Bike Friday? Anyone?

[Kerry1976]

Denise, I will definitely mention you to Dave if I get in touch. I'm pondering it but not quite ready to make the plunge in terms of contacting and moving forward. But if/when I do, I'll definitely mention you so you can get some credits towards BF stuff!

[Kerry1976]

Does anyone here have experience riding both the Tikit and the NWT? Wondering how the ride differs.

Bike Friday has a pre-loved NWT at just under $1000 in my size, and they are willing to work with me on getting a pre-loved Model T Tikit if I'd prefer (asked via their FB page as they had closeouts up until today and when I asked about it they said to call them for a deal).

Of course, know the Model T has less gears, etc., than the NWT, but also know it folds faster. But I think the big difference is the wheel size and I am sure that makes a difference in handling and ride....

[Blueberry]

I have a Crusoe (so lighter NWT) and have test ridden a Tikit.

One of the main issues I would be concerned with is tire selection. The NWT will have a decent amount of choices available (and BMX tires in a pinch) - but the Tikit has many fewer options available. Although the NWT has many specialized parts, the Tikit has more - therefore, I would be concerned about the ability to get parts on short notice with the Tikit.

Otherwise, I did find the Tikit twitchy and less stable. But, I'd had my Crusoe for a while and was just testing a Tikit, so it's not a fair comparison.

In any case, good luck and welcome to the fold! They're a cool company - bikes, philosophy, referral credits to owners - they do things differently, and it really seems to work.

[Kerry1976]

Makes a lot of sense. I def would buy "pre-loved" and love that they have the 30-day guarantee. I don't know if I need "all of the bike" of the NWT as I would use it for primarily running around town and short out of town rides, but on the other hand love the 20" wheels.

I plan to cart it up stairs each day when going to work, so that is where the Tikit is quite appealing.

May I ask - How easy is it to fold and carry around a NWT?

I'd be going up two flights of stairs at work and two flights at home.

(MTA: This wouldn't even be a "problem" to consider if they didn't have the seemingly perfect NWT in my size - small - on the pre-loved list.....)

[Blueberry]

You know - if you're only looking at the NWT because it happens to be there, that might be your answer....

I don't know that I'd fold a NWT going up and down stairs. I used to live in a condo where coming in meant up one flight, down one flight. I never folded. I would ask about bike weight, and be a bit more concerned with that.

I do think the Tikit is significantly easier to fold. If that were my only consideration, I might get a Tikit. If I needed to take a bike on public transportation daily, I'd take the Tikit. I wouldn't want to fold/unfold a NWT multiple times a day. The "issue" with the NWT is that the handlebar/stem area is sort of hard to manage when folded. It does what it's intended to, but it's a bit harder to velcro/etc. than I believe the Tikit to be. If I were going on ride criteria, though - I'd go with the NWT.

How long do you think your out of town trips might be? I wouldn't put a limit on the Tikit, but my DH has done back to back centuries on his Crusoe (and I've done rides in the 50 mile range). You can always grow into a bike

[Kerry1976]

You know - if you're only looking at the NWT because it happens to be there, that might be your answer....

I don't know that I'd fold a NWT going up and down stairs. I used to live in a condo where coming in meant up one flight, down one flight. I never folded. I would ask about bike weight, and be a bit more concerned with that.

I do think the Tikit is significantly easier to fold. If that were my only consideration, I might get a Tikit. If I needed to take a bike on public transportation daily, I'd take the Tikit. I wouldn't want to fold/unfold a NWT multiple times a day. The "issue" with the NWT is that the handlebar/stem area is sort of hard to manage when folded. It does what it's intended to, but it's a bit harder to velcro/etc. than I believe the Tikit to be. If I were going on ride criteria, though - I'd go with the NWT.

How long do you think your out of town trips might be? I wouldn't put a limit on the Tikit, but my DH has done back to back centuries on his Crusoe (and I've done rides in the 50 mile range). You can always grow into a bike

Thanks! I honestly don't know how long my out of town trips would be, but I don't see them being very long at all. More short range for sure. Of course, that could change, but for the foreseeable future, this is what I envision.

I will add that I have carried my Trek Pure Lowstep and Fuji roadbike (now sold) up the stairs at my apartment but if I had ridden to work they would have been simply locked up on the bike rack outside the office. I would take my BF up to the office. We have an elevator, but I refuse to use it.

[emily_in_nc]

I don't know that I'd fold a NWT going up and down stairs. I used to live in a condo where coming in meant up one flight, down one flight. I never folded. I would ask about bike weight, and be a bit more concerned with that.

ITA. I live on the third floor and never fold my Crusoe. The only time I'd fold it is for packing into its suitcase. That's where the foldability is important, for travel. Otherwise, it's much easier just to carry it. With the small wheels, it's easier even for a short person like me to get it up high enough to carry up the stairs. I just prop the saddle on my shoulder and go!

I definitely think (agreeing with blueberry) that you'll get a more satisfactory ride on the NWT with 20" wheels. DH and I did a 565-mile bike tour on our Crusoes, and they did great. My Crusoe is my only road bike now, and I just love it for recreational rides as well as errands and utility rides. But for ultimate easy-fold, carrying on buses, etc, I'd go with the Tikit. They're very cool for what they're intended for, which to me is more of an urban commuter function, not really meant for long rides, events, etc. It all depends on what you're looking for.

[Kerry1976]

ITA. I live on the third floor and never fold my Crusoe. The only time I'd fold it is for packing into its suitcase. That's where the foldability is important, for travel. Otherwise, it's much easier just to carry it. With the small wheels, it's easier even for a short person like me to get it up high enough to carry up the stairs. I just prop the saddle on my shoulder and go!

I definitely think (agreeing with blueberry) that you'll get a more satisfactory ride on the NWT with 20" wheels. DH and I did a 565-mile bike tour on our Crusoes, and they did great. My Crusoe is my only road bike now, and I just love it for recreational rides as well as errands and utility rides. But for ultimate easy-fold, carrying on buses, etc, I'd go with the Tikit. They're very cool for what they're intended for, which to me is more of an urban commuter function, not really meant for long rides, events, etc. It all depends on what you're looking for.

Thanks, Emily. This is just what I needed to know. I'm also short, so getting wheels off the ground to carry is important. But, I won't be packing it to get on a bus anytime soon. I figure if I can get my Trek Pure up stairs, I can certainly get a NWT up.

As far as the earlier question regarding why I hadn't considered an NWT previously - I wouldn't have if they didn't have one on the pre-loved list. I figured this bike was simply out of the question due to cost. Having two small frame ones available pre-loved is something I simply don't feel I should pass up.

I've sent an email to Dave with some questions (and yes Denise, I mentioned you!), so we'll see what he says.

[tulip]

Rob English of Green Gear Cycling (the folks who make Bike Fridays) rode across the US on a Tikit. Of course, he's a super-duper racer and ultra cool cyclist who can do most things that the rest of us wouldn't dream of. His Tikit is a very high end one with drop bars and is very light due to some carbon in their somewhere.

I would get a Tikit for urban commuting, particularly if my commute involved a bus or a train, or if there was nowhere to lock up my bike (I'd fold it and bring it to my office). However, I work from home and therefore have no commute anymore. So no Tikit, either.

I fold my Pocket Rocket Pro to fit into the way back of my VW Rabbit on occasion. But mostly it stays unfolded until I need to take it to some exotic locale, which is actually more frequent than before. Since I can take my bike, I usually do.

[hulagirl]

Yeah Kerry - I think it's about what you want the bike to do. Do you plan to travel with it? Commute? Urban travel? Long distance?

Make a list of everything you want to do with that bike. Make a list of the things you want the bike to do for you (easy up hills, no hills to worry about, ride easy in the rain, haul lots of gear, light weight, etc). Then let Dave know what you want. He will guide you in the right direction. He did with me - he didn't try to sell me on one thing or another. He just asked me tons of questions and I told him what I wanted my bike to do/be for me. I didn't put a price on it. I just said what I wanted, he guided me to what he thought would work and then I got a price. I worked back from there.

I'll be getting the Pocket Crusoe as well! Hubby is getting the NWT.

Hope you can find something that works for you. I can't wait to get my BF. Just about 3 weeks to go!

[Kerry1976]

Thanks. My biggest impediment is budget - in terms of deciding what I am willing to spend to get what I want. Have some more "soul searching" to do and then to decide whether to move forward.

[Kerry1976]

Took the first step in the process and spoke to Dave (we got your name in, Denise!). Where I started and where I ended were completely different places, but I think we not only found just the right idea for me, but we also found something that ultimately will be more economical (certainly not cheap, but not as expensive) for me. If I order soon, my bike would arrive mid-July....and would be custom.

We are looking at a NWT with an 8-speed internal hub....of course with fenders, rack, etc. Fortunately, the MKS Lambda pedals I adore will work perfectly on a NWT, and my Brooks B67 will also be perfect.

Will be interesting to get the first quote and move forward.

It was interesting because I mentioned this to my mom today via email and even sent her a link to BF and I assumed she say "what the hell are you doing?" Instead, she said she recently saw a folder at the airport on her trip to Colorado a few days ago and thought it was cool.

[hulagirl]

How exciting Kerry! I can't wait to see what you end up with.

We are still 3 weeks out from getting ours. Patience! DH is having a hard time deciding what pedals to go with. I'm very happy that Speedplay has platforms now for their Light Action pedals as that is what I'll be doing with my BF. This way I can use my SIDI tri shoes if I want to go fast. Or just any old shoe if I want to tool around town.

I'll need to check out the pedals you mention for the husband.

And thanks for getting my name in with Dave! Also - you should know that Samsonite is having a sale via their Facebook page for $25 off $100 or more. The 31" F'Lite is on sale as well. With the coupon we ended up getting 2 for the price of one had we ordered from BF!

[Kerry1976]

And thanks for getting my name in with Dave! Also - you should know that Samsonite is having a sale via their Facebook page for $25 off $100 or more. The 31" F'Lite is on sale as well. With the coupon we ended up getting 2 for the price of one had we ordered from BF!

Thanks, Denise! I don't anticipate flying with my bike, so I don't think I'll need the case anytime soon.

About those pedals - they are flat pedals (not clipless). I heard about them on this forum and had to try them on my bike as my regular shoes would slide on and off and all over on the pedals at any given moment. Someone on this forum, in answering someone else's question, highly recommended these. I couldn't agree more with her assessment. The feet simply don't migrate on, off and around the pedal - they feel very stable and stay in place perfectly. Another feature of them is that they are more long than wide from the bike (Dave called it a figure-8 shape), which is why they should work well with a BF. Since they don't stick out so much, Dave said they wouldn't smack against your leg while carrying folded like standard non-folding pedals do. These pedals, and my Brooks saddle, will end up on any bike I ride....I love them.

The person who mentioned them on here, I believe, called them MKS Grip Kings. That is the Rivendell term, used on their website (they highly recommend). They are also MKS Lambdas. I believe both are the exact same pedal with simply different monikers but I could be wrong. BTW: I apologize to whoever it was that recommended these - I'd love to reference you by name - but I simply can't remember!

[blackhillsbiker]

I have them (the MKS Lambdas) on 3 bikes. Our LBS has started stocking them after I had him order me my last ones. They aren't wide, so they don't strike the pavement on turns, but they are long, so they provide a nice platform for riding. They completely solved my burning foot issue. I've ridden them with hiking boots in the middle of winter, sneakers, mtb shoes and even keen canvas sandals. Have I mentioned that I LOVE them?

Deb