hey guys... going to get a birdy new classic soon.
i would like to know what mod or essential upgrade should i be looking for ? i am doing doing some weekend riding of maybe up to 50-100km all are urban.
the thread is some long.. i think i will go 10 pages back.. and absorb as much as i can.

The simplest is to make sure you're running the right elastomers for your weight. I'm 190cm/90kg and need the stiff versions.

My favorite upgrade on my Birdy is an Origin8 Strongbow loop handlebar. The sweep matches the factory handlebar so the fold is the same other than the front of the loop sticking out of the side. If you're not really sensitive to an extra few centimeters of folded width, it provides a variety of hand positions: a moderately aerodynamic position on the front, standard flatbar control on the sides, and palms on the corners is the most comfortable position. I've included a picture below to give an idea but it was taken just after I put the bars on and was my first attempt at wrapping and I didn't know what I was doing. I've since swapped to a thumb shifter next to the stem to free up the right grip and I have both sides wrapped like the right side here but without the extra cuts and tape.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...5aba531cbb.jpg

interesting! certainly will look in that direction if there is a need. i am not as tall as you as i think the elastomers should not be a problem. however, if you put a 'stiffer' elastomers then required, what diverse effect will it have?

It's less about the height than the weight. If you're too heavy for the elastomers the bike pogos when you're pedaling. Too stiff will lead to more medium frequency road noise coming through the handlebars (correct tire pressure should handle the higher frequency noise) which should be fine, just less comfortable.

oic. thanks for the exaplanation

Is a low-profile rear rack still available somewhere (for the Mark 2 Birdy)?
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...5c24b6edb9.png
Mobicbikes, Bikegang

Thank you.

I have three issues with this second-hand Birdy (production year unknow, possibly circa 2015):

1. When starting from a full stop, there's a bit of lateral play in the stem that goes away once I'm airborne: How to investigate, and possiblly tighten something?

2. Its eight-speed SG-C6010 Nexus is very draggy — the wheel stops spinning very soon after I stop pedalling —, although it's supposed to be premium; The brand new (non-premium) SG-C6001 I installed on another bike recently is much better. Could it be that the cones are too tight, or the hub needs lubrication?

3. Since I'll use it as a touring bike, I'd like to increase its gear range with a double chainring:
a. Is a new bottom bracket required for the chain line?
b. Should I replace its Alfine chain tensioner with a small derailleur?
c. For the front, what clamp + derailleur + shifter would your recommend?

Thank you.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...d80664021c.jpg

1. I would check the stem folding joint first, it ought to be adjustable. Second, the headset. Hold a finger between stem and headset, lock the brake and rock the bike back and forth. If there is play, it's very noticeable. Adjusting it may be somewhat tricky since it's upside down. I haven't checked if you need a special tool for this, or if it's just a matter of tightening the starnut bolt (after you've loosened the fork bolts, and do not forget to tighten them again).

2. Likely lubrication, if it has seen a lot of km's. Either way, if you're not skilled at dealing with such hubs, it's best to find someone who is.

3 a. Maybe, but if you can get away with chainring spacers that's much cheaper and easier. Looks like you already have a double on it, so then it's just a matter of measuring the hub chainline and the crank chainline (for the crankset you measure at a point between the two rings). See https://sheldonbrown.com/chainline.html

b. Maybe. I would try and see how it works out first (carefully).

c. No idea, other than get a derailer that matches your chainring size and number (double).

I wouldn't change the tensionner because its a modified one to ensure chain tensionning when the rear wheel is folded.

I think this Birdy is older because its a Birdy 2 and Birdy 3 appeared in 2015. It has a classic external headset which could require some adjustment.

The Nexus needs some grease time to time. This may explain the drag.

Thanks. Based on the number on the frame, it's from January 2015.

Turns out I might not need a rear derailleur since the Alfine CT-S500 chain tensioner is able to handle two chainrings. But I'll need to add Pacific Cycles' front chain tensioner since the chain tends to fall off when folding the bike.

If the headset does need adjustement, how is it done?

Does it do the same on your Birdies? https://gofile.io/d/8Cq8Ns

The headset is a classic Ahead headset the only difference is that its mounted upside down with the cap of the headset between the fork legs.

The usual stem bolts of the Ahead headset are the two bolts near the front fork folding lever.

The fork does what the stem does with a normal Ahead headset, the stem has the tube of the fork of a classic Ahead headset.

To adjust, you need to loosen the two bolts near the front fork release, then tighten the bolt in the center of the Ahead cap between the fork legs and tighten again the two bolts of the fork.

The chain drop problem was a known issue with the old style tensionner arm added to the Shimano tensionner or to a derailleur cage, the new style tensionner of the Birdy 3 around the bottom bracket is much better. All Birdy 3 use this new tensionner, also the Riese & Müller Birdy.

Thanks.

1. It looks like the fork is OK (no play when pulling the brake and pushing the bike back and forth): The small issue I'm having seems to be due to the clamp. I can feel it moving a bit when pushing on either end of the handlebar: https://gofile.io/d/QOpmtM

2. After adding a front derailleur, what solution is there to keep the chain from falling off the chairing when folding?

3. Does someone know who makes this low-rise rear rack?

4. Since Birdies are pretty scarce around here, but I assume they must be a bit more common in Germany… is there a good site that advertises second-hand bikes? Considering the price Birdies are sold in Europe today, I'm willing to take the train and grab one if the price is right.

So many questions :-p

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...bf06214a86.png

The current chain tensioner mounted on all Birdy 3 from R&M and Pacific Cycles works with a double chain-ring and front derailleur: it was factory mounted on my Titanium Birdy that has from factory a compact 52-36 front cankset with a front derailleur (FSA SLK-light crankset and Shimano 105 front derailleur).

For Birdy and Birdy spare parts from Germany, you can look on Ebay Kleinanzeigen Deutschland.

The Birdy is less popular in Germany than in the past because Riese & Müller doesn't promote it much and most current R&M resellers are specialized in high end eBikes not in folding bikes.

The rack you show has the drawback of increasing the folded size.

Why not the folding rear rack ?

Man i miss my birdy, but dont like its folding footprint.

The clamp is adjustable. Open the clamp, tighten it slightly which a hex key and socket, close the clamp, and try again. Don't tighten it so much that the clamp is difficult to close.
(In your video I also see some other small bolts, slightly different from mine, they seem to be there for keeping the clamp assempty together. Not sure how that is set up, but if any of them are loose you could try carefully tightening them.)

Also, it looks like your handlepost is of the height adjustable type, check that the clamp for that is tightly closed, too.

If none of this solves the problem, please check carefully for cracks. Worst case, something is about to break. Best of luck!

About P40 Anniversary Birdy
Questions answered.

Thanks for posting. What was cool is the CEO stating that the 4th generation Birdy will come out in 2025. Wish it was sooner but it will be interesting to speculate the changes they will enact and how much of the P40 design will carry over to the 4th generation.

Thanks for the link.

Because I don't use paniers and prefer to keep my bag as low to the ground as possible.

Thank for the tip. The clamp is as tight as could be, as is the stem. I'll have to live with it. No biggie.

Curious what the frame number means on a Birdy?

"The first two digits for the year of production, from 00-99. The third and fourth digit represent the week of the year, from 01-52. The last four digits are the serial number of the lot, from 0001 up. This has been our numbering system for 40 years."

I have a friend interested by he Rise & Müller Birdy and one question about the Birdy Touring with the Sunrace hub (which is the only remaining R&M Birdy with rear derailleur): is it possible to mount a standard Shimano/SRAM cassette on this hub ?

Or does it accept only the proprietary Sunrace cassette ?

There is very little information available on the web about this hub !

Nothing is said on the Sunrace website about the compatibility of their only hub (HBSX1 for disc brake, HBSX0 for rim brakes) and their 4 types of cassettes (CSSS) 10s and CSSX0 11s), seem the same hub accept 10s and 11s cassettes ?

The sunrace hub which accepts 9t cassettes fits only these special sunrace cassettes. Both 10 and 11 speed fit, I have used both. (The old shimano capreo cassettes MAY fit, there is some indication the hub is a clone of those, but they are obsolete anyway.) It will NOT fit standard shimano/sram cassettes. It will also NOT fit sram xd cassettes.

It is also a weak hub in my experience, I can not recommend it for strong and/or heavy riders.

In case someone's interested in the low-rise rear rack sold with Birdies some years ago, it's no longer made and R&M has none in stock.

https://www.bikeforums.net/21838614-post1452.html

Multi-S has also a non folding rear rack.

But its heavy.

Not mounting the inline skate wheels and removing the omnidirectional system will reduce the weight but i am afraid that it will remain heavy.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...1349854b9a.jpg

Thanks for the tip. Heavy, ugly, and expensive (£171 for just a rack!) :-/

SRAM XD/XDR is a totally other concept than the classic Shimano freewheel and also the Campagnolo freewheel.

But the Capreo, Moulton, Campagnolo N3W and I think this Sunrace use all the same idea: the part of the freewheel close to the spokes where the biggest cogs are located remain classic. But the extremity where the smallest cogs come has a smaller section to allow the 10 or 9 teeth cog. Campagnolo has an adapter that allow the use of the classic Campagnolo cassettes on the N3W freewheel.

Therefore my question if it is really impossible to mount a classic cassette on the Sunrace freewheel.

I read the problem you had with this Sunrace rear hub, but this is the only remaining derailleur option for the R&M Birdy.

Aha, then I see what you mean. I still have the sunrace hub, but not right here. Early January I can try to slip a standard cassette on the inner part. Then we'll know if that is the same. We'd still need an adapter to fit the outer part of the cassette.

On the Moulton proprietary hub made for the Moulton 10-28 or 10-32 proprietary cassette it seems to be possible to mount a single piece Campagnolo cassette.

The lockring used for the Moulton cassette is a standard Campagnolo locknut fastened with the standard Campagnolo tool.

I need to test-ride a Birdy bike before submitting an order for one.
I live in the northeast US; I'm willing to travel a little bit to see one of these bikes in person.
BFold is out of stock, so unfortunately, there are no stocked Birdy bikes I'm able to test.
Reason for testing is so I can see if the bike works for me, before committing and placing an order.

I have tested to put an old 9-speed cassette of the classic type on the Sunrace hub. Pictures at https://www.flickr.com/photos/gunnst...h/50021529378/, scroll down.

The spline pattern is the same. The lower 6 cogs of the 9-speed cassette engage the splines. The rest have no support. But with a one-piece cassette, and a custom lockring, it might be possible to make it work.

The Sunrace lockring has threads on the inside, and the classic kind has them on the outside. The diameter is obviously very different. The Sunrace lockring requires a special tool - the Shimano Capreo tool works, which is why some suggest the Sunrace hub is a Capreo clone. I don't know.
https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffab&q=shi...ages&ia=images

The custom lockring required to make this work should probably include a cylindrical part to stabilise the outer cassette, and on top of that, a threaded lockring which is wide enough to support an 11t outer cog. This likely means a different kind of tool interface is needed.

Thanks for doing the test.

The problem is actually the lockring !

As explained, Moulton used a similar thick to put a 10 teeth cog on a proprietary modified Campagnolo freewheel but could keep the standard Campagnolo lockring and the standard Campagnolo tool. Maybe because the smallest cog is bigger, 10 teeth vs. 9 teeth ?

A custom big washer between the Sunrace lockring and cassette could maybe do the job ?