Birdy (bicycle)

The Birdy is a folding bicycle designed by Riese und Müller in Germany and produced by Pacific Cycles in Taiwan.

The ride is regarded by some as more sporty than the Brompton, thanks in part to a stiff single-piece aluminium frame with road bike rider geometry and no hinge.

There was a short period in 1996-1997 when a stock of blue frames entered the USA and were built up and sold with inferior 6 speed components, branded as 'Jeep Renegade'.

The bike has always offered standard rear dropout spacing, which allows a wide range of gearing options and disc brakes.

The latter is a folding 16mm tubular rack mounted on pivots on both the main frame and the swingarm, which allows use of small panniers (e.g. Ortlieb Front Roller) when mudguards (fenders) are fitted.

A slightly lighter Mark 2 monocoque frame, with greater support for the seatpost (top picture), was introduced in 2006 along with new component choices.

The Mark 1 continued to appear with a slightly updated frame on some models, notably the World Comfort (7 speed Nexus, 14.2 kg or 31 lb and the 'Birdy Classic' of 2020.

A smaller version of the Birdy, the Frog, was introduced in the 2000s, then withdrawn due to poor sales, and was back on the market again briefly from 2010.

Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and China are the biggest markets for these bikes and customised spares are available from companies like Colorplus and Ridea.

[12] With its wide range of gearing options, stiff frame and basic suspension, the Birdy is suitable not only for commuting but also for longer distance touring.

The Birdy's folded size is similar to the 20-inch Dahon folders: larger than a Brompton, but significantly smaller than a Bike Friday (including the Tikit).

The Birdy's advantages over conventional bicycles and other folding ones are:[13] In sum it is a versatile bike, offering high performance, and sturdiness and luggage capacity for loaded long-distance touring using a variety of racks and panniers supplied by R&M and other manufacturers.

Reviews, for example those by the reputable alternative bike magazine AtoB, point to the great speed and comfort of the Mark 2, but the folding is not always quick if you miss a step, and the tyres available for 18" rims were limited for some years.