Pocket Rocket Folding Road Bikes

I have a Pocket Rocket built for me way back in 1995 and I have put a zillion miles on it since. Based on this extensive experience here is my advice. If you need or want a bicycle that folds for travel or storage in a small space--and if not just buy a full size bicycle but a foldable bicycle is probably is what you want or you wouldn't be on the Bike Friday website right now--then stop comparison shopping and just buy a Bike Friday. Not only is the design and build quality of Bike Fridays is top notch but in addition they have a huge advantage over their competitors, namely that they will custom build the bike to exactly duplicate your ideal riding position. That's critical because the human body works most efficiently within a very narrow range so no matter what type of riding you do, the fit of the bicycle is the most important thing. Just raising or lowering the seat post or handlebars doesn't cut it. Imagine trying to run in shoes too small or large for example. Another Bike Friday plus besides the phenomenal build quality and custom fit is they mostly use conventional parts so replacements or upgrades will likely be available far into the future. The bottom line of my review is if you need or want a bicycle that folds into a small space then based on my 30 years and a zillion miles of experience with my Pocket Rocket stop comparison shopping and just have Bike Friday build you a bike because if quality and performance is important to you, Bike Friday is your best choice. By the way my review is based on my Pocket Rocket but I feel sure my comments apply to all their other models because Bike Friday's design philosophy is the same across their entire model range.

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)

Three weeks ago I received my Bike Friday "Pocket Rocket Pro". What a great bike. I ordered this bike to use for travel since it fits in a suitcase and can be checked as luggage on a plane. However, after riding this bike, I have stored my carbon fiber, electric shifting road bike and now ride only the Bike Friday. I ride with our local club and found this bike to be very comfortable and very responsive on the road. I am not a bike racer, but have no problems staying up with our club members... Looking forward to our bike trips this year in Texas and Vermont. What a great Bike !!!

I ordered from Bike Friday a bike that would perfectly match the fit of my most comfortable bike for long distance riding. I ordered a Pocket Rocket Pro, as I wanted the bike to be something that, if I needed to, I could ride in races and other events. I wanted the controls to be familiar, and as much as possible the set up to be identical to that of my most pleasant race bike, a titanium Serotta built to fit me in 2006. So, when I ordered the bike from Bike Friday, I measured everything exactly to the nearest 0.5mm, confirmed this against my fit measurements on file and provided them with all of the information they requested.

90 days later, a box arrived, and though I was anxious to get it all together, I very carefully clipped each zip tie and went through all of the parts one by one, before beginning assembly. I have a default approach to putting things together. I figure things out, try a few things, if something doesn’t work, I try something else, but it took only a moment to realize what care had been put into building this bike and I felt it deserved more respect. So instead of my “when all else fails read the instructions” technique, I sat down and read the very clear paperwork that came with the bike and laid out each piece with great care. Then I began to put the bike together. Having done the necessary reading, everything was easy. The bike had been well packed and each piece was well protected. Of course, Bike Friday makes bikes for many purposes and that includes bikes that come together and break down in seconds, but this was not that. The Pocket Rocket Pro is designed to be the best possible combination of a fully functional race bike and a bike that packs easily and efficiently. And what a combination it is.

As the bike came together I continued to be amazed. The fit and finish was impeccable. There was one detail I did not think was a masterpiece, and that is the little plate with my name on it that they added at no cost to me. The adhesive had peeled off a bit and so it was a bit loose. Nothing necessary or even useful, it was just a cute add-on, done in my opinion too cheaply. I would rather not have it. Again, the overall fit and finish is excellent. Rather than providing me with a fixed and ultra light stem, they included an adjustable one, so that I could dial in the precise fit and then send it back for them to use as a template for the final. Frankly, for me I do not think this was necessary as I have all of my fit numbers precisely logged and ready to go. I assume that this is not the case for most people, and as such, the adjustable stem process is a good step. It was a non-issue for me, however, as they make the process so easy. There is a next day air box, label, and packing material included, and once I had confirmed my fit, I had the new stem in hand in less than a week. Well done!

So, I got the bike all set up, did some local riding and packed the bike up in a rather spacious suitcase (provided) with all of my riding gear including helmet, shoes, pump, etc., as well as my garment bag, and hopped on a plane for Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. …

“Each day for the next week, after I had done what I was there to do, I got on the Bike Friday and took off. As I rode off the property of the ashram, I rode into a world to which I have limited exposure, a world that I would never have seen without the bike.

I rode the bike hard at times: standing sprints up hills (trying to keep up with 3 young people on one Honda Rebel Motorcycle, yelling, “Come, come we race!”) and braking hard (on a descent a water buffalo, easily 1000 pounds, burst forth from the bushes on the side of the road). I also rode the bike on familiar roads here in the Catskills, climbing Meads Mountain and descending McDaniel, roads I have ridden many, many times on bikes I know well. There is nothing this bike does not do well. It would not be the first bike I would reach for if the only factor were the ride. I own beautiful bikes built for me by Spectrum and Serotta. For most days I would reach for one of them. But the fact that I can consider this bike, which weighs under 20 pounds and fits in a suitcase, against them at all, the fact that I give up so little in handling, braking, climbing, and descending, as compared to bikes that are arguably the best in the world, is an astonishing testament to the abilities of Bike Friday.

I would recommend a Bike Friday to anyone who is looking for a folder and would urge them to do as I did, contact Bike Friday, tell them what you are looking for, listen well and then make choices. The people at Bike Friday know what they are doing, and the engineering work behind their designs, much of which was done by legendary bicycle builder Rob English, simply works.

This design for this bike has been rolling around in my head for a few years. I want to spend some part of my retirement catching cheap flights to new places that need exploring, and taking a bike with me that can easily be assembled and transported, perhaps across oceans. I have been riding Bike Fridays for about 10 years now, so I am admittedly biased in their favor. What’s not to like? They make a great product and strive to make each purchase a uniquely pleasurable experience.

The bike is a Pocket Rocket fixie fitted with a Gates CDX belt drive. 70 teeth in the front, 21 in the rear, for now (gonna try a 19 soon). I asked Walter to make it as clean as possible – no fender, rack, or water bottle braze-ons – since it will not be used for long jaunts. The ultralight stem and titanium seatpost keep it simple, comfortable, light, and kinda good looking. I’m a bit of a minimalist, and don’t mind doing a bit of assembly once I have reached my destination. In the same vein, the wheels are bolt-ons with Paul hubs, Alex rims, and Schwalbe Ones – no skewers. SRAM provided Force front brakes (with a Cane Creek lever) and a Force crank that stays with the simple-but-good theme. The handlebars are a set of 36cm drop bars I had laying around that BF cut short and turned upside down, making something like a bullhorn. In order for the handlebars to work, Walter had them create a custom 4 bolt stem, so the bars do not have to be cut in the middle. Seems like there is no issue the folks at BF don’t have an answer for. They provided a clean and pretty white paint job that generated a huge smile when it was unboxed, and they even let me continue keeping it clean with just a head badge instead of the usual decals. Yup, I peeled the stickers off the rims too. Don’t blame BF for the glow in the dark paint experiment over some of the white paint (I submitted 3 pix). I’ve always wanted to try out some of the new strontium based glow in the dark paint on a bike. The glow is cool – like a green white hot steel rod, but it’s kinda pointless since the cars attention is what you are going for, not the kid on the sidewalk that shouts out “cool!” When the cars lights are on you they wash out any glow from the paint. Still, it’s a fun conversation starter. That strontium paint is verrry expensive, and a bit challenging to apply - I did that part myself.

But how well does the bike work? For me, exquisitely. I like the control, quiet, and speed limiter that a fixie brings with it. I’m not into big hills or high speed, so we are a good match. The belt makes this bike a fantastic hop on and go bike, or a commuter, or a traveler. No grease to bang against while you get it assembled. No more apologizing for grease stains after you bump into someone in the stairway on the way to your cube. I’ve put about 1000 miles on it in the last two months – still no creaks or any other issues of any kind. BUT, I haven’t had to remove the back tire yet. The setup looks pretty intuitive for wheel/belt removal and tensioning.

One of the great things about this bike is how little you have to think when you ride it – no gears to change, no higher speed to attain, no chain to watch out for against your leg. Just get on and go, in whatever you are wearing. I suspect one of the reasons it just works for me is because BF put a lot of work and thought into the design and build quality (the PR line has been around a while, and has gone through some refinements). It feels solid, smooth, and trustworthy. It really does handle pretty much like my big wheel bikes. I wouldn’t ride it across west Texas (I’m in Austin), but I will definitely be checking out cities (and surrounding areas) with it. It helps me avoid the transportation expense when I travel, and does it in a really fun way.

But what about the PakIT? Doesn’t it achieve the same things? I like where the PakIT is going, but I am not an IGH fan – so heavy when carrying up the stairs, and doesn’t really mesh well with my quest for control/simplicity. Walter and I talked about a nice PakIT single speed, but the gearing was not conducive to the way I like to ride. Still I will be watching the PakIT as it matures, in case Gates or other belt manufacturers come up with gearing options that make it even more attractive. Heck, the PakIT might be the next addition to my stable.

It is so cool that there are folks still trying to make the world better, and make people like me happy at the same time, at what I think is a pretty affordable price. I’m very happy with this bike.

Last July 4th weekend I visited the factory and you were the only one there. You gave us a very nice tour and let me try some bikes.  When I returned to Eugene a week later before heading home to Pennsylvania, I got measured and tried some more bikes.  Then when home I ordered my new Pro & case. Peter Berra was very helpful in getting it sized perfectly.  There was a little problem with one item not as spec’d.  Tim Link took care of that and the bike is great. I’ve already taken it to Durango Colorado and assembled bike and trailer at airport then riding to my destination on dirt roads.  I‘ve ridden it with several fast roadie groups and I keep saying to my friends - ‘it rides just like a regular road bike.’ 
 
Thanks again for everything,
Gary

Full disclosure: I am a Bike Consultant for Bike Friday. Of the several Fridays that I own, my Pocket Rocket Pro is hands down the funnest Friday in the stable. It's lightweight, stiff, and nimble, and it can climb hills like nobody's business. My Pro and I have been on many memorable trips together, including exploring the Columbia River Gorge, circling the Crater Lake rim, and touring California Wine Country. If you're looking for a no-nonsense road bike that's sure to put a smile on your face every time you ride, you can't go wrong with the Pocket Rocket Pro!

The Pocket Rocket Super Pro has been my companion on so many levels that it has become part of my rhythm and direction.  I may not get a chance to ride every day but not a day goes by that I don’t say, “Thank you” for being there and if I can only find time to saddle up then we’ll make our move again.