A customer posted this on another forum - scary stuff! - Lynette Chiang @ BF

I don't know what is wrong with my country. I cycled for an hour across central
london last
night because getting the metro (the Tube we call it) is a nightmare even with a
folding
bike. Riding across London is much more fun and is faster than the metro. We
even have
nice cycling maps of London now.

I got on busy a Train from London to Cambridge. I had to put my folded Tikit in
the
doorway next to a folded wheelchair. There wasnt much room to get out of the
train door
but it wasnt terrible. My Tikit is standing up much better now it has the rear
rack on it,
which helped a lot with making it take up space.

I was sitting on the train next to the Window and the guy next to me was asleep.
It made it
hard to leap up to keep a good check on the Tikit. When we pulled into Baldock,
2 stops
before Cambridge, an old bloke shouted, 'whose bike is this?' and then 'I'm
going to throw
it off the train'. You know what, as the doors opened he picked up my Tikit and
hurled it
out of the doors onto the Platform below. I am still angry about it - what is it
with people?

I've made a report to the Police who are checking CCTV coverage to see if they
can pick
this old guy up for Criminal Damage.

Sadly my hyperfold is looking a bit bent and sad now. I think the stem is a bit
bent and the
front chainring is quite bent making is hardly ride-able. I'll have to get it to
my local bike
shop to see if they can straighten it out.

Can you believe it?

Carl

Philly suburb Tikit Virgin,

Weekday commute consist of 3.5 mile to the train station,

Ride train 17 mile to inner city,

Ride Tikit or bus 1.25 mile to work.

Fuel cost: $0
Parking cost: $0

Anyone know where to find cheap tires for the Tikit?

Who's Tikit is in the piacture on the front page of this group?

Is that picture taken in front of the fountain of Logan Square on Ben Franklin
Pkway in Philadelphia?

It's Robe English's Speeding tikit
http://www.bikefriday.com/roundup07

--- In tikit@yahoogroups.com, "cat0002" <tc2wheel@...> wrote:
>
> Who's Tikit is in the piacture on the front page of this group?
>
> Is that picture taken in front of the fountain of Logan Square on Ben Franklin
Pkway in Philadelphia?
>

Rob English's tikit at Round up 2008:
http://www.bikefriday.com/roundup08

Hi everyone, this is my first post.
I got a used tikit recently, it's the first generation.
I am wondering if there's a way to get a front deraileur mounted on the frame
without going through too much hassle (like wielding and such). Any suggestions?

thanks!

weisan

I posted this on Yak but since it's tikitTM oriented it probably belongs here
too:

Thanks to Hanna S. for the heads up on the safety issue.  Does anyone plan to
mangaflux / dye pen their Tikit for cracks?

Diane & I will hold off on the first Tikit ascent of the infamous Mineral King
Road until we've checked both her Travel-Tikit and the floor Demo I godfathered
for Sierra Bike Werks in Visalia.

Then we'll head for the Sierras to see if an "intermodal" Bike Friday can handle
the really big stuff!

*****A Mineral King Ride?********

The MK Road is a 26 mile ride into Sequoia National Park to one of the most
beautiful, secluded valleys on earth. (See
http://www.nps.gov/archive/seki/mkvc.htm or check out this month's Sunset
Magazine.)  The road is on the National Register of Historic Places.  But for
cyclists, it's a plus-or-minus-600 turn o(somebody actually counted them)
destination ride for climbers throughout the West that goes vert 8,000 feet over
a partly paved, sandy dirt & occasional Park Service "improved" decomposed
granite single-lane road.

If anybody wants to ride up with us sometime between mid-July or late August,
(after Portland Bridge Pedal) let either Diane or me know.  Timing is loose
right now.  We'll set dates depending on who wants to go, any schedules that
have to be respected, and a (flexible) limit of 10 riders depending on who plans
to overnight it at our cabin and available spill-over space in other historic
Mineral King cabins and/or at Silver City  (http://www.silvercityresort.com/).

Healthy food & room for sleeping bags are available in/ around/ or on the deck
of our cabin in the historic Mineral King District for 8-or-so intrepid
Tikit-teers who don't want to ride back to Three Rivers the same day (that will
include Diane Ledford and me).   Our cabin was built in 1907 and has been
rebuilt nearly every year since to survive the ravages of time, weather, and
occasional avalanches.  For a less rustic experience, cabins with
non-do-it-yourself meals are available in Silver City.

Make no mistake: the ride up will be a BIG challenge for little wheels.  "Bring
a friend & pack a lunch, 'cuz it'll be an all-day-job."  Plan on 10 hours in the
saddle counting breaks and lunch.

But it's also a ride -- and a place -- everyone will remember & talk about for a
lifetime.

*******The Downside*******

Is the MK road steep & dangerous?

In a word: Yes!  Going down is as challenging as the climb up.

The last time my sons & their race friends rode their BMX rigs down the road,
the then-No. 5 ABA rider in the country in the 13-14 age group smoked his
Kool-stops & Araya rims to the point that when he cooled his wheels in one of
the watering troughs on the road the rear rim annealed so unevenly that it
taco'd and had to be swapped for a spare.

Meanwhile, one of the 11-12 yr-olds lost it in sand and had to be recovered
about 20 feet over the edge of a drop-off into the Kaweah River where he and his
"veteran" Haro became entangled in some scrub oak: there are no guard rails on
this little superhighway; if you're acrophobic don't look down!

The fastest of the old BMX crowd made it down in 46 minutes.  The slowest spent
several weeks picking gravel out of road rash where his leathers failed after
multiple, spectacular "garage-sale" wipeouts.

Add the excitement of blind corners, unexpected sand-over-blacktop slides, an
occasional on-coming Park Service truck, and speeding tourist or two from Los
Angeles ("Is this the way to Yosemite?") and you've got enough action for
another "Lethal Weapon" sequel.

Nothing a well-maintained, sanely ridden BF can't handle.  Just be prepared!

*******Saner Options*******

For a safer, saner, and less challenging ride, consider the City of Visalia and
National Park Service's bike & eco-friendly shuttle between Visalia and Giant
Forrest.  http://www.ci.visalia.ca.us/depts/transit/sequoia_shuttle/default.asp.

For riders who have a change of heart after seeing the Mineral King Road up
close (it's truly intimidating!), the shuttle would be a great touring option
for couples (the way Diane & I prefer) or groups. It provides access to easy,
beautiful rides to Crescent Meadow (John Muir called it the "Jewel of the
Sierras"), Moro Rock (lock your bikes in the parking lot, smuggle a bottle of
bubbly to the top, and enjoy the sunset!), newly re-opened Crystal Cave (for a
thrill, sign up for an "extreme" after-hours guided cave tour), the General
Sherman Tree, Grant Grove, and the Park's beautiful Wuksachi Lodge complex
(great food and overnight accommodations, but make reservations).

Either way (Shuttle-Sane or MK-Road-Crazy), a bunch of summer tikitsTM would
show the Amgen-host, bike-friendly City of Visalia that it doesn't take 700c's
to tackle major mountains.

Thanks again for the safety heads up.

Ride safe.

Merl Ledford
Vintage Flag Red Pocket Rocket No. 7307
Canary Yellow BTO Travel-tikitTM (Diane's Ride)
Cream Soda Blue Just-the-tikitTM BF Demo (Mine when nobody's visiting)
1968 Peugeot PX-10E (Simplex, tire-savers & sew-ups forever!)
And a couple of his-&-hers mid-80s Townies

--- In tikit@yahoogroups.com, "weisan_free" <weisan_free@...> wrote:
>
> Hi everyone, this is my first post.
> I got a used tikit recently, it's the first generation.
> I am wondering if there's a way to get a front deraileur mounted on the frame
without going through too much hassle (like wielding and such). Any suggestions?
>
> thanks!
>
> weisan
>

I've heard of four of options.  But they all sound pretty expensive compared to
getting a SRAM dual drive.

First, you could send your bike back to GGC and have them braise on an
attach-point like they do on the Speeding Tikit.  Downsides: expense, time off
your bike, and loss of some of the easy-folding characteristics that make Tikits
great for intermodal transport.

Second, I've heard that one owner fabricated a derailleur mount that attached
through the seat post hinge.  Looking at Diane's bike, I can't see how that
would work but it's apparently been done.

Third, change the front chain ring by hand.  Get a good triple crank set & BB
and use your present chain ring and chain protector on the 130mm arms to keep
your bike's stock good looks. But add a 30T chain ring on the inside ring
spacing (I think they're 70mm).  Sure, you'll have to stop to switch to granny
gear and your right index finger will get a little chain oil on it.  But if
you're going up a long grade, so what!  A 30T with the 28T on your rear cassette
should give you about 17 gear inches, which is enough "low" to climb a phone
pole.

Finally, if you've got lots of money and aren't afraid to spend it get a
two-speed crank.  Tim Link at GGC said he's seen Schlumpf cranks on Tikits,
probably with the Brompton-style brace that's offered
(http://schlumpf.ch/md_engl.htm).  The shifter is build into the crank center so
there's no issue with additional cables to mess up your bike's fold.

The other big-spender 2-speed crank is SRAM's "Hammerschmidt"
(http://www.sram.com/en/truvativ/ (http://www.sram.com/en/truvativ/).  Routing
cables for that puppy would be purely experimental.  If you do it, please share
pictures, etc. and talk to the folks at Bike Friday Customer Service so they can
learn about this new crank option for Tikits  too.

That said, I like the SRAM Dual Drive system offered on the Travel Tikit better
than messing with your cranks or trying to hang a front derailleur where it
wasn't designed to go.

The Dual Drive is light, looks good, shifts effortlessly, and works with the
cassette you've already got.  Best of all, there'd be little or no down-time. 
Get a complete wheel build with the hub and keep your existing wheel for a
spare.  Then some evening swap rear wheels, install the shifter, and run the
cables.  You'll be back on your "Rear Triple" Tikit the next morning.  Bike
Friday customer service has had a lot of experience with these set ups and can
help you with any problems you have.  And if you're not handy that way, there's
always your LBS, which needs your support anyway.

Post your experience and let the rest of Tikit-dom know what you decide to do.

Merl Ledford, Visalia CA
"Ol' Red" Vintage Pocket Rocket
Yellow Hyperfold Travel Tikit (Diane's bike)
1968 Peugeot PX-10E (Simplex, sew-ups & tire savers forever!)
and "Loaner" Cream Soda Blue Hyperfold Just-th'-Tikit Demo (Sierra Cycle Werks,
Visalia)

Most of us ride Tikits because we live and work in places that ordinary bikes
can't go.

For example, Tikit-Riders can hop on BART in the Bay Area (http://www.bart.gov/)
or LA Metro in the Los Angeles Basin 
(http://www.metro.net/riding_metro/default.htm) as an easy part of California
commutes, where suburban sprawl makes single-mode bike commuting impractical and
the "last mile" from home to public transit and from "my stop" to work is
generally much longer than a mile.  For example, the combination of my Bike
Friday and my quick little airplane make court appearances all over the Western
US fast, efficient, affordable, and environmentally friendly. As most bike
commuters can attest, it beats to socks off slogging through traffic, fighting
for a parking place, paying through the nose for it, and wondering where your
health, money, and positive attitude went at the end of your work day as you
fight your way home through SIGALERTS and news-station traffic reports!

Still, we have to be up front about risk: if it comes down to car vs. Tikit,
we're going to come out on the losing end.    For that reason being
"Safety-Tikits" has to be part of our commuting routine, if for no other reason
than but to avoid an unanticipated trip over the hood of somebody's Toyota or
(worse) a couple of weeks in a walking cast while Tim Link and the rest of GGC's
Customer Service Crew untangles a bent bike.

Good lighting, like the innovative products offered by GoEco Limerick
(http://www.goeco.ie/wireless_lights.html) and high-visibility fashion
bike-packs(http://www.galfromdownunder.com/store/#trafficconebag) can help.
People are less likely to hit you if they can see you!

In addition, California Bicycle Coalition has published Rules of the Road as a
reminder for long-time riders and a good foundation for new bike-commuters on
how to stay safe as our streets become increasingly congested and, at times,
pretty hostile.  A copy is posted here under "Files." It can also be downloaded
-- along with a lot of other cool stuff -- from CalBike's website which is
well-worth joining (free!) even if you don't live in California.

Being safe also means being proactive.  After all, WE pay for for a part of the
mad asphalt-'an-concrete frosting that is the de facto landscape of our
communities (Can you say "UGGGLLLYYY?").  Because it's our money, we have a
voice in letting our City, State and Federal representatives know that
intermodal bike safety is an integral but often overlooked part of what --
unless we speak out -- will be an increasingly "one-way" cars-only cakewalk.

Diane and I are fortunate to live in a bicycle-positive place with an active
bike-commuting culture.  Our City Council pays a tax-free "bike bonus" to
employees who bike to work, has developed scenic bikeways like you'd see in
Europe, and is working hard to create bike-safe spaces on existing city streets.
When we have to pave, our parking lots now feature water-permeable concrete so
rainwater can sink in to recharge wells rather than be lost.  Unfortunately,
friends in other parts of the state -- even places seemingly attractive as San
Diego -- report that their leaders seem clueless about planning sustainable,
bike-safe environments.

So be part of a total Safety Solution!

Ride safe.  But also join fellow cycle-commuters and day-riders through
organizations like  California Bicycle Coalition(http://www.calbike.org/),
CycleToWork (http://www.cycletowork.ie/), or your own home-town group.  Give
commuter bike safety your voice!  The payoff is that, to a greater or lesser
extent, your own safety, the safety of your kids and other present-and-future
cyclists, and (in the big picture) the survival of our little blue planet depend
on it.

Hello everyone

I am a new member and I do not have a Bike Friday but I am thinking seriously
about getting one since it looks to be a solid bicycle to commute with and can
be folded and carried into spaces.  I am here to learn from everyone experience
with different models of the bike and what everyone does with their own Bike
Friday.  I would like to thank the moderator for allowing me to come in and hope
to learn from everyone's experience.

Thanks

K.

Welcome!

Take a look at the recent exchange in Bike Friday's Yak Archives about the
advantages and disadvantages of a Tikit vs. a Brompton.  The discussion is quite
detailed but it boils down th this:  Do you want a folding bike you can ride, or
a riding bike that folds?

I rode a pretty stock Just-the-Tikit on a 12 mile lap better suited to a full-on
mountain bike this weekend with a climb from 6500 feet to 8000 feet.  Lots of
sand, which is harder on any 16" wheel than on a 26" mountain bike.  But the
bike performed well despite its size as a real "riding bike" with the advantage
of quickly folding it for the drive home in the trunk of my car.  Bike racks are
a pain but I didn't realize how much so until my wife and I started riding
Tikits.

Merl



--- In tikit@yahoogroups.com, "chalid2007" <chalid2007@...> wrote:
>
> Hello everyone
>
> I am a new member and I do not have a Bike Friday but I am thinking seriously
about getting one since it looks to be a solid bicycle to commute with and can
be folded and carried into spaces.  I am here to learn from everyone experience
with different models of the bike and what everyone does with their own Bike
Friday.  I would like to thank the moderator for allowing me to come in and hope
to learn from everyone's experience.
>
> Thanks
>
> K.
>

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is there any body who want to sell a tikit? i am seaching it for a long time.
contact me at madog1980@...
need shipping.
pay by paypal.
thx a lot.

Check out the tremendous success that our friends in San Francisco had with Bike
to Work Day last Thursday.  Wouldn't it be nice to ride in a bike lane that
isn't wedged between fast-moving traffic and parked cars with doors that spring
open without notice when it's too late to avoid a crash?

Importantly, the lead picture in the story shows a Cream Soda Blue Bike Friday
Tikit in action, leading the commute. 
http://www.sfbike.org/main/bicycles-account-for-75-of-morning-traffic-another-re\
cord-breaking-year/

San Francisco has certainly come a long way from what Market Street was like in
1906.  Look at this "commute" taken just a few days before the 1906 Earthquake: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=NINOxRxze9k.

Does your city have any plans to open SAFE Green Bike Lanes like the one on
Market Street in San Francisco?  If not, get active, with help from local law
enforcement and schools, and push your City Government to make a difference. 
Our safety depends on it.

Ride Safe!