CenturionIM

I have been looking at this tikit.

Is 775 a good price for it? The owner says its a 2008 model with about 2100 miles on the bike. all components are working.

rhenning

For what its worth the "Model T" was the cheapest version of a Tikit sold at the time. New they could be bought for about that price. That one appears to have some up grades. Only you can decide if it is worth it. You might look at Bike Fridays site and see what a new similar bike costs now. Roger

fietsbob

I thought new they were around $900.. compare at $1400, now, is the word..

the seller may have or not gotten the fork replaced with the recall.

ask on that..

bargainguy

Be advised there was a recall on all Tikit stems because of a couple instances of failure. You might want to check with the owner whether the bike was registered with Green Gear and received the fix.

rhenning

Since I own a Bike friday Pocker Rocket I had a chance to buy a Model T Tikit for $699 when they were introduced. The BTO (Built To Order) Tikits were already out then and were more in the $1000 range. I don't remember if that was a previous owners price or not. Shipping at the time would have added another $50 to$75 to the price. When you bought the Model T you couldn't make changes to the basic bike. That included color. As Henry Ford did they only came in black. The rack would have neen an addition cost and sold through parts not sales. Roger

Foldable Two

A couple of important questions: 1) What size is the frame? [Small or Medium - sure doesn't look like a Large.] 2) How tall are you and what do you weigh?

There is a weight limit and 'fitting' limitations. Obviously not a bargain if it doesn't fit you.

Lou

CenturionIM

Thanks for the heads up about the recalls. Emailed the owner but no answers yet.
THe bike is a size medium and as far as I can tell, me and the owner have fairly similar build, shouldn't be a problem there.

zebede

CL add says new stem...great bike....price is "ok"...offer $150 less, be firm. Good luck. Used is rare for these great bikes. Keep it for a life time.

fietsbob

Medium is a 55 mm long top tube equivalent..

CenturionIM

owner refused to answer questions about the proof of purchase/recall fixes. Still worth taking a look?

fietsbob

Call Bike Friday, ask if they will offer the repair/recall as a second owner,
use that reply in your bargaining and purchase decision..

If the current owners name is known, they may tell you about the bike's production date
and status RE steerer tube replacement .


Worth it(?) is, ultimately, your call .. I'd want an IGH, ''season Tikit".. rather than derailleur..

Lalato

Bike Friday will replace the stem for a second owner. I'm one such owner and they're replacing it for me. Since the replacement is free, it shouldn't affect the price too much. Just depends on how much you value the time and hassle.

That said, I agree with fietsbob on the IGH... if I had to do all over again, I would definitely get one with an IGH.

CenturionIM

what is the great thing about IGH?

folder fanatic

With extreme caution. If an owner does not offer proof of purchase or anything else important about that particular bicycle (i.e. like recalls), I personally would not buy from that private party. I feel my inner alarm bells ringing over this ad. I cannot help but wonder why the original owner wants to dump this bike him/herself so quickly without offering much info about the bike itself. Most of the time, I see these bike posted on the Bike Friday "Perloved" Webpage. I would feel more confident about the necessary updating (like addressing recalled parts and/or worn out parts), some limited warranty granted to the purchaser, and confidence that the bike or any of it's parts, was not initially stolen (a big problem that is getting worse for all bike make and models, not just Bike Friday). Better yet at those prices, I would save up more money and buy new as I have with my Brompton almost 8 years ago and still going strong.

Just in case you are wondering about my personal "alarm bells" ringing, I can safely assure you that it is not a figment of my imagination. I have been using my local Craigslist as an important tool to locate many mostly used items that are needed around the house or in my life with great success for a few years now. Already I have sold 2 folding bikes, adopted 1 beautiful puppy (now all grown up a year later) before she had to go to the shelter, bought 1 used separating bike, and always on the prowl for more things for not too much money or trouble. But (and I emphasis this very strongly), I don't get swayed by just any pretty picture or low price. I do use some caution-expressed here as the ringing alarm bells-and hanging on my purse strings until I am completely satisfied. Works every time.

bargainguy

Yup. Anyone who refuses to answer questions is suspect; stolen or otherwise illegally obtained is a strong possibility.

BassNotBass

+1 on both accounts.





Depending on the conditions an IGH can be more reliable and less hassle than a derailleur system. There have been times during the winter when a derailleur has gotten clogged up with sleet, road grime and packed snow and has frozen up to the point where I had only one gear. My IGHs never had that problem. An IGH is also less prone to damage from impact or road debris which may be more of a concern on folding bikes which normally have smaller wheels so the rear derailleur is closer to the ground and debris.

fietsbob

In the case of a folding bike, no derailleur to bang out of alignment handling the bike when its folded.


And you get to downshift it, stopped .. or really bogged down on a hill .

folder fanatic

Everything for serious commuting on rather somewhat hilly ground. Without the hassles of derailleur exposed to everything damaging gearing. All my present bicycles are IGH equipped speaks for itself I suppose.

CenturionIM

alright, pass on this bike. I didn't really like the owner/s behavior either. At least he can try to explain, but nope.

thanks for the tip on IGH. What you guys said makes a lot of sense, I was pleasantly surprised while test riding the brompton that I could shift whenever without worrying about pedaling. Hmm I was really leaning toward the derailer birdy, maybe I should go for a IGH instead.

bargainguy

I have folders with IGH and others with derailleurs. My take.

IGH generally means a weight penalty over derailleurs. Easier to maintain and as stated above, less likely to get stuck.

But they're not foolproof depending on circumstances. My Dahon Speed Pro TT has a mix of 9-sp RD and SRAM 3x hub with Shimano brifters. Trouble is, Shimano doesn't recommend brifters for IGH as the cable pulls are slightly different. Can't tell you how many times I've shifted the hub and found myself in no-mans land without any gear, just spinning freely. I'm a mechanic and keep the IGH aligned, but this still happens from time and time and is quite annoying.

One other beauty of IGH is that if you're running a single chainring, crosschaining is not an issue. Now if you run a folder with a wide cluster and a triple crank, crosschaining becomes a huge issue. Also IGH usually means less exposed bits (no RD sticking out) so easier to pack/travel with.

zebede

It is illegal to sale a product that has a CPSC recall. I bought a "like new" but used Tikit with recalled stem for $350.

Bike Friday has agreed to replace the stem for free. EVEN IF THEY DIDN'T and you had to pay (which you won't) it is well worth the price.

His ad says he replaced the stem. BTW the stem fatigue for most of is a non-issue and I continue to ride the bike frequently while I wait on a replacement stem AND $75 dollars from Bike Friday towards one of there accessories!