I actually live in Connecticut.
Why the front? I think the fork is firmer and easier to put on and the anti-twist arm, and because I want to put an IGH Alfine in the back with a belt, and I also think that it is better to distribute the weight if I put one battery in the back and another in the center.
I bought the Crystalyte motor on their website and the other one on AliExpress with the ring

Good intel. Thanks!

Availability has always been an issue in N.A.

Hmph. Maybe one can now order a Birdy from the company's N.A. warehouse in the USA. Birdy Bicycles North America:

https://www.birdybikes.com/birdy

"To place an order for our bikes, you can either click the "Order" icon on our product pages or submit an order form on the client service page. Once you've placed your order, we will work with a local authorized retailer to serve you. The bikes you've ordered will be ready for professional assembly at the authorized retailer of your choice. You will have the option to inspect and pick up the bike at the retailer or arrange for shipping from the retailer to you. Once you receive your bike, the authorized dealer will automatically be your warranty store."

The glitch might be the authorized dealer page for America shows one (1) authorized dealer in the entire country!

They obviously import Pacific Cycles Birdy in the US (part of the Pacific Cycles range of models, not all), not Riese & Müller Birdy.

Definitely, Pacific Cycles built. They seem to be US warehousing a limited selection of models (City, Touring, GT) in a single color per model. Still, more available than just a few years ago when one had to write a letter of inquiry to an old guy who might still be in business.

The only Birdy I've ever seen IRL in the US was on a big LBS sales floor back when the (now defunct) Burley company was the distributor - hmm, maybe 1997?

Local shop in Bay Area still has a Birdy City in stock.
https://www.mobicbikes.com/collectio...eed-sandy-blue

Prices are higher than in Europe: they sell the Birdy Rohloff for 5.5K$ without mudguard, without hub dynamo light, mechanical disc brakes (specs says TRP, picture show Avid BB7) while the Birdy Rohloff with mudguards, Supernova hub dynamo light, hydraulic disc brakes cost 4.4K€!

I can't speak to pricing, just giving an option for those looking for a Birdy in the US. I checked the R&M website and the pricing on Birdy City was about the same.

Important to note, I don't think this shop carries Birdy anymore. They're just working through their old stock.

The components mounted on the Riese & Müller and Pacific Cycles Birdy are different and the names refer to differently equipped bikes.

The Riese & Müller Birdy City is equipped with a Shimano 8s IGH and not a 9s derailleur like the Pacific Cycles Birdy.

The Riese & Müller Birdy Touring is equipped with a 10s derailleur and a 9-32t cassette while the Pacific Cycles Birdy Touring has a 8s derailleur + 3s IGH giving 24s.

Only the Birdy Rohloff have the same transmission, i.e. a Rohloff 14s IGH but as explained the other components are different.

Riese & Müller mount Shimano Deore hydraulic disc brakes on all models while Pacific Cycles mount mechanical disc brakes.

Riese & Müller Birdy have all mudguards, a Supernova front+rear light with a Shutter Precision hub dynamo while the Pacific Cycles Birdy have no factory installed mudguards and lights.

I'm guessing they all use Pacific Cycles manufactured and assembled frame+fork assemblies.

The frame decal claims only that they were designed in Germany (NTTAWWT).

BTW, and noting the difference in componentry:

American Market: Birdy City from Birdy Bicycle North America $2360 = €2230 plus sales tax and any domestic shipping from closest authorized dealer

American Market: Birdy City from Riese & Müller: €2849 plus shipping from Germany* plus import duty.



*provided they will sell into Birdy Bicycle North America's sales territory

Yes, when the Birdy was designed, Riese & Müller was a very small company with no manufacturing capabilities.

They made an agreement with Pacific Cycles that Pacific Cycles would manufacture the frame and that they could sell the Birdy on their own brand name in APAC.

Riese & Müller is still owner of the IP of the Birdy.

Each company makes its own choice of range of Birdy models and of the components mounted on every model of the range.

Nowadays, Riese & Müller has its own frame manufacturing capabilities in Portugal but the Birdy frame remain manufactured by Pacific Cycles.

I just picked up my first Birdy after many years of wanting to try one, I'd never even seen one in person! It's a Birdy 7 in a beautiful teal and I dig it, but my arthritic wrists are going to need a higher bar. Is it possible to run these with cruiser-ish pullback bars without completely screwing up the fold? My plan is to put it in a suitcase in a few months for a plane trip, other than that I expect to use the fold feature infrequently.​​​​​​​

I'm sure it can be done provided the replacement bars are not bent in three dimensions (eg drop handlebars). I replaced my Birdy bars with some Ergotec AHS bars. The only problem is that the width across these is more than the standard Birdy straight bars with the result that the end sticks up slightly higher than the rest of the bike when folded. A good starting place for planning a change is to fold your Birdy and see how the standard handlebars fit against the frest of the folded bike. Then try to imagine how your planned replacement bars would look when folded. If only folding and packing occasionally then you can slacken the bolts on the handlebar clamp to rotate the bars for a better fit. Or, in the worst case, remove the bars from the clamp and fix to the rest of the folded bars (I use Velcro cable ties for such jobs) to achieve the smallest size for packing.

The deed is done! I'm not sure I'll stick with it cuz it does render the handlepost fold useless unless I'm willing to swivel the bar every time, but it sure is comfy. I'm surprised the handling stayed so calm with almost no weight on the front end, Birdys have a great ride.

Looks good!

Finally got round to converting my MK1 to belt drive with a mixture of AliExpress purchases and Brompton spares.

I'd be concerned about that tensioner coming apart. It's only plastic and you've removed a good chunk.

Also,Kinetics says it's ok to run those belts through tensioners,but Gates says no.
https://www.gatescarbondrive.com/res...g-and-tension#

I agree with you, even if it works, such a tensionner cannot provide the tension rated by Gates and will probably reduce the belt and sprocket life.

Time will tell on the belt, but I've done 500 miles with the tensioner as is (I had a chain on it previously) and it's fine - there's actually a fair bit of material on the other side of the derailleur hanger.

The tensioner is only there to help with the fold - the belt is kept on the rear sprocket by the snubber wheel you can see in the second pic. It's the same method Ben from Kinetics uses on his Brompton conversions and seems to work fine

Yes, I know what Ben Cooper of Kinetics does.

But I doubt that it provides the belt tension specified by Gates?

If not, it can "work" = no tooth jump, but the belt and sprocket might wear faster.

I'd be interested in seeing it folded. I've seen Brommies with the belts and it's seriously twisted backwards when folded.

The tension is provided by your legs! Using overall tension to manage tooth jump is only necessary when there's no snubber wheel in play.

You should read the specifications of Gates!

Now, you can of course do what you think is good if you think that you know better the requirements of a Gates Carbon Drive belt than Gates.