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from the TOUR de FRANCE
ISSUE of Cycle Sport
 Phil
Liggett's Bike Friday
Reprinted with permission from Cycle Sport
http://www.cyclesportmag.com/
Whereas the Moulton is a quintessentially English as a Saville Rom Suit, with
engineering to match anything by Rolls Royce, the Bike Friday, as ridden by Phil
Liggett, has something of the New World about it. Indeed, when you check out the
website
and all the options, you’d be forgiven for thinking that there is some space age
thinking in there as well.
Named after the trusty companion to Robinson Crusoe, the Bike Friday range is
designed by brothers Hanz and Alan Scholz. This remarkable machine breaks down
and sits inside its own hard shell suitcase, with only one two-headed Allen key
(5mm and 6mm) required for the entire operation. This in turn is stored within
the bottle cage.
 Even
more ingeniously, if you're into touring, this hard case can be converted into
a trailer. Each bike also comes with the built in philosophy that it is one of
the best inventions ever and should be integrated into everyone's life. When it
fits into a bag like this, you can’t argue with it.
Bike Friday has been around for a decade and this year the company is looking
forward to its 10,000th model rolling off the line. Known widely as a traveling
man, Phil was given a Pocket
Rocket Pro two years ago and hasn’t looked back since. Although he has access
to a full stable of conventional machines, he finds that this small wheeler fills
a niche very nicely.
 In
the course of his duties he has ridden sections of the northern Classics on it,
through the Forest of Arenberg, over the cobbles at Orchies and has descended
the infamous Kemmelberg.
Prior to Paris-Roubaix one year, Phil ended up staying in the same hotel as Ballerini
and his Lampre teammates. The morning of the race the found the Italian legend
riding round the car park on it. He was obviously impressed, so, in a typical
sporting gesture Phil offered him it for the race. Ballerini, however, politely
refused, citing an obligation to his sponsor.
Phil is also patron of the Australian Bike Friday Club, based in Adelaide, and
he catches up with them when he is down under.
Designed and built by a dedicated team of craftsman and cyclists in Eugene, Oregon,
Bike Friday can custom build a bike to your exact specifications, based on the
body dimensions that you supply. So confident is it in its system that it offers
a no-quibble 30-day money back guarantee if you don't like it. The frame and forks
are made from TIG welded and brazed 4130 chromoly which gives the necessary strength
and resilience for a lively and comfortable ride. There's no suspension in the
frame other than the natural flex within the seatpost and handle bar stem. Drop
bars are standard on this model but are modified to split into two so the they
can be packed more easily along side the frame.
Phil's Bike features the beautifully curved custom stem, which is lighter but
has to be sized individually and does cost a little bit more. Speaking of cost,
a bike like this will set you back about $2,600 but there are bikes in this Pro's
range that range from $1,600. There's no UK distributor at the moment, but a very
comprehensive website guides you through the process of speccing up and ordering.
To make it easier for UK customers, there's also a discount shipping scheme at
£49 per bike.
BIKE FRIDAY
FRAME: 4130 chromoly, TIG welded and brazed.
GROUPSET: Campagnolo Chorus
OTHER FEATURES: 3T Proma bars and custom stem, Chris King Headset
WHEEL SIZE: 20in.
WEIGHT: 18.5 lb. without pedals or saddle. |
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