linberl

Fair enough. If we aren't counting the fold, there are several other folders I think ride a lot better and can easily carry as much or more (BF, Birdy, for example) and there are also minivelos as well. Can't beat the Brompton fold, though. But if I only had one, I'd pick a 20" wheel folder, probably. I love my 16" BF pakiT and it rides great but I also have a 20" Dahon Mu Uno at under 21lbs that rides amazingly well on any terrain, potholes no problem. With a 16" you do have to pay attention to where you are going. And, of course the Dahon single speed coaster brake is great in the rain =).

Joe Remi

That Mu Uno is a shockingly good bike as just a bike, not considering the fold. I had one with belt drive and miss it a lot, I should have kept it.

Joe Remi

That's a completely subjective statement based on your preferences. There's a bunch of different Bike Fridays, and most of them fit a mission Brompton wasn't designed for.

linberl

Yeah, I'm a massive BF fan (as you know) but I wouldn't say BF is always better. I will say that there are lots of areas in which BF excels over Brompton as a "bike" but that fold has no competition and for some people the luggage system is tops.

linberl

My Mu is my "beater bike" and I feel really fortunate to have found one. I rarely fold it (although it is incredibly quick to fold when I do) and use it more as a mini velo. And it's only a couple pounds heavier than my pakiT. Once I got rid of the seat pump post and stock saddle.

Raxel

Nope, most of the people I know riding modded Brompton have quite a bit of mileage (both horizontal and vertical). Many do randonneuring with their Bromptons. One of them even completed Paris-Brest-Paris last year.

2_i 

My Brompton is highly modded and has accumulated much mileage in 3D at all kinds of corners and yet yields no contradiction to my claims. To the contrary, an assumption that an aftermarket part would work, since there is hardly anything to mess up there, repeatedly led to disasters at places that were a desert literally or metaphorically, as far as Brompton network was concerned.

spambait11

Wait... Everyone else can make "completely subjective statement(s)" but I can’t? You’re harsh.
I'm calling the internet police.

MY Bike Friday is still better than MY Brompton.

linberl

I'm an unabashed BF fan, but are you comparing BF 20" bike with Brompton, or do you have a pakiT that you are comparing? Comparing to 20" bikes isn't exactly a fair comparison. I've got a pakiT, and for MY NEEDS it is better than any Brompton. That's because I prioritize weight over fold and ride quality over luggage carrying. But someone else might really need that compact fold, etc.

linberl

Recent email from Bike Friday, perhaps rumors of their demise were inflated?A brand new bike is cooking in

the Bike Friday Shop this winter



We have been inspired to take all we have learned about cargo bikes and electric bikes and break the barriers to create a brand new ultra commuter, climate warrior bike. Our mission is to build products that support people to live active healthy sustainable lifestyles through cycling. We are pouring our knowledge and passion into this new bike and it is raising eyebrows already!



We will be sharing more in the next few weeks.

info@bikefriday.com?subject=I%20want...3A%0A%0A%0A%0Aif you want to be the first to know about this new electric cargo bike.

himespau 

Maybe all that was needed was cash for retooling for a new line. Maybe a silent partner gave them that.

pinholecam

Maybe they will do better if they move to a country that embraces cycling more? (eg. Holland or just EU in general)

linberl

I don't think they are going to move - they are firmly entrenched in Eugene, family and friends and a long history.

Jarlybart

Only way they would ever move is when they sell the company or close the door and someone takes over the name which is really the only thing that is on the list anyway. The clock is ticking...

BromptonINrio

chill out and move along !
you are beein so idotic! why keep deprecating bike friday? get a life!

flyinfscotsman

Tough environment.

Jarlybart

Chill out? If you only knew...so much has been left unsaid.

linberl

DancingSea

I ordered my first Bike Friday New World Tourist in December, as part of their year end sale. It will be my first folding bike. I did tons of research and felt Bike Friday offered the best ride at the sacrifice of not the most efficient folding. For my needs, that works out well. I love the notion that Bike Fridays adventure travels the world, something the Brompton’s (etc) don’t do at the level of Bike Friday. And I like that BF uses standard parts, allowing me a wide range of component upgrade options down the road.

The ordering process is a bit overwhelming given the sheer amount of choices. And I was disappointed in the nearly 3 month wait for delivery. Ordering at the end of December with delivery at the end of March is too long, but I’m doing it anyway even though it did sour my customer experience a bit. I’m guessing it’s beyond their financial scope to change at this point, but they would benefit from having a collection of ready to ship bikes along with the ultra custom option for those who want that. I appreciate that they are a small company and executing ideas like that may not be the easiest pivot.

I do hope Bike Friday survives all of this. When I purchased, I didn’t know about these financial difficulties, it sad to read about them.

CliffordK

From reading this... it is hard to tell what is up. It doesn't sound like the company is insolvent. But, they are wishing to improve processing, and reduce liabilities. I.E. fix or eliminate any problematic models, and improve or add to what they have.

Retirement of the old guard, and make way for the new?

I did bring my BF and kitten cat carrier past the factory a couple of months ago. She was quite a hit.

linberl

Ha ha ha, that was you??? I loved the pictures. Takes a special cat to like being pulled around by bike.

linberl

There is an option for expedited production, I think it costs around an extra $150 and you get bumped up in line so it takes about a month. Because of the numerous models and multiple frame sizes, it's pretty hard for them to have bikes sitting around, except for the Osata models which all use the same frame. While you may not enjoy having to wait, keep in mind you will end up with a bike custom made specifically for you. And when you're touring the world, you won't remember the wait ;-).

CliffordK

Hmmm... it looks like we made it onto Bike Friday's Facebook.



https://tr-tr.facebook.com/pages/cat..._fb_noscript=1

I was planning on just buying the replacement cage and running, but they put it on too. A little different style than the old squishy one, but it seemed to work, and probably was a bit more secure.

I've been trying to socialize my kitten (rapidly growing cat), Latte. We had her first vet appointment that day. She actually was doing better with the bike/trailer than driving.

Lalato

Looks like the new Bike Friday product is an electric bike named the Ever-E-Day.



The New
Ever-E-Day

Built for daily transportation for the climate warrior
This light and sporty electric cargo bike has mind blowing capacity to haul what you need with nimble elegance! It has multi-tool flexibility to handle whatever life throws your way and adjust to your future needs. It’s lean and mobile with agility as part of its secret….This electric bike does things others just can’t! Read on...

Breaking out of the "box"
of previous Cargo and Electric Bikes

The Ever-E-Day is:
Much Lighter and Still Strong! – Bike weight starts at 39 lbs (Most Electric bikes and Cargo bikes are 55 to 70 lbs.) and the Ever-E-Day still carries rider and cargo up to 400lbs.

More Compact – Much easier to maneuver and store with a wheel base 42-46 in. (most Cargo bikes are 60 - 70 inches long, hard to store and travel on other transportation methods).

An Electric Cargo bike that rides like a non-electric and non-cargo bike! The Ever-E-Day frame has braze-ons for a large array of front and rear racks, some Bike Friday built and many industry standard. Customizable to your cargo carrying needs.

More size adjustment than any other electric or cargo bike (except the Bike Friday Haul-a-Day). Frame adjusts to fit riders 4ft. to 6ft 4 in.

Long list of high value features for your money - The fully electric Ever-E-Day starts at $2,195, most quality electric and cargo bikes with top end features start at $3,000 to $6,000 and up.

Built by hand in USA - No one else makes an electric cargo bike in the USA!

Joe Remi

It's a shorter Haul-a-Day with a Bafang mid-drive kit. Which is ok I guess, but it's not a dedicated integrated ebike.