Thursday, February 21, 2008
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Tikit w/o Fenders
Speedo posted this on Bike Forums and I thought anyone buying a Tikit without fenders might want to be aware of this:
"In December my wife and I stopped by BFold in NYC and tried out various folding bikes. Why? Well, just because. We thought the Tikit was pretty cool.
Then in January BF introduced the Model T Tikit with some very attractive sale pricing. We thought about it, concluded that there was no particularly good reason why we NEEDED these bikes, and then ordered them anyway. We ordered ours with the fenders; about a $50 uptick.
They arrived on the 6th and went together fairly easily. The weather here in eastern Massachusetts has been fairly crummy this week, so we haven't done a test ride yet. I am fairly pleased with how well the size large fits me. I will be able to get a good riding position without pushing any of the adjustments to their limits.
There is one thing that I haven't seen discussed, and I think should be pointed out to anyone thinking of ordering a Tikit. It is a bit of an issue because the Tikits are being sold on an a la carte basis now.
When I assembled the Tikits out of the box the fenders (which were an option) were not mounted. I did a test fold and was surprised at how the bike rested on the ground. See the picture below.
Without the fender the bike rests on the front tire (not visible in the picture), rear tire, and the metal yoke that the seatpost snaps into when the bike is unfolded. That metal bit is fairly crucial, and if it were bent it might compromise the fold/unfold.
I was a bit annoyed, but then realized that with the fenders mounted, the "tripod" would be the front tire (not visible), the foot on the top of the fender stay, and the foot that is on a spar that comes down from the bottom bracket. Sure enough, as the second part of the picture shows, with the fender mounted, the critical yoke is protected and does not make contact with the ground.
So, if you are buying a Tikit and planned to go fenderless you should be aware of this. You will need to be somewhat careful about how you handle the bike in its folded state. If you are getting the fenders, then there's no problem.
Speedo"
"In December my wife and I stopped by BFold in NYC and tried out various folding bikes. Why? Well, just because. We thought the Tikit was pretty cool.
Then in January BF introduced the Model T Tikit with some very attractive sale pricing. We thought about it, concluded that there was no particularly good reason why we NEEDED these bikes, and then ordered them anyway. We ordered ours with the fenders; about a $50 uptick.
They arrived on the 6th and went together fairly easily. The weather here in eastern Massachusetts has been fairly crummy this week, so we haven't done a test ride yet. I am fairly pleased with how well the size large fits me. I will be able to get a good riding position without pushing any of the adjustments to their limits.
There is one thing that I haven't seen discussed, and I think should be pointed out to anyone thinking of ordering a Tikit. It is a bit of an issue because the Tikits are being sold on an a la carte basis now.
When I assembled the Tikits out of the box the fenders (which were an option) were not mounted. I did a test fold and was surprised at how the bike rested on the ground. See the picture below.
Without the fender the bike rests on the front tire (not visible in the picture), rear tire, and the metal yoke that the seatpost snaps into when the bike is unfolded. That metal bit is fairly crucial, and if it were bent it might compromise the fold/unfold.
I was a bit annoyed, but then realized that with the fenders mounted, the "tripod" would be the front tire (not visible), the foot on the top of the fender stay, and the foot that is on a spar that comes down from the bottom bracket. Sure enough, as the second part of the picture shows, with the fender mounted, the critical yoke is protected and does not make contact with the ground.
So, if you are buying a Tikit and planned to go fenderless you should be aware of this. You will need to be somewhat careful about how you handle the bike in its folded state. If you are getting the fenders, then there's no problem.
Speedo"
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Tikit Rear Rack?
Kevin P posted a link to this picture of a Tikit with a rear rack on the Bike Friday Yak LIst. The picture came from Germany, but no other details were provided.Update [Walter posted the following msg on the Yak List today]:
"Right now we're working on two designs, one of which is finished, but needs some other resources, namely tooling to build it as well as materials to produce it. I even saw Hanz working on the former issue just the other day. It's coming, it's #1 priority for us, but as of yet it's difficult, since some of the problems are beyond our control, to even promise a particular date at this point.
The first one is a rack ideal for a rack top bag. The second one will be the official pannier rack, though that's the one that's not complete in terms of the design, so I wouldn't be willing to say for certain what it's going to be. I know it's not going to be just like the first one. The first one will stay on when folded. Not sure if it will pack without removal, but maybe. Bike will still stand and wheel around ok with the rack as far as I can tell. That's all I know at this point, but trust me, you'll know when it's coming.
By the way, Hanz and Rob (our design team) don't mind an e-mail or a phone call. I know they can't bite across large distances. Shorter distances are another story, but I digress. If you're ever worried
about something, just get in touch directly. You'll get an answer.
What other company would open the door for you like that? :D
Walter Lapchynski c/o Green Gear Cycling "it's not just a name, it's our mission"
1-800-777-0258 business
1-541-556-6830 mobile
bikefriday.com/walter
bikefriday.com/walterblog"
The first one is a rack ideal for a rack top bag. The second one will be the official pannier rack, though that's the one that's not complete in terms of the design, so I wouldn't be willing to say for certain what it's going to be. I know it's not going to be just like the first one. The first one will stay on when folded. Not sure if it will pack without removal, but maybe. Bike will still stand and wheel around ok with the rack as far as I can tell. That's all I know at this point, but trust me, you'll know when it's coming.
By the way, Hanz and Rob (our design team) don't mind an e-mail or a phone call. I know they can't bite across large distances. Shorter distances are another story, but I digress. If you're ever worried
about something, just get in touch directly. You'll get an answer.
What other company would open the door for you like that? :D
Walter Lapchynski c/o Green Gear Cycling "it's not just a name, it's our mission"
1-800-777-0258 business
1-541-556-6830 mobile
bikefriday.com/walter
bikefriday.com/walterblog"
Friday, February 1, 2008
Tikit Manual
My Tikit didn't come with a manual, but through the power of the internet I was able to download one from the Bike Friday website.Dirty
In the winter you can't ride a bike without getting it dirty. The fenders on my Tikit do a good job of keeping the frame and rider clean, but I'll have to give the wheels and drive train some love come Spring.
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