Ultralight

Marking

shrooms

Yan, I replaced the rear wheel and cassette on my Nova.
https://i.imgur.com/YELGR6v.jpg

Just want to say that 13T instead of the fastest 14T on the original cassette really hits the spot. A very little difference in the ratio but a big difference in terms of feel. If it doesn't cost you money to upgrade the new about to be produced Novas with a different cassette I can bring my bike to you to try to ride it.
Thanks.

downtube

Do you have the latest model? I put a replaceable chainring on it,so it will be easier to customize gearing. I have yet to find another entry level folder that has a replaceable ring. It looks like you moved to a cassette system ( Deore rear hub ) if so that is a pretty dramatic upgrade, and will not be cheap.

Thanks,
Yan

shrooms

My bike is the same as on the picture on your website.
You are right chainring can be upgraded too.
I had to replace the whole rear wheel with a BMX double wall rim and 36 spokes because my weight is 210 and I ride at midnight from work. 8-10 miles through Brooklyn I hit several potholes everyday.

shrooms

Yan, sorry bothering you again. I have an issue with the main body folding hinge pin doesn't disengage. When I lock and unlock the latch the pin doesn't move in any direction. Is there a quick fix I can try do myself before to go to a shop?
Thanks a lot in advance.

bikerwannabe

did you ever get a response, or figure out the problem or a fix?

shrooms

Yes I've got a response from Yan. He actually called me back but the problem was already fixed in a local shop.

bikerwannabe

How did they fix it? I am asking because I had a similar problem.

shrooms

He sprayed penetrating oil then a few minutes later pried the pin out with a long srewdriver.

bhkyte

Hi any recommendations for a worn stem hinge on the FS 9.
The stud bolt that forms the hinge is loose in the matching hole in stem. I think the stem hole has enlarged with wear and there is a small amount of play.
Any suggestions?
Cut the stud off and repace with a wider bolt with a shim?

downtube

I missed this question a while back....my apologies. I have replacement stems, it sounds as if that would be the best option.

Thanks,
Yan

downtube

I wanted to share a video of my kids mountain biking https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZQN...ature=youtu.be. I am on a 9 front suspension folder, and they are on Race kids mountain bikes.

Thanks,
Yan

bhkyte

Hi yan. Could you post cost for a stem? Or PM me. I am in UK, so don't know if postage would be excessive. I am looking to sell the bike to thin my stable. Thanks bhkyte

flyboy2160

Dr. Yan may not care for someone stripping one of his brand new, nicely powder coated frames, but here's a Polishing-Forever-In-Progress 9FS (along with some other modifications.) I wanted a second 9FS (my favorite bike), but could only afford one of the Yellow ones on sale. I hate that color and always liked polished metal machines, so…..

My other 9FS is from the first or second year of production; it's nice to see the quality improvements in the new bikes: Although I stripped it, the new powder + clear coat finish looks much better and appears thicker and more durable than the older paint. The headset bearings are larger. I don't know if the rear derailleur is stronger, but it's lighter. A small touch I appreciated were the fiber-reinforced rim strips. I run 100psi Kendas and the normal polymer-only strips don't hold up.

downtube

Flyboy

The bike looks great! I like your stem concept....I would have never thought of that.

Thanks,
Yan

flyboy2160

Thanks for the compliments, Dr. Yan!

My unusual seat doesn't have any front to back adjustment, so I get what I need by using the adjustable Satori stem. It's mounted on a 1 1/8" tube which is, in turn, clamped into your pivoting stem section with a hand formed custom aluminum spacer.

tds101 

Excellent mod Flyboy!

flyboy2160

I'm using slotted spring pins as an inexpensive fix for the pivot joints that will inevitably wear a little. These pins are designed to be slightly larger than the nominal hole they go in and then compress a little on installation into an interference fit. In the attached picture, I used one to fix the main pivot hole on my older 9FS that had become a little sloppy. Maybe I didn't have to repair it, but that little rocking bugged me. The skinny bolt and washers down the center of the pin are just there for safety - the pin takes all the load. This setup certainly doesn't look as sleek as the stock binder bolt, but there is no longer slop in the joint and there should be enough "spring" left to accommodate some future wear.

(Thanks tds101!)

bhkyte

Thanks flyboy.
My Downtube FS8 is
now sold.

Thanks Yan ,
for a great experience with my FS 9. Its a great bike for the money and I hope the owner gets at least as much pleasure as I got from it.

My daughter also loved the bike.


Needed to trim and rationalise the stable. I have one birdie set up now that is great off road. Thudbuster + big apples+ chain catcher+ short cage derailler + CNC chain ring guard. My daughter likes this one also.

bikebreak

off topic, but I also have a 7yo and was also looking for a nice kids bike last year. Almost everything available is very heavy compared to the weight of a child. Eg a 25 pound bike is fine for a 150 pound adult, but is half the mass of a 50 pound kid, making it hard to balance, accelerate, and climb.
I ended up getting a used MTB, but almost bought from Islabikes. They have a 17 pound aluminum kids bike with 7 speeds.


Something to look into if you are still in the market or designing your own.

downtube

Weight is important for small kids, however it is not the most important factor. I have both rigid and suspension kids models. I thought the rigid would be better since it is lighter; I planed on running low air pressure in the tires to act as suspension for my kids.

I was wrong! My daughter weighs 70 lbs she has ridden both and prefers the suspension. My son is 63lbs, he doesn't care which one he rides. I've been putting him on the rigid model. The rigid fork has taught him to pick smooth lines. He is the best in the family at picking clean trails. I'm hoping this will help him develop into a racer.

Thanks,
Yan

Elad63

Getting ready to pull the trigger on a new folder. Still haven't decided on color yet. I'm leaning towards the fs 9s, but won't mind getting the Nova at a later date. The fs 9s is supposed to be disc ready, is this correct? Is there a suggested weight limit on the bikes, I weight 200 lbs.

downtube

I had a little miscommunication with the factory, and I could use some advice from artistic individuals. I asked for a two tone paint and got the attached...not exactly what I intended. Is there a way to beautify this color arrangement? Maybe with decals?

Thanks,
Yan

badmother

First of all I would suggest photoshop or similar next time you order to avoid misunderstanding. Maybe smallwheeler can help with that

For the present frames I would say make sure the fork is the same colour as the front of the bikes.
They may look better when presented as bikes with wheels and stuff..

csi56

(I'm cross-posting since I just spotted this thread and it seems a more rational place to post, rather than the new thread I started. Sorry for the clutter.)

I have a 2-year old Downtube FS9 that I'm quite happy with. I'd like to take my jerry-rigged bag off the handlebars to make steering a little easier, and to avoid having the bike topple over from the weight of the bag (lock, water, etc.).

Using the Tern Luggage Truss seems like a good way to hang bags from the frame. On the FS9 there are two mount holes right at the front, that might be just right. But before I plunk down my $50 (with shipping) at ThorUSA or elsewhere, I want to know the distance between mount holes on the luggage truss.

I can't find that info on Tern's site or anywhere else I've googled. Anybody know the spacing? I believe the FS9's spacing is about 26mm.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can clue me in.

Luggage Truss | Tern Folding Bikes | United States