Machka 

Last Wednesday, Rowan and I became the proud new "parents" of non-identical twin Bike Fridays.

Since then we've had a few rides ... 14.5 km testing them in Eugene, OR ... 18.9 km cycling in central Alberta ... 1.9 km cycling near Jasper (a cold rain brought that one to an end earlier than planned) ... and 28.3 km in lower mainland BC.


Photos here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/machka...7647677744326/ ... with more coming!!

And a few more here as well ... https://www.flickr.com/photos/machka...7647325002670/

fietsbob

return of the wet season put my disc brake R'off BF PL on the road again.. It's Schmidt Dynohub has the Shimano centerloc disc fixing system,

the ease of removing the disc from the front wheel to pack separately , so as to remain flat ,
is a really useful thing on touring bikes that have to be knocked down and boxed for travel.. Even the full sized ones .

[I've packed a few other peoples bikes, they left at the LBS, after doing their cross US tours.]

invisiblehand

Congratulations!

Rowan

Yes, I am aware of the issue of leaving the disc on the wheel when the bike goes in the suitcase. I am prepared to remove the discs, although that does require a suitable bit and time (which we will have in the first instance). But the centrelock arrangement would probably be better.

However, we will go with what we have at the moment. It all seems to work well, except the handlebars. I did bring bullhorns to replace the flat bars, but the shifter and brake clamps don't move past the first bend in the bars too well, and I am not prepared to fiddle too much with that until we get home to Australia.

Rowan

By the way, the handlebar bags are our first venture into Ortleibs. Machka's has the magnetic fasteners, mine the traditional snap buttons. I am sort of umming and ahrring about them at the moment. The wire used around the stem and handlebars seems kludgy to me and less convenient, or more messy, to remove than the bar attachment for just about any other bar bag I have used.

The way the bag attaches to the bar fitting also has changed slightly between the two iterations we have and I am frankly not convinced that a lock is required when all a thief has to do is open the top and grab whatever is inside.

The frame on the bag itself seems robust enough, but we have concerns about the magnets for credits cards and memory sticks, for example.

Ortleib has a big reputation, but frankly I see no significant advancement -- and in fact there is a regression with the wire -- compared with other handlebar bags I have used, except maybe for the waterproofness.

Pinigis 

I love the colors! You don't see many purple bikes.

fietsbob

I've used Ortliebs .. on Front - Sport packers on my BF.. I got some older ones the 4 D Rings on the top ,
on the BF rack let me use a cargo-stretch-net.

haul Pizza boxes home that way .. (now they use that pattern just on their Horse Saddle bags ..)

mconlonx

Bikes look sweet! Love the contrasting orange and purple.

Machka 

That's part of the reason I chose that colour.

Plus ... I already have blue bicycles, a green bicycle, a couple yellow bicycles ...

benton1

May I ask why you picked the Bike Friday? I am thinking of getting one and I wondered what factors entered into your choice. Thank you and enjoy them. They are very pretty bikes!

Mona

jimboach

Love those freaking bikes and as an American, I love that it's made in America. I wish I could afford one. Congrats. You kids look like you're having a blast.

Rowan

The frames are steel alloy. That adds a slight amount of weight, but my personal opinion is that it makes them more durable for the type of travel (not necessarily riding) that we intend to do with them.

The folding mechanism is even simpler in principle when I got to see it than when looking at the pictures and videos. It relies, of course, on a quick-release lever to hold everything in place, and the joint actually gets more secure when sitting if the QR isn't done up as tightly as it should be.

I was left with a very strong impression of the portability and rideability of BFs by Denise Goldberg, who was/is a traveloguer on Crazy Guy on a Bike. I don't go to CGOAB much these days, but Denise's experiences were so interesting that I didn't even have to look up her name, despite me reading her last adventure something like 10 years ago. Significantly -- and I didn't know this until I looked at our bikes -- BF brazes on a mount for the trailer hitch as a matter of course on the Pocket Llamas we bought.

The ability to break down the BF and put it into a large suitcase was appealing. In retrospect (which is always 20-20), we probably should have bought the suitcase and trailer system to go with each bike. But even using the "disposable" and recycles suitcases we have, I am hooked on the concept, and will be acquiring proper suitcases and the trailer kits. It should be noted that the bikes do need care in packing, and through inexperience, we did suffer a little abrasive damage on the bags had to endure on their four flights back to Australia.

BF has been around for 20 years, and seem to know what they are doing based on extensive experience and feedback. The company is continually developing new designs to account for on-going cycling needs -- hence their work bike with the extended wheelbase and flat back, their tandems, and the design that allows a bike to be used by people of fairly disparate sizes.

The important part for me when comparing with the Brompton was simply the broader scope of the transmission. That plus the relative lack of proprietary parts compared with the Brompton. While we are intent on keeping our loads lighter these days, we also will be doing as much climbing as ever we did before. In addition, the Pocket Llamas are basically designed to go offroad we well, so there is a slightly higher BB and the ability to take quite wide tyres, BMX (622) is needed.

We were interested in a bike that could break down relatively easily for long-haul travel, and not for the quick fold to take into a pub; so we were prepared for the additional effort with the breakdown and reassembly of the BF.

And finally cost was a factor. The Brompton, with the long waiting list after ordering and the pricing, plus the relative convenience of us being able to take delivery at the BF factory when combining the trip with Machka being able to visit her folks sort of made the BF a better deal all around... for us.

Note: Please don't take any of this as a denigration of Brompton or any other folding bike. I've ridden a Brompton briefly once and seen it in action (although the guy did sort of shove it under the noses of the group he and I were with all the time). We test rode some Taiwanese folders with an Australian dealer, and in fact that ride gave Machka the confidence and realisation that they actually did behave like normal bikes; however, the folding mechanism didn't appeal to me in terms of touring durability.

However, I am sure for others, the use of the Brompton and the Dahon equivalents all have their practical uses, but not really for us. I am equally as sure that if we lived where multi-model commuting was important, we would be investing in a folder, and there is a Ti version of the Hasa folder I have had my eye on for a while -- it comes in at around 8kg, but at more than $3,500, it's not something that's on our radar at the moment. Hasa also make an interesting bike with a single curved stay that allows a Gates belt drive without the need to split the dropout and that certainly appeals, although the longevity of the rear section might be moot.

Hope that answers your questions. You do need to decide what you want to do with your bike, what terrain, what loads, what other secondary uses you might consider for it, what breakdown-ability you want, and how much you want to spend.

Rowan

I had the impression previously that BF was a small artisan operation, and when we visited there about two years ago, it didn't change that impression much. But we did the factory tour this time, and there is the hive of activity with quite a few people employed.

Everything is still handcrafted -- don't get me wrong there -- but these guys and girls are producing bikes day in, day out, and don't really have much time to do much else except make bikes! That's from ovalising the round tubes through to the powder-coating and the final assembly.

Their orders range from people like us, to provision of hundreds of bike for schools.

The customer service we experienced and observed also was first class. Mike Boggs was intent on making sure everything was right when we left that factory, and he was prepared to put in the extra time to achieve that aim.

Interestingly, the origins of Bike Friday lie in the Schulz brothers and their experiences while bike touring in Turkey. It's now become a second-generation business. At a time when many manufacturing jobs have been exported from the US (and Australia) to Asia, that's certainly an achievement in itself.

benton1

Thank you for this very informative response! I have been fascinated with folding bikes since my step-son bought a Tern, but I am only interested in a bike that can be packed easily in a suitcase. Half my immediate family moved to Oregon in June and we all enjoy riding together. I am interested in BF because they custom make them and I can get one to fit my vertically challenged size. They have been great to talk to and now I just have to decide if I want to spend as much on a folder as I would on a new road or recumbent (I ride both platforms) bike. You have really assuaged many of my doubts because I would love to take a bike to visit family on the west coast. Also, on my bucket list is a bike trip to Europe either by barge or land. BF sounds like the answer. I like that you said it felt and behaved like your regular bike. I could also use it on my weekend club rides as a spare.

Enjoy your new bikes and your travels. I really enjoyed looking at your photo gallery! You have some great trips!

Mona

Rowan

Another riding update:

Machka and I did our longest ride to date on the Pocket Llamas -- 57.81km on terrain that varied from flat to hilly (around 10 percent grade in one instance). It also included a several kilometre section of compacted gravel (this section of road is deliberately left unsealed as it goes along an isthmus with sand-dunes on one side and is intended to moderate the speed of motor vehicles so they don't run over the resident penguins as they cross).

These bike continue to surprise and delight me with their handling and the ease with which they can be ridden in the circumstances we throw at them. They have 28mm Schwalbe Duranos on them at the moment, and I was concerned about tackling the compacted gravel... but they excelled, as did the bikes.

The Thudbuster seatposts also have been assets over rough sealed and unsealed surfaces. The stability of the bikes on speedy downhills is as good as on our full-wheeled bikes. And I can stand to pedal uphill without a single issue.

As an aside, the bullhorn bars are working quite well for me, although I will be adding a different bar-end brake lever system so they are better to hand. One observation I have made is that the steerer seems to flex quite a bit. It was somewhat disconcerting at first, and I checked the quick release above the headset, as well as the height adjustment clamp on the steerer itself. All were secure, so everything is OK. In fact, it appears that the flex helps reduce transmission of vibration from the road.

Our next assignment, if we are prepared to accept it (of course we are!) will be to load up the bikes and do an overnight camping trip with what we would normally take on an overseas trip.

But until then, I am feeling really confident that we have made a wise investment in these bikes.

jur

Your pics earlier in this thread do not show bullhorns?

Rowan

I bought a pair in Australia for cheap, and took them with me to North America. I fitted them after we took delivery.

I think there are other pictures that Machka has posted of them in other threads (Touring or maybe Weekend Rides in Road).

I prefer the narrower bars, as well as the "handshake" positioning of my hands that hoods provide. Getting the shifters and brake levers on was a minor challenge, but they fit quite well with the cables around each other, and there is still room for my hands on the flat section.

Using bar-end brake levers would improve my braking routine. I am considering bar-end shifters, but those are in storage in another state and will be available at the beginning of November to play with. I am not a huge fan of bar-end shifters, but there could be a slight weight saving, so we will see.

Machka 

This is our Bike Friday photo album: https://www.flickr.com/photos/machka...7647677744326/


And this is Rowan's bike with the bullhorn bars ...

Machka 

Saturday -- Today Rowan and I cycled a metric century (100 km) ... on our Bike Friday Pocket Llamas (folding bikes).

We opted to do the ride out the cycleway to New Norfolk because the route was relatively, but not completely, flat ... and because it is winter here so we knew we could encounter bad weather, and the cycleway offers some shelter here and there.

The route started on the cycleway for its full length (to about 14 km) and then we were onto the road the rest of the way out to New Norfolk and a little bit beyond (to about 40 km). The road isn't too bad because it does have a shoulder most of the way, and although the traffic was fairly steady, they were, for the most part, pretty good too. Tasmania has a 1.5 metre rule, and most passed us outside 1.5 metres.

We had rain all the way out to New Norfolk ... mostly drizzle and light rain. But we knew there was a really good chance we'd be riding in the rain, so we dressed for it, and were reasonably comfortable. It did get annoying a couple times when it got a bit heavier ... and as we cycled out of New Norfolk on the way back, I was starting to get a little tired of it. However, fortunately there was next to no wind, and the temperature was decent. High about 14C.

In New Norfolk, we stopped for lunch at Banjos: Banjo's Bakery Café and had cauliflower and cheese pies + blueberry-apple danish.

After about 10 km on the way back ... just when I was starting to get a bit tired of the rain ... I noticed a little bit of sun trying to beam through the clouds, and a few minutes later, it started to shine. We only had sun for a few km, but at least the rain stopped!! We were able to dry out a bit.

So we cycled all the way back to the beginning, arriving there at the 80 km point of our ride. We grabbed a granola bar, and set off again, back up the cycleway 10 km, turn around and return. And it just started to mist again as we finished the ride.

That was the longest distance we have ridden on the folding bikes so far. It was kind of a test ride to see how we would go over that distance. We were reasonably comfortable. I was having a few back/right hip issues, but stretching seemed to help.

100.72 km in 6 hours 25 min 34 sec ... within Randonneuring time!! WooHoo!!
(Moving time was 5 hours 31 min 26 sec)

ShortLegCyclist

Just a quick heads up, in case it wasn't mentioned to you, but the Bike Fridays are given an anti-corrosion process called Boeshield, which is similar to Frame Saver but doesn't last as long. If you haven't re-applied it yet, you are probably due. Bike Friday told me to re-apply every year and to go as frequent as every six months in climates like Seattle.

You probably already know that steel frames need that kind of protection, but just in case I thought I would mention it!

Machka 

Today ...

Rowan and I completed a ride we have been talking about and preparing for for a while. We rode a century (100 miles) on our Bike Friday Pocket Llamas (folding bikes)!

We didn't break any speed records, but ...

We set off shortly after 9 am and rode with my father about 14 km, then he returned home and we continued on ... to Hope. The route is a little bit hilly out that way, but nothing too significant. We flew into Hope with an increasing wind behind us, but knew that we'd be into it on the way back.

So we stopped at DQ for some fuel ... chili cheese dogs and blizzards.

Returning to our start location wasn't too bad at first, but the last 7 or 8 km were a slog ... right into that ever-increasing wind.

118 km complete!

We stopped for more fuel and then made a decision about where to go next. We decided it would work best for us to cycle into the wind, and then to return with a tailwind.

The route we chose zig-zagged into the wind so that sometimes it was, again, a slog, but other times not too bad. And finally, we turned around and cruised home. We would have done the trip home a lot quicker if we hadn't been as worn out as we were. The wind takes it out of a person ... and I was experiencing one particular fit issue which we'll need to sort out if we're going to entertain the idea of doing longer rides.

Nevertheless ... our first century this year is complete. And we did it in 9 hours and 40 min, including all breaks, which is well within rando time.

And along the way we saw ... planes and trains ... and cows, horses, goats, hawks, crows, geese, cats and dogs ...
Kept us entertained!

Machka 

We also saw mountain views, fields of corn and blueberries, and lots of large trucks ...

jur

Trying to figure where the pics were taken, coming up blank...

fietsbob

Arn't they Tasmaniacs?

Machka 

We do live in Tasmania ... but we travel, and those photos are lower mainland BC.