# Birdy IV or Brompton MK5 ?



## bikegang (31 Aug 2016)

And it folds ...


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## steve50 (31 Aug 2016)

That front suspension and frame layout looks complicated.


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## srw (31 Aug 2016)

I notice the lack of a photo of the folded package from the side, to show how neatly (not) it folds.


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## Cycleops (31 Aug 2016)

What are the comparative weights?


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## shouldbeinbed (31 Aug 2016)

steve50 said:


> That front suspension and frame layout looks complicated.


It's dead easy and makes for a supremely comfortable ride. My current Birdy is 14 and the best riding folder I've ever owned, Including my Brompton.

@srw. I would suggest now Birdy have gone for the curved and hinged top tube that the folded package will be quite similar, not as small obviously. The older style frame with the intact top tube and fold under front wheel was slightly longer not that much larger than the Brompton. And better than the Dahon as it all interlocks without magnets


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## TheDoctor (31 Aug 2016)

Complex fork is complex. How does it ride, though?


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## TheDoctor (31 Aug 2016)

Actually, didn't the Birdy fold once involve the front suspension releasing to tuck the wheel away, or am I getting mixed up? If you don't have to do anything to the fork it doesn't matter how fiddly it looks.


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## shouldbeinbed (31 Aug 2016)

TheDoctor said:


> Actually, didn't the Birdy fold once involve the front suspension releasing to tuck the wheel away, or am I getting mixed up? If you don't have to do anything to the fork it doesn't matter how fiddly it looks.



Yes you're spot on, the top tube was a single piece, the up and under front wheel was how the folded package remained so small.

The spring unclips at the frame end and the whole front piece pivots down and under the bottom of the conventional looking straight down fork piece. 

The niggle is routing the brake cable through the fork pieces and around that pivot point, it makes threading a new cable or outer a bit fiddly. You have to keep one or the other as a guide for the new one.


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## bikegang (1 Sep 2016)

srw said:


> I notice the lack of a photo of the folded package from the side, to show how neatly (not) it folds.



It should be OK since there is still 1 hinge on main frame, so smaller fold than Birdy. But much wider fold than Brompton as you can tell from the photo.


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## bikegang (1 Sep 2016)

Cycleops said:


> What are the comparative weights?


About 12 Kg according to dr. frankenstein.


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## Kell (1 Sep 2016)

It looks good.

Certainly more stylish (IMHOOC) than a standard Brompton and better looking than the older Birdy.

I would say the only bad thing is that because they fold it the other way to Brompton your drive train is exposed when folded. 

This could cause problems on packed trains with people getting their nice work clothes dirty or when (if) it goes in a car.


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## srw (1 Sep 2016)

bikegang said:


> It should be OK since there is still 1 hinge on main frame, so smaller fold than Birdy. But much wider fold than Brompton as you can tell from the photo.


Which is a big problem. The Brompton package is neatly designed so that you can comfortably lift it with one hand and walk with it. I'd be worried about barking my shins on those handlebars - either that or I'd need to hold it so far away from my body as to be very awkward.


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## GrumpyGregry (1 Sep 2016)

srw said:


> Which is a big problem. The Brompton package is neatly designed so that you can comfortably lift it with one hand and walk with it. I'd be worried about barking my shins on those handlebars - either that or I'd need to hold it so far away from my body as to be very awkward.


^This

And I remain unconvinced that a QR for the bars, especially cow horn style bars, where considerable leverage will be exerted on that QR, is a great idea.

So in short, too wide, drivetrain in wrong place relative to fold, or vice versa, and questionable safety when honking...


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## srw (1 Sep 2016)

GrumpyGregry said:


> And I remain unconvinced that a QR for the bars, especially cow horn style bars, where considerable leverage will be exerted on that QR, is a great idea.


Ouch. I didn't spot that. I had a Dahon for a while, and among its many flaws was the fact that there was a QR on the handlebars, which made it extremely difficult to get the handlebar adjustment right. And that was a QR that wasn't essential to the fold, so I could just tighten it up fully and then leave it alone.

A QR attaching the bars to the stem? That's asking for disaster.


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## Cycleops (1 Sep 2016)

Don't know if any of you might have read this:
https://simonbatterbury.wordpress.com/2015/09/29/brompton-vs-birdy-the-folding-bike-wars/

This too:
http://road.cc/content/review/96413-birdy-world-sport-folding-bike
Looks like an earlier version though.


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## shouldbeinbed (2 Sep 2016)

Just a couple of shots of my 14yo Mk1 Birdy and 3yo Brompton for a comparison of folded size of the original Birdys

A couple of caveats: I've ridden the original rear end of the Birdy to death and the.current rear hub does interfere with how tight the front wheel folds in so it is wider, fractionally, than built as. This is offset by having put cowhorn bars on the Brommy replacing the original S ones

Once I finally get happy with the POS Sturmey Archer rear hub on the Birdy, the Brommy will be going up for sale.


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## shouldbeinbed (2 Sep 2016)

Annanotherthing

Criticism of the exposed chainline on the (well my model at least) Birdy is a tad unfounded. The front wheel protects the exposed chain run and wheel guard takes care of the rest

Again caveat, the front wheel with original componentry would be folded in a tad more so offering another half inch or so of chainguard overlap


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## Kell (3 Sep 2016)

Do they compare price wise though?

When I looked, it seemed like the Birdy was a good deal more expensive than the (broadly) equivalent Brompton. But in the first article linked to, the author asserts that the Birdy is actually cheaper.


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## Arellcat (3 Sep 2016)

Here's one I made earlier:




More out of control Brompton modifications by beqi, on Flickr

The front suspension worked great and it rode pretty well. But I discovered that with a load on the luggage block and riding one-handed the bike shimmied so much that at anything above 10mph it was dangerous. I used it for a few months in my 'BirdyBrompton' configuration, and then put the original fork back on.


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