Experiences with a Folding Bike
8.000 km or 5.000 miles on a "Birdy"
Buying and using a folding bike had a simple reason for me: I had to move to another town, about 150 km (95 miles) away from my home town. On weekends I had to commute between the two towns by train. I didn't want to buy a car. To be mobile at the destination, using busses was not satisfying. So a folding bike was the solution.
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Brompton? Bernds? Birdy? One of these bikes, but which?
The Bromton is the classical folding bike, but I could not take pleasure in riding it. Folding the Bernds is not satisfiying. riese und müller had just introduced the "Birdy green": It had a four speed internal hub and a belt drive.
After a short ride the decision: I bought it.
In Germany folding bikes were popular in the seventies. But these bikes where of bad qualitiy and very unstable. They were sold at prices about 200 DM (115 $ U.S.).
In contrast to this, modern folding bikes are of high price and of high quality.
Riding a folding bike you have to make a compromise. It should be easy foldable, comfortable to ride and weights about 10 kg. But you cannot get a folding bike which rides like a "big bike" and shrinks to back pack size.
I had to ride distances up to 100 km on my folding bike. So I think it was a good decision to take the "Birdy" accepting the grater size after folding compared to the Brompton.
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The "Birdy green"
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The "Birdy" is available in several variations. They differ beetween the country you buy it. The "Birdy green" supplied with the belt drive is not available in the U.S. I think it was only sold in Europe.
In opposite of a chain drive the belt drive is free from oil. An important feature for a folding bike! A belt drive needs to be combined with a internal hub. My "Birdy" had a 4-speed hub, later models came with a 7-speed hub from Shimano and a modified belt drive. This later version did not slip if it rained.
The belt itself is very durable. It is available as cheap spare part for cars. Other properties of the belt drive are discussed later. |
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The "Birdy green" is like all "Birdy" models a full suspension bike. It makes riding very comfortable. You can easily change the elastomer at the rear wheel without any tool.
Various accessories are available: carrier, lightning, mud guards, bags etc.
The "Birdy" is suitable for riders up to 1,95 m and weight of 110 kg. It weights about 11 kg and you can fold it in about 15 seconds. |
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"Birdy" and train?
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I rode with my "Birdy" with the German InterCity, EuroCity, ICE und InterRegio trains. My experiences are very good. There are no problems because it is accepted as luggage. Folding is very easy and needs only short time. So it is comfortable to combine travelling by bike and train. |
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A small bike rides as a big one?
Of course not. But riding the "Birdy" is great fun, even on a longer distance.
The small wheels make th bike very agile, but not nervous. The suspension is comfortable even on a field-path. The internal hub lets you ride a speed up to 25 km/h.
The belt drive has to bee seen not to be durable. But this will be discussed later.
The front brake on my early model Ìs a side pulled one. Today the "Birdy" comes with more effective V-brakes.
You can ride on a "Birdy" even on distances of more than 100 km. So the "Birdy" is more than a "makeshift"!
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The "Birdy" changes - or: From belt drive to chain drive
The manufacturer of the "Birdy", riese und müller improves the "Birdy" continuous. The most remarkable change was the new drive for the "Birdy green".
The durability of the belt drive was only 500 to 800 km. The plastic parts were too weak. The manufacturer of the belt drive was not able to overcome this. So today the "Birdy green" comes with a chain drive and 7 speed internal hub. So the durability and the maximum gear ratio was improved.
This drive is - compared to the belt drive - not maintenance-free but needs because of the internal hub only little maintenance.
riese und müller offer a chain drive kit for the "Birdy green". The costs were 280 DM (155 $ U.S.) without mounting.
I have changed to a chain drive without the kit, because it was too expensive. The components needed cost only about the half of the complete kit. Details you will find on another page.
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Results and Links
I think, the "Birdy" is one of the best folding bikes you can buy. The best conception for commuting was "Birdy" with the belt drive. Unfortunately it was not durable. So riese und müller had to switch to the chain drive.
Owner of the "Birdy green" with belt drive have to pay a high price for the chain drive kit.
For all that the "Birdy" is a recommendable and very useful folding bike!
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© March 1999
Peter de Leuw 
, , letzte Aktualisierung: 31.08.2003
http://www.pdeleuw.de/fahrrad/birdye.html - ausgedruckt am 03.09.2010
in Bildern
