glye

Just checked: The Shimano Deore T6000 set which is on my R&M Birdy, costs about 47 € for one caliper and lever. The TRP Spyke caliper is about 59 €, and the lever is about 19 €, total 78 €. With two brakes it's more than 60 € more expensive than the Shimano hydraulics R&M use, unless Pacific have gotten a very good deal, or it's some new lower cost TRP brake I haven't heard of.

(Another question is personal preference of mech vs. hydro. I have mixed experience with Deore hydro, some leaking badly even with professional servicing, others performing perfectly year after year. The Spyke works very well. But of course it needs manual adjustment, which the hydros don't. Opinions will vary. I have kept the Deores on my Birdy, but if they also start leaking I may switch to Spyke, as I did on another bike.)

Jipe

The Brompton front block adapter for Birdy 2 and 3 is now available from H&H.

JackW

Hi guys

Unfortunately I can't get to local bike shops at the moment. Nonetheless, I'm rescuing a Mk1 Birdy blue and have sourced a newer model folding stem (black). I was told it should fit the old models? I'm hesitant to do it myself as I feel that it needs a headset press. Also I don't know if I need a specific low-stack headset as it seems the new design to the stem incorporates a headset race/ top cap actually on the stem? Does anyone know of Birdy or perhaps Brompton specialists in North West UK (Lancaster/Preston/Lakes area?)? I bought the parts from Cycle Heaven in York but I don't really want to take it all the way over there. Any pointers on how to install would be great. Thanks Jack

un.passant

What if this was a beta version of the next generation due for 2025 ? This would allow Pacific Cycle to have some real world feedback before committing to the new design.

spj

I actually put a brand new (2018) stem on a Mk1 (c 2001) when I lived in Lancaster! I bought it from Fudge Cycles in London and I had no problems at all. All components were compatible. Perhaps you have one of the really old Mk1s (c1995) which had a thing like a seat clamp on the stem, but I recall that somehow that all fit together too. Of course, if you do need a new headset or want to upgrade [the original headsets sold back then in the UK were pretty average] that bike shop at the lower end of town in Lancaster can do it. They were used to me coming in, and even rebuilt 18 inch wheels, somewhat reluctantly. I used a LitePro Birdy headset to upgrade. Still going well in Australia, where the weather is substantially better than Lancs/Cumbria of course. Simon

Davy72

Hello everybody,
i come sadly to you because my beloved Birdy, bought second hand in France, had been pushed by a car, and the swing arm, or rear triangle is now not well..

Is it worth it to find a rear swing arm and replace it..?
i'm into sadness now....

glye

Sorry to hear this! I would find an expert to check the rest of the bike. Even then there is some danger. There could be other damage that you can't see. Aluminium frames don't like bending!

JackW

Thanks Simon. Was it The Edge cycleworks near the bus station? Bit of a lockdown on LBSs at the moment but hope to revisit this project soon. Perhaps I could email you some pictures via email regarding the headset situation - can't do it on here as I haven't posted enough. Would be interested in some advice nonetheless. Cheers Jack

spj

yes the Edge. Really mountain and road bikers, but anyway. here I am The Home Page of Simon PJ Batterbury

spj

Mine got cracks. I paid about €200, maybe €260 to import a secondhand one from Japan. I got the tip that it was available, by posting a request on Birdy Global Community on Facebook. There is a guy there right now who says he is buying a Mk3 rear end and front forks on Ebay. The parts are manufactured in Taiwan and Pacific Cycles do not sell them separately. Another person in BGC said try Taobao website where there are some parts [it is in Chinese, do not know if they ship overseas but probably] .

gleearch

Mighty Velo bike store in Singapore has posted details and price for the P40:
https://www.mightyvelo.com/birdy-p40/

Same info as posted by bike.gang.uk above but has photos not seen before. Not much else. About a USD $490 difference in price between this limited edition of 1,000 vs the Birdy R20.

BabyCowHK

The Malaysian guy who said to try Taobao was giving out incorrect info. He claimed that Rhine might have been producing frames for Pacific Cycles. In fact Pacific Cycles has nothing to do with Rhine China. PC has their own factory in Taiwan, given PC itself is an OEM manufacturer for other bike companies. Rhine bike frames also have slightly different geometry in comparing to the original Birdys, though some of their parts are interchangeable. Basically Rhine is a Chinese knock off of PC Birdy. I should have corrected that guy in the thread, LOL.

FYI, Taobao is like the Amazon in China. For foreigners you can use Aliexpress as an alternative.

ehasbrouck

I don't see your location in your message or profile, but:


(1) If you are looking for repairs or mods, I got very good service on my Birdy from Tromm Tweewielers in Amsterdam. Some bike shops only work "by the book", but they were clever at finding a a way to fit fenders on a older Birdy that wasn't designed to accommodate them.


(2) Another poster mentioned Taobao. I'm not in China, I don;t speak or read Chinese, and have bought things on Taobao, but it's not a "buy it now" website like eBay. It's more a forum for ads, like Craigslist, where you have to haggle on WeChat about the details of the transaction. If you aren't located in China and don't speak tro read Chinese, you will probably need to go through a "Taobao agent". You tell the egewnt what you are looking for, they find it (if it is availabel) and negotiate the price. If yoy agree to the price, thyey have the item delivered to their office in Cghian, and re-ship it to you. Better agents charge higher fees, but if you can't find the item locally, or the price difference is huge, it is sometimes worth it. I used this company in Hong Kong in 2017: https://www.myobook.co

bike.gang.uk

More detailed photos for P40. The frame looks better with less welding marks. **********?? jesler bicycles

Jipe

H&H Brompton front carrier block adapter tested !

hellhole

hey guys... going to get a birdy new classic soon.
i would like to know what mod or essential upgrade should i be looking for ? i am doing doing some weekend riding of maybe up to 50-100km all are urban.
the thread is some long.. i think i will go 10 pages back.. and absorb as much as i can.

grayrest

The simplest is to make sure you're running the right elastomers for your weight. I'm 190cm/90kg and need the stiff versions.

My favorite upgrade on my Birdy is an Origin8 Strongbow loop handlebar. The sweep matches the factory handlebar so the fold is the same other than the front of the loop sticking out of the side. If you're not really sensitive to an extra few centimeters of folded width, it provides a variety of hand positions: a moderately aerodynamic position on the front, standard flatbar control on the sides, and palms on the corners is the most comfortable position. I've included a picture below to give an idea but it was taken just after I put the bars on and was my first attempt at wrapping and I didn't know what I was doing. I've since swapped to a thumb shifter next to the stem to free up the right grip and I have both sides wrapped like the right side here but without the extra cuts and tape.

hellhole

interesting! certainly will look in that direction if there is a need. i am not as tall as you as i think the elastomers should not be a problem. however, if you put a 'stiffer' elastomers then required, what diverse effect will it have?

grayrest

It's less about the height than the weight. If you're too heavy for the elastomers the bike pogos when you're pedaling. Too stiff will lead to more medium frequency road noise coming through the handlebars (correct tire pressure should handle the higher frequency noise) which should be fine, just less comfortable.

hellhole

oic. thanks for the exaplanation

Winfried

Is a low-profile rear rack still available somewhere (for the Mark 2 Birdy)?

Mobicbikes, Bikegang

Thank you.

Winfried

I have three issues with this second-hand Birdy (production year unknow, possibly circa 2015):

1. When starting from a full stop, there's a bit of lateral play in the stem that goes away once I'm airborne: How to investigate, and possiblly tighten something?

2. Its eight-speed SG-C6010 Nexus is very draggy — the wheel stops spinning very soon after I stop pedalling —, although it's supposed to be premium; The brand new (non-premium) SG-C6001 I installed on another bike recently is much better. Could it be that the cones are too tight, or the hub needs lubrication?

3. Since I'll use it as a touring bike, I'd like to increase its gear range with a double chainring:
a. Is a new bottom bracket required for the chain line?
b. Should I replace its Alfine chain tensioner with a small derailleur?
c. For the front, what clamp + derailleur + shifter would your recommend?

Thank you.

glye

1. I would check the stem folding joint first, it ought to be adjustable. Second, the headset. Hold a finger between stem and headset, lock the brake and rock the bike back and forth. If there is play, it's very noticeable. Adjusting it may be somewhat tricky since it's upside down. I haven't checked if you need a special tool for this, or if it's just a matter of tightening the starnut bolt (after you've loosened the fork bolts, and do not forget to tighten them again).

2. Likely lubrication, if it has seen a lot of km's. Either way, if you're not skilled at dealing with such hubs, it's best to find someone who is.

3 a. Maybe, but if you can get away with chainring spacers that's much cheaper and easier. Looks like you already have a double on it, so then it's just a matter of measuring the hub chainline and the crank chainline (for the crankset you measure at a point between the two rings). See https://sheldonbrown.com/chainline.html

b. Maybe. I would try and see how it works out first (carefully).

c. No idea, other than get a derailer that matches your chainring size and number (double).

Jipe

I wouldn't change the tensionner because its a modified one to ensure chain tensionning when the rear wheel is folded.

I think this Birdy is older because its a Birdy 2 and Birdy 3 appeared in 2015. It has a classic external headset which could require some adjustment.

The Nexus needs some grease time to time. This may explain the drag.

Winfried

Thanks. Based on the number on the frame, it's from January 2015.

Turns out I might not need a rear derailleur since the Alfine CT-S500 chain tensioner is able to handle two chainrings. But I'll need to add Pacific Cycles' front chain tensioner since the chain tends to fall off when folding the bike.

If the headset does need adjustement, how is it done?

Does it do the same on your Birdies? https://gofile.io/d/8Cq8Ns