ttakata73

I have a modified Topeak iglow which is designed for road bikes. I zip tied wide plastic panels to fit my 4" fatbike but you can get the idea if this angle works. The clamp is designed for smaller posts and I think it might be too narrow to block 1.9" heavy spray, but you could always add material like I did. Thin Kojaks probably wouldn't be a problem. This is as close as I could get it to the tire. Otherwise just buy an mtb fender and cut it to size. FYI, small tires won't reach an indoor trainer's roller; I was just using it to adjust my saddle.

Max1mus

Does anyone know if its possible to add brazeon mounts for disk brakes to an older monocoque birdy, ideally ird buy the rear suspension arm and front lower cage arm with disk brake mounts from R&M but it doesnt seem possible to order any frame parts from the manufacturer.

The purpose would be to allow 451 20"' wheels to be swapped in as well as to use more aero rims for weekend racing but to return to the standard 18"s for a smaller fold wehn commuting in the week.

Any ideas, some old yahoo groups mentioned steve parry but i cant find any details on him and am unsure if he is still active.
Best Regards Maximus

sicknsore

where do you attached that L bracket? any pic of your bike with the mudguard installed?

thanks for sharing photos, those are the kind that i've been eyeing. seatpost mounted with adjustable arm. need a bit of cutting works but so far it's the most ideal option i guess.

BabyCowHK

Just out of curiosity, why not using the original fenders?

desastar

No offense, nice bike, terrible looking mudguards! I'm sure the 406 sized Dahon ones will fit, plenty around.

astage

Forgive the question as a first post, but I recently bought myself a Birdy Rohloff, 2017 model, and am wondering if I made a mistake by ordering the 'comfort-stem'. The dealer recommended the comfort-stem because of my very long absence from bike-riding.
Although I'm enjoying the ride, the best fit I've managed is with the saddle pushed far back on the rails, the seat-post quite high, and handle-bar about mid-point on the height adjustment - just below saddle height. I therefore seem to be sitting too far back, and am finding that I can't ride out of the saddle - which makes the heart pounding steep hills real killers. If it helps, I'm 1.83m (6ft dead), 76.5kg, with long arms.
Q. If I order the adjustable sport-stem (21°) is this installable by me, or do I need the services of a bike shop? The nearest Birdy dealer is an hour away by car. I'm reasonably mechanically minded,and aware that it's an upside down headset arrangement - needed to correct the misaligned handlebar - but my bike experience is forty years' old.
Any suggestions appreciated.
When I've a few more km under my belt, I'll explain why the Birdy was chosen instead of the other 'B-word' .

astage

UPDATE:
Since posting this, I've made contact with Bruce (bhkyte) and have purchased his Sport-stem, so hopefully this will enable a better fit for me.

50PlusCycling

The standard or sport stems will both be more comfortable. I test rode a Birdy with a "comfort" stem, and wondered why they even bother to make it.

astage

Bruce tells me he can ride-out-of-the-saddle on his older monocoque Birdy - although its older Sport-stem has a angle slightly more than the 21° of the mk4.
I'm also hoping I can centre the saddle on the rails. Currently it's too far rearwards and, with our damn third-world-status potholed UK roads, the saddle frequently tips up - even with the nuts torqued well over spec.

50PlusCycling

Try a different seat post, there are posts which you can adjust the tilt with fore and aft Allen screws, these will not move when you hit bumps.

bhkyte

It's not really important but.....
The sport stem that I have fitted to an older non monocoque birdie is more forward than the current versions. This is the older version of the stem in silver rather than the newer black ones.
My mk 3 sport stem(non integrated headset) seems to be the same angle as the mk4 sports stem .

astage

Thanks. I'll look at that once I've decided whether ornot to keep the original saddle - still trying to accustom my rear end to the pleasure!?
I managed to swap the stems over without much difficulty and then turned the seatpost around - which brought the saddle's pivot point more in-line with the post's centre line, even when pushed back. So far I've had no slippage even with yesterday's deep pot-hole.
Based upon a couple of rides the new saddle position is much more ideal, with far less effort needed to peddle because I'm no longer peddling from behind, and I'm in at least a gear higher (and faster) on those inclines. Not yet tried to ride out-of-the-saddle, butthink it should now be possible.
I still have to fine adjust the handlebar height and lever rotations to lessen palm pressure, but looking better and enjoying it more.

50PlusCycling

Make sure you use loctite on the pinch bolts, the only weak link to the Birdy is where the fork bolts to the steering tube.

I converted my Birdy to an XTR 11 speed drive line. It was a bolt-on conversion, and the wider range of gearing allows for acceleration and climbing without having to get out of the saddle. A firmer rear elastomer, spring, or shock makes out-of-saddle pedalling less bouncy.

Get yourself fully broken-in before making too many adjustments. Once your backside is used to the saddle, you can then make adjustments to increase comfort, deal with numbness, etc.

astage

I didn't have blue Loctite available at the time, but the bike is due for the first service next week, so I'll get it checked over and done then.

Since my Birdy has a Rohloff, I'm not really short of gears to choose. But, I've had a couple of 'roadies' shout "get out of the saddle" as they've left me in their wakes on the steepest inclines. To be honest, I can't remember if I've ever managed to do that, but that was 40-plus years ago.


So far, apart from the price, the most annoying thing with the Birdy is the number of times I've been asked "Is that one of those new electric bikes?"

bhkyte

Or someone "asking about your Brompton".

50PlusCycling

I used to race, in America and Europe, and still remain something of a "hardcore roadie". My living room used to be decorated with classic road bikes, I had 8 of them hanging from wooden racks on the walls. Now that I am married, hanging bikes in the living room is a no-no.

My Birdy was built to be light and fast, I converted it to 20" wheels, replaced all the steel with titanium, and installed a 22 speed XTR/Dura-Ace drive line, I have managed to get the weight down to 18 pounds. It's quite fast for a folder, and I have little trouble keeping up with most roadies. I find that I don't use the granny gear, so soon I'll dump the extra chain ring on the front, and get rid of the related components, this will drop the weight a little more.

It's fun to ride, smooth, quiet, and absorbs the bumps. It's not as fast as my road bikes, but it's fast enough.

Abu Mahendra

why did you not get a Reach instead if speed is of the essence?

mkatz

Light is GOOD! (Particularly for this back-injured senior who finds it difficult to lift heavy folders into the back of his car ) I was not aware of the Birdy having much in the way of major steel components for which titanium components were readily (not custom made) available. Other than nuts and bolts, what titanium components have you sourced? Are your 20" wheels much lighter than the original 18" ones?

50PlusCycling

I bought a titanium upgrade kit which includes all the hardware, including the pin and long screw/nut for the folding stem, the large pin for the swing arm pivot, and the two pivots for the front swing arm, also the v-brake posts and hardware. I also installed a titanium bar and seat post, along with a Brooks Swift titanium-framed saddle.

I run Ultegra hubs and Alivio aero wheels, which are a bit heavier than the original parts, but the 20" wheels are faster, and tires are easier to find. The conversion required adapters to move the v-brake bosses, but brakes with long arms can be used without adapters.

The fold is not as compact with 20" wheels, but the bike still fits in the carry bag.

50PlusCycling

I looked at the Reach, but have had my Birdy since before the Reach was introduced. Also, in Japan there is a pretty good aftermarket for the Birdy and Brompton, so upgrades are easy.

spj

I am not allowed to post pics yet, apparently.

spj

The pins for the handlebar hinges on early bikes seem impossible to find - I have tried UK and Germany. I found an alternative here - the pin that connects the gearstick on a Citroen 2CV! They are cheap but plus postage from Germany.

Scroll down on this page - stitch it together, I am not allowed to post urls or images yet
franzose.de/ en/Citroen-2CV/ ACDY/Gangschaltung-Gestaenge/

spj

I am desperate for a modern Sports stem for a Mark 1 Birdy 24 speed - I have an older Comfort stem, adjustable for height .

bike.gang.uk

Titanium rear rack ... Birdy III spec.

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mkatz

Birdy models marketed by Pacific Cycles are "built up" differently than are R&M Birdy Bikes (e.g. available without lights, fenders...) and are thus lighter in weight. Will Pacific Cycles ship to addresses in the US? (What I'm looking for is a Birdy made lighter by not carrying components that I do not need.)