I’m thinking about one of these rather than a Brompton.

I did test ride one about 18 months ago, and from what I remember it was a decent ride. However, I remember that there was also something ‘dodgy’ about the steering, but can’t quite recall the exact nature of the problem. I think it might have had a mind of its own when climbing out of the saddle, and it wasn’t down to it having small wheels – the Brompton and Moulton I rode were very stable. I would have tried different body positions and pedalling techniques in order to be as smooth as possible, but I don’t think anything worked.

A quick web search shows mention of ‘shimmying’ and the inadvisability of riding no or one handed on a Birdy, so perhaps it’s a fairly common problem. Does anyone have experience of these bikes, and if so, are any handling problems fixable?

Mrs had one for a couple of years. No handling problems as such, but it came with the more upright stem so didn’t really encourage climbing out of saddle anyway.

The fold is quite faffy and not as tidy / small as a Brompton. If doing it again we’d just get one of the “sportier” Bromptons or something uber cheap and simple (and accept the compromised folding).

The Birdy can have two different stems, the Sport or the Comfort.

One leans forward more than the other, and gives a ride which feels more like a normal bike, the upright stem makes it feel more like an Amsterdam style bike.

In traffic I didn’t like the upright stem at all, it feels less safe to me.

The front fork has two hinges to allow the fold, and has a spring at the top where it attaches to the frame. This spring provides no lateral stability and so, if the bushes in the fork hinges are not tight, there can be a shimmy effect, which is disconcerting. If the bushings are in good shape then it doesn’t shimmy, or I have only felt it on a bike with loose bushings anyway.

I think the head angle of the fork is such that it is ‘twitchier’ than the Brompton, and will turn on itself faster. I have come off my Birdy twice in accidents, and because the fork twisted so easily the bike stops and you are launched downwards quickly. Possibly the sport stem version might ‘twist’ on itself faster.

So I would not ride without a good grip on at least one of the bars.

Conversely I have seen people riding Bromptons with no hands, which I would not do on a Birdy.

However, the sport stem Birdy does ride much more like a normal bike than a Brompton, which is a clown bike compared.

I actually used to use Big Apple tyres which make the ride even more normal feeling.

I don’t think the fold is a faff, as some youtube videos show.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAVfnwOZ_LQ[/video]

You also have the advantage of no frame hinge, so no creaking.

And I wouldn’t climb out of the saddle…

I’ve owned one for about 8 years and like it very much. Funnily enough, it was my only full-suss bike for a quite a long time, if you get what I mean 😉

When you did the test ride, if you only test rode the Birdy, and no other folders, it might have just felt dodgy compared to your ‘normal’ bike that you ride.

The front end certainly feels twitchy compared to my non-folding bikes, but that’s to be expected given the 18″ wheels and narrowish bars. You don’t have to turn the bars much to steer, but that’s due to small wheels. Like most bikes, once up to speed, the steering feels more stable. I honestly don’t find it a problem. But I wouldn’t ride on it no-hands. Even one-handed is a bit wobbly.

I’ve ridden my wife’s Dahon folder, and that does feel a tiny bit less twitchy, but it’s got 20″ wheels. Perhaps the Birdy has a fairly steep head angle and small fork rake ? Difficult to say without measuring.

I find the Birdy good for climbing. As it’s quite an upright riding position, I have stubby bar ends fitted for climbing out the saddle. Again, switching from an MTB with wide bars to the Birdy means adjusting to the different feel, but that’ll be the same with a Brompton too – it has 16″ wheels, even smaller than a Birdy.

I’ve never ridden a Brompton, but I’m sure they’re good. I went with the Birdy because of the front and rear suspension, German build, and the fact all components (apart from stem and seatpost) are standard. This means I’ve been able to replace brakes/gears with MTB hand-me-downs.

In terms of whether it can be ridden fast, I rode the 2008 Folding Bike champs on it (at Salford Quays), after having done the main road race beforehand. What fun memories !

Thanks for all the info!

I’ll have to try and have another test ride at some point – the Birdy dealer isn’t local.

It was my brother who was buying a bike at that time, and he went for the Brompton. When I rode the Birdy I’d had some time on the Brompton and on my old 1965 Moulton, neither of which are twitchy. My normal ride is a recumbent, so any bike usually feels stable!

I’m only thinking of getting a folding bike so I can join my brother on the odd ride, but I can see the advantages for transporting it and hopping onto buses or trains, and I may end up using it a fair amount. I like the idea of the suspension, and it looks like there’s now a selection of tyres in that size; Kojaks, Big Apples, Marathon Racers, and an MTB tyre. I’d use the bike on forest tracks, and cycle-paths, as well as roads. I’d probably do a few 100k and 200k audaxes as well if the riding position was okay.

The Birdy doesn’t fold as compactly as the Brompton, but like TurnerGuy’s videos shows, it’s still a fast fold (for an expert!). I think the main complication is that it has to be top gear (derailleur model). I’d use a wax lube, so the chain shouldn’t get too dirty.