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

[Blueberry]

mimitabby-
If I may ask, what other problems has your DH had that cause him to not want to fly with the bike? We may still have the option of returning the bikes, so I'm trying to gather as much information as possible to make that decision.

I do want to be able to travel with it, and it's by far the most expensive bike I've bought, so I'd rather know sooner than later that it won't work for me...

The noodle/barrel adjuster of the rear brake actually hits the frame when you brake still.

It is a pretty bike, though. Most of their problems (thus far) seem to have been either 1) adjustment or 2) packaging problems. So, maybe there is hope...

[mimitabby]

He found a bike mechanic he really likes and the bike mechanic said a lot of negative things about BF's in general. I think that more than anything has colored his opinion, unfortunately.
There's a gizmo that screws into another gizmo.. what is it? (I don't remember) sigh...when he was putting it back together after taking it to Louisiana, the threads were stripped, again, his fault, but still... I was stunned. This is supposed to be a bike that you can put together and take apart over and over again; isn't that the point?

he took it to the shop and they fixed it, and we had a discussion about the bike.
Now he goes into some vague reasons why he likes the raleigh better (like, Well, i'm not sure i want to ride 100 miles on the bf..) why not?

He has a big huge case for the Raleigh. It fits in it quite well. The problem is that the case itself will only fit into some kinds of cars..
with the BF, the case fits almost anywhere.

[KnottedYet]

How about trying a Rodgriguez W2 or Houdini if the Bike Fridays won't work for you? www.rodcycle.com

They pack into a 26x26 suitcase, are custom made, and cost $2,700. Made here in Seattle, good reputation. I know of a few women with Rodgriguez bikes and haven't heard anything bad about them.

I was considering one of their other touring bikes, but then Flossie came into my life... Her lovely lugs just stole my heart away.

[mimitabby]

hey, their(rodriguez) 8 ball is a cool idea, too. it's a tandem that fits into 2 cases that can also be a single bike!!

[Blueberry]

Thanks, Mimitabby. That is helpful!

I actually did some detective work this morning, and discovered that the cable routing is completely wrong, which is what caused the brake to rub. UGH.

I really don't want to have to ship the bike back a second time. It's a week each way, and it's a PITA. We'll see what they say tomorrow.

The Rodriguez is an interesting idea - I'll keep it in mind if this doesn't work out.

[mimitabby]

talk about damning photos!

[Triskeliongirl]

Did you talk to them today? What did they say? Please let us know. I loved my pocket rocket pro until she was stolen. Yes, I had my problems with BF, but they were always responsive and the bike performed very well and was very convenient to travel with. I rode her from Chiapis to Guatemala with no problems. But, I did learn that whenever you pack any bike, you need to aquire some mechanical skills as any bike gets out of adjustment when you go through packing, shipping, etc. But what you are describing is clearly something different, that you must work out with Bike Friday if they want to keep you as a customer.

[Blueberry]

Hubby talked to a couple of different people today (I had a 12+ hour work day). First line of folks were horrified, but not sure what to do. Then he got someone else on the phone. First thing he wanted to know was whether we were still willing to work with them (we are - so long as they start "getting it right" - my fear was waiting too long and getting stuck with a bike that wasn't right). We're supposed to be getting an email about all of this but, this is what I know so far:

1) They're sending new suitcases. We didn't ask them to, but they were quite upset about the damage and wanted us to have perfect ones.

2) They're sending touch up paint. If that doesn't provide a satisfactory result, they will re-paint, or give a certificate for a repaint in the future (after a couple of trips).

3) They had a really bad mechanic, who has since been fired. He worked on our bikes (though one wonders why they let him work on them a second time when they said they would "hand check" them completely themselves).

4) They are going to work with me on fit - they're sending me their fit kit information to see if we can ascertain why I'm so uncomfortable on the bike. We think the seat tube may be too steep (apparently their fit software often produces this problem for female riders). They will re-build as necessary.

5) They are willing to work with a LBS regarding cable re-routing, etc. Triskeliongirl - you are correct about minor adjustments, and I'm comfortable fiddling with barrel adjustments, etc. However, brake digging into the frame is a little beyond my mechanical skill

So...all in all, I'm happy with their response - SO LONG AS THEY GET IT RIGHT THIS TIME. This was strike 2 - they have one more chance, so far as I'm concerned. Let's hope we can work it out as I really like the company, the concept and the bikes

[Triskeliongirl]

5) They are willing to work with a LBS regarding cable re-routing, etc. Triskeliongirl - you are correct about minor adjustments, and I'm comfortable fiddling with barrel adjustments, etc. However, brake digging into the frame is a little beyond my mechanical skill

Absolutely. The brake digging into the frame is indeed apalling. But, with any travel bike you are also going to have to learn how to do a bit more than turn a barrel adjuster, just a word of warning. If I were you guys, I would be sure to get them to guarantee in writing, that if they get it wrong on try 3 that you can still return the bikes, and also be sure to take that certificate for a paint job. When my bike friday arrived, it also had damaged paint on the seat stay and the top tube was too long. They remade the half that the top tube is on, with the correctly sized top tube, and then the fit was perfect. They repainted the seatstay, but you could see that it had been touched up and while this was OK, it always bugged me that if I were to want to sell it one day it would decrease its value, so that is why I suggest taking the touch up paint, but also the re-paint certificate. I think what happened to you, and me, has to do with the fact that they are a small family business. That has pluses and minuses. It means maybe there is more room for screw ups like this, but there is also more opportunity for them to give folks really personal service. Buying a bike friday is buying into a community, and it is a damn good community, both the people that make these bikes and the people who ride them. So, I think it is worth working with them on this, but just make sure you protect yourself if they don't get it right next time. Good luck and keep us updated.