YOUR FEEDBACK
After trying the Bike Friday Tikit, I’ve settled on a Bike Friday Pocket Rocket Pro to answer my needs for a folding intercity road bike. But before I show you the pictures and specifications, I’d like to explain the thinking behind my choices.
I got a new, custom-sized 2009 Bike Friday Pocket Rocket Pro in April 2009. I continue to customize the bike to suit my needs and tastes.
Photo: current Anatoly IVANOV’s unfolded Bike Friday Pocket Rocket Pro (without accessories)
Photo: current Anatoly IVANOV’s unfolded Bike Friday Pocket Rocket Pro (with accessories)
Photo: current Anatoly IVANOV’s folded Bike Friday Pocket Rocket Pro (without accessories)
| Main frame: | Bike Friday custom, double butted, chromoly steel. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Front fork: | Bike Friday custom, chromoly steel. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rear triangle: | Bike Friday custom, hinged, chromoly steel. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stem: | Bike Friday custom, chromoly steel “straight riser for ahead stem”, combined with Ritchey Comp aluminum 90 mm / 6° / 31,8 mm stem (2009). A quick release detaches the combination from the main frame. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Headset: | Chris King GripNut Silver 1 1/4 in (2009). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Handlebars: | FSA Omega Compact 42 cm / 31,8 mm aluminum (2009). Shimano PRO synthetic handlebar tape. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Brake / shift levers (brifters): | Campagnolo Centaur Ultra-Shift 10-speed aluminum Ergopower (asymmetric, 2009). Inverted cabling: right hand controls front brake and left hand controls rear brake. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Front brake: | Campagnolo Centaur Skeleton dual pivot caliper, aluminum (2009). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rear brake: | Campagnolo Centaur Skeleton single pivot caliper, aluminum (2009). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cables: | Still experimenting with cable model, routing and length. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bottom bracket: | Campagnolo Centaur Ultra-Torque bottom bracket, 111 x 68 mm English (2009). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Front sprockets (chainset): | Campagnolo Centaur Ultra-Torque double (53 and 39 T), aluminum (2009). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cranks: | Campagnolo Centaur Ultra-Torque 170 mm, aluminum (2009). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pedals: | Shimano SPD PD-M520-S Silver, aluminum body and chromoly steel spindle (2009). Currently experimenting with different pedals. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chain: | Campagnolo Centaur Ultra-Narrow, 10-speed, 5,9 mm wide (2009). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Front derailleur: | Campagnolo Centaur STD braze-on, aluminum (2009). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rear derailleur: | Shimano Ultegra RD-6600-SS short-cage, aluminum (2009). Connected to Campagnolo brifter using the Hubbub method first publicized by Brian JENKS. On the derailleur, the cable clamp plate is rotated 90° and the cable is passed around the bent-over tab resulting in a slightly smaller shift ratio. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rear sprockets (cassette): | Shimano Capreo CS-HG70-S 9-speed cassette (9, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17, 20, 23 and 26 T). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Front wheel: | 20 inch (14 x 451 ETRTO) Alex Rims DA22, 32-hole, semi aero profile, silver, with wear indicator, aluminum (2009). Campagnolo Centaur hub (2009). Double-butted 212 mm spokes. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rear wheel: | 20 inch (14 x 451 ETRTO) Alex Rims DA22, 32-hole, semi aero profile, silver, with wear indicator, aluminum (2009). Shimano Capreo FH-F700 hub (2009). Double-butted 212 mm spokes. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tires: | Schwalbe Durano HS 399 20 x 1 1/8 in ETRTO 28-451 slicks and Schwalbe SV 7A inner tubes with Presta valves. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gear ratios (inches): |
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| Gear ratios (meters): |
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| Gear range: | 400% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Seatpost: | Bike Friday custom, chromoly steel quick-fold mast. Uno SP-267 27,2 x 250 mm, aluminum (2009). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Saddle: | Fi’zi:k Aliante Gamma (2009). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Front fender (mudguard): |
Bike Friday custom. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rear fender (mudguard): |
Bike Friday custom. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Folding-specific features: | Velcro wrap on the seatpost bottle cage attachment point (used to hold bike parts together when folded). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bottle cage: | Cateye BC-100 flexible plastic (to act as a seatpost retainer when the bike is folded) with a 650 ml (22 oz) Nalgene ATB (All Terrain Bottle). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pump: | Zefal Xtra Light 22,5 cm carbon fiber pump with bottle-cage holder. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tools pouch: | Fi’zik Saddle Pak, size small. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rack: | Tubus Airy titanium rack with custom 29,2 cm (11.5 in) (edge to edge) aluminum roundstays and Tubus rotateable holders. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Front light: | Busch & Müller Ixon IQ LED (4 AA batteries). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rear light: | Busch & Müller IX-Red LED (2 AA batteries). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Computer: | Sigma BC 1606L DTS Cadence wireless. Still experimenting with cadence sensor mounting. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Navigation: | Garmin Dakota 20 GPS receiver. |
| 2010-03-26 | Updated components, weight, link to my Garmin Oregon GPS review. |
| 2009-08-26 | First publication. |
Very nice, this bike looks great and I’m certain the ride is fabulous!
mike
Nice looking PRP. What was your thinking behind the custom stem? Looks pretty nice but is there more to it than that?
I have a similar bike coming to be built out of my previous PR. but with 105 shifters/brakes/derailleurs, ultegra hubs, and a chris king headset, Alex rims.
What is your total weight with this set-up? Nice photos of the bike – of course a professional I know but they are really striking.
Thanks Mike and Adam!
What was your thinking behind the custom stem? Looks pretty nice but is there more to it than that?
There’s only 1 reason to choose the “straight” riser + ahead stem instead of the “curved” all-in-one custom-built by Bike Friday after returning them the adjustable one. The reason is the handlebars’ clamp diameter.
Bike Friday’s curved system is 26 mm. They also drill, cut and sleeve the handlebars so you can split them when packing.
The handlebars that work best for me now are the FSA Omega Compact. They come only in the 31,8 mm oversized version. Non-anatomic, 125 mm of drop, 80 mm of reach. I ride in the drops most of the time and have what is considered “medium to small size” hands. So, to get these handlebars on the Bike Friday, you need an oversized clamp, and so the straight riser is the only option. Unfortunately, Bike Friday don’t cut and sleeve 31,8 mm handlebars, but you can still pack them after unscrewing the stem plate.
Both the curved combined and straight riser + stem have the same amount of flex.
Tim LINK of Bike Friday was very helpful to explain all the stem issues: big thanks to him.
What is your total weight with this set-up?
As mentioned above, it’s approx 10 kg with all accessory mounts. The electronic scale was reading 10 050 g. I’m still working on details, so it’s not definite. I could of course reduce the weight to 9 kg, but then I’d have to switch to carbon fiber for components and weaker wheels.
Nice photos of the bike – of course a professional I know but they are really striking.
Thanks! I really appreciate your comment, because it took me about 2 days to make these 3 pictures. Clean the bike, move almost everything to the kitchen (1-room flat), wait for the perfect outside light as I still lack the pro neon lighting I have in Paris, shoot, develop the RAW files, adjust all 3 pictures to match almost exactly color-wise despite cloud and sun movement…
Thanks for the reply, Anatoly. That makes perfect sense about the handlebars. Also 10k weight is perfect as far as I am concerned. Light enough to be enjoyable to ride but not excessively costly to maintain. In this series the dynamic aesthetic qualities of the Bike Friday PRP shine through. The final photo in this series is reminiscent of a tasteful nude – naked but not exposed.
Adam, I’d say the folded Pocket Rocket Pro, or any Bike Friday, for that matter, looks more like a Frankenstein than a tasteful nude. But of course the Bike Friday team would fustigate and disagree. ;-)
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