Afterthought: Using some fibreglass mesh tape such as https://www.amazon.co.uk/APT-Tape-Re.../dp/B09HY1R2V7 instead of wire could be a neater solution. First apply a thin layer of epoxy (the slow setting type might be better) then wrap with tape and apply another layer of epoxy.

electric birdy
 

Hello this is my first message.
I have a first or second generation Birdy and I want to put an electric front hub.
I was looking for engines and found one, I would like your opinion, if it will be possible to put that engine in the unusual front fork AKM85SX(F3) lo pueden encontrar en la web site de aikema-e
i cant post link or pics sorry

I see the Touring currently ships with a three speed Sunrace gear hub and a ten-cog 9-32T Sunrace cassette, and have a couple of questions:
1. What are the gear ratios on the gear hub, so I can computer the gear range?
2. Is that gear hub draggy or efficient? I intend to ride that bike in mountains so the less drag the better
3. Is that 9-32T cassette common? Once it's worn, can I easily replace it, with the same model or from eg. Shimano?

Thank you.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...a1e5929d0b.png

This Sunrace hub is not an IGH, its a hub for a cassette, the Riese & Müller Birdy Touring has a pure 10s derailleur transmission (while the Pacific Cycles Birdy Touring is a 3x8s with an IGH, quite confusing same model name for different components).

This Sunrace hub+cassette system is meant for small wheels bikes and is derived from the old Shimano Capreo group. Its proprietary, the hub only accept special Sunrace cassettes (with 10s or 11s) and these proprietary cassette can only be mounted on the special Sunrace hub (and maybe on a Shimano Capreo hub ?), mounting requires a special tool (similar to the Shimano cassette and centerlock disc tool but different).

Its very difficult to find these Sunrace special cassettes as spare parts. (same for the hub but there is usually no need to replace it).

The gear inch range provided by this 9-32t cassette with the Birdy Wheel size is excellent and fit the needs of most users.

For those like me who don't like that transmission, the other possibility is to use a SRAM XD or XDR compatible rear hub (the Birdy rear hub is a standard 135mm OLD hub with 5mm quick release) with a Ethirteen or 3T 11S 9-34t or 9-32t cassette same as mounted on the Helix Superlight.

I wanted to buy a new fork but it seems Australia is managed by Pacific cycles and they wouldnt sell me one. So weird. I wanted a disc fork instead of my current rim brake fork. I might ask the Riese and Muller dealer in Sydney.

Good to know. For a wider gear range, I might replace the single chainring with a double + derailleur, provided it's easy to do.

deep maintenance
 

How do I maintain the rear joint axis? Any person with experience?
I just removed the axis because I noticed that it was run to the side, it was not symmetric,
The axis is a piece of solid metal, nothing in particular but the female axis in the main picture, has NEEDLE ROLLER BEARING and for a piece of nylon and has oxide, is there any replacement for that? icant send picture yet but im shooting for the future

What type of Birdy do you have?

If you don't know it, the Birdy front disc brake is on the right side of the bike (to allow a more compact fold) and its position WRT. the center of the front hub is not standard (the distqnce between the fork dropout and disc is the same as from a rear disc, i.e. bigger than standard), so, even if the front OLD is 100mm, you cannot use a standard front disc hub, you need a specific disc front hub.

The chainline of the Birdy depend of the type of transmission, Riese & Müller put spacers on the bottom bracket to have the chainline corresponding to the one f the rear hub.

This has some influence when mounting a front derailleur.

classic 2 gen I believe, with that rare system of clamp seat post

If its a Birdy 2, I think there is no grease nipple on the rear swingarm bearing+axle like on the Birdy 3 ? Without that, the only possibility is to dismount the axle.

yeah no grease nipple, I already dismount the axle cleaned and put some silicone wd40 spray but i dont know if is good solution or is better grease...

WD40 is terrible for bearings, it should absolutely be avoided.

I have actually brought old 3 speed hubs back to life by feeding them WD40 and then when they start to work putting them back on oil. I think they get sludgy and WD40 breaks that up. The old hubs with ports seemed to be designed to leak.

was not regular wd40 was silicone quick drying. could be better freehub grease?

One more question, I take out the front shock absorber hook, does anyone have a diagram of how is it going? I no longer remember Lol

A Sunrace 9 speed cassette 9-28 is available here:
https://www.somafabshop.com/shop/590...2340#attr=4801
Using Shimano cogs, it should be possible to modify it to 9-32.

Before I order one, for those of you how bought H&H's Front Carrier Block for Brompton Bag Lug Adapter, can you confirm that…
1. The inner distance between the two flanges is 71.12 mm
2. If need be, each flange can be rotated 180° to fit a non-Birdy folder?

And what's the height/thickness of each flange?

Thank you.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...f8d67e4b01.png

The long dimension 63.00 mm. Depth of flange ring support 11.11 MM. This is off my Zizzo with H&H for Birdy 3. I don't know what is in the pics with the squares. I don't have that. I had to shim a little bit due to slight diameter difference. I would think that the flanges could be rotated and the piece that holds the block could be rotated.,

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...d0232d47f9.jpg

Thanks for the infos.

Birdy 10D head stem wanted
 

I have a Birdy Gen II with 21D sport stem and would like to replace it with the comfort stem. Does anyone have one they are willing to sell or swap?

Thanks

Hi all,

My Birdy folding hinge lever keep coming loose (pops up) as I ride. How do I adjust it? It is as simple as adjusting some bolt? I have a Birdy Gen 2. Thanks all.

Pictured is my Brompton T Line and by Birdy Gen 2.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...deb5b1b88b.jpg

I would try tightening the longitudinal bolt that runs from the cam to the front of the hinge. Do it in quarter turn increments. It should feel harder to close the locking lever. But not too hard.

Thank you. I'll try with that bolt.

Front panniers for first-generation Birdy mooncoque
 

I have a first-generation monocoque-frame Birdy (with a Rohloff hub) that doesn't have the screw-holes on the front dropout later provided to mount a low-rider rack. I wonder if anyone has successfully mounted front panniers on this model? If so how did you manage it?

Thanks

Would P-clips such as these solve your problem https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m5b0s215...TORTEC-P-Clips ?

Off topic but what pig nose adapter is that on your Zizzo? I have the Zizzo branded version on my Liberté and it has only 1 attachment point at the bottom of the head tube, limiting me to about 5# carrying limit. How much can you carry? Thanks.

Back to Birdy talk - I've always admired the look and engineering of those bikes and would love to try one someday...

Its H&H. It says it on there in the picture, but it is small. I believe it would fail by the two small screws in the upper flange pulling out or snapping. They say it is good for 8Kg. I have likely overloaded mine a time or two.

You could mount your Zizzo at the top of the head tube. I think that would be better. Not sure why Zizzo shows it mounted below. If you were going to make a funky one legged support, you might as well take advantage of the fact it has only one leg.

Just come across this thread while searching for all things Birdy related. I've recently converted a Mk1 Birdy to a Nexus 8 speed IGH. I was finding the chain prone to slipping off the cassette when folding with the previous derailleur as well as it being more prone to picking up dirt (my intention is to convert it to belt drive at some point.

I used a Brompton chain tensioner which, with some judicious fettling, mounts to the back of the derailleur hanger and lines up perfectly with the rear sprocket. I'm tempted to drill the underside the swing arm so I can route the gear cable up the inside. Also to come are some lights to wire into a dynohub up front.

On that note, what are the preferred mounting points for a front light? It feels like options are limited with the fold.

I would post some pics but currently not up to the 10 post threshold

There is an option to put the light on the front fork in a support sold on Aliexpress, but I don't think that is such a good solution, I would put it directly on the handlebar.
I'm already looking forward to you making your 10 posts, so you can post photos of your bike and details. I'm planning to do the same with an Alfine 11, plus a front engine.