Jaundiced and Amateurish

The consensus here is that you have not done yourself any favours with the recent Birdy Black test (A to B 44).Whilst we know people will form their own opinions, the feel of the test is both jaundiced and amateurish for what is normally a very professional publication.

Our main bone of contention is the tyre issue.You could have brought the bike back, or at least phoned so we could mail you a replacement tyre. According to our mechanics, this is the only incident of a Birdy tyre coming off the rim.With 10,000 Birdies produced a year, I think we would have heard of any large-scale problems.With respect to the test bike, we also tried and failed to seat the troublesome tyre and fitted a new one.We agree that what happened to the test bike is potentially serious, but it doesn’t deserve the bad press.

The other issue is the taller Comfort stem: we equip 90% of our Birdies with Comfort stems, as purchasers are either female or prefer a more upright riding position. In our opinion this adds negligible weight and cost and adds no complication to the folding procedure. As for carrying long, heavy objects under your arm – we would advise using a trailer.We could go on, but we would end up criticising 75% of your test.

Richard and Gary
Avon Valley Cyclery, Bath

Good in Parts

Thanks for the interesting and insightful review of the Birdy Black. Although you have some valid concerns about the tyres, and value-for-money against the competition, there is one feature that I particularly admire on the Birdy that received little attention: the rear suspension protects the rack, as well as the rider, from road bumps.This might seem a strange concern, since groceries don’t usually mind being jostled, but less stress on the cargo also means less stress on the bike. I’ve experienced pinch flats, broken spokes, and even a cracked frame, as a result of heavy loads on the rear rack. Almost all of Riese and Muller’s bikes offer this feature, perhaps most elegantly on the Avenue city bike.

On most full suspension bikes, one could only obtain this advantage by clamping a rack to the seatpost, but that would be marginal for loads heavy enough to make this an issue. The new Tubus Vega rear rack mounts on the suspended portion of the frame, but it only works with bikes that have special mounting points. Several German bike manufacturers are now making bikes with these mounting points, but I haven’t found any outside Germany.

Charlie Sullivan
New Hampshire, USA

Dahon is Better

I’d go along with your comments on the Birdy Black. My commuting problems have been solved with a Dahon – cheaper, better equipped, and with better road tyres. I’m getting a second set of wheels so that I can use it both for the commute (partly towpath in winter) and for fun on the road. It actually handles the towpath very well, and is certainly better than the Birdy on the road, and even at list price it would be cheaper than the Birdy Black (though not the Red). Actually in standard form it makes a lot of Bike Fridays look pretty silly too, at UK prices at least.

Mike Hessey
Dudley,West Midlands

Bascule Crossing

The recent tragic level crossing crash near Newbury lead to my revisiting a personal piece of lateral thinking.Why not treat the at-grade crossing just as you would a waterway crossing, where the road or railway is swung, lifted or slid clear of the boats? On reflection I opted for a ‘lifting’ design, allowing the deck surface to rest on the track foundation.This design would suit most one or two-track high speed lines including those with overhead electrification.The essence is a counterweighted lightweight platform which sits across the line, and has to be powered into the down position, presenting a positive means of ensuring the rail route cannot be occupied by a vehicle when the road is raised. Naturally, the signalling would show ‘line blocked’ until the platforms were in the ‘up’ position (much as the current system indicates if the barriers have failed to lower, or other warnings to activate, by maintaining the rail signal at danger). Swing bridges exist on the A82 and A9 trunk roads and there is a very famous lifting bascule bridge on the A2…Tower Bridge.

Dave Holladay
dave.holladay@ctc.org.uk Glasgow

There are many advantages – cars cannot turn onto the tracks (surprisingly common), small objects will be thrown clear as the bridge lifts, while larger ones will prevent it from lifting, keeping rail signals at danger.Two-wheelers would no longer have to negotiate slippery rails, and the weight of HGVs would be transferred away from the track, reducing maintenance. (Eds)

Another Weighty Problem

After reading about weighty riders in A to B 44, I wonder if I’m unique. Over the space of around six years heavy commuting from Oxford to London, I’ve managed to break almost every bit of my first Brompton, so much so that the company replaced the frame, handlebars (twice), handlebar stem, gear sprocket (three times), gear casing (once), folding pedal…. and I’m not that hefty (88 to 90 kg).

Paul Mylrea
Oxford

Some people break things and others don’t. I weigh 85kg (big bones, you see), but have never broken anything on a Brompton (or anything else) apart from a pair of very old handlebars that gently sagged at the traffic lights (I rode on carefully).That might imply that I’m a heavy but gentle rider, but my 1991 Brompton managed to hold off a large field at Cyclefest a few years back (for half a lap at least), so we can’t be that lethargic. It must come down to riding style. (David Henshaw)

Towing Kayaks

Just wondering about trailers for a Brompton, as I am about to replace my 1994 bike. Ideally, I’d like a trailer that could carry quite a bit of shopping and also firewood from the local sawmill.

This is probably a crazy idea, but I’ll throw it in anyway! I am going to buy a kayak early in 2005, as I feel the need to work on my upper body as well as the lower half, which benefits from cycling and running. I intend to use it on the Oxford to Banbury canal which is about seven miles away, along a mainly shared-use path. Is there any way I could tow a kayak behind a Brompton, or one of our bigger bikes? They are eight feet long I believe.

David Earley
Oxford

See page 36 for general advice on trailers. As for the kayak, we’d say you have two choices – either an inflatable (it can be carried on a Brompton, see www.geocities.com/amfoldarover/red_rover.html), but you’ll need some puff, or a ‘spine’ trailer, such as the one produced by Bikes at Work in the USA.This useful and adaptable vehicle – see www.bikesatwork.com – can be extended in sections from 50cm (20″) to a maximum length of 295cm (116″) and is suitable for canoes of up to 5.5 metres long and 150lb on weight. At current exchange rates this costs a reasonable £195, plus shipping of £49 (surface mail) or £78 (airmail). Every home should have one. (Eds)

Political Intrigue

Watching the 6 o’clock news on BBC1 on Wednesday 10th November I was distracted from Andrew Marr by a man stepping out of 10 Downing Street carrying a folded green Brompton. Surely he must be an A to B reader? Does anyone know who he is and what he was doing there?

Seamus King
Maltby, South Yorkshire

Several other letters on this momentous event. Sir, you have been unearthed. (Eds)

Trailer Bikes

Regarding the letter ‘Two-Child Transport’ (A to B 44), our children Daisy and Anders are now three and five respectively. From about the age of six months, we used a Rhode Gear carrier on a Dawes Galaxy touring bike.Then when Anders was two we fitted a crossbar seat, with foot rest on the down tube and loops to stop his feet slipping.

Now the children are older, Anders rides a Tag-along trailerbike.We got one without gears for about £100, but you can buy a Trek for £120 which is a lot more like a real bike. I preferred the crossbar seat, as it is great for talking to the child while we are riding, and I can explain when we stop to cross roads, and ask him if it’s clear to proceed. I’m hoping that will be useful for road safety awareness!

Now Daisy can ride with stabilisers, we’ve got a Trail-gator for my wife’s bike.When they both go to school (two miles), we’re planning to get one of those Bike Friday Family Triple tandems.

Adrian L Mills Walton-on-Thames, Surrey

The Bike Friday Family Triple seems to be the favourite solution for carrying older children. (Eds)

On Your Doorstep?

Regarding the letter ‘Utopia’ (Letters, A to B 44), we would recommend Morag jumps on the train to visit Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op at 8 Alvaney Terrace (near Whitehouse Loan). My catalogue is out of date, but they design their own hybrid/town bikes and would certainly advise on a suitable bike for around £200.Their prices are competitive, and they are a workers’ co-operative.

Alex & Val Lawson
Cowes, Isle of Wight

Thanks to those who recommended the Bicycle Co-op.The shop did once supply ‘proper’ bicycles, but it no longer seems to, and has yet to respond to our request for information. (Eds)

 

Go German!

…has Morag thought of buying German bikes for herself and friends? They could hire a van and bring back ten bikes, complete with dynamo lights, mudguards, propstand, pump etc. The German bikes we saw are slightly lower quality than Dutch bikes, but a lot cheaper, starting at around £200. My German bike (a Goericke Dorada) is the one I ride most in the winter. It is extremely comfortable and the totally dependable back-pedal rear brake works well even in the rain. I don’t think anything similar is available in the UK. I can recommend: www.goericke-rad.de . www.gudereit.de . www.winora.de

Re: ‘An Electrifying Practice’, could I say that the best advice is probably to buy a new moped! We have found over long experience that there are usually only one or two car- free solutions to each transport problem, and if you find one that works, stick to it! I also combine scooter and bicycle transport daily, as we could find no other solution other than to buy a car. I take the kids to school on foot and then have 25 minutes to do nine miles to work, and often have to go back to work in the evening, making 36 miles each day, cross- country.There are no nearer jobs! However, I always try to fit in an hour on the bicycle for shopping and exercise, before fetching the children again. A scooter will, I hate to say, get you further and faster than an electric bike but only costs a quarter as much as a car to buy and run, and doesn’t block up the roads.

And no, we still have not needed to buy a four-wheeled gas guzzler!

Fiona Le Ny
Folkestone

We find the best electric bikes are just adequate for our longest regular cross-country journeys of 18 miles, but the technology is a bit marginal. On the positive side, we have the exercise and all the freedom of a bicycle, without the hassle of helmets, insurance, road tax and so on. (Eds)

Out of Stock…

After your glowing report on the Giant Lafree ST we went out to try and buy one, but everyone must have had the same idea! We checked the Giant website for local stockists, but had to go to Cambridge just to try the 4-speed Comfort, as there were no bikes in Norfolk.We ordered the 5-speed ST, only to get a phone call to say it will be at least March 2005 before any come on stream from Giant. Gosh – do they take that long to make? Or are they not making any at the moment.What’s the problem?

Phyll Hardie Norwich, Norfolk

Giant has had problems persuading cycle shops to stock the Lafree, which caused a shortage when demand inevitably took off. Full marks to those shops that ordered the Lafree in 2002, when we first said it was something special, and commiserations to those who waited until potential customers were queueing out of the door.The bike trade in the UK needs to be more proactive – it’s no use grumbling that big discount stores are selling all the MTBs when you don’t back the specialist products.We hope Giant will favour those who had the faith to order early on. (Eds)

Chargers & Stands

Some while ago you made a recommendation for a centre stand for the Lafree electric bicycle. Can you please provide the details and, if possible, a retailer (preferably in Dorset)? I have owned a Lafree Comfort for two years and apart from wishing that I had taken your advice and bought the basic model and an extra battery, I have been pretty much satisfied. I only have one gripe and that is the battery charger… I am now on my third one as well as my second battery, the latter I suspect, being changed as it was felt that the charger could not have failed… again.The bike is used daily (Monday to Friday) on a 14-mile round trip to work, as well as numerous lunchtime trips and is an ideal workhorse – comfortable, safe and, apart from the charger, extremely reliable.

I am a tad over 16 stone and carry my Jack Russell in a specially-designed container on the rear carrier, so we’re no light load, which probably explains why I have to charge the battery almost daily. I usually ride on the ‘eco’ setting, deliberately making hard work of it for the sake of exercise, but when I’ve had a bad day I can take it as easy as I like.

All in all, I’m happy having just the one car and the Lafree, and value both the exercise and the economy… I would however, appreciate any comments from other regular users who have also found a problem with the charger as I’m sure that I’m not the only one.

Mick Jarrett
user@mjarrett.freeserve.co.uk
Crossways, Dorset

The stand is a Swiss-made Esge dual-leg device – make sure to ask for the one with long legs (the stand, not the assistant). Some mild adaptation is needed to clear the Lafree motor, but it’s worth all the trouble. If the excellent Dorchester Cycles doesn’t keep these, we’ll be very surprised. (Eds)

Charged in Error

Having suffered the oft-reported failure (Lafree Long-term test, A to B 44) of my 2003 Giant Lafree charger, I ordered a replacement in May and was surprised to receive a different unit made by Metco, which seems much more positive in operation. Charge time is about the same and the LED system similar, but after reaching full charge it turns off, then cycles on and off, staying on for roughly two seconds in every 64.With my old Panasonic unit it was hard to tell if it was trickle charging or not and the cut-out time was always rather vague and variable.

Tony Flecchia
Croydon

If your charger has failed, you’re clearly not alone, but hopefully the problem is now resolved. Giant has confirmed that the Panasonic charger has been replaced. (Eds)

ITchair

In a recent (last 12 months) issue of your excellent magazine you ran a picture of a Brompton with a bar running from the seat post to the front of the frame with a small child seat on it, the child sitting between the arms of the rider. Please could you let me know something more about this device. Is it an official Brompton product or a bit of clever Heath Robinson engineering on the part of the owner? I have a Birdy Blue and would like to try something similar for myself and my five-year-old daughter.

Also, do you know of any trailerbike product or adaptor that would allow me to safely and securely fit a trailerbike to the seat post of my Birdy without compromising the manoeu- vrability of either bit? I have found a Trek unit that fits, but it is a snug fit, and any attempt at shimming it makes the connection too tight to turn effectively.

Richard Marks Oldham, Lancashire

The ITchair was designed in Spain and adopted by the Spanish Brompton distributor Bike-Tech. We’ve heard that production seats should be ready by Christmas.These will be in light alloy, complete with a saddle or baby seat (as shown).We think the ITchair could be adapted to fit the Birdy and other folding bikes. More information at www.itchair.com or info@bike-tech.net (Eds)

The Final Word

In which you get your say… briefly

Top of the pile . Superb in every way . An oasis of good sense . Small, but perfectly formed A beacon of sanity amidst the encroaching madness . Interesting, intelligent and literate A refreshing lack of spin . Important, amazing and informing . Well presented and informative . The only mag for Mr Everyman with an interest in day-to-day cycle usage Excellent, at a time when most decent bike magazines have folded . The ‘Folder’ events are missed! Always read first in this house . The style of writing makes all articles an enjoyable read . I do not like the anti-car attitude: there is a place for bikes and cars Carrying bikes by car should be covered . Don’t be afraid to be ‘in the face’ of car culture! The only magazine about minimalist transport and against government/big business transport policies . More on car-free living, please . More about campaigning and political developments Keep highlighting the widening gap between government targets and reality . Too blinkered in some reviews . Less Brompton bias please . As Brompton owners, we find technical information, improvements and modifications interesting . Brilliant – I’m not that interested in electric and folding bikes, but they’re significant socially [a social scientist] Professor Pivot is right on my wavelength [a scientist] . Inspiring, especially cycle trailers I completely endorse your appeal to reason and sound engineering versus fashion and ‘lifestyle’ . I like the train articles .Any electric folders? What is an electric bike when it runs out of battery? More folding touring and travel would make a fabby read even fabbier A to B remains a crucial read – I still love the humour . Love the slightly eccentric style Reading it is all over too quickly .A cracking good read . I enjoy it all – especially the humour Please publish a list of all bikes! [It’s at www.atob.org.uk – Eds] . Even more please! Bring back Mr Portly . Please bring back Mr Portly . Mr Portly reminds me of an acquaintance, but I have never let him read it . Cheaper than Penthouse . Love it! Great fun – up the Establishment