Bike Friday customer reviews

After having ridden my Pocket Rocket Pro (27-speed with Ultegra components) for 3 months and more than 1500 miles around Boulder, Colorado, I would purchase the bicycle again with no reservations whatsoever. The bicycle has been just great and an absolute pleasure to ride. It also travels very well.

I am 52 and bought the Pocket Rocket Pro for exercise and century rides on extended business trips. It feels very similar to my regular high-end road bike. It might (?) be a whisker slower, but if it is, it’s not slower by much. It is comfortable, handles well and is very stable at speeds up to 40+ mph, brakes well, and is fast. It has a nice lively ride. The welding looks very good, and the paint job is superb. I have no qualms about using it as an alternative to my regular road bike now that I am home either, something I did not expect.

My Pocket Rocket Pro performed superbly on rides that covered a mix of terrains (mountains and flatland) and a healthy range of distances. My first significant ride was a century ride that involved 4300’ of climbing about two weeks after I received the bike. The bicycle did fine, in spite of some difficulty with my saddle (see below). My cycling thereafter typically consisted of daily 10-20 mile rides, with weekend rides of ~40-miles with as much as 4,000’ of climbing. I pushed the bike and myself pretty hard on these rides and loved the way it responded. The Pocket Rocket Pro is definitely a beautiful high-end road.

In addition to the quality of the ride, the speed and ease of assembly and disassembly (packing) is very important to me. If either of these steps were to take too long, I wouldn’t have time left to ride a bike on a typical business trip. The assembly and disassembly procedures are both straightforward, and the directions in the manual bike are very good too - this is critical. The felt packing bags and split plastic tubes that came with the bicycle for protecting it in the travel case are really nice, do their job well, and materially aid in quickly and securely packing the bike; they also reflect attention to key details on the part of Bike Friday. The second time I re-packed the bike it took about an hour, and the next time it will take 30 minutes or less (a few annotations I made in the manual the first time I packed up the bike really helped). The assembly time after three assemblies is comparable to the disassembly time: ~20 minutes for assembly and another 10 minutes to double check, pump tires, etc. In contrast, the travelling bike a sibling bought from another company did not come with a manual or DVD; it took us several hours to repack his bike even though we had photographs of his bike from when we unpacked it. The Pocket Rocket Pro is a clear winner in terms of the speed and ease of assembly and disassembly.

The travel case has worked well too. First, it has protected the bike well, even when opened up by TSA. Second, it is roomy and can take a regular floor pump if the base plate can be removed. The bike and case alone only weigh about 30 pounds by themselves. The bike, the case, the tools for the bike, a rear rack, water bottles and their cages, two frame pumps, and the floor pump together weighed in at 50.0 pounds. The floor pump and the rear rack are the main reasons it has taken me more than 30 minutes to disassemble and pack the bike so far – without them I would be under 30 minutes.

My service experience with Bike Friday has been very good-to-excellent. I ask a lot of questions, and Sandy in customer service fielded my questions patiently and knowledgeably. The fit of the bike is spot on. I ordered the bike about a month before leaving on my trip to Boulder, and it arrived on schedule to fit a narrow time window before the century ride; I greatly appreciated that. I had ordered a straight stem riser and a standard stem to have the option of adjusting the stem, but my Pocket Rocket Pro came with the custom ultralight stem. This could have been a significant problem, but wasn’t: the custom stem was sized just right, I like it, and I’m glad I have it.

I’ve also been pleased with other matters associated with my Pocket Rocket Pro. The online service guide is excellent. The bike’s tool kit is nice. The DVD that came with the bike is good too, even though I find the manual to be quite adequate.

The bicycle does have some idiosyncrasies. It seems to be a bit more sensitive than my regular road bike to having the right saddle in the correct position even though the specs on my Pocket Rocket Pro were taken from my regular bike; my two-year old saddle on my regular road bike just didn’t feel comfortable on the Pocket Rocket Pro – I still don’t know why. The nut on the bottom bracket hinge needed to be slightly loosened to fold it up the first time I packed the bike, and this took me a while to figure out. I bought a crescent wrench for this, but the spanners in the tool kit that comes with the bike can loosen this nut. The quick release on the stem needs to be tighter than I expected to prevent the handlebars from creaking and to prevent a shudder while braking on steep descents. The seat mast clamp also has to be tight to stop the seat from sliding down, and the first time I tightened the clamp I broke the clamp bolt. I’ll get a replacement bolt and clamp to be covered in case this happens again. The front brake cables clack against each other while riding, but I’ve addressed this with a few strategically positioned twisty-ties. I also want to find a way to keep the chain from dirtying the protective felt bags when the bike is in the travel case. With a bit more experience I am confident I’ll resolve all these matters.

In summary, I love the ride of my Pocket Rocket Pro and how well it travels. The service from Bike Friday has been consistent with its fine reputation. The Pocket Rocket Pro was the right bike for me and I am extremely glad I purchased it.

I looked at a lot of folding bikes over the last year. Bike Friday, Brompton, Dahon etc. My wife Tanya, an avid researcher, spent a lot of time as well. She asked me, "What is important to you? Do you really need the compact fold of the Brompton, or do you want a folding bike that rides like a real bike?" That really got me thinking.

Well, I test rode a Season Tikit at Warm Planet Bikes in San Francisco, and also tried a friend's Brompton. I also tried a Strida and a Dahon. My wife kept researching. I kept looking at bikes.

I kept coming back to Bike Friday...

Last month, I finally bought my Season Tikit a month ago after about a year agonzing over my decision. It is in Green Gear Green and I have named it Kermit! (You know, "It's not easy being green." )It has been fantastic! I knew I would like it, but I can't believe the difference it has made in my commute.

It has made in a huge difference in two areas primariy. One is getting on and off the train. The other is getting in and out of my building at work. I live in San Mateo, Ca. and commute to San Francisco, Ca. via Cal train.

With our local Caltrain, there has been a problem for years in bike capacity. At least once every couple of weeks, I was bumped from the train and had to take the next one.

http://www.sfbike.org/?caltrain_bob

Now that I have the tikit, I get on the train with no problems. In the first two weeks alone, I was able to get on at least four trains that I would ordinarily been bumped off. The folding bike is always allowed!

My other issue has been my workplace. Frankly, it is NOT bike friendly. Before my tikit, I had to take my bike through the loading dock, down a one-floor freight elevator to the basement, and then try to sneak my bike onto another freight elevator up to the 10th floor where my office is. I say sneak, as the building has a "NO BIKE" policy. They want me to put my bike in room designated for that purpose in the basement. Just getting my bike in and out of the office took 10-15 minutes extra, time crucial if you are trying to make the train home.

Well now I pull up to the front of the building, fold my Season Tikit, and walk right in and take the main elevator.The security people smile at me and nod as I go by. No hassles! I also can stick my tikit right under my desk, so that I can easily leave in a moment's notice. I honestly think that with the increased time I get at work, the tikit will be paid for in no time at all!

Oh, and here's the other thing: It is a joy to ride! The other day, a group of my fellow commuter's asked about it. They genuinely liked it, including one freind who has Brompton with a three gear internal hub (He was jealous, in a good-natured way, about my eight year nexus hub), but one of them made a bit of a derisive comment and said his folding bike, a citizen, only cost him a few hundred dollars, and insinuated that I was stupid for spending what I did for my Season Tikit.

I noticed he had a regular commuter bike, and not a folder with him, asked him why he wasn't riding it at the time. He said that the ride was somewhat clunky and the fold was cumbersome, but he liked it just fine. I smugly thought to myself that he just made the point of the tikit for me. Why have a folding bike that, frankly, sucks? Why not pay for quality, and have a bike that you can actually enjoy?

Anyway, I could go on about all the other things I like about my tikit, but I think that would require a few more pages... long story short, I am an extremely satisified customer!

Best Regards,

Ty Smith

The first thing I did when I received it was to slap an iBike power meter on it to measure the drag coeficients (aerodynamic and rolling).  To my pleasant surprise they were almost identical to my Specualized Roubaix (the aero drag coef was actually lower on the Tikit).  Ultimately I can't detect any performance sacrifices when I switch bikes.  

What I like most about it is that I can take it everywhere I go.  So far I've never been turned away by a restaurant (I believe they think it's a wheel chair and they are worried about upsetting the disabled population).  

I also have yet to find a trunk it won't fit in.  

Anyway, in case you couldn't tell - I think it's a brilliant design and I actually fold it all the time (unlike my NWT which I only fold to travel). it's the coolest tikit out there - code named MPT.  (Mighty Purple Tikit)

Hi Walter, This comes a bit late but I just want to thank you for arranging the Expedition sale for me. It arrived in Spore via my wife in good shape I am told. I'm still here in Perth, Australia and my good friend has put it together for me. I was most impressed with the extend of the packing protection. You guys really know your stuff. I look forward to riding this ultimate "Landcruiser" across many exotic lands in the near distant future. This is my 2nd Friday and something tells me it wont be the last. http://lovethefold.blogspot.com/2009/10/just-another-friday.html Alvin

The Bike Friday (custom Pocket Rocket single speed) you helped set up for me has been quite a wonderful surprise.

The bike has provided a range of unexpected practical benefits. Here are some of the impressive features of the whole project as it developed over several months:

1. The amazingly thorough and secure packing job in that big box the bike arrived in. Carefully protected almost to a fault.

2. Came complete with manual and tools and every conceivable thought-out kind of packing material. (I may eventually learn how to use all those pieces of plastic and felt!)

3. Packs easily into the Samsonite Flite suitcase that I bought separately. Also fits easily in the carry bag. (I did add some cardboard to protect the inside of the bag.) No problem carrying it on the Amtrak train.

4. Complete custom sizing with the Fit Stem system. After finally adjusting for my low, far forward reach, (to accomodate my long arms), I felt a more stable, faster athletic ride. The drop bars were essential for that. (Your split version of the bars is great for packing.)

5. Seat mast raised sufficiently high for my long legs and big feet provides some comfortable flex. Though racers seem to prefer stiff frames, at least according to the magazines, some research suggests flexibility allows greater efficiency by allowing greater speed on rough road surfaces.

6. Single speed light weight and chain path simplicity. I think it beats the usual derailleur arrangement when ascending steep hills mainly because it eliminates all the extra weight and friction-adding components. It's a clear advantageous trade-off. (Other factors in your design surely are at work to make the ascents easier also, but they are less obvious to me.)

The last 3 items eventually proved that my Bike Friday performed better than my fine hand-made titanium conventionally-shaped racer equipped with Campagnolo triple crankset (not quite a pure racer with that one) and Campy components.

Even after replacing the big bike's wheels with more modern lighter ones having fewer and streamlined bladed spokes, hill climbing was still easier on the Bike Friday. That advantage has been true on long (45 mile) rides, on any ascent, after repeated comparisons all summer.

I depended on the bicycle because I had no car so the bicycle was almost essential. And climbing steep hills was always unavoidable if I wanted to get back home, living on Longhill Road! I had thought at first the Bike Friday would be fine mainly for quick hops to the grocery store and back, or for riding in the city, especially with the easy-to-accelerate small wheels.

But I learned that my Bike Friday out on the highway just got up the hills faster, with less effort, despite having only one gear. Long rides were always easier. Climbing the hills convinced me that my otherwise lovely titanium racer was by comparison a kind of a sluggish tank, almost always too heavy.

Its 24 speeds provided a limited advantage, primarily when acclerating on descents to achieve maximum speed. I eventually rode that bike only as an occasional break from riding the Bike Friday, and just for sentimental esthetic reasons.

Conclusion: As graceful, well-designed and solid as a traditional full-sized lightweight bicycle may look, optimal functionality depends more the physical advantages of lower weight, simplicity of the chain path, frame resilience, reduced rotational inertia and reduced rolling resistance of the wheels that the Bike Friday single-speed can offer. Your design is a big success! Very nice to have discovered that. You surely have helped to improve and even to re-engineer the efficiency of the modern bicycle.

Sincerely, Sam Lambert