Advantages
The primary advantage of this bike over other performance folders is that it folds quickly into a small package. Thus, it can be taken into stores, onto trains, and into the office, yet can also be used for cross-country touring or fast group rides. It is much easier to fit in a suitcase than comparable Bike Friday or Airnimal models, but less easy to pack than a Brompton. The only other hinge-free performance bicycle that is small enough to serve as a multi-mode commuter or that fits into an airline legal suitcase with minimal disassembly is the (unsuspended) Mezzo folding bike.
One other major advantage is the suspension, allowing for a smooth ride on small wheels. The suspension is anti-dive and has minimal impact on pedalling efficiency due to its stiffness, while improving rolling resistance on rough surfaces. The suspension can be adjusted using different elastomers (small pieces of rubber that serve as suspension).
The Birdy has no frame hinge, with both the front and the back points of contact serving as latches and shock absorbers. Thus, the downward force of the rider holds the bike together in such a way that the latches cannot fail while providing shock absorption.
The longer reach offered by the "all round" stem option makes for a much sportier ride than the Brompton.
Read more about this topic: Birdy (bicycle)
Famous quotes containing the word advantages:
“If we live in the Nineteenth Century, why should we not enjoy the advantages which the Nineteenth Century offers? Why should our life be in any respect provincial?”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“To say that a man is your Friend, means commonly no more than this, that he is not your enemy. Most contemplate only what would be the accidental and trifling advantages of Friendship, as that the Friend can assist in time of need by his substance, or his influence, or his counsel.... Even the utmost goodwill and harmony and practical kindness are not sufficient for Friendship, for Friends do not live in harmony merely, as some say, but in melody.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
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—Jimmy Carter (James Earl Carter, Jr.)