Alec E

I'm in the US, but I test rode a Mezzo several years ago and would love to try an Ori. (Mezzo has disappeared from the American market, and Ori has never appeared.)

Is it a specific store or chain of stores that carries Ori in Mexico, or have you just found them in some random places?

SixRaven

Yes! This guy's the distribuitor of several folding bikes brands (including Ori). He happens to own a coffee shop as well, so he has them on display there. And yes, you can try them. I understand that he's shipped ORIs to USA, as those are not distributed over there yet?

SixRaven

Ok, here it is! My M10

Sangetsu

My Birdy was stolen several months ago, and I decided to replace it with a Brompton. The Brompton is quite a nice bike, and very good for short commutes and sidewalk riding. The ride is smooth enough, and it folds quickly and easily.

in comparison, the Birdy was a bit lighter, (I had the older straight-frame version), has a larger, more comfortable cockpit, and much more easily upgradeable than the Brompton. I was easily able to fit XTR V-brakes, levers, and a 10 speed shifter, derailleur, and cog. The best thing about the Birdy is that I was able to set up the seat, bar, etc. to the same dimensions as my 56cm road bike.

The Brompton is a great grocery-getter, and is good enough for my regular work commute, but the Birdy was quick enough, and large enough to be a potential replacement for my fullsize roadbike. If you are planning longer, faster rides, the Birdy is a great choice. The front and rear suspension tames rough pavements quite nicely. For all around fun, the Brompton is a great bike.

i live in Japan, and the Birdy is something of a cult bike here. You can probably buy one through Rakuten, which is a Japanese internet retailer which sells pretty much anything. Rakuten now provides English support, and shipping from Japan is generally cheaper and faster than from most other places.

Good luck, and I hope you enjoy whichever bike you choose.

SixRaven

Hey Sangetsu! Thanks for the reply and the advice. Actually I already got me the ORi M10 LiteWeight. I think I pondered exactly what you mentioned; except Birdy is not available where I live (Mexico), and ordering it from abroad would've been quite the expense... I didn't know about Rakuten. By the way I just searched for the Birdy in that site, but couldn't find it. How do you search for it?) From what you say, I'm thinking the ORi M10 LW is somewhat an excellent blend, as it got a nice and quick folding (not as nice as the Bromton, of course), but it rides much smoother. It definitely feels lighter (and it has 10 speeds).

I am however thinking on getting a Brommie by the end of this year (I still love the looks of it.) I'd get it with a rack, as I'd use it for grocery shopping and commuting every now and then (I don't want to add a rack to the ORi, I like it light.)

If you don't mind me asking... where in Japan do you live? One of my bucket list items is biking Japan... wondering if you've done some touring over there?

2_i 

When I placed orders on Japanese Rakuten, for bike accessories, only one out of three vendors I ordered from delivered. Two other canceled the orders, apparently after seeing that they are supposed to ship abroad. Only the Rakuten website is translated, in an automated fashion, into English. All follow-up email was in Japanese. I will need to be very hard pressed to try that again.

DoubleDiamonDog

Good for you SixRaven - it looks like a cool bike - enjoy!

SixRaven

Thank you very much!

Sangetsu

I live in the middle of Tokyo, not far from Tokyo Station. I have done some touring in the Chiba area, which has a nice coastline, beautiful countryside and farmlands, and friendly people. Japan is probably one of th safest places in the world for touring, and offers plenty for the eyes to see.

In Japan the Birdy is known as the BD-1, there is also versions called the Peugeot Pacific, and Bianchi Fretta. Some sellers on Rakuten are reluctant to export, but others have no problems with it. I run a small trading company, and ship goods around the world, but unfortunately I don't deal in bikes. Perhaps if there were enough interest, I would give it a try.

Once again, good luck in your search.

SixRaven

Awesome... hope I can make that trip next year! Well, here in Mexico there's a boom starting for folding bikes. I got my Ori from a dude that distributes them here, unfortunatelly he doesn't deal in Birdy-coin. From what he told me, the big sellers are the Dahons. Dahon D7 I believe is their best selling one. But he also sells a lot of brommies.

By the way, things from Japan sell really well here. We should partner up!

chagzuki

The Ori looks really nice, I must say. Is there enough clearance to fit 1.5" tyres, and how does it roll when folded? I see there are two tiny wheels on the rear frame/seat stay area, and presumably the main wheels turn whilst folded, so I guess you can push it forward via the saddle?

SixRaven

Funny you should ask! It doesn't roll well when folded with the tiny stock wheels. I'm installing roller wheels to it. I'll post pictures when it's done. And yes, that's my idea: to push it via the saddle once folded.

overbyte

There is a nice video on YouTube comparing a Brompton, Birdy, and Ori (classic frame, not the new curved frame): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8TQHBdUTmk . Notice that the Brompton has the smallest volume when folded (86 Liters), Ori middle (135 L), and Birdy the largest (173 L). Another thing that caught my eye was that when the Ori is folded, the front wheel is disengaged from the front fork, leaving the fork and its dropouts precariously exposed to being bent if it is roughly handled in transit. If I had an Ori (or Mezzo look-alike), I would put a dummy axle of some sort into the front dropouts when the folded bike is in a bag or box being shipped or carried in a bus or train.

Winfried

The Ori M10 Lightweight isn't listed on the OriBikes' site.

Is it just the Superlight in pink instead of red?

Ed in Toronto

On thing I don't understand about the Ori bikes is why do they need a dog-leg in the stem. Can they not just have the stem go straight up from the headset? But then again I've only seen pictures of them and never ridden one, maybe if I were to try folding one, I would find out.

Winfried

Maybe so the headset falls right in the middle?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIYVAnV8s1Q

dynaryder

It's to accommodate the fold:


The main frame doesn't fold. This was by design to improve handling.

Ed in Toronto

Ok, thanks guys, I see it now, sweet bike...

bhkyte

Notice that the Brompton has the smallest volume when folded (86 Liters), Ori middle (135 L), and Birdy the largest (173 L). Another thing that caught my eye was that when the Ori is folded, the front wheel is disengaged from the front fork, leaving the fork and its dropouts precariously exposed to being bent if it is roughly handled in transit. If I had an Ori (or Mezzo look-alike), I would put a dummy axle of some sort into the front dropouts when the folded bike is in a bag or box being shipped or .......

I feel this volume litre does not translate in to a usefull measure. If you simply went by this an ori is almost 2x the brommie folded size. Its translates in to the same expereince in a car or train. I dont feel any great extra compactness or convince in using my brommie over my mezzo

Re forks are replacable at 10 pounds a side. The fork lugs are reinforced and is the alinement goes out just unclamp and realine. Nevet had difficulties except went forgot to close front wheel qr once.

The dog leg stem is to increase cockpit space due to short non folding top tube. The 20" ori and ones with drops bars have a shorter stem.

chagzuki

The Ori/Mezzo should have a fork like the chinese bike shown on another recent thread. The entire fork pivots rearwards and the fold would be more compact.

Ed in Toronto

Physics; if you double the size of something, you increase the volume by a factor of 8.
An object that is 1’x1’x1’ has a volume of 1 cubic foot.
An object that is 2’x2’x2’ has a volume of 8 cubic feet.

So decreasing the size (dimension wise) of the fold slightly in all directions has a huge impact on the space it occupies.

bhkyte

Physics;

Its also very hard to measure as none of the bikes are a perfect regualr shape
Mezzo and birdie are more 3d parrallellgram shape due to off set fold. Accurate way to measure volume would be to to see how much water they displace...

Run run Athens naked
.then go and decapitate a wealthy goldsmith....

Not sure what putting a grands worth of bike in to water would achieve. LOL

bhkyte

So roughly a mezzo is about 8% bigger in all dimensions on average. That does make some sense as a comparative. Its worth remembering the mezzo seatpost height is effectively the same as the extended brommie one. That comparison would be fairer possibly also.

Winfried

So it looks like the Brommie and the 16" Ori are just about the same size when folded.

Considering the Ori folds very fast, has a fixed frame, and uses more standard parts, what makes the Brommie a better choice?

bhkyte

Brommie more versile bike. With advantage of front carry back but much smaller rear rack. Means carry capacity better for touring overall. However mezzo does have interesting options. See upgrade thread.
Brommie is softer more forgiving ride for off raod. Mezzo is quicker and roomer for fast commuting and cheaper to upgrade.
Brommie less maintaince arguably. Brommie is well supported, at a cost.

In my mind mezzo is a fast commuter, Espically upgraded,my upgraded bike is a mini rocket!!

But if absolute folding size matters, and am taking a large load or I intend a off road ride the brommie may be better. The half fold with bag on is a brommie plus.
However I have a birdie for off road.
All things being equal a dropped bar brommie set up like my mezzo would be a nicer bike from a handling and fit prepective than my mupgraded Mezzo. I am working on this.