Gibsonsean

24x1.75 (47-507) are indeed too wide according to Helix.

There is a very few tyres offered in 40-507, 38-507 or 32-507, and their availability to buy is more limited still. It also seems some have been discontined shrinking the pool further.

I'm looking at the Schwalbe Kojak as the best option but I've found only one European seller with 40-507 in stock.

Helix have said they will selll compatible tyres - I imagine they will at least offer the stock Kenda Kwest.

smallboats

Happy Anniversary! It has been three years to the day since the Helix folding bike project launched on Kickstarter.com!

That is 1,096 days, or 156 weeks and 5 days to build... a bicycle.

Joe Remi

When was the last time they even had one of those phantom updates no one gets to see?

Gibsonsean

Backers get to see them just fine . They drop every two weeks like clockwork. Admittedly, the clock in question has a few wonky cogs and runs late from time to time.

Latest update just out today: More custom parts delivered, more on the way, preparation for assembly progresses.

We are further down the asymptote.

Gibsonsean

Not just any bicycle, a Helix bicycle. Here, have some Koolaid.

It continues to be a slog, and the show is starting to look a bit jaded as it enters the fourth season. But still, it continues, which is better than the whole endeavour having gone belly up. The end is starting to hove into view.

After bikes start shipping, I look forward to the spin-off series which i can dip into without being so invested.

Joe Remi

We're into Lost Season 4: The original mysteries haven't been answered, new mysteries nobody cares about are piling up, and we're likely headed to a ridiculous finale.

smallboats

Ridiculous finale indeed.

The faithful optimists, defenders and apologists of this project are slowly realizing they lost their money.

smallboats

The five stages of grief:
1. Denial
2. Anger
3. Bargaining
4. Depression
5. Acceptance

Many Helix defenders in this thread are still in stage one. This will be interesting to watch as they progress through the next four stages.

Joe Remi

Well, I'm not here to laugh at people who might lose money. It's not their fault this guy is a moron.

linberl

I'd say don't give up. My ShareRoller is 3+ years delayed but it's actually looking like delivery will be this Fall. Dev finally asked us to give him updated shipping and accessory choice info......he's close. Plenty people gave up, in fact I bought out a backer. If you think the dev is honest, hang in there. Seems like most devs on crowdfunding woefully underestimate time, have limited customer service skills, and aren't really business people - they're idea people. It ain't over til it's over...

Gibsonsean

I think it is customary to wait until death before begining the journey through the stages of grief.

Given the project is evidently alive and progressing, regardless of pace vs expectations, i think your pronouncement is misguided at best.

ladi

Similar to this thread, the idea of the Helix is a social process to which the biological definition of death is not applicable. Just because something is moving does not mean it's alive (could be just the wind blowing). And there being "news" is no indicator of actual progress.

3 YEARS ago the timeline of the Kickstarter promised the bike was already finished and just 1 month of components / design adjustments and 2 months of factory setup needed. Either this was a lie or at least totally delusional. Of course backers want to believe in success. But the persons involved are the same as the ones that constructed the delusional timeline. How can we trust any of the information that they seem to give to backers? As a scientifically minded person I have to think that success at this stage is unlikely. I haven't seen anything that suggests otherwise. There is no independent proof the bike is actually rideable. No independent check of the companies finances.

Gibsonsean

Backer updates are regular and informative.

Content has been consistent with what i would expect for each phase of the lifecycle and has ncluded photos and vidoes. These have shown, not just talked about, discernable progress in the development of manufacturing tooling and processes, in the level of completeness of the various pre-production iterations of the bike (including one extended and in-depth video of a near enough final pre-production bike) and in the manufacture and sourcing of components in readiness for assembly. They have also included some assurances on the financial health of the project.

Backer updates are also frustrating in that they offer only a partial picture of the status of the project. In particular they offer insufficient information to assess likely timelines for delivery of backer bikes and indeed deliberately shy away from committing timelines. Undertandable given the track record of poor estimation. When they do indicate timelines, these invariably slip, for depressingly predictable, but therefore also credible, reasons.

These updates do not of course constitute independent assurance of the rideability of the bike or the delivery or financial status of the project, but then I would not expect them to.

Assertions that the project has failed, will fail or is highly likely to fail, purely on the basis of lack of access to backer updates and the passage of time, are as baseless and misguided as assertions that the project will certainly deliver.

It continues to progress, albeit slowly and there appears to be no reason to think it is any more likely to fail than it is to succeed.

avole

3 years of no income and only expenses is a long time for any company to bear.

Gibsonsean

It is, but without an in depth understanding of the company's financial position and business case I'm not sure that there are any conclusions to be drawn from that other than that there is a risk of running out of money and that this risk increases with time.

We can only consider what we do know:

Helix claim they are OK whilst acknowledging the ticking clock on funds.

They have had the backer funding and the interest on that, and pre-order funding. They have stated that they have had a private injection of funds.

There was initial outlay on standard components ( seats, seatposts, wheels, handlebars, cranksets, chainrimgs etc ) and Ti tubing immediately following the KS campaign.

In the early stages they partnered with an engineering/manufacturing firm but parted ways - commercial dynamic unknown.

They have stated that they sought to minimise up front costs through leasing of equipment. They have changed key bits of equipment as the manufacturing process was developed. They did splash out and buy a 300 dollar coffee machine.

They have leased space.

They appear (from team photos from time to time and names mentionrd in updates) to have kept staffing levels very lean - max 2 additional staff at any give time and from their CVs/linkedin profiles, where available/attributable, these staff have often been cheaper resources at early stages of their careers.

They are reliant on third parties in Canada and the Far East for manufacture of custom parts and securing these within tollerance at volume has been difficult.

I'm sure there is more, but ooverall the picture, to me at least, is that it is not unreasoanble to accept the reassurance on funding whilst continuing to consider it as a significant and growing risk. There is no way to assess when that risk would become an issue. Mitigations in terms of potential additional funding sources are conceivable and have been discussed before.

smallboats

Additional funding sources? This is a bicycle. Not an electric bicycle. Just a simple mechanical device. Metal pipes and some metal parts welded together. A metal shopping cart is more complicated.

Kickstarter funds and preorder funds and a three year time span are not enough to weld metal pipes together? Now there is a need for "additional funding sources?"

Fail.

Gibsonsean

i did not say there is a need for sdditional funding.

Remedial reading for you little boat.

DaKineDatFolds

Last year I toyed around with 24" wheels on a mountain bike - I DID use Schwalbe Kojaks in the 24" x 1.5" size. Rode nicely. When the Helix arrives, in combination with the 1.5"s and flex of the titanium, things should ride super smooth. I DID get a flat with the Kojaks, but that's because I was riding on cheap tubes.

BruceMetras

507 Kojacks would be my choice also . Schwalbe is not listing that tire size anymore .. Hopefully it will be reintroduced if the Helix becomes popular..

Gibsonsean

found this interesting
https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/tour-reviews/schwalbe-kojak-2017

Jipe

Indeed, the Kojak in size ETRTO507 disappeared from the Schwalbe website. When tihis happened for other tires, they never came back. The only counter example I know is the Kojak 32x349 folding for the Brompton that Schwalbe doesn't sell anymore but that Brompton is still selling (and there is even a special Kojak tan wall version specially made for Brompton.

If Helix ask Schwalbe, they could have the Kojak ETRTO made again but they must pay Schwalbe for that.

Now, the Kojak is a very special tire, a wide slick tire in soft rubber. It is fragile, with a limited puncture protection and the expected mileage i(n case it survives road abuse) is low. It is supposed to be a fast tire, but it isn't : almost all road tires are faster and even many tour tires are faster.
The main advantage of the Kojak is that it look great and make a bike look great.

unclejemima

I’m fairly certain 24” was common for DH biking many years ago.

Ive ridden 24” bikes and find them similar to riding a 26” bike.

I also appreciate that anything that’s folding and larger than 24” is not going to be a compact fold anymore.

This is what makes the Helix so appealing. It’s the largest practical tire size with the smallest practical folded size.

dang...I wish they would just release the darn thing. Next week another’s update right?? Nothing this weekend.

Gibsonsean

For those awaiting this week's update with bated breath, a note has been posted defering this until next weekend.

This deferral seems sensible in the context of timing of activities outlined in the last update.

tmac100

New to this thread, but interested... Any website wrt this bicycle?
I am a 70+ y.o. tourer (on a DF custom built tourer). That said I also have a custom built (I mean to fit me) tourer (8-speed IGH).
Always interested in progress wrt bicycles...

Gibsonsean

www.helix.ca, but the public pages show only a pre-production version of the bike from a few months back and some of the details (geometry) are a little out of date.

The Kickstarter page has a video of a much older iteration which is not as pretty or sophisticated, particularly wrt the rear triangle, but gives the general gist on fold etc.

The more recent goodies are only available on the backer pages which require a log in.