Putting my new Bike Friday Pocket Companion to the test on steep hills (pics & video)

[luv2climb]

I finally got my new Bike Friday! I had been waiting for my recumbent to sell so I could get a new Pocket Companion, which has a triple. I bought this bike solely for hard climbing rides on trips where a full-size bike would be impractical.

The first thing I did was to replace the stock 30t small chainring with a 24t. This gives the bike a 16 inch low gear, which is lower than my mtb.



I put on bar ends for additional hand positions and climbing leverage. Since the bike doesn't come with pedals or a saddle, a guy at the LBS sold me a Terry Gellissima saddle for $20, which is a steal! I heard that these saddles are well over $100 new. It has titanium rails.

I also got a GoPro HD Hero 960 camera for $149.95 on clearance at REI. I saw another camera on clearance there that takes 2 AAA batteries-a Midland XTC-100. Since I don't do impulse purchases, I read the reviews first and decided it would be a good backup camera. That one was only $63.93 on clearance. A 4-pack of Lenmar Ready to Go rechargeable NiMH AAAs was only $7.99 at Fry's Electronics, so I got a couple of those. The camera runs over 2 hours on a set of batteries.



Yesterday was the first climbing ride with this bike. I rode all the steepest climbs in the El Dorado Hills area. These range from 15% to 19%.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/129715640#

I was really hoping to use the GoPro footage for the climb video, but an obnoxious creaking noise coming from the handlepost and the shifter cable being too close to the camera lens pretty much ruined all that footage.

Luckily I had two other cameras recording-the ContourHD on my helmet, and the Midland XTC-100 on the handlebars. The Midland was there for testing purposes, but I ended up using that footage for those who find the helmet mount footage too "Blair Witchy" due to me moving my head around too much. The camera did not pick up the creaking noise, since that was coming from where the handlepost connects to the fork.

Here's the helmet-mounted ContourHD climb footage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znetBClFC28

Here's the handlebar-mounted Midland XTC-100 footage. Since this camera's microphone is much more sensitive than the ContourHD, the heavy breathing is much more audible. Don't say I didn't warn you!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntOutexBMiQ

Next time I'll mount the GoPro on the handlebars instead of on the lowest point of the handlepost like I did on this ride.

Here's a quick 40 mph descent recorded with the GoPro. You can see the shifter cable slinging around slightly right in front of the lens.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUpy0yOSyCE

Some pics.






How I got the bike home from the LBS.

[Tri Girl]

Awesome! I haven't watched the footage yet because I'm on my phone, but can't wait to watch it later.
I LOVE how you got your bike home- on another bike.
Enjoy your BF! I loved mine (but sadly sold it because we just weren't a match made in heaven).

[HillSlugger]

If you don't mind, where did you buy the strap-on tripod mount?

[luv2climb]

If you're talking about the clamp I used to mount the GoPro to the lowest part of the handlepost, it is a Manfrotto Super Clamp. I bought it at a local camera store. It is very well made, with all alloy and brass construction except for the handle you use to tighten it, which is plastic.

[HillSlugger]

If you're talking about the clamp I used to mount the GoPro to the lowest part of the handlepost, it is a Manfrotto Super Clamp. I bought it at a local camera store. It is very well made, with all alloy and brass construction except for the handle you use to tighten it, which is plastic.

I was wondering about the one in the picture with the GoPro and the Midland, but I was interested in this one, too.

[luv2climb]

The handlebar mount that the Midland is attached to is a Pedco UltraClamp. I've been using that ever since I started making ride videos last year. It's a very versatile clamp and very adjustable.

[Tri Girl]

great video! Gotta say I'm jealous of those bike lanes on that climbing!! Also jealous of the climbing. We have hills here, but they are very short and very steep. I would love to have that kind of long climbing available. It's difficult to get good at hills when they last only 30 seconds or less.

Great footage. How did you like the performance of the BF?

[luv2climb]

Thank you. I feel safer riding here than in the rural areas of El Dorado County, where I have had two motorist harassment incidents (both caught on video), and the encounter with the military impostor last month. People act civilized and drivers leave cyclists alone in El Dorado Hills, at least so far.

I love the quality of the pavement and the bike lanes too. This is a very popular cycling spot because of the challenging climbs. The best part is that I can get to it by light rail. I am car free now, so all my mountain trips in the summer will be by rental car like they were this year when I still owned a vehicle but wanted the peace of mind of driving a new vehicle.

I love how the Bike Friday climbs. I believe it's pretty close to my road bike performance-wise, although the road bike's lower handlebars are better for descending.