mikedefieslife

I'm looking at a couple of Birdies at the moment.

What does the frame number tell you about Birdy bikes if anything?

SparkyBeacon 

I just made this front fender out of Coroplast (an old election sign). The orange fasteners are rubber-coated flexible wire, kind of like big twist ties.

The rear fender is a purchased unit that clamps to the seat post. I just added a simple Coroplast piece for coverage below.

Fritz

sicknsore

Hey all,

Im new here and to the whole bike scene actually, just got a new classic birdy for casual ride.. a few questions tho (sorry if they're repeated)

Does it come with left hand for the front brake and right for the rear brake out of the box? Im used to the reversed set up (AFAIR biking when i was a kid). Can i just simply swap the cables on the brake levers or do i need to re route the whole setup?

The handlebar feels a bit too short for my riding position (didn't notice that on the test drive) im 5'11 btw, is there anyway to raise the bar to fit my reach?

Also it doesnt come with castor wheels, unlike brompton. Any recommendations for them?

Any help appreciated

Chris

bhkyte

Depends on the type of stem you have.
Early stems not adjustable.
3 versions. Sport= forward.
Standard =up right
Comfort= sweeps back.
All later versions are adjustable height.
Caster wheels.
Racks can be fitted with them. Else fit brompton mudguards or Birdie caster system from bike gang £75 approx.

sicknsore

i got the standard stem version which is up right position with fixed height.. adjusted the seat position so i get more space but i can't still ride it off the sadle, way too close to my body when standing on the bike.. any recommendation for extension or stem riser ?

will check the caster on bike gang

thanks

foldingdroid

The latest birdy stem will fit your birdy but it is quite expensive.

Sangetsu

Litepro makes an extension which allows you to move the bar forward by 5cm or so, which is a cheap way to add more room. You can tilt the extension up or down to raise or lower your position.

https://www.aliexpress.com/store/pro...311120976.html

sicknsore

thanks for the recommendation, that would be my last resort if cheaper options not available

i might try this instead or similar, any review on this litepro adjustable stem?

really appreciate all the feedback guys!

chris

bhkyte

I would get a new stem.
Expensive but older stems are prone to lossing circlips. Newer stems are stiffer and safer. Sell old one on ebay as not many come up for sale and you may get £30 or more if lucky.
I have a spare sport stem. Older non adjustable style if interested. It needs new circlips installing if you can find some or fashion some.

Sangetsu

I haven't used it myself, but it sells well in Japan. At Amazon Japan it gets 4.1 out of 5 stars. The only bad review was a complaint about the color of the end caps.

sicknsore

So i got a sattori aberhallo stem extender to fix the handlepost issue being too short for my fit, it works quite well, now i can ride off the saddle..The birdy sport stem is really hard to get and quite expensive for my budget tho..

another issue i have now is the chain keeps falling off on me, the first was when i hit a bump at the 8th gear, and another when i was changing gears from 8th to 7th on a bumpy road.. went to a local bike shop and they recommend me to get a new double chain crank set.. a shimano 105 or the more expensive ultegra

what do you guys think?

Sangetsu

I had the same problem with two Birdies which were not equipped with the original chain guards.

Installing a new crankset for the front is an easy job, but getting a front derailleur to work is easier said than done (and without the derailleur, the chain still hops off). I installed an Dura Ace 7800 crankset on my Birdy, it was a job that took only 30 minutes or so. But installing a derailleur was quite difficult. First I had to find an adapter, and of the three different adapters I tried, only one got the derailleur in the right position. Next, the swing arm pivot and the swing arm itself is so close to the chain rings on the crankset that the derailleur cage would come in contact. I remedied this by cutting away about one-third of the derailleur cage (some might be a little queasy about cutting up a brand new Dura Ace derailleur). The derailleur cage would now move enough to shift the chain from one ring to another, but when in the small ring, the derailleur lever came in contact with the right crank arm. I had to machine down the adapter to bring the derailleur closer to the seat tube.

I could have kept hunting for a better derailleur adapter, but having already tried three, I was getting tired of playing around with them. Another option would be to get a spacer for the right crank arm, and move it out a few millimeters to give more room.

But in the end, i got it working. It's nice to increase my gearing range, and I no longer have a problem with the chain falling off.

The aftermarket has a few chain keepers which will keep your chain from hopping off. You can also get a variety of chain rings with guards which keep the chain in place. And, finally, you can use an XTR derailleur which reduces chain slap when going over bumps.

bhkyte

Birdie as standard has a plastic double chain ring and a stop clip that stops slack chain movement mounted where a front mech would be mounted.
Dont get a 105 crank with double chain ring. Shop does not know what they are talking about imo.
Two best options. Fit double standard chainring guard as per standard.

Or

Litpro make a combined outer chainring and chain ring combo for about £25 on ebay.
I like this combination as it yeids more clearance for the chain ring in folding near the rear stays. Else my silver birdy does not found well.

bhkyte

You might also find a plastic seatpost mounted chain retainer clip for about £3.

sicknsore

seems a lot of works but i'll keep that in mind, thanks..

the shop that recommend me to change my crankset finally just minimize the space between the chain guards to remedy the problem, which is swapping the 5mm spacer with a 3mm so the guards can hold the chain a lil more, thus limiting the use of the 1st gear.. using it would hit the inner guard.. it is fine for now, as long as i dont ride too many climbs

sicknsore

can you lead me to the one that would fit on birdy ?

bhkyte

You will have to do the leg work there.
Just need dimensions for sestpost diameter and required reach.

Adjustable reach versions available.
Or use a front mech??

https://www.xcracer.com/shop/viewproduct.php?productid=370

mikedefieslife

Recently bought a Birdy. Now I just need to get it sent to me.

Can anyone tell me what size box a standard monocoque Birdy will fit into? Obviously the smaller the better.

I've seen folded dimensions listed as 79cm x 61cm x 36cm but that seems bit on the large side considering their pictures on here of people with them in suitcases.

yangmusa

I don't know what size box is needed. I had a silver classic Birdy, and while it did fit in a suitcase some disassembly was needed: remove both wheels, seatpost, and handlebar/stem. It you want to pack it with no disassembly, then the dimensions you listed are probably necessary...

desastar

There is also another handlebar post that is height adjustable and you can also replace the stem for reach. My bike came with this style of handlebar, see second pic.

The first pic is how the bike looks now, which has the sport handlebar (adjustable height) and it is now running 406 sized Velocity wheels. I have the 105 crankset, with the original chainring and guard installed. It is 10 x 1 speed.

The rear rack did not have wheels on it but I tapped in threads and used a set of Brompton rack wheels I had lying around. All working well!

BruceMetras

Are 406 paired spoke Velocity Spartacus wheels still available new Australia, or are your wheels from a few years back?

desastar

No Bruce, I bought the wheelset from a chap who had it for a few years but never used.

bhkyte

Just a note if you are looking to replace the birdie stem.
New stems are for integrated headsets frames and are too short for older frames with threadless headsets.
I have just bought a used but new stem and it does not fit.
Does anyone want to buy a the latest stem for a mark 4 bike or swop for the threaded headset version?

bhkyte

Make sure you get one for the right birdie frame. You need a stem for either a threadless headset or a built in headset like the newer version. The steerer lengths are different

mikedefieslife

Can anyone attest to why the Schwalbe Kojak is so popular in the 355 size? From what I have read, the Marathon Greenguard (which is also available in the Birdy's size) has much lower rolling resistance, and offers better puncture protection.

Ok, so the tests were done on the 622 versions, but the Kojak gets absolutely slated.

https://www.bicyclerollingresistance...lbe-kojak-2017