Flying Pigeon!!!
 

Hey Folks!

Today UPS delivered my new Flying Pigeon M-3 folding bike. Yes, Flying Pigeon. The same bicycle manufacturer that put most of the Chinese bicycle riding population on two wheels!

Just like my previous folder, I obtained this bike from a seller on eBay.

Here are some photos:



http://i404.photobucket.com/albums/p...igeon001-1.jpg

Side view from an angle.

http://i404.photobucket.com/albums/p...igeon005-1.jpg

Quarter rear view.

http://i404.photobucket.com/albums/p...igeon002-1.jpg

Flying Pigeon decal on frame.

http://i404.photobucket.com/albums/p...igeon003-1.jpg

Frame material decal (Magnesium!!!) You really won't be able to see the letters "Mg" clearly enough.

http://i404.photobucket.com/albums/p...igeon006-1.jpg

The Flying Pigeon folded.

http://i404.photobucket.com/albums/p...igeon008-1.jpg

The stem has an added safety feature. To fold it, you must not only loosen the QR, and then grab hold of the stem base and pull up on it in order to fold it down. Of course the process is reversed when unfolding.

http://i404.photobucket.com/albums/p...igeon007-1.jpg

Here is an added bonus I wasn't expecting. The bike came with a carrying bag, and a strip of strong cloth, and velcro material to help keep the bike tightly folded. The bag really looks cool with all the bold, and colorful Chinese lettering on the black material, as well as the Flying Pigeon logo in English.



I don't know all the specs off the top of my mind but uses an entry level Shimano (Revoshift) 6 speed drivetrain. The chainring looks smaller than the one on my Qile Duo. It is probably a 40 tooth, mated to what seems to be a 14-28 cluster. I like my bikes to be geared low so I will appreciate this setup very much.

The rest of the components look solid, and serviceable.

I had the bike delivered to my lady friend's house, who lives a 1/2 mile away, and had to ride it at a slow pace, given that I haven't made any mechanical adjustments yet. That's my project for tonight:)

After I've made all the adjustments, and ridden it for a day or two, I'll let you all know how I like it.

Well thanks for reading and may all of you have a very Happy, and Prosperous New Year:D

Regards,
Edward

Wow Ed! - Looks great. Love the look of it and the bag - and after riding my fake strida 11 miles today, I envy you that plush looking seat.

Hope it meets your needs. How heavy is it? My guess is about 24 pounds. Let us know how you get along with it.

Hi Evil,

I haven't weighed it but I suspect it is in the mid to upper mid 20's. Definitely MUCH lighter than my older bike! For such an inexpensive ($119.00 USD) bike, there is a lot of alloy. Besides the magnesium alloy frame, the stem, the handlebar, the seatpost, the QRs, the crankarms, the rack, and even the fender stays are all alloy. Very little steel.

I forgot to state that this bike is brand new! There is a gentleman who imports these from China, and is based right here in Florida. He also offers two different folding models with 16 inch wheels, and a 6 speed, full size non folding "city bike" with 700c wheels.

The saddle does feel comfy though I haven't ridden it nearly long enough to tell for certain. It is very supportive so there is a good chance it will suffice.

The only issue I have observed so far is that the seat post seems a little too short. I know diameter wise it's a 28.6 mm. I pulled the whole post out to see how long it is, and it looks to me like it's about a 350 mm in length. Unfortunately I don't have a way to get an exact measurement.

Funny thing is that last night I ordered an alloy 28.6 x 400 mm seat post for my Qile Duo folder to replace the heavy chrome steel one. Now I really didn't need to use such a long post on that bike because the seat tube extends upward quite a bit, and even a 300 mm post will be plenty.

This will work great because what I can do is to throw out the old steel post on my Qile Duo, and replace it with the one that came with the M-3. In turn, I can use that new 400 mm seat post on the M-3. Win, win for both bikes:D

Regards,
Edward

Great to see you have a way to swap the posts around. I hope you enjoy the new bike. After lunch, I'm going to wander down to the LBS and see if I can find a cheap but comfy saddle. If not, I might lash out and get a Brooks tan leather one..... They are a bit expensive tough, so maybe I won't... The saddle supplied with the SLO is ok for a few miles. I shouldn't ride that bike 10 or 11 miles since my Merc is much more suitable for that. Sometimes though when I take the little belt driven triangle out for a spin, I just find myself going further and further from home, just for the fun of it.... The old arse, reminds me when I should turn around though.. LOL

:eek:

Looks good. Congrats.

Is the chain cover/bash guard made of metal? It seems to be resting on or rubbing the ground. The original chain guard on my dahon was made of cheap plastic and quickly broke off.

Thank you for your comments. The chain guard is made of plastic, and that is a concern. Many folding bike frames now have a metal piece shaped like a "U" welded under the bottom bracket shell to provide support so that the weight of the bike doesn't rest on the chain ring/guard. But for some reason, Flying Pigeon didn't include this feature. I did take a note of that after looking carefully at the photo showing the bike folded.

I'll just have to be careful if I ever lay the bike on the ground while folded, and perhaps position the right crankarm so that that it partially takes some of the weight. Luckily, the bike is fairly light:)

Regards,
Edward

Daaaamn. You definitely don't want to fold that and place it on the carpet after the chain gets dirty. The chain in the carpet in that picture.

EvilV,

Comfort is in my humble opinion the single most important factor to determine how often a bike gets ridden, and enjoyed;)

I've never tried a Brooks saddle but they enjoy a reputation for being one of the most comfortable saddles you'll ever sit on; that is after it's been broken in properly. It is tempting though as I've seen the Brooks B-17 for as low as $74.95 here in the US. Still not cheap, but not terribly expensive either.:thumb:

I'm going out to ride my new bike in about an hour, on this fine "last day of the year 2008". The weather is perfect.:D

Edward

Great! Enjoy the ride. Hope all meets your requirements with the new bike.

I combined my errand getting with a mid afternoon trip to the local bike shop on my Strida knockoff and the damned place was shut. It was 14.5o hrs and I could see the guy in the shop. The notice on the door said they would shut at 1500 on New Years Eve.... The skiving wretch of a sales boy had decided to close even earlier!!! :mad:

So - I am where I was before, but it isn't so bad. Maybe I'll save money and buy one of those gel covers that lace onto the seat. I could probably make one (but badly most likely).

It is -4 centigrade here and there is a little snow in the breeze. Just enough to make me screw up my eyes when riding. However, the ride was most exhilarating I was glowing all over when I got home. I really love this knock off. It makes not a sound as I ride it - just a feint whirr and free wheel noise when I coast of course.

I am now beginning to regret saying that the Strida was a 'clown's bike' which I did a couple of months ago.

Thanks for the warning. Luckily, the carpet has "Scotchguard", and is very HARD to stain:D

Edward

EvilV,

Maybe the shop's clock is running too fast! Oh well, I guess you'll have to wait until "next year" to go to the bike shop:roflmao2:

Hopefully, you'll find that "nirvana" in saddle comfort. You could try one of those gel seat covers, but I've heard that while they do make the saddle more comfortable initially, after riding for several miles the discomfort comes back. But you never know until you try it.

Enjoy riding your Strida "knock off". These bikes, both authentic, and not, are simple. No gears to change, etc., and that allows you to focus on the riding experience itself.

Happy New Year!:D

Edward

Be sure to let us know how the Pigeon Flies Ed.

Have you seen this history of the Flying Pigeon works?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Pigeon


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...PigeonLogo.png

EvilV,

Yes I have read that article. What a rich history that company has. Most of us have read the history of other makes like Raleigh, and Schwinn, but for most of us Westerners, Flying Pigeon was pretty much unknown, until recent times as China has become more globally involved.

I just came back from a 40-45 minute ride on the Pigeon. What can I say? It rides quite smoothly despite the stiff Mg/Al frame. I could be the tires that help there:) It does make a low "clicking" sound as the crank rotates, and I believe it's one of the pedals which need to be re-tightened. I have to go throughout the entire bike to check on the tightness of the hardware.

The bike is geared LOW! I guess it was spec'ed for terrain that could include hills. Non the less, I like it that way as it makes for a casual paced, low effort ride. I don't have a cyclometer installed yet, but I guess I can cruise at about 10-13 mph easily. To get into the higher "teens", I would have to spin pretty good.

Last night, I ran the numbers for the chainring (42 tooth), and the rear cluster (14-28), and plugged in the tire size (20"x1.75"), and the length of the crankarms (165mm) into Sheldon Brown's online gear calculator. I got a result of a gear range of 28 to 56 gear inches. So the "high" gear on my bike is like your Strida knockoff's single speed ratio.



I am having a problem with the seatpost sliding slowly back into the frame. It uses a plastic shim, and I've noticed that adhesion with metal is not very good. I stopped momentarily and tightened the QR to the point where I had to really push on the lever to close it! When I got home, I checked the seatpost, and it had not moved. Good except that I shouldn't have to use that much effort in opening, and closing the QR. There is a bike shop in the neighborhood, and I might go out in a few minutes to see if they have an aluminum shim (28.6 to ?) that will fit.

It is a beautiful day for a ride, and I took first towards the lake. There are two docks with gazebos at the end. I stopped at one of them, and sat down to take in the view. The blue/purple color on the Pigeon shows very nicely especially on a bright sunny day. I wish I had my digital camera with me. Maybe if I do go to that bike shop, I take the camera.

By the way "Evil", I don't want to make you jealous, but that saddle is quite comfy:D Now I probably rode 4 miles or so, but I can tell already it's going to be good:)

This is going to sound funny but I am pondering the idea of getting a second FP to "hot rod" it. They sell this bike in Orange, or Red, which are "sportier" colors. :thumb:I would take off the fenders, and the rack, change out the chain ring to something like a 52 tooth...the rear cluster would be changed to a 7 speed Shimano "Megarange" (11-34) so that it would have a good high gear, and decent low as well. A set of 20" x 1.5" Greenspeed Scorcher tires would make this bike a fast roller.

The magnesium frame is definitely worth any upgrades, especially considering the low price.

Ahhh....think of the possibilities.

Raleigh Twenty...eat your heart out:p

Happy New Year to All!

Edward

I've bought a number of bikes that have clicks - most actually. I always have to go over them and check things are properly fastened up. The price of that 'bird' makes it perfectly possible to buy another to mess about with. At $120 it is pretty cheap, isn't it? Especially since you like it so much. The gearing does seem very low - but great if you live in a hilly area. I find the odd hill in my town where the 56" gear ratio of my slo makes it a bit hard, but mostly I can cope.

About the sliding seat post. My Merc brompton knock off used to do that and still will if the QR isn't like yours. I wiped off the lubricant film with an alcohol wipe and that helped keep it where t was supposed to be.

As for R20 'eat your heart out' - I've seen many old R20s that were just about respectably tidy and they went on ebay for nearly what you paid for a new bike. Maybe they have more potential in the end, but you do have to sort them out. I bought a really tatty one a few weeks ago for £15. It was very cheap and will need a lot of work, but it will keep me out of mischief for a while.

I'm back:D

The clicking noise was indeed the left pedal which needed to be tightened to the crank some more. The right one was plenty tight from the factory. So that noise is gone. The only other noise I detect is a intermittent "scraping" sound, and I think it's the plastic chainguard that rubs the chain when it rotates to a certain point. I'll take care of that as well.

The price makes this bike very accessible for "customization". I've got the money, but maybe I need to hold off that idea until I return to work, and have a regular income again:(

The gearing is low, but the funny part of all this is that there are really no hills where I live (Orlando, Florida). It's just nice to be able to pedal at a casual pace, with little effort:)

I will try that idea of yours, and use alcohol on the seatpost, and the shim to see if that works. You see it is critical that I have that seat up as high as safely possible because it's a bit on the short side, and my knees require nearly full extension of my legs. If not, my knees begin to ache, and the pedaling effort increases quite a bit.

My comment "Raleigh Twenty...eat your heart out!" was of course "tongue in cheek":D The "Twenty" has a "ferocious" following, and I can understand why. Non the less, I think the Flying Pigeon M-3 has a good base to do a lot of things to it, but it does not have the "legacy" that the "Twenty" has. It's all perception I guess:)

Now here are a few photos I took while on my second ride an hour ago.

http://i404.photobucket.com/albums/p...igeon001-2.jpg

This side view of the Pigeon was taken on the bike trail that runs along Lake Susanna here in Orlando. That's the lake where the place that I live is. Notice the height of the saddle. It should be right at the height of the handlebar.

http://i404.photobucket.com/albums/p...igeon002-2.jpg

Rear view of the bike in the same location.

http://i404.photobucket.com/albums/p...igeon003-2.jpg

This was taken on another lake front, right off the trail.

http://i404.photobucket.com/albums/p...igeon004-1.jpg

Front view

Well I just remembered that I better go to the store quickly before they close to observe New Year's eve. Looking forward to continued participation in this cool forum:D

Edward

Me likey!
Ed, what is the actual weight of the bike? TIA!

I haven't had the chance to weigh it yet, but I'm pretty certain that it is less than 30 lbs. While the frame, the stem, the crankarms, and the seat post are alloy, there are still some components that are heavy steel, such as the hubs, the chainring, and the derailleur.

Someone who likes to tinker could have fun with that magnesium alloy frame, and turn it into a "minimalistic" SS or fixed gear bike...20-22 lbs. is probably very realistic.:)

If I get a chance to actually weigh the bike, I will post it in this thread.

Regards,
Ed

Don't know about others, but I remain interested in getting the weight on this bike and wondered if you'd had a chance to weigh it yet.

Are the rear dropouts vertical or horizontal? Wondering if this would be an easy candidate for a SS/FG or IGH conversion...

I'm going to a friend's house in about a minute. She has a scale, and I'll weigh the bike, and post the result here later this afternoon.

Regards,
Edward

The dropouts are "semi horizontal"? You might need a chain tensioner of some sort for a SS/\FG or IGH, unless you find that the distance for the chain is just the right length. Later this afternoon, or early evening, I'll see if I can take a photo of the dropout and post it here.

Regards,
Edward

OK, I'm back!

To "DVC45", and "harlord", the weight of the bike is 28 lbs.

To "Mconlonx", the Pigeon's dropout is actually vertical, and a very short one I might add. It surprised me when I removed the axle nut. I've included two photos but they aren't very clear. My digital camera is cheap, and doesn't have the sharp resolution at close distances; unless there is a function that I'm not aware to make that adjustment. Still I doubt it. Anyway, here are the photos.

http://i404.photobucket.com/albums/p...Dropout001.jpg

Here is the first photo I took. I let the axle move away a bit from the top of the dropout to give the notion of the dropout's length. That silver rod on the right is one of the rear fender's stays.

http://i404.photobucket.com/albums/p...Dropout002.jpg

I "zoomed in" to see if I could get a better, and more detailed photo, but it is actually blurred a little bit more than the first picture.

I am still having trouble with the seatpost slidding in gradually as I ride.:( I have tried tightening the QR to the point where it is quite hard to close, cleaning the seatpost, and the plastic shim with alcohol, and even used hairspray on the post. I do have to say that I don't think I let the hairspray dry enough, so the "jury is still out" so to speak on this method. Any more suggestions?;)

Edward

U sure you will find a saddle to fit that huge Geordie ass of yours Evilboy? :lol:

My MIFA folding bike has the exact same frame. MIFA gets it's (unpainted) frames from China or Taiwan and does the rest in Germany.
I think my frame is made without magnesium, but it's still not heavy. Around 13-15kg.

My plastic shim broke and I lost it. I fixed the problem by wrapping ducttape around the seatpost. That solved the problem for me entirely and the seatpost isn't sliding into the frame anymore.

The MIFA's frame is manufactured by Flying Pigeon. In fact if you go to their website, you'll see a red MIFA.

Your solution for a slipping seat post is quite simple. Now I was told by a bike shop employee some time ago that it is better to use alloy shims instead of the plastic one. There is better adhesion metal to metal.

I'll look into all the possibilities.

Thanks again for posting.

Edward