faffer

I think he's saying that there's too much space between the fender and the tire, not that it needs 1 inch of coverage in front of the head tube. You'd think that with their prices and in-house production that Bike Friday would offer better accessories. Maybe after selling the Tikit for a few more years they will be more oriented towards commuting.

Also a side question. Do you think Scorchers would fit inside caliper brakes?

stevegor

Oh you mean my R20!!......I thought you meant me sending you my old musky uncle

vik 

The fender on Amy's bike fits quiet close to the tire in fact there isn't much room between the tire and the fender under the fork so I couldn't imagine it being any closer. I need to tweak the rear part of the fender on her bike to follow the tire better. I just haven't had time to do so.

The fender on my bike [white NWT] doesn't sit very close to the tire. Which is why I bought some 20" full coverage SKS fenders, but as I noted above after owning the bike for 6 months I haven't had any issues with the fenders from Bike Friday. They have worked well and I haven't come home covered in road spray. Which is why I haven't bothered mounting the SKS fenders yet. I will at some point - when I'm in the mood as I prefer the aesthetic of a full coverage fender.

gregstandt

Vik, Where did you find 20" SKS fenders? I like their fenders but couldn't find 20".

I just ordered some Planet Bike fenders to replace the BF fenders on my Pocket Llama. I do get considerable 'blow-back' off the front fender but my biggest issue is that the rear fender stops short of the rear brake and doesn't protect it at all. I could have just fixed a short section of plastic to fix this but I also think the Planet Bike fenders are better looking.

As soon as we get the custom stem back I'll be posting some pics of my wife's new BF Pocket Rocket Pro Pettite. Some serious folder porn there.

I enjoy your posts and love your NWT.

Greg

vmaniqui

greg,

check this out:

https://dahon.com/intl/accessories/performance/mini.htm

i am also Vic but not VIK........

thanks,
vic

vik 

Just realized I made an error my fenders are Planet Bike units...not SKS...

Looking forward to your wife's bike. We can never have too much folder porn I always say!...

vik 

I finally found the time to connect Amy and her new Bike Friday [she lives in another town 2hrs away]...



We got it dialed in and went over the basics of bike operation and ownership...



...it's fun to see someone super stoked to ride a bike!...

vmaniqui

three thumps up !!!!

neilfein

These are made for Dahon bikes, but would probably fit on other folders. (I'd ask Thor.)

https://www.thorusa.com/dahon/accessories/racks.htm

Boudicca

Does she like the handlebars so sloping?

That's my only complaint about the Pocket Rocket -- I think I need narrower handlebars, with the drops closer to the hoods.

vik 

This is her first bike in as long as she can remember so I gave up really trying to get into too much detail with her. I made sure the bike worked and fit her well enough to ride. Beyond that she just has to ride it a while and figure stuff out.

I'm hoping to get out on a tour with Amy in 3 weeks or so. By then she should have a fair number of miles on the bike and we can tweak things for her.

edwong3

Well Amy seems quite happy on her new Bikefriday It's a superb value for just under $1,000! The "Pocket Companion" which is based on the NWT looks very tempting at only $895, but I'm not much of a traveler anyway, and I'm saving for a recumbent bicycle...hopefully sometime this coming August

I really hope she enjoys her new bike, and the upcoming tour together

Edward Wong III
Qile Duo 5 Speed 20" Folder

vmaniqui

at that price - that is really tempting. hmm should i sell my 3 dahons, 1 A-bike and citizen tokyo......maybe not enough though.

deepakvrao

So, 2 years down the line, would you suggest the BF fenders or the Planet Bike?

Just ordered 2 NWTs and added the Pl Bike fenders, but have a month or more before they ship to change.

Any idea how the bike packs without removing the rear fender if it were a full coverage one with stays?

vik 

Well my Planet Bike fenders remain on the shelf - uninstalled. I'm sure they would provide better coverage than the BF units, but the BF fenders work well enough that I haven't been bothered. I suspect you will have to uninstall both PB fenders to get them into a suitcase.

I will probably install the PB fenders next time I am overhauling the NWT since they are paid for and I don't fly with my NWT so the packing hassle doesn't affect me.

deepakvrao

We mostly do not carry fenders, but the occasional trip into rainy areas, I guess I will be willing to do the fender work. The aesthetics of nicely fitting fenders is what is attractive.

Thanks for all the help Vik. Ordered today. NWT for both with non split [after so much debating], bars. Only reason to get split bars was if they helped in packing a regular rear rack in the suitcase. If I can't, I'll buy their folding rack.

Which bike to you carry when you fly?

vik 

+1 - the BF fenders are convenient, but a bit goofy looking!

Sweet! You'll enjoy the bikes. My NWT always puts a smile on my face...

Well first off I don't fly with my bikes a lot. I get to ride my bikes a lot at home so I don't have any desire to deal with the hassles of taking one with me on a business trip or a visit to my parents.

Secondly I'm about 50% for not paying any baggage fees when flying with a full sized bike in a box. So I don't have much of an incentive to spend a ton of time packing a bike into a suitcase or dealing with it at the other end when I'm tired and just want to get rolling.

I don't even own a hardshell suitcase for packing my NWT. If I was flying with it I would just fold it and then build a DIY cardboard box out of a bike box to fit. That way I'd be rolling at the far end of my trip in 5mins.

So why bother with a folding bike at all?

#1 - I'd ride a Bike Friday NWT even if I never ever folded it. It is a fun nimble bike to ride that can haul a week's worth of groceries or camping gear. Most of my NWT rides do not involve any folding.

#2 - the small size unfolded makes it easier to store/transport and with minute or three of effort I can fold it down into a small package.

#3 - I travel by car on a lot of my trips and a folding bike can stay inside the vehicle without dominating every inch of cargo space.

pacificcyclist

Vik, thanks for posting Amy's Pocket Sport bike. Brought great memories of me and my beloved BF NWT Cream Soda many years back! We had such great times together when airlines then where, shall we say, more agreeable in terms of us bringing bikes on board even on a big plastic bag for free!

Fenders. I did not bother with mine on my 8000 miles trip across 5 Western states and the trip up north to Graham island on the Queen Charlotte islands. Yeap, it rained a lot (both Prince Rupert and Skidegate riding up to Misty Meadows). But you know what, when you are traveling avg 20km/h or so, you won't get sprayed much.

Reflectors. Unfortunately though, Thor is right. I have reflectors for day riding and a Radio Shack marine certified XEON flasher for night riding on the highway (happened to me a few times after battling head winds all day long and the 18 wheelers honked at me with great appreciation). In the city, it is not that of a big deal. When you are touring in tight switch backs like going up to the sun road in Montana however and having those idiot amateur RV drivers on Go America, they rarely pay any attention to cyclists and if you are not seen, you get squashed. I have been fortunate enough to be saved by the reflectors, only to be met with a beer bottle because I disrupted the young boys's Sunday ride because of the reflection.

Amy's bike is a gorgeous!

vik 

BTW - Amy has a website with bike touring reports on it. If you want to check out the adventures of a girl and her Bike Friday it's worth a look:

https://www.apeopleborntomove.com/