I need your help.

Obviously the Brompton (M3L) is the smallest folder but the Birdy seems to be close. For those who have tried both is the seating upright or stretched out? Is there a significant difference in how comfortable they are in a downtown environment and how fast they each feel? While I am looking for a folder to add to my other bikes I wouldn’t mind it replacing my normal ride if that were feasible.

I admit I am really drawn to the fold and the overall look of the Brompton. However from what I read the Birdy has a superior ride and it’s suspension system might be a real benefit.

Any thoughts?

-Jim

The Brompton is generally upright. The Birdy will also be upright if you get it with the comfort stem (10 deg and adjustable height)
The Brompton will fold smaller but the Birdy should fold small enough for your needs.
The Birdy will be faster, more comfortable on rough roads, have better brakes, be more fun and be better for long rides.
I know the Birdy much better than the Brompton but most people seem to agree with the above.
David

That is a difficult question to answer as the riding position preference is so individual. I have read from people who "love one and hate the other" and the other way round. As both are not a bargain, I would highly recommend to try, maybe here you find some who let you.

I'm slightly over 6" and have ridden both bikes. Typical M series Brmoptons are very upright, S series are somewhat more stretched. Birdy is quite stretched out. (I have seen birdy geometry chart somewhere.. It's comparable to 17" mountain bike or so)

I have ridden several Bromptons and I test rode a Birdy Speed and a Brompton S-type back to back.
The Birdy in my humble opinion was far superior in ride, comfort, speed and build quality.
It is like comparing a Morgan or Lotus 7 to a Porsche.... all desirable machines but very different.

The Birdy is not much better than the Brompton. People tend to make absolute statements like that when both these folder's are very context specific.

The Brompton is a wonderful commute and go bike. It doesn't have suspension like the Birdy but it folds quicker and more compact and is a very fun ride. The parts are high quality and very durable and there is ample proof of that from Brompton customers who use one regularly like myself and also in the high resale value that Bromptons fetch. If you chose a B then get the 6 speed version, it has very nicely spaced and efficient gears. Don't like the shifting levers but the gears themselves are good.

I don't agree the Brompton is a bad ride but I do agree with the opinions of the other users that the Birdy would be a more versatile investment for your needs for on and off-road trails. it also has a compact enough fold for your needs. The Brompton is really only suitable for normal road riding, that's what it's designed for. I recommend the Birdy City with the Shimano Nexus 8 speed hub. See:
https://www.foldingbikes.co.uk/birdy_city.htm

There is no denying that the Brompton frame is a work of art... it is just let down by all the other bits attached to it!
Look at the brake levers, the clamps look like something from a plumbing store and as for the cheap plastic gear levers and the stupid shifting pattern..... not forgetting the flimsy “M” type handlebars etc. The Brompton could be so much better with improved components... It was the same aptitude of “we have always done it this way” that killed off the British motorcycle industry.
Tradition is all well and good, but not when it prevents a product seeing its full potential

I really like both bikes, and still hoping to get a MERC with 7 speed (brompton copy). I have a birdy, and chose to get that first for versatility.

This is a personal preference decision really. Consider how you are going to use this bike, prioritize functionality, test both, and decide then. For city use, Brompton is a good choice, but I don't know about touring on it. For longer distances and speed rides, the birdy will take it over brompton. They both cost a pretty penny so make sure you make the right decision.

I know it's not a Brompton or Birdy, but Sunwest Cycles in Palm Harbor carries Dahon bikes. It will at least give you feel for a folding bike. Who knows, you might even find one there that you like.

As for the Brompton vs. Birdy thing... In your case I would probably go with the Birdy for its versatility, especially since you'll be storing it in your car between rides. If you were in a city and doing a lot of bike--train--bike during rush hour, I would choose the Brompton for the faster and smaller fold.

--sam

If you're considering the Brompton, you might want to also consider some of the Dahon folders, as Lalato suggests, but also the Tikit from Bike Friday. The Tikit is comparable to the Brompton; general consensus seems to be that the Tikit is a better "bike"; it also folds down faster than any other. The Brompton, on the other hand, is a very good bike, and quickly folds down into the smallest, neatest package - even smaller than the Tikit. With a cover over it, the folded Tikit looks like a French Horn; but the Brompton gets even smaller and, I think, draws even less attention to itself. I have to smuggle my folder into a stuffy corporate office building; so I chose the Brompton (which I'm loving, by the way. To suggest that it was good "in its day" and is now something of a dinosaur is, IMO, misleading; it's a terribly well thought out machine. Whether folding it - or riding it - the Brompton exudes quality and, bopping around the city, it's a blast to ride).

But for your purposes - carrying it folded in your car - I'd go for the Tikit: https://bikefriday.com/tikit

Birdy City with 8 speed Shimano Nexus hub gears!

Yes the BF Tikit is a runner for sure. Good US dealer is:
https://nycewheels.com/bikefriday-tikit-foldingbike.html

Birdy Ciy likely to be $2000+. Tikit is jsut under $1300 excluding delivery from NYC Wheels.

I chose the Brompton M3L because of it's small tight folding package. It was important to me to be able to take it with me on trips and quickly put it in a suitcase (without too much disassembly).

https://utilitycyclist.blogspot.com/2...mpton-m3l.html

The Brompton does have a rear suspension. It is a circular rubber thing that cushions the ride. Other have further improved on this by doing a spring saddle (folderfanatic?). No front suspension, though.

If you are set on the Brompton or Birdy and you don't need the compactness of the Brompton, I would go with the Birdy.

However, if a super compact fold is unnecessary, then I would consider the many 20" folders before picking up a Birdy. It would give you a lot more options.

The smallest folding bike will be upcoming dahon curl which folds into even smaller package than bromptons. Tikit folds very fast (2-3seconds after you get used to) but its folded size is almost 2x bigger than bromptons, and probably bigger than folded birdy too. If you use public transportation, tikit's very fast folding time may appeal to you, but in most cases taking ~15 secs in folding won't matter much.

And performance wise birdy is clear winner. (I have seen lots of ppl racing/touring with birdys with good results) Tikits are fine if you can live with single chainring setup. I don't recommend bromptons for serious riding.

Some shop owner I spoke to, who sells and rides both bikes (and others) puts it somehow like this:"to me the birdy is the best all-rounder. If I was to own only one bike it would be a birdy. It is capable of all. But the brompton is unbeaten in what it is designed for and I use the brompton a lot more often"

?Do you go off-road: birdy
?Do you go in bus/train/restaurant: brompton
If nothing of the above both bikes will be different and their own kind but equal in quality and capability to do what you want, if fitting to your anatomy.

Totally second that

I am so impressed with the quality of responses on this forum. It seems the Birdy actually has more people saying it is a great all rounder with the Brompton having its own charm.

The Birdy City looks like a great bike but may be more than I am willing to spend ($2,000 was guessed at) and doesn’t look like it’s available in the US. Does anyone know of a US dealer that would carry this?

Also I can find references for the fold down size of the first generation Birdy but not the second (the City seems to be that second generation). I tried to measure my trunk space (harder than it sounds as there is a normal trunk and a reduced trunk with the car is set up for having the top down (new BMW 3 series convertible/hardtop). It looks like the Birdy would just barely fit in the reduced trunk except for the height. It seems to have only about 12inches when set up this way. There is plenty of height is I forgo having the option of putting the top down. Will a Birdy fit in a 12’ height?

Thanks for all the help. It’s really difficult trying to do this without any local dealers for either choice. I will take the suggestion to go to the local Dahon dealer and try a folder but I suspect it won’t tell me much about these bikes.

-Jim

Hi Jim

No-brainer then has to be the Bike Friday Tikit for all-round use but I'd also take a very serious look at the downtube Mini which is highly regarded on this forums too. See:
https://www.downtube.com/product540.html

This is a seriously great bike for the money and the 8 speed hub gearing is very good on it. The Tikit is a great bike but there is no way it is 3 times better than the Mini at the price. It also folds compact. Downtube also ship directly and provide excellent after-sales service. See the excellent pictorial review which shows its folding dimensions directly beside the Brompton:
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...be+mini+review

It is even capable on trails off-road. A regular Jur has put it to the test in the Aussie forests!

Hi Jim, I see no problem... might even have 11' left over for other items..... on a more practical note.. I fit a Birdy Silver in my Alfa Spider all the time.. The Alfa has a 12" height limit also ... I use MKS quick release pedals and have to remove one to shut the trunk... ..A Dahon Helios also fits nicely with it's stock folding pedals.. there's more room left over for other items when the Birdy is in the trunk..

Keep in mind that the Tikit Model T (black!) with the manual stem clamp is now available for $999 - and I think that is list pricing so maybe discounts are available in certain places. I took a quick look in my LBS at the weekend - it looks great, although the clamp is somewhat agricultural. From a safety point of view, I wonder why they went gloss black rather than white? Anyway, it's an amazing fold and has quality components. I would expect it to be faster than a Brompton but I've never faced them!

I'm just over recommended weight for a standard Tikit so went Swifty and I'm loving it.

J.