Birdy City mk2 folding bicycle - 8 speed shimano nexus hub gears. Great commuter

I have owned this bike for about twelve years but it hasn’t been used for the past five because I no longer commute by train to and from London. I bought it from someone who had bought it new but hardly used it.  

The Birdy is a practical alternative to a Brompton and I think has a better ride; I certainly enjoyed riding it in town. Apart from the frame, all the parts are non-proprietary so anything can all be swapped out and replaced as one wants. I had a Mk 1 Birdy a long time back and whilst it was stylish and a bit lighter, the Mk 2 ironed out several problems, such as the Mk 1 mudguards that flapped around, improving the catch that holds up the steering stem, a stiffer frame, strengthened head tube, better mechanism for folding the rear swing arm and for holding up the seat post. It still has V brakes, which are really easy and cheap to clean and maintain. The handlebar height and position is very adjustable now so you can go for as upright or aggressive a ride as you like. Finally, I fitted clear tubing around one section of the front brake cable housing and the rear gear cable housing to reinforce them against any chafing when folding the bike.

The bike has full standard mudguards and rear touring rack, which easily accepts the small and big Ortlieb panniers. There is a fitted Birdy rear kickstand and over the years I have put on more comfortable handlebars and grips, a security front wheel skewer (allen key fitting), a cateye cordless speedometer and a bell with a nice sound and feel to it. It has Avid adjustable brake levers, to get the right feel with braking.  I fitted puncture-proof Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres, a more comfortable seat and a better performing rear brake, because the geometry of the rear brake position on the Birdy makes for poor braking performance and the pads wore out on one corner. Most recently, I got round to fitting a new chain guard because the original one rubbed against the frame a tiny bit. The original replacement is about half a millimetre thinner and it makes all the difference.

Overall, it’s a reliable and cheap bike to run and servicing is at least as easy as a Brompton. This bike would suit a commuter who wants a reliable bike that’s a nicer ride than a Brompton and a bit more interesting and which folds down pretty well and quickly (and hides the chain) and can be dragged along on its wheels. It folds up neatly, but not as neatly as the Brompton, but then nothing does. But it does fold up and down just as quickly. For winter it’s brilliant because with the hub gears, the chain is easy to wipe clean and lubricate and the hub just needs a service once a year. Collection only or I could deliver or come to some arrangement. This is a folding bike that has been well looked after and I am really sorry to see it go. Included is the manual, some spares and paperwork from 2009 from AVC in Bath.

Spares include some unused inner tubes (from before the puncture-proof tyres were fitted), the old chain guard and a fancy one that looks great but wasn’t as good as the original. Also the old rear sprocket, if you want to gear the bike up to go faster on the flat. And a rear spring to replace the elastomer; I bought this on a whim and reckon it'd be too bouncy.  

I would love this bike to go to someone who looks after it – folding bikes seem to need a little bit more care than full size bikes, I have found.