ModeratedUser150120149

Have been through the Bike Friday proposal. Input please.

The goal is to replace a normal bike for use in places like the Front Range of Colorado and in Arizona.
The proposal is for $2595 for a bike they claim will do that.
Delivery not yet specified but we were talking End of October, early November.

??

linberl

Not sure what you are asking. If they say the bike meets your needs, then it does. Is it pricey? Not for a custom fit hand produced bike. Either it's in your budget or it is not. Your other option is a used one and putting in some maintenance and new parts. If folding isn't that big a deal for your use, you could get a nice full sized bike instead and a shipping case, and figure out what costs less in the long term (paying to ship on airlines vs. free luggage).

2_i 

Similar perspective here. The cost spreads over years and for me bikes last longer than cars. The only serious issue besides being able to afford it I would consider is whether you know well what you want. I gravitate towards cheap things when I am not sure what I want or need. Once I figure that out I tend to go for the best budget permitting and still not outrageously priced. That price seems pretty normal for what you ask.

fietsbob

Just in time manufacturing , they use, (ala Toyota * too) means the bikes are built as the order is next in the queue.

so they don't have the highly efficient manufacturing that fills huge container ships with thousands of cartons of bikes,

in Lower wage countries..

*JIT manufacturing developed by those companies has the parts arrive to the factory as they're needed.




...

DeadGrandpa

I bought a Bike Friday a year ago. The quality is excellent. Later in the fall, they *may* offer a discount for an order placed in the off season, as they offered to me 3 weeks after I'd placed my order. Except the offer was not retroactive.

One caveat: if you want to take the bike off road or even on gravel roads, the smaller diameter 20" wheels are not as forgiving of ruts and bumps as my 29er mtb tandem hardtail. The wheels are plenty strong but the ride might be rough. On pavement, the ride is a beautiful thing. Mine is orange, which, while not as fast as red, still gives a satisfying ride.

kidshibuya

Saw a bike Friday yesterday locked up near my work. Really doesn't look like one of the worlds most expensive bikes, more like a mid range run of the mill bike. Hard to see where the money goes.

When you get into bike Friday money you are also into multon money, or getting near kimori. I'd rather those any day.

rhenning

Kidshibuya before you knock Bike friday try riding one. It is like in Schwinn's old bikes the Varsity and the Paramount look the same but the ride difference is amazing on a Paramount. Roger

linberl

Most of the money for the BF goes into the frame, being individually sized to the customer and handbuilt. The welds on my older BF as absolutely gorgeous. Maybe not something you would notice just walking by, but it reeks quality. Your mid range run of the mill bike is going to be one size fits all (or not) and the welds/brazing will be lower quality. And that Moulton is also another one size fits all or not bike....folks who buy BF buy them for the fit and ride, not the "looks". The money "goes" into how it feels when you ride. Don't knock a book by it's cover ;-) And that mild-mannered appearance makes it less of a target for theft - Mouton's are pretty "showy" looking and would get stolen in seconds in the Bay Area.

dahoneezz

Waiting with bated breath for Dahon's copy of the MoultHon.

Abu Mahendra

Hard to see where it goes? Au contraire, it's quite easy to see where it goes. It goes to pay the wages, and benefits of middle-class First World workers with First World consumption habits, and for the overhead to cover First World operating expenses.

Customer service is excellent, and you can get yours made to within microns 'as the order comes up in the queu', as Fietsbob reminds us time and time again. Which is great if you need the handholding and micro-fitment. But for most of us, it's a worthless extravagance that is frankly unnecessary, particularly the savvy and experienced folk who populate this forum. Stem length and rise, handlebar sweep, rise, reach, seatpost length will easily take care of the second order fitment issues most of us will face. In many cases BF is charging for a solution to a problem easily solved otherwise or rarely intractable. Predictably, they hype this up in order to justify the cost premium.

People are free to spend their money as they see fit. My beef is when they pretend that most of the mark-up goes into hi-tech manufacturing (gee, how much advanced schooling does it take to weld bikes? We are not talking about underwater welding for oil rigs in the North Sea here. Part of the hype being peddled is that welding steel is a magic art akin to alchemy that only the wizards of Eugene have mastered.) and materials (gee, how expensive is steel tubing these days?), when it fact most of goes to overhead. I myself can afford these rigs, and I am American, but there's no way I will subsidize that racket-***-cult, especially since their 'fan-base' is smugly satisfied with the overhead and paying high prices, rather than demanding cost reduction while maintaining quality. It's almost as if lower cost is anathema because, for one, they would no longer be able to boast about the high price of their Eugene-made bike.

Rick Imby

I think the combination of Made in Eugene, USA and the custom fit is interesting. They also seem to hold their value pretty well. Most of the used Bike Friday's I have viewed on ebay and Craigs are still in the 1k price range.

fietsbob

You can choose the component pick, and even ship stuff you have to them .. to build the bike around..

Unique is supplying an adjustable test stem, you dial in the fit, send it back and they return a smoothly curved stem with those exact dimensions..

I got refunds when my bike, someone else's BTO, (they didn't like the color)
I didnt want their H bar, they got to use it later, in someone else's build..


Don't shop for a Rolex Watch If you are price sensitive and need a watch..


By the way Moulton only makes one size. take it or leave it.






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ModeratedUser150120149

When a person posts it is like hitting a pinatta at a crazy person's house. Never can tell what will fall out, some sweet, some sour.

After spending some time with the spec sheet and folks with first hand experience, price isn't bad at all. So, on with the process.

linberl

All I can say is that having a bike that fits you perfectly, whether it is a folder or not, is priceless. And BF is the only (I think) folder that is custom sized. Since I got this bike, my annual riding mileage is nearly double because of the extreme comfort. It does spoil you, though, so it is good they travel easily - I won't rent a bike anywhere anymore. My previous bikes (Treks) were nice but not dialed in so perfectly that I didn't notice my body at all (in a negative way) while riding. I'm literally "floating" on my BF! Keep us posted.

CliffordK

I think of my old Colnago Super as costing me about the equivalent of two cups of coffee per year of ownership. I've spent more on tires and chains than the cost of the bike.

I do buy used stuff. Bike Friday should list some factory refurbished bikes on their website. Used ones regularly show up on Eugene and Portland Craigslist.

rhenning

BF does have used bikes on their site called preowned. They are bikes that are traded in on new ones. BF has been doing this almost since they started. When I called about them making me a new Pocket Rocket in 1995 they said they had a bike in stock that was preowned and riden in the size that would fit me. Saved about 25% and still own the bike 20+ years later. Roger

MultiplexMan

I've owned several Bike Friday - NWT and single speed Crusoe.
I spec'd the NWT with base level components (except for a Chris King head set) to keep the initial cost down.
I replaced/upgraded components as I became familiar with the bike.

If you are lucky, you may find a used BF that matches your custom build dimensions. The new owner of my (13 year old) NWT is almost my clone - exact same: inseam, height, reach, weight and riding style!

tamnalan

I'm a happy BF Pakit owner. I've wanted a BF for years and could finally afford a new one. I try to "buy local" whenever I can. In a perfect world, goods would only be produced at the points that offer the lowest cost in money and environment impact, and consumed only by those with the greatest need for said product.


We don't live in such a world, and probably never will. In the mean time, I'm really enjoying my new bike.

ModeratedUser150120149

Ordered a Pocket Rocket. Now need to send personal data, and pick a color.

I suppose I could have made a career out of selecting a bike, and there may be some obscure brand that is "better". But for a quality low frame folder, they appear to be the only game in town. Montague also appears to to be an excellent bike. But, it is Big.

Never have ridden a Bike Friday so am eagerly awaiting the opportunity. If it lives up to my expectations there will be two bikes in my current stable that will be looking for new homes.

ksryder

One of the best descriptions of bike forums I've read. Chapeau!

Also congrats on pulling the trigger. New bike days are better than non-new bike days.

invisiblehand

You sure you want 451 wheels instead of 406?

rhenning

For a Pocket Rocket I would do the 451s. That is what I have on mine. My wife has a Pocket Crusoe and hers is a 406 bike. It is a bit easier to get tires for hers but I think the 451s are generally better road tires. Roger

bbbean 

$2600 isn't that much for a good bike suited to your needs. How many hours do you suppose you'll spend on it? How may years will it last? How much would you be willing to pay if a lesser bike broke at exactly the wrong time? How much more will you ride it, knowing that you invested in a bike that does exactly what you wanted?
And, of course, a better bike will hold its value better than a cheaper bike.

CliffordK

Congrats

You should enjoy it.

I like the narrow tires, so 451, but would consider 406 if planning to spend lots of time traveling to 3rd world countries.

Schwalbe sells the Durano and Ultremo in 451.