Tern BYB
#26
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Has anyone noticed that the front cables come out far in front of the stem. If the picture is right this could be an issue. I assume that it is because of the front rack add on but without the rack looks like trouble. Looks like this bike is all about the ride.
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I think it's interesting as a project, but it's too heavy, a little expensive, has too many steps to fold; in the end we'll see how it goes on the market.
Comparison with Brompton:
However there was already a 20" bike with vertical folding, and it was more compact. Nyfti Raio 2.0 (35 x 45 x 75 cm)35
x 47 x 75 cm.35 x 47 x 75 cm.
Comparison with Brompton:
However there was already a 20" bike with vertical folding, and it was more compact. Nyfti Raio 2.0 (35 x 45 x 75 cm)35
x 47 x 75 cm.35 x 47 x 75 cm.
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No biggie. This is common on bikes with folding handleposts and adjustable handlebars: Dahons and their design emulators Downtube, Origami, Tern, etc.
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rather than at the ergonomically better angle nearly every other bicycle manufacturer in the world uses
My BikeFriday tikit doesn't require adjusting the saddle or handlebars to fold/unfold. That bike's compromise is a relatively large fold (particularly for a 16" bike).
Lots of choices in the market; pick the compromise that works for you.
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He says something about the Brompton, but I don't know what:
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There are 3 hinges rather than 2 and the drivetrain stays exposed in the folded bike. For the price, though, the bike would be worth a consideration.
Incidentally, if every folding bike gets compared to X, you get a message that you should actually go with X if you can afford it .
Incidentally, if every folding bike gets compared to X, you get a message that you should actually go with X if you can afford it .
#32
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The Birdy’s handlebars do not require adjustments too in the folding and unfolding.
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Not " fanboy chatter"; Brompton seems to be largely the standard by which others are typically measured. For good, bad or otherwise.
Last edited by FolderBeholder; 08-26-19 at 09:15 PM.
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The rear rack design is a bit strange on the BYB. It's offset to the right side. Not sure why. Only thing I could thing of is that it's because it has "low rider" rails instead of a full flat top rack, so the right pannier needs to be pushed further outward to clear the derailleur. And not having a full flat top rack means that you can't carry boxes or anything bulky. Although the frame appears to have extra eyelets so that you can mount your own rack.
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The Raio looks like it could be a nice bike. Too bad it doesn't seem to be available outside of the Philippines. It's does the Brompton rear wheel under thing, though less tightly. It can take rack and fenders, which is a must for me. At <~$500, the price is right, if that's what the price would be in the US.
He says something about the Brompton, but I don't know what:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvrFvcfM4QE
He says something about the Brompton, but I don't know what:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvrFvcfM4QE
They ship worldwide.
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I think a flat top rear rack with even more offset on the right (but not beyond the pedal width) would be more functional for standing and trolleying. Looks like they just stuck on office chair casters. I wonder if the weight penalty is better than just 2 single wheels.
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The BYB s11 is (for now) my daily commuter and I took it on a 300+ mile tour to another state. I am not a folding bike nerd guy, but I ride this thing everyday and am offering my thoughts.
Pros:
(1) Fair balance of portable and comfortable
(2) Many accessories
(3) Generally, higher quality components, assembly, and construction. Bike feels solid.
(4) (It is fun to blow by others on your sweet folding bike with the little baby caster wheels hanging off the back- haha)
Cons:
(1) Requires extra engineering to get your standard equipment to work
(2) Many moving pieces- don’t seem to always have finesse when unfolding
(3) Many moving pieces – things need to be well tuned.
(4) (someone asked me what type of bike it was. I replied, “It is a Tern.” He responded, “a Turd?” hAHA)
I dig this bike. I own several bikes and choose to ride this one most often because it is the most flexible for my lifestyle. I am carfree. This bike rides well enough, but fits in an uber, airplane, elevator, or closet. It gets many compliments too.
I modified my touring panniers to change the position of the top hooks. Lowering the hook position allowed me to use large panniers on the standard rack, without dragging the ground.
I used the “Stow Bag” from Tern to check the BYB on Southwest Airlines. It is a bit awkward to carry the Stow bag around with a weird center of gravity. There were no additional fees by the airline for checked baggage. One side of the bracket for the front fender was bent a little on route, but nothing major or critical. I expect that this bike will take a beating, just like all folding bikes.
I wish that there were a special bag for the “Stow Bag” when not in use because it is bulky. The Stow Bag has a few small holes from abrasion on the outside of the bag after travel on the airline, but not critical. I put my panniers in the stow bag with the bike for transport on the flight. The BYB, two panniers, stow bag, and a Brooks saddle came out to 41 lbs.
The gearing is comfortable, but you can’t jump up on cranks to dart across an intersection. I take my saddle with me in big cities to avoid theft because the quick releases are so obvious on the long seat post. The factory saddle is very narrow. If you add your own saddle, the bike will be a bit wider than the listed specs. Also, I installed my lock on the bottle cage rack on the top tube. When the bike is in folded position, the lock/bottle cage placement and saddle have some interference. The saddle is the outside edge of the bike when folded and may get beat up.
It is difficult to find a good place to mount my particular lights. I had to get creative to use my favorite equipment.
It is very convenient to fold up and then lock it up, but may attract more or less attention? This bike stands out, for better or worse…
I use it in trolley mode with the handle bars extended and my groceries hanging from handle bars like a cart. In trolley mode, it will not roll comfortably in a backward direction because the rear tire is contacting the ground and the cranks want to spin. It will turn and freewheel going forward. It works very well in trolley mode and I have rolled on city sidewalks for several blocks without problems.
This bike is cool, but you need to be a smart bear to use it. Some occasions things get caught up when I fold/unfold. Not a big deal, but you may have a look a of confusion on your face for 20 seconds or so in public as you find things coming together/apart. There are many micro steps and moving parts/fittings to align, like all folding bikes.
I had to replace the rear brake cable. The tag end of the brake cable was striking the heel of my shoe with each revolution of the cranks and broke from the repetitive motion.
The Kanga rack option is cool, but you can’t fold the bike with it attached. I like to use my Ortlieb pannier mounted sideways on the Kanga rack for max capacity. I added an upgraded center mount “Y” kickstand. My bike is often loaded with baskets/panniers and I like a stable platform for loading/unloading.
The factory kickstand gets hung up on the non drive side pedal. The shape of the platform allows the kickstand to catch on the inside when the cranks spin towards the kickstand. Frustrating. The kickstand/pedal interference would have made my top three cons list above, but I no longer have this problem on my bike because I changed my kickstand.
At first, I did not like that the cables extended so far out in front of the bike. Now, I like it. The cables provided a sense of the direction of the bike while moving. The front wheel is not visible, but the cables look like a front wheel and give your eyes some reference for the direction and speed of the bike. I wish the cable wrapping was higher quality because it is so visible on this bike.
My hands get dirty/oily when I remove the pedal from the crank and rack it on the frame for transport. Removing the pedals is the only time that the bike gets me dirty. The little yellow plastic tab that secures the pedal is hard to remove and may go flying into outer space when it snaps out of place during installation. I'll buy a spare.
The chain is well protected by a chain guard. If the chain guard is not perfectly properly aligned, it will rub the cranks/grind/noise as you ride.
It is a great bike, but the tolerances are slim on a few things that may require a bit of adjustment on the fly. It is a great bike for a serious user.
Love it, so far.
+Crabby_Bill
Pros:
(1) Fair balance of portable and comfortable
(2) Many accessories
(3) Generally, higher quality components, assembly, and construction. Bike feels solid.
(4) (It is fun to blow by others on your sweet folding bike with the little baby caster wheels hanging off the back- haha)
Cons:
(1) Requires extra engineering to get your standard equipment to work
(2) Many moving pieces- don’t seem to always have finesse when unfolding
(3) Many moving pieces – things need to be well tuned.
(4) (someone asked me what type of bike it was. I replied, “It is a Tern.” He responded, “a Turd?” hAHA)
I dig this bike. I own several bikes and choose to ride this one most often because it is the most flexible for my lifestyle. I am carfree. This bike rides well enough, but fits in an uber, airplane, elevator, or closet. It gets many compliments too.
I modified my touring panniers to change the position of the top hooks. Lowering the hook position allowed me to use large panniers on the standard rack, without dragging the ground.
I used the “Stow Bag” from Tern to check the BYB on Southwest Airlines. It is a bit awkward to carry the Stow bag around with a weird center of gravity. There were no additional fees by the airline for checked baggage. One side of the bracket for the front fender was bent a little on route, but nothing major or critical. I expect that this bike will take a beating, just like all folding bikes.
I wish that there were a special bag for the “Stow Bag” when not in use because it is bulky. The Stow Bag has a few small holes from abrasion on the outside of the bag after travel on the airline, but not critical. I put my panniers in the stow bag with the bike for transport on the flight. The BYB, two panniers, stow bag, and a Brooks saddle came out to 41 lbs.
The gearing is comfortable, but you can’t jump up on cranks to dart across an intersection. I take my saddle with me in big cities to avoid theft because the quick releases are so obvious on the long seat post. The factory saddle is very narrow. If you add your own saddle, the bike will be a bit wider than the listed specs. Also, I installed my lock on the bottle cage rack on the top tube. When the bike is in folded position, the lock/bottle cage placement and saddle have some interference. The saddle is the outside edge of the bike when folded and may get beat up.
It is difficult to find a good place to mount my particular lights. I had to get creative to use my favorite equipment.
It is very convenient to fold up and then lock it up, but may attract more or less attention? This bike stands out, for better or worse…
I use it in trolley mode with the handle bars extended and my groceries hanging from handle bars like a cart. In trolley mode, it will not roll comfortably in a backward direction because the rear tire is contacting the ground and the cranks want to spin. It will turn and freewheel going forward. It works very well in trolley mode and I have rolled on city sidewalks for several blocks without problems.
This bike is cool, but you need to be a smart bear to use it. Some occasions things get caught up when I fold/unfold. Not a big deal, but you may have a look a of confusion on your face for 20 seconds or so in public as you find things coming together/apart. There are many micro steps and moving parts/fittings to align, like all folding bikes.
I had to replace the rear brake cable. The tag end of the brake cable was striking the heel of my shoe with each revolution of the cranks and broke from the repetitive motion.
The Kanga rack option is cool, but you can’t fold the bike with it attached. I like to use my Ortlieb pannier mounted sideways on the Kanga rack for max capacity. I added an upgraded center mount “Y” kickstand. My bike is often loaded with baskets/panniers and I like a stable platform for loading/unloading.
The factory kickstand gets hung up on the non drive side pedal. The shape of the platform allows the kickstand to catch on the inside when the cranks spin towards the kickstand. Frustrating. The kickstand/pedal interference would have made my top three cons list above, but I no longer have this problem on my bike because I changed my kickstand.
At first, I did not like that the cables extended so far out in front of the bike. Now, I like it. The cables provided a sense of the direction of the bike while moving. The front wheel is not visible, but the cables look like a front wheel and give your eyes some reference for the direction and speed of the bike. I wish the cable wrapping was higher quality because it is so visible on this bike.
My hands get dirty/oily when I remove the pedal from the crank and rack it on the frame for transport. Removing the pedals is the only time that the bike gets me dirty. The little yellow plastic tab that secures the pedal is hard to remove and may go flying into outer space when it snaps out of place during installation. I'll buy a spare.
The chain is well protected by a chain guard. If the chain guard is not perfectly properly aligned, it will rub the cranks/grind/noise as you ride.
It is a great bike, but the tolerances are slim on a few things that may require a bit of adjustment on the fly. It is a great bike for a serious user.
Love it, so far.
+Crabby_Bill
Last edited by Crabby_Bill; 09-20-19 at 01:08 AM. Reason: clarity
#44
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#46
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Back in the summer of '19 when this bike debuted we castigated it for its announced $2500USD retail price. Yeah, that's the 'deluxe', S11 version. The BYB P8 retails for $1300USD. (Sales prices vary in local markets, of course.)
Something unique, I think, in the world of folding bikes is the BYB has a folded/unfolded adjustment to be made on the brake cable (@4:15 and 6:05 on the owner's briefing video).
Something unique, I think, in the world of folding bikes is the BYB has a folded/unfolded adjustment to be made on the brake cable (@4:15 and 6:05 on the owner's briefing video).
#48
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#49
Member
It is difficult to find a good place to mount my particular lights. I had to get creative to use my favorite equipment.
[…]I added an upgraded center mount “Y” kickstand. My bike is often loaded with baskets/panniers and I like a stable platform for loading/unloading.
The factory kickstand gets hung up on the non drive side pedal. The shape of the platform allows the kickstand to catch on the inside when the cranks spin towards the kickstand. Frustrating. The kickstand/pedal interference would have made my top three cons list above, but I no longer have this problem on my bike because I changed my kickstand.
For a different folder project, I'll have to pick lights and I would like to have a "Y" kickstand, so I'd be very interested in any detail you could provide on your choices.
Best Regards
#50
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I use Shimano SM-CB90 brake cable tension releases on my Brompton, but those on Tern seem lighter.
Finer adjustment?