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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

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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

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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!

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After nearly 40 years riding a couple of early PX10E Peugeots for everything from club rides to commuting (Frame No. 1 purchased Nov. 1967 and Frame No. 2, an early '68 serial number, acquired in the late '80s), Peugeot 2 suffered a cracked head tube. The prospect of no road bike for 10 to 14 months while the frame & refurb gurus fixed my old friend sent me bike shopping for myself for the first time since I was a teenager and left my favorite-gal-buddy & life-companion free to shop too. The field was wide open, but with a couple of limitations: a 700C, 650 or 26" wheel bike won't fit in our airplane without dis-assembly. And good luck trying to jam in two of them. Also regular bikes had to be rack-carried on the car, something that neither Diane's VW Bug Convertible nor my '67 911S tolerate well. With those factors in mind and since we were starting from scratch -- at least until my old favorite returned -- my gal-buddy and I settled on folding bikes.

But could anything match the ride of a vintage lugged, double-butted steel frame road bike? I was skeptical. But heck, it would only be for a year . . .

Acquisition Diane opted for a brand new bright yellow Travel Tikit. I took measurements off her town bike, Peter Berra ran the numbers and did a fit and, presto: perfect for her! In years of buying and adjusting bikes for my sons (and most of the neighborhood BMX race team) I can't recall ever seeing a bike as perfectly adjusted. And the Tikit suites her beautifully: Diane doesn't ride much more than 50 miles a day, takes her bike shopping and to the private school where she teaches, and keeps a nice "Townie" cadence whether riding uphill or down. Her choice was great for our rides in the Giant Sequoias, through Kings Canyon, in Yosemite, and on the annual Portland Bridge Pedal. But what about a "temporary" road bike for me?

The Red Bike The answer was a used Flag Red Pocket Rocket with full Shimano 105 "Hollowtech II" equipment: brakes, STI shifters, hubs, and derailleurs, and FlightDeck computer. The bike had some neat 3TTT split drop bars that reminded me the 3Ts on my son's vintage Bianchi Reckord. A good steel frame? Vintage-sounding bars? It seemed pretty good! I bought it sight-unseen, hoping for the best. I swapped out the saddle for a Brooks Imperial, wrapped the bars in black Brooks leather, and gave the folks at Bike Friday a call to discuss fit. Peter Berra found a Flag Red stem in the communal Bike Friday Spare Parts Bin that raised the bar height and reach into "perfect" territory. Price? "No Charge!" Despite the fact my bike left the factory a decade earlier, Peter & Tim Link in Customer Service joined forces making upgrade recommendations for my "new" bike, all of which work so well together I can't conceive of it as a used bike anymore. They recommended reflective sidewall, 110 PSI Primo Comet Kevlar tires to replace what looked like the original Schwabes that came with the bike. Tim also made some wise suggestions for wider 451-compatible tires for fire trail riding that I'd previously handled on the Peugeot with Mavic MA2 rims & low pressure clinchers.) Peter, Tim, and BF Crew also put together everything I needed swap out the Red Bike's Super-Macho 60/48T double chain ring crank set up for a more old-guy-friendly 54/42/30 triple. They supplied new cables; MKS EZ-AR 2 quick release pedals with (appropriate) old-school cages; a gorgeous Chris King headset, a new Bike Friday Headbadge; a replacement custom frame plate with Red Bike's frame number; fenders (a first for me on a road bike); and even a Bike Friday water bottle!

I installed the parts (with help Craig & Rudi at Sierra Cycle Werks pressing in the new headset bearing cup), a new 105 triple front derailleur, & some 175mm Shimano 105 crank arms, reset the computer (from a total of 1620 miles shown)and suddenly: I was riding a real 21st Century road bike without the cautions of a carbon fiber ride or the worries of buying a used aluminum frame. Wow: Cycling has come a long way in 40 years!

Impressions The Red Bike sits in the Peugeot's old spot in my office as I write this. It's carried me to work and to court now for a little over three months, long enough for my sit bones to make peace with the new Brooks saddle and for me to form some early first impressions.

Here they are:

1. Factory support is incredible. If every business were run with the customer care, empathy, environmental concern (Peter: "Dispose of of your old tires properly!"), and willingness to make sensible suggestions as Bike Friday's Peter Berra & Tim Link have shown me, we would have a lot brighter future as a civilization.

2. Parts are always at hand and shipping is generally overnight, even in Green Gear's busy Spring season. One of the really nice things about a bike that uses off-the-shelf components from Alex, Sun, SRAM, Shimano, etc.; if your town has a quality Local Bike Shop, you've got experienced help when you need it. And if you're away? I saw a New World Tourist owner on Yak who busted a 506 rim in Poland. My bet: A new rim complete with spokes to fit, spoke wrench, and nipples were probably on their way by overnight air before the rider went to bed that night either from some Yakster who had the parts or from what Tim or some of the other folks in Eugene found in Bike Friday's Spare Parts Bin. Peter Berra summed it up well when I first talked to him about Diane's Tikit: "You pay to join this crazy club and we give you the bike free."

3. Quality, finish & fit are astonishing. The powder coat on Red Bike looks brand new even though it's aging into double digit territory, pretty unusual for any red finish. The rapid fold seat post puts the Brooks saddle in a perfect sweet-spot when folded, the chain stays on even when I don't put it on the "small" chain ring & cassette sprocket, the chain stay assembly goes where it's supposed to without scratching anything, and the stem comes off quickly with the flick of the wrench tool that goes with us, nestled in a Brooks tool bag behind the seat with a spare tube and some tire sticks. (Yeah: I'm old-school!)

4. Daily use. Step over height is wonderful. I hadn't realized what a drag it was hoisting my bum right snowboard-knee over the top tube of the Peugeot until recently. The 451 rim-spec Primo Comet Kevlars are softer riding than the sew-ups I'm accustomed to. . . and they're a WHOLE lot less expensive! I don't notice nearly as much glass and road-FOD as I used to see. Think there's a correlation?

5. Portability. With everybody sweating the economy, the Red Bike's been in and out of Lindbergh Field in San Diego for enough "airport commutes" to State and Federal Court appearances to pay for itself in rental car and gas savings.

6. Acceptance. I'll cop to it: I'm a guy and image is important. Frankly, I was timid that somebody would laugh at me if I rode a "little bike." Instead, just the opposite has been true. Veteran riders and young guns alike have grabbed Red Bike for demo rides and have all come back grinning. "Hauls ass!" "Sweet!" "Nice Ride!" So much for a late-middle-age rider's fear of not being one-of-the-boys anymore. . . The Red Bike is becoming a weekly fixture at our little Central California Valley town's Farmer's Market where it goes to shop once a week (in company with an attention-getting girl on an attention-getting yellow Travel Tikit!). It's also becoming a fixture at our town courthouse bike rack, where it's U-Locked and Cable-Locked the same way its white predecessor stayed. (Small Town Note: I leave the U-Lock on the courthouse bike rack instead of hauling it around & keep another one for out-of-town use.)

A big question remains, though, "What will I do when the Peugeot comes back?" Truthfully, I'm enjoying the Red Bike so much that I suspect the Peugeot's days as my primary ride are over. For the past 90+ days and 445 miles, the Red Bike has hauled my bones around with the same-or-better snap, agility, and good nature that its predecessor did. It weighs a little more than its vintage French cousin (25.1 lbs/ 11.38 kg vs. 20.3 lbs/ 9.21 kg.). But the zip added by smaller wheels makes it seem like a much lighter bike. And "little wheels" notwithstanding, Red Bike rides softer than my old French buddy, something that's becoming increasingly important as I turn the corner on age 60. It will be a hard choice this time next year. But right now I'd be surprised to see my old white bike retake its parking space where my Bike Friday Pocket Rocket now sits waiting for me to finish this so we can go someplace.

From a guy who has ridden basically the same bike for over 40 happy years, that's saying a lot.

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So, here is the updated review two years on! As I said in 2006, my Pocket Rocket is a commuting workhorse, with a 3-day a week commute involving a 15 mile bike ride and a train commute in the middle. Over the last two years I've covered about 7000 miles on my rocket and have just completed my first major overhaul. I still love it - but one or two issues have arisen that potential customers should think about... From a folding perspective, the bike continues to perform well. Not as neat or as rapid as a Brompton, but much smaller than an Airnimal. A reasonable middle compromise that works fine on my commutes (although mudguards may be an issue for some - see below).

The ride continues to be fantastic - fast, positive and great fun. It remains my bike of choice even on day rides and longer. There is no better ride available with a folding bike so if ride is your priority then you should seriously consider this bike despite its flaws.

Generally, spares and servicing are no problem. I do struggle to get anything other than Schwalbe Stelvio tyres in the UK - and whilst this is not a problem for most of the year, a little more tread through the winter would give greater riding confidence. I wish we could still get IRC in the UK.

I still remain fed up at the cabling which, frankly, needs a rethink by Bike Friday. Folding the bike ruins cables fast and causes the bike to loose adjustment. When placed against the unified rear triangle of the Airnimal the cabling on the Rocket is agricultural at best. Also, the cable routers along the frame are too large for a stripped cable section meaning that all cables must be complete with routers along the entire length of the cable. This adds a small amount of weight, but it is becoming almost impossible to buy spare Shimano gear cabling with full outer casing! I've had to resort to turning up some custom ferrules in a metal lathe to overcome this annoyance. In addition, full cable outers rattle against the frame causing the paint to scratch (more on this gripe later...).

On a positive note, the concerns I had over the durability of the frame pivots and dropouts in my previous review have been unfounded. Perhaps the biggest lesson I have had is that, for daily use, this bike needs the mudguards fitted as the spray from the wheels drenches the pivot area on the frame causing durability problems unless dried after every wet ride (not realistic for a day-to-day commuter). But at £60 (about $120) these are a complete rip off (and there seems to be profiteering going on over the fact that only Bike Friday guards will fit easily). After spending a lot of money on a custom bike I am pretty miffed at being taken advantage of over the price of these essential items. Also, note that the mudguards make folding a little more of a nuisance, rather reducing the versatility of the bike.

So, to the biggest issue - the paint job! I took delivery of my bike in standard black, not wishing to pay even more money for a flashy paint job. On delivery the paint was fine, but after about 500 miles I noticed that the underside on the downtube was badly scratched and chipped and, on further investigation, this was a result of grit in the spray from the front wheel during wet rides, and the rubbing of the cables on the frame due to the way the cables are routed and the need for cable routers along the entire cable length. Over the coming few thousand miles the paint deteriorated badly. Large flakes came away on the rear of the seat tube for no obvious reason and rust began to appear around the braise-ons. Things got so bad that in December 2007, just two years after buying the bike, I had to send the frame in to ARGOS in Bristol for an overhaul and respray at a cost of £200. Whilst I accept that my Rocket gets reasonable wear and regular use, I am dedicated to its maintenance, take care to touch up and I have never had a bike that has suffered in this way. I can only surmise that Bike Friday's paint shop is not producing finishes that are up to the rigor required by a daily-use folder. Perhaps they could look at this. Certainly, if you buy a Rocket, be prepared for an expensive respray at some point in the not-to-distant future.

So, to summarize. I love my Rocket to ride and it works adequately as a folding commuter. However, it is necessary to buy the rip-off mudguards. The cable routing needs sorting by Bike Friday and it WILL be a thorn in your side if you fold the bike. Given the cost of the bike, I am disappointed by the finish of the frame and only after an additional outlay of £200 on a hard, baked finish spray job am I confident about its durability.

We're working on mudguards - we have to get them custom made locally and in small quantities - two factors which make any non-offshore-mass-produced product expensive.  However, it looks like you paid a premium for yours.  We sell them for $60USD, it is not clear why yours were marked up so high - check with your dealer.  Feel free to buy direct from us in the future for a variety of parts.

Regarding your cabling issues, we have chosen full length housing as a way of minimizing issues introduced by folding.  You should be able to get cable housing in any length that you desire.  Most bicycle shops buy the housing on a role and it is cut to fit.  If you continue to have sourcing issues with the housing, we also sell the housing in any length. 

We are sorry to hear that you have experienced significant wear to your powdercoat finish.  We choose powdercoating because the environmental benefits (while liquid paint contain solvents which have pollutants known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), powder coating contains no solvents and releases negligible amounts, if any, of VOCs into the atmosphere) and durability considerations (powder coated surfaces are more resistant to chipping, scratching, fading, and wearing than other wet finishes). Please contact our service department for touch up paint - Jordan, Customer Service Manager

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My Pocket Rocket (Shimano 105 / ultegra) arrived about 4 weeks ago and I've managed to clock up about 200 miles. I'm using the bike for a 3-day-a-week train commute to work (involving about 15 miles cycling each day) as well as for recreation, so the bike goes through its paces both as a folder and a quality road bike. It is accommodated easily in the standard luggage racks of the Midland Mainline Turbostar trains in its foirst fold arangement and folds quickly and easily. The loose handlebars are a nuisance but a tradeoff worth accepting for the excellent ride that they provide. In my quest for the perfect folding commuter bike I tried them all - Bromptons, Dahon, Airnimal Chameleon, Birdy etc... The Bike Friday was the best (and most expensive) by a long way (only the Airnimal came close in both regards). However, the key trade off is that it isn't the world's best quick folder. For a daily London commute on crowded trains it might not be the best equipment. For my uses (a long ride either side of a quiet train journey) it is proving to be excellent. The fit of the bike is exceptionally good and the frame is stiff and positive. I've had a number of custom frames over the last 10 years and this is by far the best. In fact, I'm a little worried that I'll get very little use out of my new ARGOS custom frame, bought last year following much persuading of my wife, and that this could have serious implications for future chances of new bikes!! As this bike is a workhorse I chose to equip it with mainly Shimano 105 components. These are as expected and provide a refined yet sensibly priced ride. I wouldn't recommend spending less on components though as a bike this good really does need decent components to back it up. As a folder the bike is great but I do have some reservationms for the longer-term. I have some concerns about the robustness of the hinges and will be interested to see how much wear they experience over the next 12 months. I also have one minor gripe about the cable routing (others have commented on this I know). The rear brake and gear cables experience considerable stress when the bike is folded. Indeed, my rear brake cable sheathing failed after only about 150 miles and about 10 folds. To solve this I've re-routed the cable through the tubing joining the seat tube and cross tube and this gives a much neater and more durable routing for frequent folding. It also avoids the annoyance of cables hitting the chainset after folding. My only other concern is the exposure of the rear-triangle dropouts the connect to the seat post. When folded these are very exposed and I am concerned that one clonk by a careless fellow commuter could ruin their allignment. I guess we'll see!

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An old mate of mine used to do duathlons with me in Japan on an Air Friday years ago. We all had a good laugh at him, but he always had the last laugh by beating us soundly. Strangely, that didn't stop us having a go at him for his bike. Human nature I guess. I always thought he was an amazing athlete overcoming this handicap of a bike he had. Then one day, years later I was looking for a new commuting bike. I commute every day in Tokyo 7km each way 5 days a week, all year, and the old clunker gave up the ghost. Tested the Pocket Rocket at Amanda in Tokyo, and I was completely sold. Your bikes are light, responsive and lively. Mr. Chiba of Amanda is an amazing frame builder himself, with the most awesome wooden racing bike you have ever seen (it even has willow wheels!). He designs and makes his own folder, but even he was in awe of your bikes. Congratulations.

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Walter, I cannot thank you enough. My Fixed Gear Pocket Rocket is awesome. It rides like a dream and has become MY FAVORITE RIDE. I've had it for almost 2 weeks now and I cannot get enough of it. I've been using it at least twice a week as my commuter (25 miles one way. Manhattan to long island). It's quick, nimble and handles the various NYC potholes like a champ. Keep up the great work! Regards, Joe. Read about Fixed Fridays

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Thanks Rob English for introducing me to the BF as a serious
bicycle through his entertaining web site , I have just completed my first 1000 kms on my new retro Pocket Rocket, financed by selling my cherished Eddy Merckx (Litespeed, or is it the other way around?. As I travel a lot I got sick of the hassle of bike bags and the inevitable damage incurred by bagge handlers. The real bonus is that the bike itself is so much fun to ride and as good to ride as any high end racing bike, with the bonus of acceleration that you really notice when you get back on a 27 inch wheeler. Thank you Rob English you are a great advocate for the product and Epic cycles in Brisbane are very enthusiastic agents.

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I'm a long time Campy rider. I made some changes to my PR with a 105 setup. By using Campy Veloce shifters and a Centaur rear D, I am able to use the Shimano Capreo rear hub and Cassette. Thus saving large amounts of money. I swapped out the Kalloy bars for Deda bars, just sent the bars back to BF and they cut and shimmed them for me. I went with the King headset. 105 crank. Speedplay pedals. The bike rides like a dream. I travel for work about once a month and the PR goes with me. I have had no problems with the airlines so far and I manage to pack everything I need into the case. I am hoping to the be able to communte to work soon, thirty mile trip, about 20 of it will be on the train. I can't think of a better way to get to work than a BF. Just have to survive the South Florida drivers.

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My Pocket Rocket has been in the bike stable for about a decade now. It has replaced the other road bikes for first choice in many events (general riding, club races, the Bicycle Ride Across Tennessee (BRAT), and - of course - for travel). The fit is good, handling good, packing in the older Samsonite suitcase is not a problem either.

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The best thing I like about my Pocket Rocket is its handling - better than virtually every standard wheel bike I have ridden. It's brilliant for descending Alpine passes - not a hint of a wobble at speeds of 40mph-plus and goes round hairpin bends as if it was on rails.

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I started out buying a used Pocket Rocket. I really enjoyed the speed, handling and it was fun to ride. But the Pocket Rocket was set up for a lighter weight person than I am. I live in Portland (rainy) Or. I am into bike commuter and touring. I needed a bike that would handle 300 lbs, me and gear, and stop in the rain. I finally decide a custom built bike was the only way to meet all my requirements . My new bike would have to have disk brakes (to stop in the rain) plus braze-on for v-brakes (available almost anywhere), frame able to handle 300 lbs( my 225lbs and up to 75lbs gear), strong 36 spokes wheels( 20406 bmx tires found almost anywhere), bar-con shifters( reliable), a low gear around 17 inches ( for hill climbing with loaded touring gear), plus a frame that allowed large tires. The pocket Llama seemed to fit the bill. But I wanted front suspension to take out some of the road jar but because 6 or 9 extra lbs was too much extra weight for a suspension fork I decided against it. Until Mike at BF said that the Gnu front suspension add only about 21/2lbs to the bike. I decided to order the Gnu with narrow tires and rims because I already had a spare set of wide rims and tires. That way I would have a narrow set for commuting and a wide set when I went off on gravel road. The Gnu was designed for my body and riding style. When I got, it sure felt good and fit right. My test track is Skyline blvd a mountainous road near my house, The Gnu climbed very well and in its lowest gear the front end did not rise up like I had happen on other bikes( like my Dahon). With the narrow wheel set it felt as fast and fun to ride as my Pocket Rocket and with the disk brakes it really stops in the rain. It took me a while to learn to adj. my disk brakes correctly so they don squeak. But in the rain I would not leave home with out them. I have customized my fenders and add mud flaps to keep the spray down when out in the rain. At least 2 nights a week I meet my wife (who drives to work ) at the fitness center and fold up my Gnu and put in the trunk for the trip home. I fold it up and put it inside my small RV when we go on trips instead of on the back getting dirty and wet. This summer I am biking the Oregon coast with my son and will fold it up and Greyhound it back from Brooking. To say I love my Gnu is an under statement. It is meeting all my needs.

Jim Langley, Lord of Headbadges among other talents,
has written an excellent piece about his Pocket Rocket on his website. Click here to read it.

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In 2002, I purchased a Bike Friday. The model I bought is a Pocket Rocket. Some of the specs for my bike are as follows: drop handlebars, 3 ring road 27 and most importantly, it's yellow. When I purchased the Bike Friday, the only BF I'd ridden was a NWT. I didn't know what to expect but have been very pleasantly surprised. I currently own 5 bikes and the BF is tied with my Cannondale R800 for the position of my favorite bike. And that's saying something. The Pocket Rocket "felt" heavy at first. However, I've ridden it with friends who were riding their road bikes and I kept up quite nicely. I'm considering riding it in a 2-day 200 mile bike tour later this summer. As far as packing and unpacking the BF, unpacking is a cinch. I'm an engineer and have been fascinated with the fit and finish of my BF. I can assemble mine easily in 10 minutes. Packing is another story ... it takes a good half hour + to do it right and to get it in the carrying case. One side note here - I purchased the pedals that BF sells that "pop" out of the crank arms. Very worthwhile investment. I love those pedals. Another item worth mentioning is when I received my BF, one small item was missing. I contacted them on a SUNDAY - expecting to get an answering machine or answering service. Well, the BF operator put me on hold and after waiting on hold for a while ... guess who talked to me about the problem? ONE OF THE OWNERS! Yeah - one of the owners. Try calling Cannondale or Trek or Schwinn and getting THAT kind of service! All in all, I'm hooked. If I ever buy another road bike, it'll probably be a BF.

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I really like the way my Pocket Rocket rides. It's responsive, has a nice feel and is stiff enough to do out-of-the-saddle sprinting and climbing. Actually, apart from my recumbent racer, it is my favourite bike.

Folding is okay for travelling, but not for commuting, alas. The hinges will not stand up to folding four times a day (in and out of trains) without developing some play.

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I have used my Pocket Rocket around town and in the country on short tours. I really enjoy the speed of it compared to my previous New World Tourist.

I have not had a bike with drop bars for years since I had a Viscount Aerospace Pro back in 1978 in Tasmania. I enjoy the STI levers for shifting as well as the general feel of the bike. I can cruise around Canberra above 25kph no worries.

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Like everyone else, I'm out of town two-thirds of each month.... loosing my riding legs. I was a little afraid to get a "foldable" bike since it was hard for me to find the right sitting position on my road bike.

What a surprise with my new Pocket Rocket! Not only did it fit right from the first ride but now I'm even riding it while I'm home (keeping my regular bike on the rack).

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I've had at least two people tell me that the Pocket Rocket looks better for real than in the advertisements. Makes me look good!

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I purchased a Pocket Rocket with Campagnolo Athena components without knowing quite where I would use it. One advantage I've noticed that's not highlighted in the material is how much quicker airport check in is with a BF - no taking your bike to the freight dock or picking it up at remote corners of the airport.

My first trip was to my parents' home in Toronto. Having a bike to get out on for the day made it easier to enjoy my stay. I had a great time riding around the area where I grew up and checking out my old haunts (my first apartment, first home, etc.).

After the success of this trip, I decided to take Friday to France starting with a Breaking Away tour of Provence and the Southern Alps and moving on to three weeks of riding from a rental home in Provence. The bike worked great on such climbs as Mount Ventoux and the Col de la Bonnette (highest paved road in Europe!) - although I did cheat by substituting 54/42 gearing for my stock 58/46. I climbed as well as I had in prior years on my deRosa or Colnago and found the Bike Friday extremely stable and easy to maneuver on the many switchback descents. At the end of the trip, Friday was able to fit with our family of four and all our luggage in our Peugeot 406, the TGV to Paris and a taxi to our hotel. Try that with anything else.

Next year, bring on Haleakala in Hawaii (0 to 10,023 feet in 37 miles) and the Dolomites in Italy.

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In late October I was going to a 4-day meeting right next to Central Park in NYC. Normally, I would not take a bike along as trying to lug the case through the airport, fitting it in a cab, and lugging it through the hotel lobby are not worth the hassle. With my Pocket Rocket, these problems are all solved.

I was able to enjoy two early afternoon rides around Central Park during lunch breaks (when the park is closed to traffic), and met some fellow cyclists who invited me to a 7 p.m. group ride in the park after dark. I almost never ride at night due to concerns about traffic, but at this time of day Central Park is closed to autos and has enough street lights to make this ride a blast.

Only negative of the trip was getting kicked off a beautiful 8-mile trip along the NJ shore of the Hudson River on Henry Hudson Park Road. To keep kids off the road they require bikes to have a minimum wheel size of 24". I tried to explain that my bike was the equivalent of a 27"-wheeled bicycle, but arguing with a cop is neither easy nor wise.

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One of the things I like best about taking a Bike Friday on trips is how little space it takes up in hotel rooms and cars. Even when fully assembled, it's smaller than a conventional bike and is much easier to deal with in small hotel rooms, tiny Parisian elevators, etc. And when folded in half, forget about it: we fit two Pocket Rockets into the tiny luggage space behind the back seat of a Renault Twingo, leaving room for four adults in a miniscule French car that's about the size of a large sofa.

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I purchased a used Pocket Rocket about six months ago. The support from Bike Friday has been super! Not that I've needed a lot of support, the bike has been outstanding. I travel a lot in my job and take my Bike Friday everywhere. In fact, I've even found myself using it at home to commute to and from work rather than my "regular" bike. I've let quite a few people try it and all of their comments have been favorable.

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I rode El Tour de Tucson on what was actually the first Pocket Rocket ever released by Green Gear. This happened when I was executive editor of Bicycling magazine and in the bike-testing biz. El Tour was my first serious ride on the Pocket Rocket, and it helped my cover the 113 miles in just 5 hours. Most of my ride was solo because riders I caught couldn't keep up! After averaging 22.6 mph that day, I was convinced that the Pocket Rocket was as good as my best conventional bike. Since then, I've ridden a Pocket Rocket at events and training camps around the country. The longest ride has been a 300km brevet (186 miles) in which the bike rode great with a rear rack and trunk, and lighting system. I can heartily recommend a Pocket Rocket to any cyclist who wants performance without sacrificing convenience.

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Last week I was in Denver on business; unpacked and set up my Pocket Rocket and spent the week-end exploring the bike trails in Denver. There are numerous well-marked trails that you can use to get around the city and out to the mountains. I'm 6'5" 225lb, and do get some looks on what one of my friends call "your circus bike, the one like the bears ride!"

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Because of a back problem I had to change my 700c from drop bars to an upright "longhorn" style bar which made me feel unstable being so high. The Pocket Rocket allows me to have a lower center of gravity with a resulting feeling of stability. That's the practical side. It's pure fun and rolls right along and now I can take my bicycle on vacation with me instead of renting some well worn "gas-pipe-special" that doesn't fit. The H bar is great and I can still sit almost upright. It's a well-designed machine. I haven't been on my 700C since the PR arrived.

I would like to see more attention paid to pre-delivery checks and packing (in the suitcase). Details on request.

Floyd

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I recently rode Cycle NC on my pocket rocket; 720 miles in 14 days. The rear hub noise stayed with me the entire ride. It's random, comes and goes at will (mostly comes) and just about drove me crazy. I called tech support and was told to put a few drops of oil in the rear hub. That didn't help. I was planning to do Bike South 2000 on Pocket Rocket next June, but I can't listen to that noise for 30 days. I need help with this problem. Any suggestions? Thanks.

I bought my Pocket Rocket in the winter of l999. It took me about six months to learn to ride it and get the right things on it. For example, the Sachs hub will not shift under a load, so you must hesitate while you pedal when shifting to a lower gear.

At the top the of hill, likewise shift down quickly and listen for the click, then do the fine tuning with the regular derailleur.

I also found the following: seat post shock absorber makes the bike much more comfortable. Those small wheels do not absorb much of the road shock. A round mirror on the left drop bar is the best. Do not wrap a mirror around the left hood as that somehow interferes with the Sachs shifting. A Topeak rack that mounts of the seat post is more convenient than the heavy duty rack sold by Bike Friday--you can put a day pack on the Topeak.

The rear tire wears out a lot faster than the front. Before you take a long trip, try changing the tires in your own driveway--it is a challenge to get the bead off the rim. Be patient and you can do it. Be sure to let all of the air out of the tube when you take off the bead.

I had great fun with the bike in Vermont. I took it in the case up to my room, assembled it, then brought it down the stairs. The manager was dumb-founded that I had managed to "sneak" the bike up-stairs. Having this bike gives you a lot of extra time to ride, and not worry about calling around to rent a bike in a strange city.

Give the Pocket Rocket a try. It is great fun.

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For the last three Septembers, my wife and I have gone to France and cycled. The first two times we rented bikes at four different locations, often finding the equipment not up to the distances we are accustomed to riding.

This year we took two Pocket Rockets, and it was a fantastic experience. No extra charge on the plane, handled the Metro in Paris and the train down to the Dordogne without a hitch. They are smooth riding and fit us perfectly. My wife's has now become her favorite bike. We traveled inn to inn carrying all of our belongings in two small panniers per bike. The bikes handled this load and the steep terrain of the Dordogne without a whimper.

While I was initially hesitant about the Sachs internal hub gearing, I am sold on it now. The learning curve was short and gradual. I had an unfortunate tire cut on the second day, but had been warned that tires would be hard to find and so had brought a spare. Changing the rear tire, which I did three times, was easy. Two of our companions had full size wheel folding bikes that they had to lug in large body bags. It took two of them to lug one bike, and in Paris they had to take two taxis because they took up so much room. My wife and I could wheel our suitcases around easily ourselves. Another companion had shipped his bike from the States via UPS. It arrived three days late and cost him hundreds and hundreds of dollars.

If you enjoy seeing the world at bicycle speed and don't mind looking a little geeky, Bike Fridays are the way to go. My wife and I look forward to many return trips to France over the next decade.

I have had a Bike Friday Pocket Rocket for six years and as a member of the cycling press, I've had plenty of chances to ride it in memorable events.

In my tenure as Training and Fitness Editor for Bicycling Magazine I did rides like the Hotter'n Hell Hundred. In my present incarnation as Senior Editor for Asimba.com (a fitness lifestyle Web site with free training plans for cycling and other sports) I rode Lon Haldeman's Desert Camp in Tucson, hammering out 550 miles in six days. It even handled eight consecutive days of rain in Ireland on what the local racers called "hard roads"-bumpy, barely paved tracks through the bogs and over the Connemara Mountains. With fenders and slightly wider tires, Bike Friday proved the equal of everything the leprechauns could throw at it.

But my most memorable ride on Bike Friday didn't take place in an exotic location. Instead, it was a prosaic 100 miler in Ohio. You see, I grew up in northern Ohio but moved to Colorado in 1970. So when I go back to the Midwest to visit relatives, I always pack along my Pocket Rocket. On this occasion I left Cleveland at dawn, picked my way south through the urban sprawl and headed west into Lorain County where I grew up. The air was clear, a light mist rose from the fields and the summer humidity had been washed away by a cold front. I cruised the flat farm roads, meandered through tall fields of corn that shielded me from a pesky west wind and marveled at how the hills of my youth had been dwarfed in my perceptions by years of riding real mountains in Colorado.

Outside of Elyria, I turned onto a newly-paved bike path, part of a rails-to-trails conversion. It led to my old hometown, Kipton, a hamlet of several hundred people. If you've never tried it, I highly recommend riding a bike around the town where you grew up. The last time I had ridden the streets of Kipton, I was a kid on a balloon-tired Roadmaster. Now I was older-quite a bit older-and the bike was lighter, faster and much more sophisticated. But I could still feel something of that sense of freedom and possibility that is the essence of cycling and, come to think of it, the essence of youth as well. Down by the old railroad station, past the house we lived in, through the tiny downtown, a side trip to the elementary school, now closed. A bike is the perfect nostalgia machine and if you don't have an easily packable Bike Friday to tote on your homecomings, you'll miss the ride of a lifetime.