Bike Friday Tikit Love…

Tikit mobility powered shopping…

My Bike Friday Tikit isn’t getting as much press these days on this blog as it used to. That’s really unfair as it continues to be one of my favourite and most useful bikes. The problem is I feel like I’ve covered all the angles about this amazing bike and don’t want to get repetitive. That’s a failure on my part to be creative.

My Tikit enjoying the view…

The freedom to ride anywhere in town without a bike lock or having to think about bike theft is amazingly liberating. I can carry nearly as much on my Tikit as I can on my Surly LHT touring bike and I can fold the Tikit then jump on the bus or toss it into a car’s trunk.

Fixed gear Tikit…

I had the opportunity to swap my 2007 Tikit for a newer 2010 model, but I kept the older bike and invested some $$ in new drivetrain and paint. She works as well today as she did new out of the box and we’ve had a lot of great adventures together. It’s great to know a folding bike with such an amazing fold also is durable enough to keep riding for the long run. I expect I’ll be on the same Tikit in 2017 – although the colour may change again….=-)

If you don’t know what a Bike Friday Tikit is watch the video above. The convenience of the fold is what sold me on the Tikit in the first place and the great ride + the reliability has kept me smiling.

Stuff I Love About the Tikit:

• fits me [available in multiple sizes]
• easy uber fast fold [so I can fold it 10 times in 1 trip without noticing]
• rolls easily when folded so I can keep it with me
• great customer service from Bike Friday
• folding mechanism has held up to thousands of folds and thousands of KMs with minimal maintenance
• lots of options available [fixed/SS, IGH, belt drive, 2 kinds of folds, different racks, ect...]
• rides efficiently [25km ride? ...no problem]
• fun handling
• very maneuverable in town
• takes normal bike parts

Tough love…

The only real downside to this bike is you end up talking to a lot of people that you wouldn’t otherwise speak to and you’ll do lots of extra folding/unfolding of the bike to satisfy peoples’ curiosity. I can live with that…=-)

Happy 20th Anniversary Bike Friday!

20th Anniversary email from Bike Friday...

April 2012 marks Bike Friday’s 20th anniversary of making cool folding bikes. I’m only in my 5th year of being a Bike Friday customer, but it’s been a great ride so far.

Bike Friday HQ...

I stop in whenever my travels take me along the west coast past Eugene, OR during business hours.

Belt drive Tikit...

I managed a quick 30min visit on my way home from Sedona to check out the new showroom bling.

20th Anniversary Bike Friday - click image for more details...

The 20th Anniversary Bike Friday looks pretty sweet [it's missing a wooden front fender].

That's a lovely disco paint job...=-)

I particularly like the sparkly metallic paint job.

A colourful flock of Tikits...

I always leave Bike Friday HQ scheming about a new bike!

Want to tour and need some gear?

The showroom is sporting a great selection of accessories for the bike commuter and cyclotourist.

Red bikes are faster right?...=-)

I had a hard time passing by the red New World Tourist with matching red Selle Anatomica saddle! If it had red rims and some red fenders I’d probably have a new Bike Friday…=-)

A herd of Bike Friday tandems...

I love all the Bike Friday tandems they had to check out. Although I must say we chose well. Our Raspberry Rocket is a primo tandem and still the nicest Bike Friday tandem I’ve seen.

Purple belt drive Tikit...

This belt drive Tikit has a lower cost belt drivetrain that makes it a lot more affordable than the upscale carbon belt.

Back end view...

Sorry I don’t have all the details. If you are interested give Bike Friday a call/email. I’m sure they’d be happy to give you the 411.

Crank end view...

A lower entry cost is certainly pretty key if belt drives are going to penetrate the mainstream of cycling.

The fancy bling carbon Gates belt drive...

All in all it was fun to see the folks I know at Bike Friday and to check out some of the new upgrades to their product line.

20th Anniversary Customer Appreciation Offer...

The Kent Peterson Effect…

My Bike Friday Tikit at MEC...

I was  on my way to a business dinner/seminar thing downtown when I had a flat front tire on my Tikit. Bummer! I pulled out a CO2 canister from my seatpack and got the tire firm again so I could keep rolling and made it to MEC [Mountain Equipment Co-op] which is Canada’s REI. They let me use a repair stand, a floor pump, sold me a patch kit and lent me some pliers to pull out a super tough thorn. They also offered help at least 3 times and when all was said and done let me use their washroom to clean up so I could go to my meeting looking decent. Thanks MEC – you guys rock!

I got to my meeting with time to spare thanks to Kent Peterson. I read Kent’s blog regularly. He got me interested in randonneuring and bikepacking with his tales of LD riding and ultralight touring. However, Kent’s main contribution to my bike lifestyle is simply the no nonsense way he gets on with riding his bike for transportation.

One Kent Meme I have learned from his blog is to factor a flat into every commuter bike ride. That way you always have time to fix the flat and still get to your destination on time. I do this a lot and often plan a quick non-essential stop along my route or near my destination so that I can get some extra things done on the same ride and if a flat happens I just skip the non-essential stop.

In this case I planned to stop at MEC and grab a few items I’ve been needing for a while. So when I got the flat I just re-inflated the tire for the ride to MEC where I could repair it in comfort. I ran into a couple snags with a pathetic tube of glue and a lame patch that didn’t want to stick as well as a thorn that was really really really eager to stay in my tire. By the time I was done I was dirty so I washed up and figured I had to rush to my meeting, but I was pleasantly surprised that I still had time to roll over there at a normal pace which made for a pleasant evening.

That’s the Kent Peterson Effect…=-)

Why I ride…?

Slowing down to enjoy a sunset is so easy...

Riding a bike to get around has a lot of benefits. I was on my way to a pub this week when I took a few moments to appreciate the beautiful sunset on a bridge over the Gorge Waterway in Victoria, BC.

My trusty Bike Friday Tikit...always a good choice for urban rides...

Private Parking…

Sure - whatever!...=-)

Urban Mobility…

Aaron - Stylish and mobile!

Getting around Victoria by bike is very convenient. The weather is usually conducive to pedal power and between the dedicated cycling infrastructure and flat-ish terrain you don’t face too many challenges rolling to your destination. Aaron is demonstrating that you can ride and look stylish while on your urban adventures. Unless I’m on some rando-esque type mission I eschew the bicycle uniform as well.

White was the theme today...=-)

Heck I also ditch the bike lock frequently and that is perhaps the biggest victory one can strike in terms of getting beyond the cycling paradigm. My Bike Friday Tikit is the essence of urban mobility for me…well that and my Blundstones!

Tikit porn...

Bike Friday Tikit Redux

Back and better than ever...

One of my favourite bikes got some love this year – my 4yr old Bike Friday Tikit had its worn out bits replaced and a new powdercoat. I was lucky enough to get a custom PR front rack from Lane at CETMA as well.

• new powdercoat
• new Greenspeed Scorchers
• new chain
• new cassette
• new cables & housing
• new one piece stem/riser
• custom PR front rack

The rack doesn't mess with the awesome fold...=-)

Bike Friday did all the work for me less the front rack. The drivetrain and tires were in need of replacing, but the paint was fine. I was just in the mood for something other than stealth black. It was fair chunk of change to upgrade my old bike. I considered just getting a new 2011 Tikit. Having ridden a 2010 Tikit extensively there have been some definite improvements over the years, but at the same time my old bike is one of the original Tikits made and it rides just fine so I decided to keep it and show it how much I loved it…=-) If you have an older Friday and want to hit the refresh button give the nice folks in Eugene a call and see what they can do for you. Best to get the work done in the winter when things are less crazy at HQ and you could probably work out a better deal than in July.

Custom CETMA PR rack...

The front rack was a one off from CETMA. I don’t know if Lane would be willing to make another as the whole folding bike thing was a hassle for him to deal with and he has a ton of standard production racks and cargo bikes to build. Bike Friday is considering adding a front platform rack to their product line, but they aren’t sure about demand so if you want one drop Walter at BF an email. If he gets enough you’ll get your rack. The other option is going full custom which is no problem, but expensive.

Side view of the fold...

Naturally the front rack doesn’t mess up the sweet Bike Friday Tikit hyperfold. I haven’t tried it, but I assume the showercap won’t go over the bigger rack, but it might work partially as a protective shield from rain/dirt rather than totally camouflaging the bike underneath. I haven’t used the new rack much yet so I’ll save a discussion of how it’s working for another post. It will certainly make carrying bulky items easier an I’ll probably keep a light sturdy cardboard box handy so I can use it for smaller loose items as well.

The Ortlieb O-bag...

My hope was that this Ortlieb bag would mount to the new front rack via a bolt on QR block. That didn’t happen, but I think if I am happy with the rack I will find a welder locally to help me mount it as a PR rack plus a QR waterproof office bag is in my mind the knock out punch for Tikit’s usefulness and versatility. I’m stoked to be partway there.

Bike Friday Tikit Wiki

Sharon on a roll...

Sean Luke has kindly put in the time and effort to develop a Bike Friday Tikit folding bike Wiki. A Wiki is a user updated body of knowledge about a topic. This means you’ll have a great spot to learn lots about the Bike Friday Tikit and you can add stuff to the Wiki based on your own experiences with the bike.

To edit the Wiki you’ll need a password which you can get by emailing Sean Luke from the Wiki site.

 

3 Speed One Way Tikit…

Want a Bike Friday Tikit that's fixed gear, but have some hills to contend with?

Wished you didn't have to choose?

With the new Sturmey Archer 3 speed fixed IGH you don't have to...

I've tried it and it works like a charm...

With these dropouts you can run a regular IGH or add a derailleur later...

Bike Friday being seductive....lol...=-)

These H-bars could be a future upgrade for my Tikit...

I like all the hand positions...

My new favourite Bike Friday Tikit colour…

Yellow Bike Friday Season Tikit seen during my recent visit...

Of all the Bike Fridays in the showroom this colour jumped out by a mile...

It looks much nicer in person - the day was dreary when I took these photos...

Shimano Nexus 8 IGH - nice fit for the Tikit...

Fenders, v-brakes and an IGH...my kind of bike...=-)

Ring guard and metal folding pedals...

The view from the rubber side of the beast...

Up high at the control end of things...lovely...=-)

Bike Locking Case #4

Bike locking ring in downtown Toronto...

What is missing from this bike locking example?  Hmmm…the bike and lock!

Safely inside with me...

The most effective way to avoid having your bike stolen is to not lock it up and leave it in the first place. You’ll need a folding bike to do this and preferably one that folds and unfolds quickly.

For me that means a Bike Friday Tikit.  It’s so easy to fold and unfold that I’ll do it 10 times in a day without thinking about it or feeling like it’s a hassle.  In over 3 years as a Tikiteer I’ve only been asked not to bring my biker inside once and they let me bring it in when I told them I had no lock and would cancel my appointment.

The great thing about riding a Tikit in town is:

• I don’t carry a lock
• I don’t organize my day around where I can lock my bike
• I do whatever I need to and just fold up my Tikit and take it inside with me
• when I’m in a friend’s place or business I’m not worried about my bike or trying to rush so thieves have less time to try and steal it
• I’m 100% focused on whatever I’m doing and my Tikit waits patiently for me until I need her to take me to my next stop
• if I run into someone with a car or I need to hop on a bus I fold and go without hassle

Bike Friday Tikit on a roll...

If you worry about your bike getting stolen think about a new way to solve the problem with a folding bike. You can carry a week’s worth of groceries with one, go on a 2 week bike tour or ride 25kms across town for dinner.  Don’t let the small wheels fool you – these are serious bikes that can perform.

Carbon Belt Tikit is Ready to Roll…=-)

Carbon Belt Tikit...

Bike Friday is selling their carbon belt drive IGH Tikit starting Monday.

Here are some specs:

Carbon Drive tikit with Alfine 11.
Polished aluminum mountain bike handlebars, sealed bottom bracket, Tektro V brakes, 118-tooth Gates Carbon Drive belt, Shimano Alfine 11 internal hub, Phil Wood front hub and Schwalbe Marathon tires. Price: $3,292

Gear ratios for the Alfine 11:
60 x 24 = 21″ to 86″
60 x 22 = 23″ to 94″

Carbon Drive tikit with Alfine 8, Nexus Red Stripe 8 or Nexus 8.
Polished aluminum mountain bike handlebars, sealed bottom bracket, Tektro V brakes, 118-tooth Gates Carbon Drive belt, Shimano Alfine 8, Nexus Red Stripe 8 or Nexus 8 internal hub, twist shifter and Phil Wood cog, Phil Wood front hub and Schwalbe Marathon tires. Price: $2,595

Gear ratios for 8-speed hub:
60 x 22 = 23″ to 71″

NOTE: For comparison to chain drive tikits:
Standard 8-speed tikit: 53 x 11-28 = 30″ to 77″
Capreo tikit: 53 x 9-26 = 33″ to 94″

This version of the Tikit looks very sweet for the all weather commuter who wants zero hassle with maintenance.

I’m excited!…=-)   I’ll definitenly be askling for a test ride on my way home for Baja!

Rob’s Pretty in Pink Speeding Tikit…

Pink Speed...

I found these 1 year old photos of Rob English’s Speeding Tikit on my HD in Baja.  Not much to say – just enjoy the Bike Friday Tikit porn…=-)

Pretty exciting bike!

I like the two colour paint job...

Custom steerer/stem combo...

Not as pink crazy as his sister...

This folder thinks it's a roadie...

Lovely shifter bling...

Crank bling...

SRAM Rival...

SRAM Rival brakes...

Ti mmmmmm......=-)

I'd use a Brooks...

More Rival...

The Man on a Mission...

First Friday of 2011…

First bike ride of 2011...

My last bike ride of 2010 was on my Bike Friday Tikit so I suppose it’s fitting that my first ride of 2011 was on my Bike Friday Tikit.  Sharon and I were headed into town to meet Kurt for some Thai food so naturally we rode folders because then there were no hassles locking up our bikes outside. This was Sharon’s first ride on the Dahon I brought back from my mother’s place in Toronto.  Her impression was the same as mine – rides well [especially because it fits her 5'6" frame], but no fun folding her.

Tucked away inside safe from bike thieves...

 

The last Friday of 2010!

Who needs a kickstand?

It was fitting that on the last Friday of 2010 my last bike ride was my Bike Friday Tikit.  I needed a pre-NYE haircut and who needs the hassle of driving?

What lock?

My trusty little buddy got me there and back with a smile.  I enjoyed the warm sun and the quiet streets.  2010 was a great year.  I’m glad my Bike Friday was a big part of it.

Alex Wetmore’s Tikit Porteur Rack

Photo: Alex Wetmore

Update: Lane at CETMA is going to build me a PR rack for my Tikit.  It will include a mount for the Brompton O-Bag QR bracket so I can just drop the O-Bag on the rack without having to strap it down or have it jump off on a bump.  I’m going to drop off my Tikit on the way down to Baja and hopefully pick everything up on my way back home.  Lane will have my Tikit as well as my O-Bag and Brompton QR bracket so he can fit everything up nicely.  If you want the same setup drop him a line since he will have everything in hand as well as a bike to test fit things it will never be easier to order a Tikit PR rack.

I’m stoked. The only thing I was jealous about from the Brompton world was their front luggage.  Now I’ll be able to have the great Tikit ride & fold with handy Brompton quick release front luggage and the utility of Alex’s PR rack.  Sounds killer to me…=-)

Alex Wetmore is one of those smart guys that’s also handy enough to build the stuff he thinks of – a wicked combo for sure.  I love his idea for a PR Rack on a Bike Friday Tikit.  The more I ride my Tikit the more I think this makes a ton of sense rather than messing with panniers.  I could strap on my bike messeger bag or a box or paper for the office with ease.  I think I’m going to make one of these happen in 2011.  Getting a custom rack built has some expense involved in design and getting jigs ready that could be used for many future racks.  If you have any interest in one of these for your Tikit let me know.  I could do the coordination with a rack builder and everyone who wants one pay him and have a rack built shipped from his shop.  The result would be faster, easier and cheaper than 5 or 8 people getting custom racks for their Tikits.

Brompton O-Bag made by Ortlieb...

Michael W’s Speeding Tikit

What a lovely Speeding Tikit...

The contrasting paint is a nice touch...

Fold detail...

Front derailleur...

Impulse fold in action...

Vik’s Tikit Picks

Sharon on a roll...

I get asked a lot about Tikit purchases so here is what I’d buy for a few different Bike Friday Tikit purchases:

Tikit on a Budget

• stock black 8 speed derailleur Tikit
• Schwalbe Marathons [replace when worn out with Greenspeed Scorcher TR tires]
• fenders
• rear standard rack
• Ergon Grips
• hyperfold [fast fold option] if the budget is big enough if not impulse fold saving $200
• black colour because that’s what colour stock Tikits come in!
• buy in Dec/Jan to take advantage of any slow season deals from Bike Friday

Stylie Simple Commuter Tikit

• fixed gear One Way Tikit
• Greenspeed Scorcher TR tires
• fenders
• rear standard rack
• showercap
• Ergon Grips
• Brooks B17
• heavy rider upgrade
• hyperfold [fast fold option]
• MKS metal QR pedals with half toe clips
• pull rear v-brake
• wasabi green colour is no longer available my bad!
• Of the available colours I’d go for Racing Green or Princess Pink if I’m feeling sassy.

All Weather Commuter Tikit

• IGH Season Tikit w/ Alfine 11
• Greenspeed Scorcher TR tires
• fenders
• front 2 sided pannier rack
• folding touring rack
• showercap
• Ergon Grips
• Brook B17
• heavy rider upgrade
• hyperfold [fast fold option]
• if $$ is no object add Gates carbon belt drive
• white colour

Bike Friday Tikit 3yr Update

My Tikit 3yrs ago...

I’ve had my Bike Friday Tikit folding bike nearly 3 years now so I thought I would provide some thoughts looking back on our years together.  The photos in this post are from Dec 2007.

• my Tikit has become one of my favourite bikes and has seen a lot of use over these years.
• the hyperfold is a game changer for me that allows me to use a bike for missions I would otherwise drive or take transit.
• I have a 2010 Tikit that I can compare to this 2007 Tikit.  The newer model has some improvements for sure, but when Bike  Friday asked me if I wanted to trade in my old Tikit on a new one I said..”No way!” It just works so well and we get along too well to split up our partnership…=-)

My Tikit 2 ride...

• this Tikit has been my winter and rain bike.  I was worried that a complex folder might get messed up by the salt, grit and wet conditions, but so far I haven’t had any rust issues at all and the bike folds as well as it did on day 1.
• In terms of maintenance I haven’t done anything other than oil the chain occasionally.  I checked the hyperfold cable once. I have lubed the clamp at the stem hinge 2 or 3 times.  This bike has been washed twice.  After 3 years of use I need to replace the chain/cassette/chainring, but it’s still working fine so I keep putting that off, but definitely before next spring that will have to happen.  I swapped in some Greenspeed Scorchers which are looking a bit worn and will need to be replaced by next spring.  Overall not too bad for a folding bike with all sorts of hinges and cables.

Small wheels - big smile...

• I’ve really come to depend on the mobility and flexibility of this bike.  It allows me to ride when I wouldn’t be able to on a full size bike due to security or logistical issues.  With most of my other bikes if they were stolen I’d probably take the opportunity to try out something different.  With my Tikit I’d order up a new Tikit the next day.
• I have tried other brands of folders [Brompton, Dahon & Birdy], but nothing comes even close to the ride quality, folding ease and comfortable fit of my Bike Friday Tikit.
• I have a habit of buying and selling bikes to try out different products so it is rare for a bike to last 3yrs in my fleet and really rare for me to turn down a chance to upgrade to a newer model.  However, one thing I have learned is when you find a bike that is 10 out of 10 awesome hang on to it.  That’s not something to be taken lightly.

More than just a bike...

• The cool thing about buying a Tikit is that besides an amazing bike you get the support of a company that’s dedicated to customer service and that loves cycling.
• Anytime I’ve had a question or concern they treated me very well and resolved my issue as fast as possible.
• I like the fact that my Bike Friday was made by hand in Eugene OR and that I can call up the company and chat with them about my bike.
• I’ve visited Bike Friday twice and really enjoyed seeing the factory and meeting the folks behind this bike.
• It is easy to see why Bike Friday customers buy several bikes from this company as their cycling needs change and why they are so passionate about them.
• I’m sure glad I took the chance and ordered a Tikit 3 years ago…=-)

If you want to check out my thoughts on my Bike Friday Tikit back when I first got it you can check out my Vik’s Tikit Blog and for newer Tikit posts you can check out this section of my current blog.

Black Ops!

What bike?

Kurt sent me a last minute text asking if I wanted to see Inception at the IMAX last night.  I had seen it already, but figured a 6 story high screen couldn’t hurt the film and now that I know what happens I wanted to see how that changed my perception of the first portion of the film.  Trouble was it was raining and I didn’t want to lock up any of my bikes outside the theatre – I stil haven’t got a full handle on the bike theft/vandalism threat downtown at night.  Riding a Bike Friday Tikit was an obvious option except that the IMAX theatres tend to not have many good spots to leave a bike inside and the staff can get antsy about a folder being a safety hazard.

I decided to ride my older Tikit because it was a bit messy out.  I have been riding the fixed gear One Way Tikit all summer so the old girl hasn’t seen as much action lately as usual.  All she needed was some air in the tires and some lights.  It didn’t take long to remember how much I like my black beauty.  Riding down the MUP at night in a light rain was peaceful.  It was fun to blow past folks on full sise bikes and hear then exclaim – “what kind of bike is that???”.

At the theatre I folded up my Tikit and deployed the shower cap cover for maximum stealth.  I don’t use this cover often, but I am glad to have it so that I can penetrate high scrutiny environments.  One of the senior ushers gave me the stink eye as I waited in line outside the theatre.  He was headed over to hassle me when he got a call on his radio – whew!  I had Kurt and his brother walk on either side of me while I carried my Tikit into the theatre past the other ushers and managed to find it a seat of its own in the middle of a row.  Luckily the movie wasn’t sold out so nobody tried to occupy what looked like an empty seat.

Kurt suggested I unfold the Tikit and ride it out of the theatre to freakout the ushers, but I didn’t want to burn any bridges for my next covert mission!