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Birdy offer tenth anniversary special
Radical spec includes 20" (406) wheels and drop bars...
German manufacturers riese und mueller have marked ten years of the Birdy folding bike by launching a limited-edition (of 100) anniversary special. Full detail are only available in German so far on their website but it's interesting that this model moves away from the Birdy's traditional 18" (355) tyre size and on to the popular 20" (406) size. Special narrow mudguards have been created to fit this model. Drop bars are also available, whereas previously straight have been the only option. They also seem to have fitted a double chainring and front derailleur - all previous Birdys have, I'm pretty sure, just had a single front ring with chain protectors.
Overal weight is claimed at 9.9kg with Shimano 105 and Capreo components, and price is 1999 Euros for drop bars, or 1899 with straight bars.
Posted on 03 February 2005
Your comments ...| From: Matt Roland. ([email protected]) on 04 February 2005 |
Just had a look at the bike.
The seating position seems a bit strange with bends. It looks like on all Birdys the distance between the seat and the handlebars is a bit short.
They also offer the bike with a flat set of bars.
These have already been available for Birdy´s sold in Japan and Australia.
The bike also has the higher quality mainframe, with a waterformed R and M logo. This frame has been available for some time in Japan.
I heard, that they modified the regular Birdy frame to accomodate the bigger 20 inch wheels.
This looks like it has resulted in a higher bottom braket.
It looks like you can not fit a bigger front chainring.
The derailer mount has alredy been seen on Birdys sold via Pacific Cycles in asia, who make the Birdys for the people in Damstadt.
(Darmstadt is only a small repackageing plant with only about 10 people working on the bikes themselves.)
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| From: Matt Roland. ([email protected]) on 04 February 2005 |
Just had a look at the bike.
The seating position seems a bit strange with bends. It looks like on all Birdys the distance between the seat and the handlebars is a bit short.
They also offer the bike with a flat set of bars.
These have already been available for Birdy´s sold in Japan and Australia.
The bike also has the higher quality mainframe, with a waterformed R and M logo. This frame has been available for some time in Japan.
I heard, that they modified the regular Birdy frame to accomodate the bigger 20 inch wheels.
This looks like it has resulted in a higher bottom braket.
It looks like you can not fit a bigger front chainring.
The derailer mount has alredy been seen on Birdys sold via Pacific Cycles in asia, who make the Birdys for the people in Damstadt.
(Darmstadt is only a small repackageing plant with only about 10 people working on the bikes themselves.)
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| From: Arch (@Km) on 04 February 2005 |
| Why are the components called 'Capreo'? This make me think of goats (Capra hircus) or Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus). Neither animal associated with bikes much... |
| From: Alan Braggins ([email protected]) on 04 February 2005 |
| According to the VeloVision report on their introduction, Shimano said "The group is named "Capreo" after "capreolus" of Latin word that means a fawn. It images a small wheel bike which runs through the street speedily like a fawn." |
| From: Arch (@Km) on 04 February 2005 |
| Ah! That explains it then. Thankyou. |
| From: andy scaife ([email protected]) on 04 February 2005 |
Yum Yum! At last a Birdy you can get tyres for! Is it just me or do the drop bars make it look like it's kneeling down?
Ok its me. |
| From: andy scaife ([email protected]) on 04 February 2005 |
Yum Yum! At last a Birdy you can get tyres for! Is it just me or do the drop bars make it look like it's kneeling down?
Ok its me. |
| From: Simon Ward ([email protected]) on 07 February 2005 |
Looks lovely, especially if, like me, you prefer to ride on drop bars.
Trouble is, the cynic in me reckons that '1999 Euros' will mutate into £1999 once it makes its way across the Channel ... |
| From: Dave Minter (scarletpimpernel@theyseek) on 09 February 2005 |
| I understand that AVC price this model almost at the direct conversion cost between Euros and Pounds. |
| From: Ben - Kinetics ([email protected]) on 09 February 2005 |
| £1440 for the drop-bar version, £1370 for the straight-bar. Will have all the specs translated soon ;-) |
| From: stu smith (ssmith@suburbia) on 09 February 2005 |
| I don't suppose the 406 wheels improve the angle at which the rear V-brake blocks sit in the caliper to nearer 90 degrees? The gouging action of the rear brake is the only thing that bugs me on my ageing birdy. |
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