DaKineDatFolds

Okay. So, spanky she is.

RichardLee

What's with the fuss with possibly faked photos and broken promises? We're used to delays after another.

Was the in-factory photo which included staff not of an assembled test bike or the parts to make one? Could the parts including the crucial rear triangle that apparently caused much delay still not exactly be production-ready? What I'm getting at is yield - how many of those welded actually pass quality inspection? To be profitable, it had better be above 90% unless someone here knowledgeable can elaborate.In the automotive sector, I would imagine it's 100% in a well tuned factory that has been operating several years.

Wait until the next update. I would predict something along the lines of "we are ramping back up after the holiday season slowdown and expect to have the test bike sent ready to be to the tester". Not sent to the tester but be ready.

BTW, given the previous update was December 22 and the intervening week-long slowdown, do you suppose the next update be forthcoming THIS weekend or next?

Gibsonsean

Gibsonsean

Latest update is out to backers and pre-oderers. Good stuff if a little longer to wait for the final bike than I might have hoped. Will say no more as Helix have requested confidence.

DaKineDatFolds

Is it true?

Joe Remi

This thread is spanky.

Gibsonsean

The thread is not dead until the fat lady's riding that bike singing O Fortuna.

It'll be a while yet before shipping and I'm not sure they've locked down the lead times on the fat lady (under 105kg of course) just yet. So there will no doubt be plenty of time still for high drama, groundless speculation and outrageous accusations and defamations galore as testing and production ramping hit challenges. And that is before first impressions posts, user reviews and the inevitable critiques by people who haven't actually ridden the bike followed by long term impressions and reviews along with speculation and debate on the growth prospects of Helix etc.

The show will go on.

DaKineDatFolds

Well, okay. I epsecially would've missed Miss Spanky.

tds101 

unclejemima

Dang. I just really want this bike. I just spent all night looking at other folding bikes brands and this one has all the others best hands down.
It’s light, built from an exotic frame material, runs 24” tires, unique folding mechanism AND for what it is, it’s fairly affordable.
I’m staying tuned and hoping things turn out!!!!

Joe Remi

Buy something else now. You can wait for the Helix as a retirement gift to yourself 😉

Jipe

You forgot one major characteristics: i it is the ultimate dream bike !

And like all dreams, it is unfortunately not real

Revoltingest

I've being doing the same market survey since a couple years ago. The Helix really is the ultimate geeky fast-folding suitcase friendly bike. (Brompton is a fine machine, but it's spendy, long in the tooth, & tiny wheels suck off road.) My trusty old Dahon Helios will serve me until the Helix arrives, so I'll endure the expected wait (pre-ordered in Jan 2017).

Start-up companies with big dreams....not for the impatient they are.

jur

Im guessing at this stage that we're looking at 6 months for deliveries of backer bikes, and another 6 for pre-order bikes. Pure guess based on historical perspective. We now know that welding of the test frame has been accomplished, and that testing can begin. It's a broken time of year with Christmas and New year and Chinese New year and bitter cold with deep snow, so I think normal time scales will be stretched. Think end Feb for testing completion. Then assuming no testing failures, production can start. It is also known that there seems inadequate planning to be able to proceed straight away with production. While welding development was ongoing there was a delay waiting for frame parts to be manufactured. It is therefore reasonable to speculate that other special parts of which there are many might not be on hand yet. So factoring in CNY, these might only arrive April at the earliest as companies will be overrun with work after the break. Furthermore, taking the huge difficulty that frame welding threw up, that can only proceed at a snail's pace. Perhaps only a few frames per day can be produced at first. As they streamline procedures that should ramp up but it's hard to see how more than 10 frames a day can be done. Adding all these together I arrive at June earliest for backer bike deliveries to be completed. At the earliest.

unclejemima

Well good news... I emailed and got a reply from them and in the next week(s) we should expect to see an epic news letter.
I’ve still been looking and unless there is some German small scale manufacture hiding out there...the helix is still the best all rounder hands down.
I’ve got a Honda Step Compo converted to lithium to hold me off until then

unclejemima

Ok. Drooling over the helix again over breakfast...yes this is the one.

Seriously can anyone find such a bike out there or in production!?!?

It has the wheels (24”), weight, frame and price that this thing will be in a league of its own.

Think I’m gonna put a preorder in next offering! (Supposedly next newsletter)

rhenning

This is my wifes custom Seven that was built around 24 inch wheels so it meets one of your wants and will also pack in a suit case. About 16 pounds in weight with a Shimano drive train. Do you have $5500 to spare. If so you to can have one. Total production time from first drawing to delivery was less than 3 months and currently has about 7,000 miles on it. Roger

tds101 

Beautiful bike,...and (IMO) totally worth the price.

SurfHenk

Interesting bike.
Do you also have pictures of how it folds?

unclejemima

Interesting...I also would like to see how it folds...

Where is it manufactured?

Joe Remi

Not folding, separable. All Sevens are handbuilt in the USA.

Jipe

What is the real benefit of 24"wheels ? Smaller wheel roll as well and there is a much wider choice of tires in 20" ETRTO496 than in 24" ETRTO507. There are no high performances road tires in 24" ETRTO507.

You can also consider the https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/v...bike-bicycle#/ The creators already sell the Vellobike and there are also nu-assisted and titanium frame version.
The chance of success of the Vellobike+ seems much bigger (and faster) than the one of Helix.

berlinonaut

24" wheels are much better on uneven terrain (especially cobble stones) than 20" wheels as I can tell from experience with my Airnimal Joey and various 20" folders. There is the Schwalbe Kojak in 507 which I would consider a sufficient road tire - the Helix (as most folders) is is my opinion not a "high performance road bike" anyway.

Regarding the vello: I've ridden a prototype a while ago and while it was ok neither the ride nor the design have impressed me too deeply. Obviously YMMV - a matter of taste. The vello has suffered from massive delays as well and while they claim they would start delivery in a couple of weeks (early February) chances also seem never to have been better to succeed for the Helix as well now, that they finally have a test bike. Personally I find the Helix far more interesting than the vello, but again YMMV.

ladi

This helix bike seems to be an interesting bike concept. I'm curious how its ride quality is going to work out. Many people seem to think that wheel size is all that counts for ride quality, I hope you all won't be awfully disappointed when the bike finally is ready. It might as well be that the frame geometry just doesn't fit most riders well and the ride does not feel much better than any Brompton / Dahon / Bike Friday...

From the drama of the production process the Helix certainly is the worlds best folding bike. This thread delivers all the best entertainment (suck it curl ).

Jipe

Kojak are fragile tires that wear fast.

Vello also experience delay but nothing comparable with Helix and within about one month we will see if their promises are real or... just promises what is not the case for Helix.

Velo creators have experience of building bikes, they were successful with their first mode what is not the case of the Helix creator. And the Vellobike+ frame is build by am experienced bike frame builder what is not the case for Helix that combines the risks of wrong bike design and wrong frame manufacturing.

On bikes without suspension, what makes them comfortable is the tire type and width, not really the size and not for the relatively small difference between ETRTP406 and ETRTO507.
Bigger wheels also increase the weight.

But, as you say, at this stage where none of those two bikes exists, it is a question of taste and confidence in the creator(s).