Clarabelle

Stopped by Bike Friday on the way home to pick up our newest bike. Rides great and packs into two suitcases. Can't wait to hit the road.

WPH

Congratulations on a what looks like a very tidy unit. I love the colour. Post a ride report when you can.

W

zzxxyy

definitely please share your experience. am also contemplating one. thanks

Tom Spohn

When we went to pick ours up many years ago they brought two suitcases out from the back and said, "OK put it together while we can help if you need it." That first time we needed about an hour to assemble, and we did have a few questions for the folks there who were very friendly and helpful. The most amazing thing about the bike is that it feels like any other large wheel bike--well almost!

Clarabelle

It took us about an hour to assemble at the plant as well. Took less the next time and I assume it will with each assembly. We haven't ridden as much as we hoped due to an injury on my hand. However, I agree it feels almost like ridding our Co-Motion. The smaller wheels make it a little "twitchy," but after a mile or so, I get used to its snappier steering and don't notice it at all.

B. Carfree

So you live near Seattle and have purchased two tandems built in Eugene. I live in Eugene and one of my two tandems was built in Seattle. I think the businesses should relocate for our convenience before we buy again.

I still haven't broken down my S&S coupled Rodriguez. We had planned on a few train trips with perhaps a bit of car travel thrown in this year, but family obligations and then a nasty respiratory tract infection scuttled those trips. Maybe next year...

merlinextraligh

Nice bike. Fun to ride, surprisingly capable, and the really hold their value. Enjoy.

merlinextraligh

We had a Tandem Traveler XL, same frame as the Op's bike, but with drop bars and spec'd a little differently. I liked the bike, and we got a lot of use out of it.

Whether it fits a particular team, depends on what they want out of it.

We got it primarily for my daughter and I to ride, and secondarily as a travel tandem for my wife and me.

For the first purpose it was great. It's very adjustable, and she rode it from 8 years old to 13 or so. It can fit anyone from a very small child to a 6 foot adult.

As a travel tandem for heavy duty riding by two adults, we didn't particularly like it. The steering is a bit quirky, although you do get used to it. The bigger problem is the frame is pretty whippy when ridden hard by two adults. My wife never got comfortable on the bike, particularly riding hard in a group or descending at high speed. I think that was mostly because of the lack of rigidity in the frame.

Also as a travel bike, the assembly and dissasembly is also a bit quirky. IMHO, it's easier and quicker to assemble and pack a bike with S&S couplers. You have to adjust the rear derailluer on the BF in a funky way on reassembly, where you loosen the boom tube, and press on the frame, until you've got the length of the frame right to get the cable tension correct. You learn with practice how to do it, but it's a bit bizarre adjusting the derailleur by how long you make the frame.

I also would prefer to have a front derailleur to get a triple set up, as opposed to an internally geared rear hub.

One very positive thing about BFs is they hold their value exceptionally well. We used the bike a lot for 5 years and sold it for the same price we paid for it (although we threw in the cases in the sale).

So personally, I'd recommend the BF due to its flexibility of use if you want it for riding with a wide range of stokers, and as an ocassional travel bike.

But if the purpose is as a travel bike for an adult team that's going to ride it hard, I'd go with an S&S coupled bike.

Tom Spohn

Our bike has the internally geared three speed hub and a 9 speed cluster. When riding in stop and go traffic it is easy to shift the hub down for a lower gear when coming to a stop and then shift up when rolling. The hub shifts with almost no effort and will shift under considerable pressure--like when on a steep hill. Yes, steering is a bit quicker, but we got used to it in the first mile or so. Descending is no different than on a large wheel bike--your stoker will tell you when you have exceeded the speed limit. In the lowest gear on the steepest hills at a low cadence the bike does pump up and down a bit. You can feel the handlebars move toward you a small amount. This can be mitigated by concentrating on spinning in circles a bit, but our Cannondale for example, has none of this feel. The lateral stiffness seems to be OK--we have never had a problem here. Smaller wheels accelerate better from a stop but carry less momentum when up to speed. Not as many tire choices, but what there are tend to be really good.

merlinextraligh

Shifting, that wasn't our experience. It tended to be finicky, and you weren't always confident it had actually shifted. The difference might be attirbutable to our bike had Tiagra level brifters; the intrnal hub may work better with the shifter on a flat bar. I don't know but a possibility.

Descending for us was definitely different on the BF, than the 2 full sized tandems we've owned. We've hit 65mph descending in races, and have gone down some very twisty stuff at high speed ( Hogpen in north Georgia for example). All with zero complaint from the stoker. But on the BF, 45mph was a white knucle experience for her. My belief is the frame flex, and handlebar flex, kept her from trusting the bike.

It may be our team size and how we ride. We can flex a Co-Motion Robusta to the point people behind us take note of it. The BF, pushed hard, flexed to the point we noticed it, and it limited how hard we could push the bike.

Tom Spohn

Our bike has Ultegra and we never have a problem shifting. Downhill we rarely exceed 35 MPH (Governor limited!). Maybe that is the difference. I agree the bike is not as stiff as a "regular" full sized wheel bike but it is way fun to ride.

golfprofred

Does anyone on the forums have a Bike Friday tandem (any model) near Metrowest, MA which I can touch, feel, attempt to fit into my car and get some hand's on experience with?

Thanks,
/Ed

PS: First post!

Clarabelle

We bought the Bike Friday in order to travel, both over seas and to take along with our trailer. My two surgeries has clipped our wings for the last five months, and it looks like at least another month before I'm through with all the rehab etc. Having a new bike in the garage with only 6 miles on it is killing me. If I sound like I'm whining, I am.

golfprofred

I hope your recovery continues on track and you get back on the bike soon!

zonatandem

Have had the opportunity to ride several Bike Friday tandems.
Pedal on TWOgether!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem

tandem rider

Congratulations on the new Bike Friday. I also like the color. My Aunt and Uncle used to live in Sequim and in '06 my wife and I rode the Olympic Discovery Trail to Port Angles and back. Beautiful area to ride a bike.

Clarabelle

It sure is. The Olympic Discovery Trail is slated to eventually go from Port Townsend to Forks, a distance of 126 miles. Of course a project this ambitious takes a lot of time and money. Right now there is 53 miles completed. We believe it will be one of the premier bicycle-pedestrian trails in the U.S.

c8c9

This is our Bike Friday brought in January 2013, logged in around 4,000km including trips to Yunnan, round Taiwan island, Mt Wu Ling’s summit of Taiwan.
The front Origin 8 brake failed on me catastrophically, luckily not at emergency braking. Bike Friday warranted that with a Avid BB7. If your disc brake is a Origin 8, consider to replace with a Avid BB7 which is recommended by Bike Friday.
We have since up-graded the discs to 200mm front and 185mm rear, much much better than the 160mms.