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The only thing I don't like about my Brommie is the tiring ride, and am wondering about these alternatives SH.
The Birdy seems the better bet, better ride, BF might be lighter?
I can test ride them and will, but wondered if anyone has any experience. I know the fold and folded size are worse, how much worse I don't know. (looks like the BF bars and stem just hang off?)
Birdy is stiffer as there is no hinge.
Fold is fast.
Get the sport stem, not the comfort one which is too much amsterdam-bike like. Less stable in traffic.
With big apple tyres on the birdy it rides pretty much like a normal bike, and fast. Also more stable.
the brompton is a clown bike compared.
If you find the ride tiring though have you considered conveting to an ebike - like the Sparticle kit. As it is a converson you don't need to make it pedelec and can even just use the throttle and not peddle. A very good option if cycling in London so you minimise breathing the nasty air.
still rides a little funny but not as bad.
The Brompton fold isn't just quick and compact but is also clean - you don't need to touch any 'dirty' parts of the bike and all the dirty bits are 'protected' by other bits of the bike when it's folded. It then stands up by itself and is easy to push along rather than carry. Nothing else matches it.
Watch the birdy vid here -
- fine in the dry but grabbing a wet muddy/road filth covered front wheel and balancing on your foot isn't idea.
It's a while since I rode a Birdy but it did feel like a 'normal' bike - it was a lot of fu - but won't fit between train seats, not nearly so easy to stick under a pub table etc.
Issue a lot of other folders is the lack of mudguards. Useless for something you want to ride in the UK in normal clothes - we have a lot of weather when roads are wet but its not actually raining.
Really depends what you're using it for and why/when/how often you fold it and what you do with it when it's folded.
We have a Birdy and a Bike Friday in the family. I've had goes on both.
The Birdy is highly engineered, as the Germans do. The suspension works. It feels fun to ride and also really stable at low speeds. It's very adjustable to get your position comfortable, folds really really quick for commuting. For train commuter travel the Birdy folds and unfolds in an instant (just seconds) and that's better for that. When folded it doesn't wheel along, but I think you can buy an accessory that makes it do that.
The Bike Friday is immediately smoother on the road though. The steel frame/ fork and the bigger wheels (10 rather than 8 I think) - the Birdy we have I think is a New World Tourist) seem to make a big difference. If you want a folder for air travel etc, it's a much better ride and better bike - it takes frant and rear racks etc. It feels like a normal bike on the road. It's not quite a looker, stand out like the Birdy, that pops (in lime green) but of the two, if I had to get rid of both I'd keep the Bike Friday. They used to be imported, but I think they're harder to get hold of outside the USA now. They turn up on Ebay though. Drop bars or flat. A range of frame sizes. I'd happily tour on one. With a loaded bike its a big bonus to be able to 'step through' a low frame, as you can't tip the bike sideways too far, as it off balances like you do getting on a normal bike. Folding it down is much more of a process. The bits on it, like deore hubs etc seem to make it alot more serviceable. If I wanted to travel around Europe with a bike, the odd train, the odd flight, mostly cycling where I fancied, it would be the perfect bike for that. They've done a good job designing it. Its a few years since I saw how it folded. Its best thought of as a travel folder, the Birdy a commuter's folder. I think Bike Friday have brought out a smaller wheel version which folds quicker for commuting.
If we get a FTA with USA in the coming years, the Bike Friday's they should get cheaper to import.
but grabbing a wet muddy/road filth covered front wheel and balancing on your foot isn’t idea.
Don't think I ever grabbed the front wheel, only ever the fork.
I used to do the fold by reaching over the bike and grabbing the frame with the saddle behid my shoulder for stabilty and lifting the bike, and then folding everything whilst it was lifted. Saw it on a video where someone was trying to fold/unfold as fast as possible, but can't find it now.
As I would lift the bike that way to carry it up and down stairs at the railway station, it all seemed natural, and less bitty than the fold/unfolds above.
Bike Friday for ride, Brompton for fold. Birdy sits in the middle of those extremes. My heavilty modified Tactic for lightness and fixedness - although BF make a fixed wheel now too. The Brompton luggage is the best thing about the Brompton, fold is fast and clean, but most times, unnecessary. Even on mainline rush hour to London, many just fold their bikes in half with no issues. Carrying a Brompton any distance, say Kings X to St Pancrass, is not for the weak.
I test rode a Brompton and decided to buy a Kansi in the end, the ride on 20" wheels was worth the minor increase in bulk.
They do a single a 3 speed and a 9 speed. and a BMX look alike.
I thought Kansi didn't exist anymore…?
Swytch battery and motor kit for brompton looks ok.
I also like the look of Ahooga folding bikes as a less foldable but more ridable option.
Cheers all, trying a Birdy today and maybe a BF tomorrow, I'm lucky in that each is available sh locally.
My guess is the Birdy will win as the BF fold looks too much for train etc.
BF fold for anything other than the ****t is not suited to daily travel. Great bikes, I’ve always wanted one.
My next folder will probably be a standard fold in half converted to fixed with drops bars and 406 wheels. The Btwin is good for that but the wheelbase is short.
I enjoyed my Brompton, but it’s heavy and can’t be stripped down to run fixed.
You’ll like the Birdy.
The Brompton luggage is the best thing about the Brompton, fold is fast and clean, but most times, unnecessary.
Even on mainline rush hour to London, many just fold their bikes in half with no issues. Carrying a Brompton any distance, say Kings X to St Pancrass, is not for the weak.
Depends what your folding for. Ours rarely get taken on trains, but folded very regularly to take inside pubs, shops, friends houses etc.
A video shows the BF fold very quick, but yes it's not easily portable or self supporting. I wonder if a Spoon-tech (TM) bodge might help.
Well the Birdy is impressive! Light and rides great, fold not brilliant but not rubbish either.
And the BF fold is quick, bit not carry-able.
Ride seems good but I was on very different surfaces. It weighed 11.5kg Vs the 12 of my Brommie, which feels heavier perhaps because it's smaller and the saddle (Flite) is not a comfy way to carry for the hand.
Hmmmm....