Author Topic: Bickerton: What does the panel think? (Read 6916 times)

Polar Bear · « **on:** 15 December, 2011, 04:50:28 pm »

A local chap and fellow cyclist offered me a Bickerton 3speed today sight unseen. It will be genuine but likely to be tatty. What might it be worth and is it worth having?

border-rider · « **Reply #1 on:** 15 December, 2011, 04:58:23 pm »

Worth having for novelty value, but I'd think it'd be of very little monetary value. Not worth having to ride with any degree of serious intent

marcusjb · « **Reply #2 on:** 15 December, 2011, 05:01:37 pm »

Looking on the bay completed listings, they only go for £50-60 in general.

I've only ridden one for about 100 yards - that was enough - I'm not a big rider, and it flexed quite a lot!

Charlotte · « **Reply #3 on:** 15 December, 2011, 05:03:12 pm »

Quote from: Polar Bear on 15 December, 2011, 04:50:28 pm

What might it be worth and is it worth having?

I should think it ought to be him who gives you the money to take the abomination away...

LittleWheelsandBig · « **Reply #4 on:** 15 December, 2011, 05:07:04 pm »

Later Bickertons ride like al dente spaghetti. Early models ride like overcooked spaghetti. Some folk have done impressive rides on them (across USA!) but others find that they break, particularly larger and more muscular folk. It helps durability and ease of control to employ a sympathetic riding style.

Hot Flatus · « **Reply #5 on:** 15 December, 2011, 05:12:44 pm »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shxHFCi673A&sns=em

Jurek · « **Reply #6 on:** 15 December, 2011, 05:17:38 pm »

It looks perfectly safe.

When it's in the bag.

Ian H · « **Reply #7 on:** 15 December, 2011, 05:32:31 pm »

A friend rode one round one of my events (can't remember what distance, but I think only 100km). It became progressively more flexible, obvious even to an onlooker. I had a go afterwards and found it seriously scary. Close examination of the engineering is even more worrying.

jogler · « **Reply #8 on:** 15 December, 2011, 05:36:08 pm »

I think you should give the Bickerton a miss & buy my Trek F400 Navigator folder

robgul · « **Reply #9 on:** 15 December, 2011, 05:40:48 pm »

I had one for a while (LWAB will recall, I think, that he had a go on it at Meriden at an Origami ride?) - "interesting" but like riding a bag of tent-poles.

I was waaaaaay too big and heavy for it and sold it on - at a profit to some nut who came all the way from London to Stratford-upon-Avon by train just to collect it!

Having met you PB, I would suggest that you would be on the heavy side to ride it.

There's a book about a lady that rode one across the US - can't remember her name, I think she was a retired Headmistress ... and died relatively recently [5 minutes max is my bet on someone posting her name]

Rob

Biggsy · « **Reply #10 on:** 15 December, 2011, 05:41:50 pm »

"It didn't fall apart" with this "hefty guy" on it:

http://youtu.be/W0VwDLXlhDc

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/W0VwDLXlhDc&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/W0VwDLXlhDc&rel=1</a>

"It's like a race bike!" *cough*

Aidan · « **Reply #11 on:** 15 December, 2011, 05:50:35 pm »

Quote from: robgul on 15 December, 2011, 05:40:48 pm

There's a book about a lady that rode one across the US - can't remember her name, I think she was a retired Headmistress ... and died relatively recently [5 minutes max is my bet on someone posting her name]

Rob

http://www.cycling-books.com/Daisy_Daisy_Christian_Miller.htm

sorry I'm late

PaulR · « **Reply #12 on:** 15 December, 2011, 06:02:13 pm »

I experienced a strange mixture of awe, pity and apprehension recently when I say a child riding a Bickerton to school.

harvee · « **Reply #13 on:** 15 December, 2011, 08:11:46 pm »

My mother bought two Bickertons new when you could do that, but hardly rode them due to the flexi nature and quite high gearing. I took one on a Ryanair flight from Stanstead to not quite Stockholm in 1997 and rode it about 60 km into town and then used it in Stockholm. I also used to ride it around Paris as well, when I lived there, thirty years ago. It was fine even on the cobbles. People used to applaud spontaneously. The key issue is making sure that fabricated bar is tight and accepting the floating handle bars. With practise you can both lean on and hold them steady. Cheapest is best.

fruitcake · « **Reply #14 on:** 15 December, 2011, 08:42:39 pm »

They can be fun and comfy (flex = no road buzz).
The headset is made of nylon though which makes it tricky to adjust and the energy you waste bending the frame per pedal stroke means this is no tourer.
Interesting as a stage in the evolution of the modern folding bike (both Dahon and Brompton nabbed elements of the Bickerton concept).
Replace with alu wheel rims and you've got a(n odd looking) folder under 10kg.

LittleWheelsandBig · « **Reply #15 on:** 15 December, 2011, 09:18:41 pm »

The later ones used conventional headsets. Good luck finding Al 14 x 1 3/8" rims for the front wheel.

fruitcake · « **Reply #16 on:** 15 December, 2011, 10:45:53 pm »

Quote from: LittleWheelsandBig on 15 December, 2011, 09:18:41 pm

Good luck finding Al 14 x 1 3/8" rims

You can get close enough with modern rims and the Bickerton's DEEEEP drop brakes take up the slack

GavinC · « **Reply #17 on:** 16 December, 2011, 09:41:06 am »

I rode a Bickerton on a ~15-20 mile round trip commute for a few months before getting my Brompton.

The ride is incredibly disconcerting - scary some might say! Although I never actually had any problems, the amount of flex around the hinge on the main tube (along with the constant creaking noises) made me think the thing would snap in half at any minute. Apparently they were renowned for coming undone at the hinge while you were riding along. Luckily mine has the later hinge design that you can push shut with your foot as you're riding - I had to do that a few times...

Fun to ride though

Polar Bear · « **Reply #18 on:** 16 December, 2011, 10:01:40 am »

The musings of the panel has persuaded me to give it a miss.

Thanks guys.

I don't particularly want, nor need a folder Jogler, it was just a passing temptation

Wowbagger · « **Reply #19 on:** 16 December, 2011, 10:05:41 am »

Mrs. Wow and I met a chap touring on one last year when we were returning from the Dun Run. He was on the same ferry as we were. A bit of a contrast, a bloody great Thorn Tandem and a Bickerton.

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #20 on:** 16 December, 2011, 10:23:21 am »

Lt. Col. Larrington (retd.) managed to break at least four of them in short commuting use. They're not known as "chocolate biccies" for nothing.

jogler · « **Reply #21 on:** 16 December, 2011, 01:17:15 pm »

Quote from: Polar Bear on 16 December, 2011, 10:01:40 am

I don't particularly want, nor need a folder Jogler, it was just a passing temptation

of course you do want & need

I can ulfill your temptation

DrMekon · « **Reply #22 on:** 16 December, 2011, 01:25:03 pm »

I was involved the the breaking of one. I can confirm that they are highly unsuited to trials type tricks. I wouldn't like to go off a curb on one at speed. The flex in the handebars means is very disconcerting, as is the continual creaking from the main hinge (which is what broke when we were doing dropoffs on one).

fruitcake · « **Reply #23 on:** 14 December, 2013, 09:29:24 pm »

I rather enjoyed writing this review.

http://cyclingfortransport.com/reviews/bikes/bickerton-folding-bike/

PisteGuru · « **Reply #24 on:** 30 May, 2014, 11:38:34 pm »

However, they are still extremely light compared to most of the other folders out there, seem to remember weighing one at about 6kg - and no carbon in sight (except for the diesel fumes)!

Author Topic: Bickerton: What does the panel think? (Read 6916 times)

border-rider

harvee