BIRDY! My (second) first folding bike...
 

:D Woo hoo!

I just won an auction for a used Birdy bike. I'll use this thread to post up pics and info about the bike once it's in my hands.

The reason my thread is called "My (second) first folding bike...", is because I won an auction for a Puma Disko (Biomega Boston) bike last week. However, I would never get to see that bike in the flesh. After the seller received my payment, he boxed up the bike, put it into his truck, and drove it to be shipped over to me... except the tailgate to the pickup truck was down, so the bike tumbled out of the truck in transit! The seller refunded my money and that was my very brief experience owning a (very cool) Biomega folder. :(

The Birdy bike I won has a few problems with the gearing, but that can easily be tuned up or replaced if necessary. There are other issues too (which don't really bother me) like a broken cable guide, scratched paint and a (hack job) replaced latch bolt. We'll see how much of a basket case it is once I receive it. I'm sure it will receive additional scars once I begin commuting on the bike every day for work (between my suburban home, commuter train, office in Chicago).

All that said, I'm eager to receive my Birdy and get a chance to ride it before the snow starts piling up out here in the Midwest! ;)

R.I.P. my FIRST first folding bike, the Biomega Puma Disko... I wish we could have met in person.

http://just.razzi.me/photos/853027/74b1e15.jpg

....

HELLO to my SECOND first folding bike, the Birdy... I can't wait to meet you and begin a long relationship of Chicago commuting!

http://just.razzi.me/photos/853028/bfcec06.jpg

Congrats! Do let us know how it works for you.

Don

I like the Birdy better than the Puma. I hope that you have many miles of fun on it.

good luck with this one! as soon as you get it take it directly to be serviced. its going to need it ;)

Thanks, I do too. In the same hour I won the auction for the Puma bike, I saw the Birdy and was kicking myself. So in a weird way, it worked out that the Puma took a dive in transit since I'm going to end up with the Birdy after all.

Ha. I think I'll be able to get the gearing straightened out. If not, I have more than a few options at home for replacement gearing. ;)

(edit... if all else fails, I have a couple friends who work at bikes shops.) :P

excellent :thumb:

A Birdy with Dual Drive is a great option .. I had a Birdy Silver which came stock with a Dual Drive.. terrific bike.. I have enough bits laying around, just may build up another .. I think you'll enjoy the Birdy a lot more than the Puma, especially if you are going to travel or multi-mode with it..

wow what a bike! have you tried a brompton before? how does the ride on a birdy compare to a brompton / full sized bike?

I love my Birdy, and I commute on it almost every day. As soon as I got it, I installed a 10 speed XT shifter, derailleur, and freewheel. The 10 speed setup gives me a wide range of gearing while keeping the weight down, and it was a bolt-on mod, the 10 speed cog fits the stock Parallax hub fine.

I find the Birdy to be lighter and faster than a Brompton. The Birdy has a more road bike like cockpit, and I can adjust it to mimic the measurements I use on my full-size bikes. While not as fast as a real road bike, the Birdy can still fly quickly.

Besides the 10 speed driveline, I installed XTR brakes and levers, and some titanium hardware. The cheesy stock rims are wearing out, so I will upgrade the wheels shortly. I am also considering getting a better crank set, the stock chain ring works well enough with the 10 speed chain, but the chain guards are too wide, and occasionally the chain slips off the ring and gets stuck between the guard and the ring.

All in all, I can't think of a better folder than the Birdy, my other bikes are getting dusty.

Hey darukhan, when are we getting pics of your new beast? Hasn't it arrived yet?

You bought yourself a hell of a bike! the first full suspension folding bike and one of does with a huge following, there is plenty of info on the web regarding upgrades, spares and accessories.



Welcome to the fold


Juan

Pictures please!!!

+1. pictures please or it never happened.

+2. pics or its a fantasy...

:) ha! Lots of replies to this thread I need to follow up on. Sorry for the delay... I've been busy with Thanksgiving stuff (visiting family, Christmas decorations for the house with the wifey, etc. etc.)

I'm just about to go out for dinner with the wife, so I'll post more info and pics either tonight or tomorrow.

Just a little teaser though...

1) Yes, the bike has arrived!
2) My first experience with it was, shall we say, quite an adventure!
3) I have started tweaking it / fixing little issues.
4) I love it and it's not such a basketcase after all, it just needs a littl more TCLC and I think it will be perfect for me!

More to come...

Here are the pics I snapped this weekend...

Portable! Birdy on the rack of my Schwinn cruiser
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/f...e/IMG_3379.jpg


Side view of folded Birdy
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/f...e/IMG_3381.jpg


Cockpit detail... worn out grips, surface rust on stem bolts, cycle computer was included (but not expected in auction!), I added the cheapo light
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/f...e/IMG_3390.jpg


Back view of the Sram DualDrive 24 hub (3x8 speed: 3 speed IGH with 8 speed cassette)
I fixed the DualDrive clickbox connection and straightened out the DualDrive pin (previous owner BENT it 90 degrees to "lock it in" a single gear!)
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/f...e/IMG_3391.jpg

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/f...e/IMG_3386.jpg

:) Animated folding sequence...

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/f...g-Sequence.gif

Very nicely done. Both on the pictures and on the bike. :)
Cheers, Charles

Thanks for the pics. Enjoy!

I have to agree with you... although I really wanted the Puma, I'm so happy I have the Birdy instead, as it's much smaller when folded and has proven to be relatively easy to tote on the train.

I've never had the opportunity to actually ride a Brompton. I've only seen them zipping around Chicago during my commute. I see the same two guys on riding an all Green Brompton and a Black/White two tone Brompton during my commute. I would love to try one though.

When comparing my Birdy to my other bikes, I find that it rides a lot like my full sized mountain bike that I converted to road/commuting use. The only major difference is the very quick steering response (obviously due to the smaller wheels). In other words, it rides like a full sized road bike and it handles like a BMX bike.

I'm also looking at improving various components on my Birdy (although, it doesn't really need it). I really haven't had a chance to fully detail the bike yet and closely inspect the rear cassette. I know the chain needs to be replaced, and the hub needs a little tuning, but everything else seems OK so far.

Regarding your chain issue, are you positive that you have the correct length chain on there? You may need to remove a few links if your chain is slipping.

Thanks! I'm finding a lot of interesting upgrades specifically for the Birdy; however, these parts all see to be over in Taiwan or Singapore. I haven't found a distributer of these parts in the USA. (I'm talking about aftermarket Birdy suspension upgrades and folding stem upgrades.)

cool yellow birdy! congrats and enjoy!