Packing my Bike Friday

New World Tourist

I found this bike on Craig’s List and thought it was too good a deal to pass up. I took it completely apart and had the frame repowdercoated to make the bike look new. I ordered a set of decals from Green Gear Cycling, the manufacturer of Bike Friday. The last time I rode it, I used the Brooks Flyer from my Surly Long Haul Trucker. I think I’ll look for another for this bike.

Completely Assembled Bike Friday New World Tourist

Front view New World Tourist

I originally tried some handlebars I already had, and while they worked great, and were comforable, they didn’t split to fit in the suitcase. I bought the suitcase and trailer kit on ebay, from different sellers. The trailer kit converts the suitcase into a trailer that you can carry your camping gear in.

Packing Materials & Suitcase

Some of the components, like the handlebars are custom made to fit inside the suitcase with the rest of the bike. The Bike Friday handlebars split in two, to make the easier to fit.

Removing handlebars

The handlebar stem comes off to make the bike more compact. And there’s a red felt bag to protect it while in the suitcase.

Inserting stem in felt sleeve

There is a spacer to re-enforce the front fork during shipping to help prevent it from getting bent. There is also a gray felt sleeve to protect the fork from scratches.

After removing front wheel a spacer takes it's place in the fork

The special racks made for the New World Tourist hold the bags up at the normal height so they don’t drag the ground. The racks also fold flat for easy packing and come with their own felt bags.

Rear rack and fender installed

Rack folds into it's own felt bag

There is a protective felt sleeve for the seatpost and a bag for the seat. The seat mast has a felt wrapper to protect it and it folds forward next to the bottle cage. The rear wheel folds under and forward to put it right next to the front fork.

Bike wrapped and ready to fold

Frame folded and placed in suitcase with trailer frame

Once the bike is folded and placed in the suitcase, the other components get distributed through the suitcase, filling much of the other spaces. The weight limit on the train for checked baggage is 50 pounds, I was over by 6 pounds.

Bike packed suitcase ready to close

I’ve now ridden over 100 miles on the New World Tourist and I find it comfortable and easy to ride. The 3×7 rear hub gives me a good range of gearing, enough to climb all but the very steepest hills. I do notice on very steep grades, in the lowest gear, that the front wheel has a tendency to lift a little. Nothing that’s dangerous, I just need to be cautious.