Tikit
Encyclopedia
Folding bicycle
A folding bicycle is a bicycle designed to fold into a compact form, facilitating transport and storage. When folded, the bikes can be more easily carried into buildings and workplaces or onto public transportation or more easily stored in compact living quarters or aboard a car, boat or plane...
with an unusually fast folding mechanism that can be folded/unfolded in less than five seconds. The tikit is manufactured in the USA by Bike Friday
Bike Friday
Bike Friday is a brand of folding bicycle made by Green Gear Cycling of Eugene, Oregon, United States. Cyclists often refer informally to the company as Bike Friday.-Hardware:...
.
Specifications
The tikit is available in three sizes: small, medium, and large. The effective top tube for the three sizes is 50 cm (small), 55 cm (medium), and 60 cm (large). The size-Large tikit is built with a slightly thicker tubing to support the strain of larger riders. The weight for the small and medium sizes is about 24 pounds. The large size is about 25 pounds. When folded, the size-Small tikit fits into a 15x24x35-inch space.The stock tikit comes with an 8-speed SRAM rear cassette gear, in black or black/blue. Bike Friday
Bike Friday
Bike Friday is a brand of folding bicycle made by Green Gear Cycling of Eugene, Oregon, United States. Cyclists often refer informally to the company as Bike Friday.-Hardware:...
also provides build-to-order versions, including 9-, 24-, and fixed 1-speed in a variety of colors.
Folding
The tikit folds in a unique manner. A hard slap on the seatpost pushes it forward and disengages a pin connecting the seat mast to the rear of the bike. This enables the rear half of the tikit to rotate vertically under the bike. The seat post and handlebar stem then each fold down at slight angles to body.Unlike the Brompton
Brompton Bicycle
Brompton Bicycle is a manufacturer of folding bicycles based in Brentford, London.The Brompton folding bicycle and accessories are the company's core product, noted for its self-supporting compact size when stored. All available models of the folding bicycle are based on the same hinged bicycle...
or Birdy
Birdy (bicycle)
The Birdy is a folding bicycle designed by Riese und Müller and produced by Pacific Cycles. As of 2010 over 100,000 had been sold.Released in 1995, it was the first fully suspended folding bike. The ride is regarded by some as more sporty than the Brompton, thanks in part to a stiff single-piece...
, this fold is not particularly compact; in fact, it is larger than many 20 and 16-inch wheel folding bicycles (such as those from Dahon
Dahon
Dahon is the world's largest manufacturer of folding bicycles with a two-thirds marketshare in 2006. The company was founded by David T. Hon, a former laser physicist, in 1982 and is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, with assembly factories in China, Macau and Bulgaria...
). However, the tikit's claim to fame is the speed of the fold in its "Hyperfold" model. Here, the action of rotating the rear of the bike slackens an internal cable which enables the handlebar stem to be folded. As a result, no quick release clamps, latches, or locks are involved in the fold. This feature, unique among folding bicycles, enables the tikit to fold easily in under five seconds. Folding also reveals a special handle by which the tikit may be picked up and rolled about on one of its two wheels while in folded form.
Model History
The tikit was introduced in 2007. Early versions of the tikit employed a pair of brake cables in the hyperfold mechanism. This mechanism permitted excessive flex in the handlebar stem when ridden.In 2008 a new version of the tikit replaced the pair of brake cables with a single, and much thicker, cable, plus other improvements to the handlebar stem and to the rear seat pin assembly. The resulting bike is much stiffer. Bike Friday
Bike Friday
Bike Friday is a brand of folding bicycle made by Green Gear Cycling of Eugene, Oregon, United States. Cyclists often refer informally to the company as Bike Friday.-Hardware:...
provides an upgrade path for 2007 tikits which provides some of the 2008 features, notably the new cable assembly.
In 2008 a second version of the tikit was introduced known as the "Model T", which sports a Brompton-style "twiddly knob" on the handlebar stem rather than the cable mechanism. This extends the folding time to about ten seconds. The "Model T" is $250 cheaper than the "Hyperfold" version.
In 2009 Bike Friday announced a safety recall for the tikit. The "aardvark"—the portion of the seatmast which folds down on its hinge—had developed a stress crack in many instances due to weight from the rider. Bike Friday sent out a special brace which completed a triangle in the aardvark and strengthened it, and also replacement aardvarks in some cases. In late 2009 Bike Friday introduced a new, stronger one-piece aardvark with the bike's handle integrated into a curved bar, replacing the brace.