Bike Friday or Bilenky

[mindala]

Can anyone tell me their experience touring with Bike Friday or Bilenky bikes with S&S couplers?
How are the rides(panniers front and back)? Comfort, durability,ease of assembly, etc.?
Thanks.

[DaveB]

My Son-in-Law has a Bike Friday and I have a Co-Motion single with S&S couplers which is pretty much the same as the Bilenky you are interested in. 

The BF is somewhat easier to pack and a unpack, fits into a smaller case and is easier to transport through airports, etc.  It is "different" to ride as the small wheels have their own characteristics.  You do get used to it but it's noticably different from a full size wheel bike. 

The Co-Motion (and the Bilenky) are perfectly "normal" bikes that happen to disassemble for travel.  Once put together, the couplers are completely transparent to the rider and every thing about the bike is conventional.  Packing and unpacking take a bit longer than the BF and the packed bike is in a significantly larger case that can be a bit awkward to handle.   

Trade offs: The Bike Friday is easier to travel with.  The Co-Motion is better to ride.   

[scott.laughlin]

Hi,

I owned a Bike Friday, a New World Tourest, since 2005.  I owned a Bike Friday Tandem Two'Day, a 1997.  Wife and I rode it thousands of miles--Granc Canyon, across Missouri's Katy, and crossed Arizona's Sonoran Desert.  Good bikes and good people who build them. 

Bike Friday wheels are smaller for ease of packing, but you have to completely disassemble it to get it into the case for travel.  The down side is that premium tires are more difficult to locate and smaller wheels mean a rougher ride.

You need to consider how much you want to travel and take along the bike.  Getting a bike carton and removing the pedals and handle bars is not really such a bad idea.  When you reach your destination throw the box away.

I would suggest googling for YAK, the list for Bike Friday owners and those who are considering.  The company stays out of it, and folks are free to say what they think.

I own a Cannondale with 700c rubber on it.  I sure like that smooth ride.  And it's as dependable as the sun coming up tomorrow.

Scott in Texas