Description
About the New World Tourist
This is a world-class touring bike, capable of fully-loaded trips over many weeks, and can still serve as your everyday ride. It is a custom-built touring bike that is “Best in Class” in reviews by thousands of people who have ridden it over the years, on every continent!
The New World Tourist’s ability to fold in 30 seconds allows you to put it into a car trunk, train seat, small ship cabin, or, with a little disassembly, pack it into an airline check-able suitcase for travel. Zero proprietary parts make it easy to maintain. It’s tested, tried and true, by thousands of riders!
We offer you many custom options, then hand build your bike to fit your size and particular riding plans. The New World Tourist has been our most popular bike since its introduction in 1992 and remains our best-seller to this day due to its versatility.
Select Options for Your Bike:
Choose your frame color:
There are many more colors available if you order your bike ‘Full Custom’ when working with a Bike Friday Expert. The ‘Color Viewer’ below shows our whole color palette, regular and full custom, together.
Upgrade and Accessory Options:
Electric Assist Option:
New World Tourist with Electric Assist installed. E-assist kit adds only 11 lbs!
You can add an electric assist to this bike. It is a front hub motor pedal assist style and comes with a 36V battery with ~60km (37mile) range. For air flight you can upgrade to LiGo batteries*. The one-of-a-kind LiGo batteries are the only batteries legal to fly with on the Airlines. This front hub motor system replaces the front hub in the front wheel. (*LiGo batteries are unavailable until Fall 2022 due to chip shortage)
More details on the 350W front hub motor:
- No motor resistance, unlike a Shimano or Bosch Mid-drive
- Very light! The whole system adds only ~ 11 lbs to your bike
- Very Quiet!
- Disc brake compatible
Made-In-House Chromoly Rack Options:
Rear Rack:
Our rear rack takes standard panniers, has a 55-pound weight limit, and has plenty of clearance under the rack for use with the Bike Friday Under-bag. And it packs flat to easily fit in a suitcase with the bike.
Front Rack:
Fits standard panniers. Rated for 25lbs each side. A must for a properly weighted touring bike for best front/rear weight balance and ride control. And it packs flat to easily fit in a suitcase with the bike.
Travel System Options:
Travel Case with Trailer:
The Bike Friday Travel Trailer includes everything you need to make your Travelcase into a tow-ready trailer. The system includes the aluminum trailer frame, two (12″) wheels, protective socks for packaging and one reflective flag and thumb nuts to connect your travel suitcase.
The trailer package also comes with a rear hub axle mounted hitch. This hitch can be used in place of a bike-specific hitch, or as a connection method on another bike so you can swap your trailer system quickly to another bike. There is a male air nipple included as well (integrated into the axle hitch).
The gross weight limit for the trailer is 75 pounds. This includes the weight of the trailer (6.7lbs/2.95 kg) and the average case weight is 13lbs, so the total capacity for your gear is 55lbs.
All felt packing bags and blankets are made from Eco-Fi fleece, a product made of 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles.
Soft Travel Bag:
The Bike Friday Travel Bag allows you to easily carry or store your Bike Friday. Quick-fold your bike, fit it into its durable bag, and zip up! Black nylon coated pack fabric. Two sturdy woven handles and an adjustable shoulder strap allow you to carry your bike onto the bus, train or elevator with ease. A good way to keep it protected in the trunk of your vehicle too. Fits all single Bike Fridays. Wt: 672 grams. Rolls up to 4 1/2″ diameter, 14″ long. Proudly made here in Eugene, Oregon.
How to order your bike on this page:
- Follow all the steps in the drop-down menus above then “Add to cart” and follow steps in your cart to purchase.
- A Bike Friday Expert will follow up with you to determine your sizing, pick-up /ship date (production takes 5-7 weeks on average) and confirm any other needed details about your order.
- Then you get your bike!
Additional Ways to Order with More Options:
We offer many more options than we can post here without overwhelming people. We can likely build what you are looking for. Just contact us and tell a friendly Bike Expert what you are looking for. You can also do more exploring on your own first by clicking on the “Advanced Designer for bike geeks” button to find our bike configurator.
Bike Friday 10 Year WarrantyWe have a strong warranty on our frames against defects in material and/or workmanship for 10 years. Warranty is non-transferable. Bicycle components (excluding tires, chain, cables, etc.) generally have a 1-year limited warranty. CLICK HERE for full warranty information.
Ready for adventure
Read New World Tourist Customer Bike Reviews Below
Submit your review | |
While I primarily ride and tour alone, I do, from time to time, join for organized rides for specific causes. The rides are, of course, normally across the country (USA) from where I live, and traveling with a full-sized bike is... Let's say, a pain. I have seen the Bike Friday ads in various magazines over the years, but never was interested in such a "unique" looking bike. But then I signed up for a ride during the spring of 2017 that change my mind. I decided to purchase a NWT for use during future loaded touring and specifically for the then upcoming ride (that was, of course, across the country from where I live). Since receiving the bike it's been ridden many thousand miles, and although I have a stable of multiple quality bikes, the one I ride most is the BF. If you are considering purchasing one, I strongly recommend you do. I've created a few videos that give a more comprehensive review:
https://youtu.be/BDvwn3wlp1k
https://youtu.be/4pNCtJNehk4
We bought our bikes in the fall of 2017 and have ridden around our hometown near Orlando Florida and traveled in our RV to a few sites with our bikes. This summer I have ridden in Mackinac Island, MI, Sugarcreek and Dayton Oh and we are currently in Avon Colorado where we chose to ride the Vail Pass bike ride on the Gore Creek bike trail. The top of the trail is it 10,600 feet and drops to about 8000 feet by the time we got off the trail in Vail. This is a ride where we used a local outfitter to shuttle us to the top and then you ride back down to the shop.
The ride starts with absolutely gorgeous views and it’s a quick downhill ride. About 10 minutes into our ride it starts raining hard with hail. There is no place to take cover for miles. We both just continue downhill as fast as is safe riding the wonderful disc brakes that we know we can count on. About 30 minutes into our rain and hail we finally came to an underpass where we could take shelter with several other cyclists. By this time our shoes are squishy wet and we are soaked.
Once the rain let up we continued our ride. Of course, the trail is still wet and we are still getting splatter. It’s the first time we traveled by air with our bikes. We took the racks off and decided we didn’t need them and didn’t even consider bringing our fenders. Not a smart move on our part. We know that we have quality components and can count on the disc brakes. We love our bikes and are having a blast with them. Thanks for providing a quality product.
David and Judi George
Clermont, Florida
My wife and I completed a tour from Jasper, Canada through Glacier NP to Bismarck, ND to St. Louis, MO to Yorktown, VA last summer (2016) on our Bike Friday NWTs.
We had a lot of unexpected travel before we started, so there wasn't time for many "break-in" rides. We just rode into shape.
Getting to the start involved a car, a bus and a flight, so it was great to be able to have the bikes in suitcases! Our panniers were checked and/or carry-on.
As we camp most of the time, my loaded bike was about 70 lbs. and hers around 60 lbs. I opted for disc brakes and a SRAM dual drive. Both worked very well and were easy to adjust. I did replace the chain and rear cassette at about 2500 miles into our trip, which is pretty routine maintenance. The steering on the NWT could be described as "sensitive" or "twitchy," depending on how you like it... I got used to it pretty quickly. Chugging up hills at 4 m.p.h. on a loaded bike is kind of sensitive no matter what you're on! The bike was solid and stable feeling on the flats and downhill.
My wifes' bike developed a rear hub problem half way through the trip. Bike Friday helped us coordinate with a mechanic along our route and shipped the needed parts there overnight - a well coordinated effort (and great customer service)!
We did get a lot of comments on the bikes along the way. Yet another way to make friends while touring.
By the way, we chose Schwalbe Ultra Marathon tires. We had one flat ( a piece of "road wire" ) and still have a lot of miles left to go on the tires.
This summer... a train from Sacramento to Seattle, to ride around National Parks, San Juan Islands and the Vancouver area! Folding bikes count as luggage on the train - no boxes!
Thanks, Bike Friday!