Description
The Pocket Rocket was designed by Bike Friday co-founders Alan and Hanz Scholz out of a love for road racing and a desire to easily take their high performance, custom fit bikes with them on adventures around the world.
This bike has a surprisingly light and nimble road bike performance feel, even though it also folds in seconds to pack into the trunk of a car or can pack into an airline check-able suitcase. It has the larger sized 20″ wheels, 451mm (it is weird but the bike industry has two 20″ wheel sizes!) for the best selection of road rims and tires.
Fun facts about smaller wheels that road riders love: the smaller wheels are incredible climbers and you can draft several inches closer to the rider ahead of you.
Valuable Features of the Pocket Rocket:
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- High performance, nimble ride, built for long miles, great on hills with 20 inches (451mm) wheels.
- When folded it fits into a space 34x33x12” (varies by frame size) (86x83x31 cm) easily fits in a car trunk in minutes
- Built to fit you from top tube lengths ranging 48cm to 62cm
- Pocket Rocket frame built for riders up to 220 lbs (100 kg)
- Pocket Rocket Pro frame saves 2 lbs, built for riders up to 190 lbs (86 kg)
- Save 2+ pounds with the Pocket Rocket Pro frame upgrade for riders up to 187 lbs (85 kg)
- Packs into a standard airline check-able suitcase
Note: Due to a world wide shortage of high end bike components that our parts vendors say is likely to continue through 2022 we are not able to promise bike builds for Shimano 105, Ultegra, Dura-Ace, DI2 or other high end components in most cases.
Select Options for Your Bike:
Pocket Rocket Pro Frame Upgrade:
An ultralight frame with extensive butting for a lively ride and a stiffer rear end for power transfer. If you’re looking to shave off 2 pounds of frame weight without losing performance, this is the bike for you. Rider weight limit is 190 lbs (86kg).
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Choose your frame color:
There are many more colors available if you order your bike as ‘Full Custom’ when working with a Bike Friday Expert.
Sizing Your Bike To Fit PerfectlyWe build your bike from raw tubing and cut all parts to your sizing. Once you place your order online a Bike Friday expert will contact you for custom sizing. The sizing form we will go over with you is HERE
Upgrade and Accessory Options:
Electric Assist Option:
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. This front hub motor system replaces the front hub in the front wheel. (*Airline checkable LiGo 10X will be released soon. Read more HERE*)
More details on the 250W front hub motor:
- No motor resistance, unlike a Shimano or Bosch Mid-drive
- Very light! The whole system adds only ~ 8 lbs to your bike
- Very Quiet!
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. The Pocket Rocket Pro fork does not have the mid-fork mounts for this front rack, but the Pocket Rocket fork does.
Travel System Options:
Travel Case and Packing Materials
Travel Trailer:
The Bike Friday Travel Trailer frame can be added, as an addition, to the Travel Case to make a full travel system. The trailer includes everything you need to make your Travel Case 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 updated travel bag is now 10 inches wider to fit larger frames and tire sizes, features side cinch straps and stuffs into its own pocket. 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.Read Pocket Rocket Customer Bike Reviews Below
Submit your review | |
Christine and I got our custom steeds back in 2010. We are recovering(that’s me) former bike racers. Christine actually raced for the US in the 2004 and 2008 Olympics and I raced as a domestic professional for a few years as well. All that to say that we know an excellent handling bike and that is how our Bike Fridays ride. We’ve done very technical descents and climbs - no problem. The wheel size seems to make the handling a bit quicker but completely predictable and the bikes feel completely at home at 45+mph on descents. I’ve done plenty of fast group rides on mine and the laughs stop when they find themselves dropped by “funny bike.” But what’s the best way to truly see if your Bike Friday can keep up? Basically it climbs well, accelerates quickly, but because of its smaller wheels, doesn’t seem to hold top speeds as well as regular size wheeled bikes. I hope this helps anyone thinking of getting one.
I picked up my Pocket Rocket Super Pro in June 2019 in Oregon and have since been riding regularly in Singapore (where I live), San Francisco Bay Area (my second home), Seoul, and most recently Taiwan.
I have recently completed a 5-day 900km+ (almost 600 miles) around the Island of Taiwan alone and I am super impressed by how the bike was able to hold up and perform so well! I put in more than 200km a day 5 days straight with lots of climbing in the mountain.
Thanks for making such a great bike!
Riding my Bike Friday brings a new meaning to Dancing on the Pedals. I love it and it loves me! We have formed a perfect partnership on the undulations of Hertfordshire where I live when not on a bicycle race.
-Phil Liggett, Voice of the Tour de France 7/13/17 (pocket rocket owner)
Del Schirmer –
How long does it take to build a pocket rocket?
Walter –
Del, we’re usually out a few weeks with new builds, but expedite options are available if you need it sooner. Also, we may have a stock model for you. I would recommend getting in touch with us and letting us know when you need it by and we’ll see what we can do to get you taken care of. Thanks!
Gary Sheridan –
I’m interested in your bikes. Looking at your web site, I think the Pocket Rocket would be a suitable bike for me. I’m 80 years old and my balance isn’t what it used to be. Being closer to the ground seems appealing to me. I live mostly on gravel roads as I live in rural Alaska. It appears your bikes are fitted with street tires. Is it possible to order this bike with off road tires? I doubt street tires would hold up long in sharp gravel (although some of our roads are compacted gravel with vehicle traffic). If it can’t be sold with other than street tires do you have any recommendations as to other brands of suitable off road tires?
Thank you,
Gary Sheridan
Walter –
Gary, there really aren’t tires wider than 1⅜” made for the wheel size the Pocket Rocket uses, so it’s not an option on that model. Were you to order a New World Tourist, though, 1¾” tires are a standard. And if you get disc brakes, you can push the clearance to 2″.
Gary Sheridan –
Thank you for writing me back. I’ll look at the New World Tourist model closer. I’m pleased that Bike Friday has an option that might work for me. Since winter will be setting in here before long it will be more towards Spring before I’ll be ordering anything. In the meantime, I’ll study the model you suggested. I’m sure I’ll come up with other questions before too long. Thanks again. Gary.
Jack –
Does the product support shipping to China?
Walter –
Jack, we do have a dealer in China. Please see our dealer page here:
https://bikefriday.com/dealers
Poul Bekker-Hansen –
Hello. I’m getting a Pocket Rocket from 2014 with swan neck stem and wonder if I can buy a new straight “normal” stem .
I also want a compact drop handlebar, do you have that in split?
Walter –
Poul, reach out to our service department at service@bikefriday.com and I’m sure they can get you what you need.
Carsten –
Sounds intresting.
What’s the spec of the disk brake and the gearing?
And I could not find the weight of the bike. How much?
Cheers from Franconia
Carsten
Walter –
Carsten, the disc is typically an Avid BB5 road with 53/39 11-34 gearing. The weight of that particular configuration with the standard tubing is about 12kg.
Donald Beach –
im thinking about switching to a sturmey archer IGH with a coaster drum brake. will the pocket rocket frame accept the coaster brake arm mounting on the chain stay?
Walter –
Donald, we have had no experience with it, but it should work.
Donald Beach –
thanks! i’ll post a pic when i get it installed!
Dan Dallarte –
I’m interested in the Pocket Rocket with E-Assist
and have these questions?
1. How is the battery mounted to the bike post?
2. Can the battery be easily removed so it can be charge
separately & reduce the bike weight when lifting it to the car.
3. Does it have an LED screen display?
4. How many levels of E-assist does it have?
5. What is the Amp Hour (Ah) for the battery?