Bike Friday
Speaking of bicycles and not of the iPhone, I think I have found the bicycle I want and more importantly, a bicycle company I want to do business with. In this age of outsourcing, online shopping, and big box retail it may seem strangely intimate to speak of wanting to doing business with a company. But with Bike Friday, I quickly warmed to the products which appear excellent and their culture which appears knowledgeable, passionate and refreshingly quirky. Once I had found their very impressive Tikit, and browsed the web site for about 20 minutes, I was pretty certain this company had integrity, a great product, and a culture worth being a part of.
Bike Friday sounds more like a social or activist organization than a bicycle company in Eugene, OR that specializes in folding bikes. And these aren’t just run of the mill folding bikes — they’re handmade, customized, performance folding bikes. Apparently there are a lot of folks who like to travel with a bike because they’re going riding when they get there. But taking a full road bike on a train or airplane can be a real hassle. So Bike Friday designs bikes that fold up and fit in a Samsonite suitcase. At your destination, the suitcase becomes a trailer for the bike and your other luggage. Pretty nifty. In addition, the bikes they make are serious performance bikes, meaning they’re stiff, comfortable, and can go fast. The Tikit is one of their newest models and it distinguishes itself by folding up in about five seconds. Watch the videos and you’ll be convinced there’s at least a few people way smarter than you in the ways of structure and geometry! A swift bump on the back of the seat, a lift up, and push down and the thing is folded. To open it back up you simply release the handlebar latch, pick up and let everything swing into place. I’m sure it takes a little practice, but this thing is amazing. If there is a drawback, it is the fair but relatively higher price they charge for their bikes. Rather than an adequate, if undistinguished folding bike for $250 to $350 built in China, you’re going to spend around a grand and up for your ride at Bike Friday. But knowing that it is sized-to-you, hand built by individuals who care about their product deeply, and guaranteed for life, I think the investment will be well worth it.
Go to their web site to get a feel for their culture — you’ll find videos, profiles of the individuals that work and build bikes at Bike Friday, and what they’re passionate about. In addition to benefiting from the increased awareness of global warming, I think Bike Friday represents the kind of company more professionals and baby boomers will be seeking as they enjoy the fruits of thier labor. Great product. Local operations. Genuine, helpful spirit doing the right things. Lifetime warrany. No, they’re not a hot, fast company growing to an IPO by any standard, but for the ecosystem of people they employ, serve and inspire, they are certainly having the right kind of impact on the world.
July 9th, 2007 at 8:44 pm
Very nice! Being in China for a summer has opened my eyes to folding bikes. They seem to be ubiquitous over here.
One little interesting note about economies of scale. Folding bikes in the US are pretty rare, and I imagine most are imported. They are quite expensive there too– I was looking into getting a folder earlier, before I bought a used bicycle from Craigslist Chicago.
Yet, there are a VAST number of them in China… And to date, I’ve never seen one folded! People have them, but I believe that they only fold them to store them inside their own apartments. Considering that the average cost of a “street commuting” bicycle here is the equivalent of $15, I can’t imagine that a folding bike will be much more. Compare to the US- where folders start at $300, through the research I’ve done.
I’d love to check out your Tikit if you decide to get one and ride it to school next year.
July 18th, 2007 at 6:24 am
Dude, I’ll race your Tikit with my Dahon any day. Of course you have to give me a $750 head start