roving70

bikeshop then...or return is so easy and fast!

atombikes

Finally mounted the SKS fenders. They are quite a job to install, because the stays need to be custom cut.

roving70

very nice...i've read about that sks fender having difficult install, that's why i opt for planet bike.

some pics on the clickfix!

DVC45

So why are you selling it?
Green Genesis Folding Bike

atombikes

I've always liked SKS fenders; very sturdy and stay in place. But this is one situation I would have welcomed an easier fender solution.

Please tell us more about clickfix; where did you buy, how much, etc.

atombikes

OMG! That is hilarious. I can assure you I love my Genesis and am not selling, but I suppose if the bike listed in the craigslist ad actually exists it may be an OK deal...although from the wording I can't determine what is being sold?
Thanks for the find.

edit: Just 5 minutes ago I was able to see the ad; now it's gone. Did some lucky Chicagoan buy it?

knightzz718

Hey Foldingbikefan, I am having the same issue. When I coast, there is the clicking sounds which from reading this forum seems normal. I don't know if this contributes to the bad gliding. Think I am gonna replace the freewheel and see if that fixes the problem.

atombikes

The clicking while coasting is definitely normal; it is a function of the freewheel (the gear cluster on the rear wheel of this bike). Freewheels do tend to make a slightly different sound than freehubs which most modern geared bikes have. It doesn't help that this particular freewheel is not the best quality....the Shimano I now have on my bike is a little quieter, and cost $20 (including installation) at my LBS.

As for the coasting problem that Foldingbikefan is having- this sounds to me like it could be something as simple as either the rear axle nut(s) are too tight or the cone nuts are too tight. Either could cause a binding on the rear wheel bearings causing the rear wheel to not spin freely. Further investigation is required prior to returning the bike.

On a related topic, I read a thread elsewhere on this forum and one of the respondents implied that this Genesis bike is not worth the hassle due to the numerous problems encountered. I think this is unfair. To date, I am aware of only several issues:

1) the freewheel. This part IS total junk. It may be usable, but I found it to be the source of a rythmic clunking sound so I replaced the one on my bike. Any good bike shop would be able to easily determine if this part is usable or not and replace cheaply if required.

2) steering post misaligned from factory. Easy fix to loosen the allen bolt in the stem assy and straighten.

3) Noisy/creaking steering post. On my bike I found the issue was lubrication required in the hinge area (same as roving70).

4) Possible bottom bracket issue/opening that allows grit to get into bottom bracket bearings. This is a problem roving70 reported; I have not yet encountered an issue with this. As he reported, either rebuilding or replacing with a sealed bearing bottom bracket is the fix.

I'm not saying these are all the problems, just the ones I am aware of (and remember). I gotta say that for a bike that has a fit/finish comparable to other folders that cost double (or more) the cost of the Genesis, this doesn't seem to me like a long laundry list of issues? Any bike shop pre-ride checkout would probably all fix these issues, so I still maintain that this bike is a great value not just for people like roving70 and me who don't mind getting involved in the mechanicals, but also for non-wrench folks who don't mind spending a little cash at the LBS getting a tuneup.

/rant off.

knightzz718

atombikes...awesome rant. i personally bought the bike with every intention of doing good amount of work on it, for fun and for function. Figure it was cheap enough that if I mess up, no biggie, at least I got an education of out it being a newbie and all.

I am gonna try loosing up some nuts..as suggested. another question, the braking is fine but has rather a loud squeal to it. What would be the likely cause of it? Bear in mind, all stock parts. Thanks for the help.

DVC45

Adjust the brake pad contact areas.
I'd just leave it alone. ' makes a good back up for the bell, to get people's attention.

atombikes

Funny, when I had the stock pads on mine, the brakes were silent. Then I upgraded to KoolStop salmon pads, and no matter what I do the fronts shriek when trying to stop fast. As DVC45 suggests, you need to adjust your pads. Specifically, when looking from the top, you want to "toe-in" your pads slightly. This means loosening the pads and re-align them so the fronts of the pads touch the rim before the back does when applying the brake.

To do this, I usually take a business card and fold it over several times to give about the thickness of a quarter, and place this shim between the back of the pad and the rim. Then apply the brake lever with the shim in place and tighten the pad fastener. This will toe-in your pad. Do both sides (obviously). You might need to play around with it to get it right (I still haven't fixed my front brake yet)...

smallwheeler

maybe you feel the need to have a rant not because of something someone may have said months ago about this bike, but possibly because you made yourself the defacto representative for the genesis folding bike company and the complaints are rolling in steadily on this thread and you feel obliged to solve the issues? you even encouraged others to run out and buy one - "they are on sale, how can you afford not to to buy one?"

that aside, it would probably be beneficial and more transparent to those who are not so knowledgeable as yourself, to actually list all the upgrades you made and how much they will cost them. that would give the potential buyer a more realistic idea about how viable this bike is as a "budget" folding bike. it's possible there may be some hidden costs in all these neat-o upgrades that the average reader may not be aware of.

maybe you could make this list in the style of one of those about.com diy pages?

changing cassette:

you will need:

new cassette: $20-40
chain whip and cassette lockring tool: $25-50 (make sure you buy the right tools!)

new crankset:

you will need:

new crankset: $40-80

crank puller tool: $20-40 (make sure you buy the right one!)

new bottom bracket:

sealed bearing bottom bracket: $20-40 (make sure it matches your new cranks and is the correct width!)

bottom bracket tool: $20-30 (make sure you buy the right one!)

new tires: $40-80

tire tool: $3

pedals $40, pedal wrench $10-20, bullhorn bars $35-50, bartape $10-25... etc. and so on.



you see i included the costs for all the tools as well. you wouldn't think to include those costs in upgrading this bike because you already have most if not all of these tools plus more, i'm sure.

most people don't have any of these tools.

the alternative for most people would be taking the bike in to a legit bike shop to have have all these upgrades performed. so, that's parts plus $40-60 an hour labor. caveat: some bike shops will not work on department store bikes.

even if the potential owner doesn't want to do the above mentioned upgrades, as you mentioned, he or she certainly would have benefited from a bike shop "pre-ride checkout". but, you don't get that kind of treatment from a walmart $200 bike.

there are certain realities that should be acknowledged about a folding bike at this price point.

this bike cost about $35-50 to manufacture. it is mass-produced in a large factory using as much automation as possible. the parts are at the lowest possible passable specifications. even the amount of grease applied to bearings is carefully calculated to be the least amount necessary for passable function. for speed of assembly, pneumatic tools are used. this means that there is a high likelihood that every part with threads will be ridiculously over-tightened - this includes cone lock-nuts, axle bolts, loose-bearing bottom bracket, etc. under-greased and over-tightened = early part death.

so, after all the upgrades and changing virtually every part we're approaching the $400 price point. what's left untouched is the platform. the frame.

this genesis folding bike is a copy of the dahon mu frame design. an important point to keep in mind about that is, when a company like dahon designs a bike it is also engineered concurrently. which is to say, the material composition of the bike frame has a lot to do with the way the finished design can look. that's why the frame of a dahon mu can have this characteristic shape - in dahon literature they make a point of stating that the frames are designed and engineered using "dahon patented triple-butted sonus tubing".

do you think the genesis bike company uses the highest grade aluminum alloys and triple-butted tubes in the construction of these copy-frames?



this is why i always advocate buying a used bike that was manufactured at a higher spec rather than buying a new bike made at low spec and trying to add upgrade parts at retail costs. it's a losing proposition from the start.

jimboach

Any of you guys riding your Genesis in Hoboken, NJ? I thought I saw one clanking down the road.

atombikes

Not me....

roving70,

Did you buy the Dahon Magnetix frame coupling system?

Dahon Bikes USA - Magnetix: Wheel Magnets

Looks like you did. I have been wondering what that "extra" hole in the left rear dropout is for? Now I see that you have figured it out already. Looks like it is basically a bolt-on solution. $8.00 direct from Dahonbikes.com.

Do the magnets work well at keeping the frame together? Is there a reason there is so much space between the fork and rear stays when closed (picture #3 )?

Foldingbikefan

I took it to the bike shop and they loosened some nut or bolt over the weekend. It spins fine now. What's nice about getting something at Walmart is the ease of returns. This is actually my second purchase of the same bike because the first one had a handle bar unfolding issue. The locking teeth weren't retracting. I also got the 3-year warranty for $25 just in case. It's too bad Dahon doesn't have the Vybe C7A with fenders for $400 at Walmart like smile.amazon.com does (with no taxes). Otherwise, I might've gotten a Dahon. Well, I still have a month left with the Walmart purchase if something else grinds my gears (pun intended).

atombikes

Finally got a chance to weigh my bike in it's current configuration on a real scale: 27 lbs with kickstand, rack, fenders, bottle cage, etc. Just as shown in this pic:

Foldingbikefan

The gears keep messing up so I need to downshift and upshift to stop the noise. I am thinking about getting this freewheel that's linked below as the OP suggested and the freewheel remover for $18.50 total. My local bike shop is charging $25+tax and $8+tax for the remover. They said they'd do it for free if I brought in just the wheel, but I'd like the chance to change it back out in case I need to return/exchange it. I worry about voiding the warranty if I return it with a different freewheel. Anyway, does anyone know if the FR-1 is compatible with the freewheel that's on the Genesis? I'd hate to buy 2 freewheel removers. I know you don't need a remover for installation so I'd get just the Genesis freewheel remover first if they were different. Thanks in advance for the answer and such a helpful forum.

https://smile.amazon.com/Shimano-MF-T...himano+MF-TZ20
https://smile.amazon.com/Park-Tool-Fr..._bxgy_sg_img_y

My guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7bDgnfn4uU

sdwphoto

Just what I was thinking when I noticed the looped stand on the bottem of the bike frame.Citizen has the same thing,which made me think they might be making the Genesis for Walmart.If they are it should be well made.I have both a Citizen Miami 6spd {$200+30 shipping) and a Brompton H 6pd ($1900 and counting).So I have the two extremes to compare.Compared to the Brompton Citizen in my opinion comes out very well,solid ,well geared, comfortable, rides well and I use it as much as I do my Brompton.All controls ,hinges,etc work well with no problems.Fold it up and it is one of the most easiest bikes to roll around.I had a Dahon Broadwalk (now about $300)and the Citizen beats it easy for price and performance.
The only thing I would change, making the seat post longer.
So if the Genesis is anything like the Citizen,it's not to be sneered at.

icedmocha 

I just purchased one of these in part based on this thread. I am well aware of the "buy local at a bike shop" argument, and have in the past. I also have a significantly reduced income currently and this is whats available (vs 700+ at a bike shop). Your argument leads to the conclusion that a person is better off doing what I have done for the past two years, which is walk everywhere or run. I'll update with my experiences, which may prove you correct. I don't intend on replacing the freewheel unless I can find one used or on sale.

BikeKraft

Icedmocha, I'm at 300+ miles with the original freewheel, it still makes racket.
I think this bike is great for someone on a budgit or someone who wants a project bike.
Not being an engineer I can only say I think the frame will be adiquate for the long run.
It's my 4th folder, all of them have had minor issues. Even the 43 psi tires have kind
of a nice squishy ride, really. It's a good knock around ride that I don't have to worry about.
Every time I ride it I'm amazed how much I enjoy it.
Thanks to Atombike for starting this thread. Maybe it will go on as long as the Downtube thread.

roving70

i would love to tell you about the clickfix... no fancy it's from dahon, bought it from lbs from my area for $15. the only thing i add is the bracket from my rear reflector from brompton(bought it for $1). i cut the bracket since it's aluminum and drill a hole that would fit the magnet side of the clickfix from dahon. i bought a stainless cable tie to support it and there you go a nice workable clickfix for my genesis.

roving70

mine is 29(bad weighing scale)...no worries got the clickfix and my trolley rack

roving70

atombike,

i like your crank...every stuf that i like is always oldies and guess what i found a sakae crank arm with a 58t. crazy ha...58t is to much for me so i will just learn to love my incoming 14 speed(2 speed front 7 speed rear 11-28 freewheel). i love this thread...

roving70

atombike,

it's dahon magnetix and yes it keeps the frame together. regarding the space in between it's not that big as you can see on the last image. also it's just enough and compact when you fold the handle post.

roving70

i think citizen miami has a steel frame and genesis has aluminum frame.