ARGH!!!!!!!! (Bike Fridays - Long)

[Fredwina]

I did not have any problems with mine when it arrived. Really no problems since I had it. Not sure about the other TE Gal's experiences (Emily in NC, and Denise Goldberg...)

[emily_in_nc]

Carrie Anne, I am so sorry to hear this! Neither Barry nor I had any problems of this sort at all. As you know, I did have to send mine back to shorten the top tube, which was indeed annoying since I'd specified exactly how long to make it, but I guess they didn't believe that anyone of my height could possibly really want a 19" top tube! I did talk to a couple of different people at Bike Friday about that until they really "got it" about WSD, as well as wrote up my experience in a girlbike.com review. They did make it right and paid for shipping both ways without my even having to ask.

We didn't have any mechanical problems at all and have never had to call for service. I am not sure if they have hired some bad folks there or what since we got our bikes in 2004. They should definitely make everything right at their expense, but yes, it is a royal pain to have to pack them all back up and ship them back. So sorry.

As for going slower, ours were slower than our road bikes, but it was really an apples and oranges thing for us since they were also slightly heavier than our carbon roadies, and with wider tires, so we wouldn't have expected them to be quite as fast. We can still ride fast on them when they are stripped of racks, fenders, bags, etc, though. I rode mine once on a Tarwheels line and kept up in a fast B-paced paceline, so I am not sure why your husband's would be slower unless it is heavier than his current bike or if he has a more upright posture, increasing wind drag. I definitely did not buy my Crusoe for speed, though, but for comfort and touring. The "fast" Fridays are the Pocket Rocket Pro and Air Friday, which have skinnier rims and tires.

Keep us posted -- I am so sorry!

Emily

[DeniseGoldberg]

Carrie Anne -
I haven't experienced any problems with my Fridays. They both fit, and were a delight to ride from the beginning.

One of my bikes is set up as a road bike, and one as a touring bike. The touring bike has exactly the same gearing as my 700c wheel touring bike, and it doesn't feel any different from a speed standpoint from my 700c-wheeled bike. If anything it is more responsive because of the little wheels. When your husband says his bike feels slow in comparison with his other bike(s) - is the gearing really the same between the two bikes, or is one set up as a road bike and the other as a touring bike?

I'm really sorry to hear about the problems that you are having with your new bikes. It's upsetting to order custom bikes, to wait for delivery, and then to have them not be right. My recommendation is that you give Bike Friday a chance to make them right. You sound very upset though; have you called and talked to the person you dealt with when you ordered the bikes? In my experience this is a customer-centric company, and I would hope that they will quickly correct the problem.

--- Denise

[Triskeliongirl]

I too had a sizing problem with my bike friday, and I had to send it back but they made it right at no added cost to me. I also did not find my friday slower than a similarly weighted and geared big wheeled bike. I would say give them a chance to make it right, but if they don't you do have the 30 day guarantee, which you have to give them credit for is rare in the custom bike world. WHen you say the gearing is the same, did you calculate for the difference in tire size, that is do you mean the gear ratios are the same, or the gears are the same, cuz you need to choose gears to make the ratios be the same when caluculating for the smaller wheel. Mine was stolen, and I do miss the cost savings when traveling.

[Fredwina]

compared to my "road" bike, the NWT is slower, but it's also heavier and is set up as a touring bike (wider bike and upright position). I think you really have to compare apples to apples

[susan.wells]

I purchased a pre-owned (Air Glide with SRAM dual drive rear hub) BF directly from BF last year. On its maiden century (and voyage), I had transported it to the event on my rear hitch rack. On the return from the event, I was rear-ended. I sent the bike to BF for repair/replacement estimate (the guy's insurance was covering the costs). Much to my surprise BF said it was repairable and provided a quote. I authorized the repair. When I received the bike back the first time, the rear wheel and hub were replaced but the frame had not been aligned and the clickbox that attached to the rear hub mechanism was still broken. It was still quite visibly twisted and the crank could not make a complete revolution. Obviously no one had tested the bike prior to shipping! I phoned BF who very nicely said ship it back and they would cover all shipping costs. When I received the bike back the second time, they had aligned the frame but still had not replaced the clickbox. I phoned yet again and they were apologetic saying they would send a couple of clickboxes right out. I never received them and finally ordered & replaced it myself.

I know others have had fantastic service but I will not purchase another bicycle from them. I haven't even unboxed it this year because I really don't trust the assessment that the bicycle was repairable in the first place. I suppose they should know the integrity of the frame but if you ship it out without the crank even being able to make a complete revolution ... who's to say you really checked the frame out for structural damage in the first place!

[DDH]

I can't offer any help to you, but I just wanted to say how sorry I was you both are having to go through this with your bikes. It's suppose to be a fun time and exciting time and you both are having so much frustration with it.
I hope they get everything straightened out for you and you get great bikes back after sending them in.