Admittedly, at first glance, the folded bike looks as if it has been in a major crash: tyres, saddle, handlebars - nothing is in the place where it actually belongs. But there is a system behind the tangle. Thanks to ingenious hinges and quick-release technology, experienced butterflies can untangle the structure into a flyable bird in less than a minute - and then you can actually recognise similarities to a racing bike on the Jubilee speedster. For racing bike enthusiasts, the Darmstadt-based company has tuned its successful model with curved handlebars and Shimano's 105 groupset, while the brushed and clear-coated aluminium frame underlines the elegant appearance of the "sportiest and fastest Birdy ever" according to Riese und Müller.
Can the patented wheel really convince city cyclists and travellers on atypically fast journeys across country? The design principle actually speaks against it. The small wheels, the folding hinges, the small frame with the long levers of the seat tube and head tube, the suspension: all of this fundamentally thwarts what road cyclists expect from their bike - that it is light, laterally stiff and adapted to the individual body dimensions.
The manufacturer recommends the Birdy for people up to 1.80 metres tall. An adjustable VRO stem from Syntace helps to find the right handlebar position. For taller riders, there is a special stem whose shaft is cranked forwards, which increases the distance between the handlebars and saddle. The extra-long seat post offers reserves for taller riders; however, because the frame has a very slack seat angle due to the folding mechanism, the higher you pull out the seat post, the further back the saddle moves. The result is an unusual riding position for tall cyclists, to say the least.
The ride on the racing Birdy was ambivalent: The full suspension makes the ride on the small wheels pleasantly comfortable, the spring rates are adjustable with different elastomers. The small wheels, together with the gear ratio, make the bike very easy to climb, while the less rigid frame, the manoeuvrable geometry and the low gyroscopic forces of the wheels create a somewhat queasy riding sensation on the downhill. However, the Birdy shouldn't fly downhill too quickly anyway, as the Tektro V-brakes are not at all up to the speed of a road bike: a large part of the braking force is lost in the very long and angled cables; brake pads and rims don't harmonise very well as friction partners either.
TOUR conclusion:
Cobbler, stick to your last. As a compact and comfortable city runabout with straight handlebars and MTB components, the Birdy is an ingenious folding bike concept. However, die-hard Birdy fans should rather put the anniversary road bike model in their display case as a piece of jewellery.
BIRDY RACING BIKE
Price anniversary model: 1,999 euros (1,899 euros with MTB handlebars)
Reference: Riese und Müller, telephone 06151/36686-0; www.r-m.de
Equipment: Shimano 105
Weight: 10.3 kilos (without pedals)
Folding size: (L x W x H) 80 x 62 x 37 centimetres
Frame: Aluminium frame with seat post segment clamping, active single-joint swingarm, three different elastomer hardnesses
Fork: Sliding aluminium swingarm
Stem and handlebars: Syntace VRO, customised
Translation: 39/53 at the front, 9-26 at the rear; maximum unfolding 8.55 metres with 20-inch wheels
