I looked at a lot of folding bikes over the last year. Bike Friday, Brompton, Dahon etc. My wife Tanya, an avid researcher, spent a lot of time as well. She asked me, "What is important to you? Do you really need the compact fold of the Brompton, or do you want a folding bike that rides like a real bike?" That really got me thinking.

Well, I test rode a Season tikit at Warm Planet Bikes in San Francisco, and also tried a friend's Brompton. I also tried a Strida and a Dahon. My wife kept researching. I kept looking at bikes.

I kept coming back to Bike Friday.

Last month, I finally bought my Season tikit a month ago after about a year agonzing over my decision. It is in Green Gear Green and I have named it Kermit! (You know, "It's not easy being green.") It has been fantastic! I knew I would like it, but I can't believe the difference it has made in my commute.

It has made in a huge difference in two areas primariy. One is getting on and off the train. The other is getting in and out of my building at work. I live in San Mateo, CA and commute to San Francisco, CA via Caltrain.

With our local Caltrain, there has been a problem for years in bike capacity. At least once every couple of weeks, I was bumped from the train and had to take the next one.

http://www.sfbike.org/?caltrain_bob

Now that I have the tikit, I get on the train with no problems. In the first two weeks alone, I was able to get on at least four trains that I would ordinarily been bumped off. The folding bike is always allowed!

My other issue has been my workplace. Frankly, it is NOT bike friendly. Before my tikit, I had to take my bike through the loading dock, down a one-floor freight elevator to the basement, and then try to sneak my bike onto another freight elevator up to the 10th floor where my office is. I say sneak, as the building has a "NO BIKE" policy. They want me to put my bike in room designated for that purpose in the basement. Just getting my bike in and out of the office took 10-15 minutes extra, time crucial if you are trying to make the train home.

Well now I pull up to the front of the building, fold my Season tikit, and walk right in and take the main elevator. The security people smile at me and nod as I go by. No hassles! I also can stick my tikit right under my desk, so that I can easily leave in a moment's notice. I honestly think that with the increased time I get at work, the tikit will be paid for in no time at all!

Oh, and here's the other thing: It is a joy to ride! The other day, a group of my fellow commuter's asked about it. They genuinely liked it, including one freind who has Brompton with a three gear internal hub (He was jealous, in a good-natured way, about my eight year nexus hub), but one of them made a bit of a derisive comment and said his folding bike, a citizen, only cost him a few hundred dollars, and insinuated that I was stupid for spending what I did for my Season tikit.

I noticed he had a regular commuter bike, and not a folder with him, asked him why he wasn't riding it at the time. He said that the ride was somewhat clunky and the fold was cumbersome, but he liked it just fine. I smugly thought to myself that he just made the point of the tikit for me. Why have a folding bike that, frankly, sucks? Why not pay for quality, and have a bike that you can actually enjoy?

Anyway, I could go on about all the other things I like about my tikit, but I think that would require a few more pages... long story short, I am an extremely satisified customer!

Best Regards,

Ty Smith

The first thing I did when I received it was to slap an iBike power meter on it to measure the drag coeficients (aerodynamic and rolling).  To my pleasant surprise they were almost identical to my Specualized Roubaix (the aero drag coef was actually lower on the tikit).  Ultimately I can't detect any performance sacrifices when I switch bikes. 

What I like most about it is that I can take it everywhere I go.  So far I've never been turned away by a restaurant (I believe they think it's a wheel chair and they are worried about upsetting the disabled population). 

I also have yet to find a trunk it won't fit in. 

Anyway, in case you couldn't tell — I think it's a brilliant design and I actually fold it all the time (unlike my NWT which I only fold to travel). it's the coolest tikit out there — code named MPT  (Mighty Purple tikit).

I just crossed 1,000 miles on my Express tikit that I bought in July. It has been great for commuting to work and running errands. I'm very pleased with the customer support that I received from Jordan Bishko in sorting out some minor problems in the first month or two of ownership. He was very helpful in resolving the problems, sending a replacement part, and following up with me to make sure everything was working well. Thanks again!