IF Reach - The perfect commuter bike

[jerrysimon]

wrong bike then...

Yes I came across that the other day after all the talk on here about super powerful setups lol

PS If you notice he is on the flat and I think that is more about technique than power though.

PPS

At the same time I also came across this. Truly terrifying!

[video=youtube;A4VRhIQPrtg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4VRhIQPrtg&feature=related[/video]

Just watch what he overtakes!

Sorry to go off topic.

Regards

Jerry

 

[flecc]

If ever there was a misnamed e-bike, it has to be that one. Stealth? With that "tank" and colour!

 

[cwah]

Has cell_man at Emissions-Free confirmed he can do this then, complete with gearing, braking and freewheel facilities?


Also, I think that you can answer your own question to Jerry regarding comparative folding sizes. Why don't you find someone with a Brompton (plenty in London where you are based) and post a side by side photo of your bike (much rarer) so we can all see the difference.

He just confirmed he has 110mm dropout on the motor. But the remaining lenght may be too short to fit a single speed. I'm trying to see with him if the freewheel and spacers can be directly adjusted to 120 mm before he send it to me. Otherwise there is a risk that may not work..

I'm comparing to a brompton but I don't see that much difference. But it's maybe this little difference that allow a bike to fold under a table? I think I need to do it to understand.

 

[cwah]

Yes you can pretty much take the Brompton anywhere, but clearly you have two requirements :

1. A super powerful eassist bike with a rear motor that appears unassisted and can pull wheelies.

2. A bike that can fold small enough to go anywhere and fits under restaurant tables.

The Brompton meets point 2 fully (well may take up a chair space under the table) but in doing that mutually excludes point 1.

Good luck with your project. If you achieve 1 and 2 then patent it, sell it and make a fortune

Regards

Jerry

Jerry the bike you mentionned are everything except stealthy. It looks like a motorcycle lol.

So whenever you go to restaurant, there is always a space under the table for your Brompton? No need to put that on a cloakroom?

 

[flecc]

The travel editor of "The Independent" newspaper, Simon Calder, takes his Brompton to all foreign destinations as cabin luggage on planes. He puts it into the overhead lockers since it's so compact, and I can't imagine that being possible to do with other folding bikes I know of.

Here's Simon's web site

 

[eddieo]

Jerry the bike you mentioned are everything except stealthy. It looks like a motorcycle lol.

Because it looks like a motorbike probably the only reason he has not been nicked. Do you seriously think a small folder doing 30 miles an hour would be in anyway stealthy!lol

I would give you a week in London before getting nicked lol

 

[AndyOfTheSouth]

Lateral thinking is required if you need a motorbike which fits under restaurant tables.

Why not eat only only in places with enormous tables or with people who have very short legs?

Some eyebrows may be raised at this idea, but Toulouse-Lautrec would have been perfect, for example.

 

[cwah]

Guys,

I just found an enormous deal!! A second hand brompton for £270. It's a 2006 model and I soon as I've seen this deal I contacted the seller. He didn't have the chance to wait for other calls

Here's the bike:

It's quite old, but all I need is a good strong steel frame for my motor

 

[cwah]

Here are the folded size comparison:

As you can see, there is not that much difference between the size of the If Reach and the Brompton. However, the brompton is potentially small enough to be placed next to a seat in a restaurant.

I'll try that this weekend. Will see if it worth its reputation.. if it doesn't, I should be able to easily resell it.

 

[shemozzle999]

He just confirmed he has 110mm dropout on the motor. But the remaining lenght may be too short to fit a single speed. I'm trying to see with him if the freewheel and spacers can be directly adjusted to 120 mm before he send it to me. Otherwise there is a risk that may not work..

I'm comparing to a brompton but I don't see that much difference. But it's maybe this little difference that allow a bike to fold under a table? I think I need to do it to understand.

I agree you should be 100% sure that it solves your problem as I doubt you could return it or even find anyone to sell it onto in such a heavily modified state.

I see the comparision photographs.
The longer wheelbase and larger wheel diameter makes all the difference as you can see.
Years of design effort have gone into the Brompton's final fold and it has well earned it's worldwide reputation.
Can you think of anything that could be changed to make it smaller?

 

[cwah]

I think there are many smaller bike, but I'm not sure they are very convenient to cycle with...

I just checked the Brompton rear dropout, it's 110mm with 8.8 mm axle width...

I have the right dropout but the axle is too small... I'm not sure I'll be able to install a mac motor on it

 

[Cyclezee]

Lateral. Front to Back, Upside Down Thinking

OK CWAH,



Here's the deal,

1. Throw away the Brompton rear wheel, chain wheel, pedals, gears, bottom bracket etc., fit an eZee front motorised wheel at the back, hammer a piece of wood through the bottom bracket for footrests. Result = pocket rocket that will pull wheelies with no need (or posibility to) pedal.
2. How much for the IF Reach, cash waiting!

 

[Scottyf]

Its just easier to get a standard 250w Motor and then overvolt it for the speed you require while dropping the amp limit to stop it burning itself out.

Thats was always gonig to be the easiest option and you can run the 250w motors at a good 700w+ without issues.

 

[jerrysimon]

Wow took ages for you to decide on the IF Reach and you go out and buy a Brompton a week later!

I hope it was not me that has caused this indecision. Surely you could have gone out and found someone with a Brompton or if you had asked me I could have given the measurements.

What you will now find is that for some tasks/trips the Brompton will be better and for others the IF Reach. With folders its ALL about compromise. Why not convert both. Get a small front hub motor & battery for the Brompton. All this searching around you have done has been great, it has re-emphasied to me that the Brompton continues to suit my needs perfectly. I have to say though, as frustrating as your search has been to watch and your posts have been to read and contribute to, I too like the IF Reach and if I did not have the Brompton I would give it serious consideration.

That Brompton looks like it needs some serious TLC i.e. a complete strip down and rebuild.

PS its great to see the two bikes side by side. I have to disagree though, IMO the Brompton is much more compact when folded. That said I would guess the IF Reach is more comfortable for long (10 miles +) commutes.

Regards

Jerry

 

[shemozzle999]

PS its great to see the two bikes side by side. I have to disagree though, IMO the Brompton is much more compact when folded. That said I would guess the IF Reach is more comfortable for long (10 miles +) commutes.

Regards Jerry

You should have got them to buy you the Brooks B67 saddle for Christmas Jerry, I've been riding mine now for a couple of years now and was so impressed I got an "aged" one for my conventional Brompton as well.

I know it is the "grandad" version but for me the extra surface area and those springs are a treat for my poor old sit bones on a long trip.

I too, hope Cwah did not purchase the Brompton because of my replies, it was not my intention for him to do that.

 

[jerrysimon]

The B17 I got for Christmas is wearing in really well. Up to about 150 miles now

Regards

Jerry

 

[cwah]

No worries guys, it's not because of your comments that I purchased the Brompton. It was because of its reputation and it's supposed to be the best of class.

And I had a mega good deal at £270. All I need is the frame. I'm going to change most part anyway: gear, chainset, wheels, add a rear luggage rack and maybe even repaint it. Too bad the brompton part are so expensive because I need a rear rack with rollers..
Jerry, why do you think the Brompton need a complete rebuild? It seems ok even for its age, isn't it?

I'm thinking about buying a hacksaw and strip down the axle to the right size.. maybe a bit dangerous... but with solid bolts around it should work isn't it?

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Just a thought, Cwah. I was thinking about ways to achieve what you're after and came to the conclusion that it won't be easy on either bike using a conventional hub motor, so I was thinking about a Currie drive or something like that. Though not quite as quiet and reliable, I know some people got there's up to 30mph and about a KW, so that's one possible solution. Another could be to fit a central hub motor like I did on my Diamondback. it looks like there's just enough room in the IF Reach's frame to fit one. It would require: two frame clamps; two steel strips to hold the motor with dropouts in the middle; a freewheel crank from Cyclone - lightened and adapted to take your chain-wheel; a Cute motor with shortened axle and maybe the spoke flanges turned down. With such a system, it would give power all the time, regardless of speed of pedalling, so on the flat you should be able to reach 30mph with about 800w from the motor and 200 from you. Just to remind you here's my Heath Robinson mk1 (mk2 coming this summer) and a picture of the Cyclone crank (£75).

 

[cwah]

Dave, this solution is nice but much more complicated than just installing a hub motor. I think for a mid drive solution I'd go for a RC motor that would be light and fast. But not stealthy at all and quite loud. Maybe I'd do that later but for now I don't think I have the skill at all.

For now, I think I just need to get a hub motor and shave the dropout shoulder? I may also have a Mac motor with 110 mm dropout. Is liming a dropout shoulder to fix a single speed freewheel very difficult and need an engineer to do that? Maybe I could just use a lime and check if the freewheel fits?

 

[jerrysimon]

Jerry, why do you think the Brompton need a complete rebuild? It seems ok even for its age, isn't it?

I meant strip off all the parts back to the frame clean it and re-assemble as you stated.

I am sure the frame itself is fine, pne of the advantages of steel over aluminium

Regards

Jerry