Lots of Bike Friday owners have stories about riding all over the world. Me--I ride the rollers on my porch. I commuted to work by bike for about 30 years, a good number of them on my red Pocket Rocket Pro or my candy-apple red Pocket Rocket fixed gear (my current ride). My company relocated me to Shanghai in June 2009. My wife and I live right in the heart of downtown, a 20-minute walk from work. It's worth noting that Shanghai is the second-largest urban area by population in the world (after Mumbai). Although I'm familiar with the skills needed to handle a bike in traffic day in and day out, the street scene here has me, shall we say, a bit intimidated. Although the Chinese people I've encountered and befriended are invariably kind and gracious, my company discourages us expats from driving cars, and there are horror stories about foreigners getting into unfortunate encounters with locals on the streets, even on bicycles. Therefore I generally restrict my riding to a set of E-Motion rollers on the balcony of our 23rd-floor apartment. These rollers are great--very user-friendly. I've only been out on the road once in the last seven months. It's not so bad, really. I'm doing OK on my goal of riding four or five days a week. It's mainly a mind game convincing myself that my iPod is a good substitute for changing scenery. Good riding to you. February 2010

The Bike Friday (custom Pocket Rocket single speed) you helped set up for me has been quite a wonderful surprise.

The bike has provided a range of unexpected practical benefits. Here are some of the impressive features of the whole project as it developed over several months:

1. The amazingly thorough and secure packing job in that big box the bike arrived in. Carefully protected almost to a fault.

2. Came complete with manual and tools and every conceivable thought-out kind of packing material. (I may eventually learn how to use all those pieces of plastic and felt!)

3. Packs easily into the Samsonite Flite suitcase that I bought separately. Also fits easily in the carry bag. (I did add some cardboard to protect the inside of the bag.) No problem carrying it on the Amtrak train.

4. Complete custom sizing with the Fit Stem system. After finally adjusting for my low, far forward reach, (to accomodate my long arms), I felt a more stable, faster athletic ride. The drop bars were essential for that. (Your split version of the bars is great for packing.)

5. Seat mast raised sufficiently high for my long legs and big feet provides some comfortable flex. Though racers seem to prefer stiff frames, at least according to the magazines, some research suggests flexibility allows greater efficiency by allowing greater speed on rough road surfaces.

6. Single speed light weight and chain path simplicity. I think it beats the usual derailleur arrangement when ascending steep hills mainly because it eliminates all the extra weight and friction-adding components. It's a clear advantageous trade-off. (Other factors in your design surely are at work to make the ascents easier also, but they are less obvious to me.)

The last 3 items eventually proved that my Bike Friday performed better than my fine hand-made titanium conventionally-shaped racer equipped with Campagnolo triple crankset (not quite a pure racer with that one) and Campy components.

Even after replacing the big bike's wheels with more modern lighter ones having fewer and streamlined bladed spokes, hill climbing was still easier on the Bike Friday. That advantage has been true on long (45 mile) rides, on any ascent, after repeated comparisons all summer.

I depended on the bicycle because I had no car so the bicycle was almost essential. And climbing steep hills was always unavoidable if I wanted to get back home, living on Longhill Road! I had thought at first the Bike Friday would be fine mainly for quick hops to the grocery store and back, or for riding in the city, especially with the easy-to-accelerate small wheels.

But I learned that my Bike Friday out on the highway just got up the hills faster, with less effort, despite having only one gear. Long rides were always easier. Climbing the hills convinced me that my otherwise lovely titanium racer was by comparison a kind of a sluggish tank, almost always too heavy.

Its 24 speeds provided a limited advantage, primarily when acclerating on descents to achieve maximum speed. I eventually rode that bike only as an occasional break from riding the Bike Friday, and just for sentimental esthetic reasons.

Conclusion: As graceful, well-designed and solid as a traditional full-sized lightweight bicycle may look, optimal functionality depends more the physical advantages of lower weight, simplicity of the chain path, frame resilience, reduced rotational inertia and reduced rolling resistance of the wheels that the Bike Friday single-speed can offer. Your design is a big success! Very nice to have discovered that. You surely have helped to improve and even to re-engineer the efficiency of the modern bicycle.

Sincerely, Sam Lambert

Just returned from a trek from The Bay Area to visit family / friends in Portland, Oregon. Riding north inland (avoiding the wind along the coast) my PPR (Purple Pocket Rocket) tackled Lassen and Highway 89 with no problems whatsoever. Continuing north on 97 I finally got to Multnomah Falls and finished my northern trek along 84 into downtown Portland (NE).

The Pocket Rocket has the capability of carrying plenty of gear, a small sleeping bag and tent, yet still maintaining it's excellent handling characteristics. After a thorough cleaning and rest I got a lift out to the intersection of Highway 26 and 6 before heading for Tillamook and then south along Highway 101 / 1. Even with drizzle and fog the Pocket Rocket took everything in stride and delivered me safely back to San Francisco without worry.

A few thoughts:

1) Capreo gear is OK for most roadwork but for touring an XT 11 x 32 cassette / derailleur makes a lot of sense.

2) Carry at least two spare inner tubes!

3) The Bike Friday solicits a lot of comments. Plan on stopping a lot and sharing experiences.

4) Purple is a great color and easy to spot!

5) REI's cheapest sleeping bag works great.

6) The northern part of Highway 1 (California) is much nicer then the southern section . . . not so many motorhomes.

Would I take my Bike Friday anywhere? You bet . . . and that's not even considering it's folding / packable capabilities. Green Gear . . . Nice Job!