Review of Birdy Monocoque 24 speed by Simon Ang

2007/11

I vividly remembered peering intently through the glass window of the Singapore distributor shop one day.  I was drooling over the Birdy Blue Shimano Intego 24 Speed on the window display.   Little did I know then that I was going to embark on a enjoyable journey to rekindle my cycling passion with a foldable bike.

Although I did not end up buying the 24 speed Birdy Blue as my first foldable bicycle (I got a Strida 5 first!), it had immediately caught my eye on the very first few trips to the showroom.  The striking beauty eventually got me tempted to test ride and to finally own one.

Initial doubts banished

There were many initial doubts about the Birdy bike which I had that were quickly quashed once I had a chance to do an initial trial ride riding to work and back home, courtesy of Diginexx Singapore, the Singapore distributor.

Among my initial doubts were the ride comfort, the wheel size (18 inches vs other 20 inch wheelers or even 26 inch full-sized bikes), cycling speed (vs a full-sized bike for example), ease of foldability and my ability to travel with it.

These were immediately banished after that first trial ride which saw me heading back and saying, “I gotta have this bike!”.

Folding and Unfolding

Although the Birdy may not be the fastest in terms of folding and unfolding among the range of good performance folding bikes in the market, it is in no way cumbersome to perform the folding/unfolding feat.

While a 10 to 20 seconds fold/unfold time for the most relaxed of persons is easily attainable, I have been able to do it within 10 seconds after some brief practice.

The folding/unfolding mechanism of the Birdy is especially neat, well thought out and ingenious with the mounted rear “Expedition” rack folding together with the bike seamlessly, making it look like a cool “Transformer” bike and getting admiring stares and nods from curious onlookers in my many “public” demonstrations while riding on my Birdy.

Once folded, it is a neat package with both folded wheels protecting the entire Shimano drivetrain mechanism. And best of all, it stands folded and slips into a handsome and equally cool looking “transforming” Birdy backpack bag (sold separately) that folds up into a small back pack that you can wear while riding or when folded plus it when it is folded up into two, it can be strapped across the top of the rear rack while riding.

The “Ride and Speed” Factor

Riding side by side with my friends who own full sized hybrid/mountain bikes, I am confident to say that the Birdy rides comparably well in terms of speed and comfort even though it has smaller wheels (18 inches) compared to a 26 inch bike.

At no time did I feel disadvantaged with the 24 speed available on my Birdy  nor have I run out of gearing on the Birdy with my average “leg power”.

Cruising speeds of 25km/h are easily attainable and with the right road conditions, a maximum of 50km/h (or perhaps more depending on one’s leg power) over a reasonable distance has been achieved on the Birdy on the many folding bike group rides that I have participated in.

This amazing drivetrain on the 24 speed Birdy is provided through the coupled 3×8 Shimano Intego system. Shifting through gears is truly a breeze with the dual twist shifters with an added advantage of being able to change gear on the hub even while the bike is stationary (great for traffic stops and moving off!).

Riding on the Birdy immediately gives a feeling of stability, positive steering provided through the stiff monocoque frame and handlebar. The full suspension provided by the Birdy further absorbs any road bumps or holes on the road well providing for a comfortable ride throughout.

This has further been tested and proven on coastal rides in Malacca last September where the Birdy was packed and transported on a coach to Melaka for a group ride organised by the Strida bike club in Singapore.

Conclusion

While the Birdy is not the cheapest foldable bicycle around, it certainly is worth its salt, coming with full suspension, aluminium monocoque body, Shimano parts, with excellent finish and ingenious engineering technology.

To fully appreciate the performance and value of the Birdy bike would be to have a test ride to try out its riding capabilities.  Although my Birdy Blue has not travelled across countries or continents as many other touring cyclists have done on theirs, it would be, without doubt, one excellent bicycle that can be depended on for long bike rides.

I would be certainly planning to do just that in the near future, loading my Birdy with some touring panniers and trying to look like a serious bike tourer.

PS: The best part of owning my particular 24 speed Birdy Blue is that it is so far the only blue 24 speed Birdy in Singapore making it very unique and personally very satisfying to own!