The second in a series in which owners tell us about their Bike Fridays
I first bought a Friday in mid 1996 - a NWT with Sachs 3 x 7 gearing. Although this has given sterling service and has been a nice bike to ride, I have found it difficult to get very enthusiastic about it, and I originally found folding and bagging it for train travel a chore. The folding and bagging problem was largely overcome with the acquisition of one of the A to B covers (see page 4), and at that point I began to toy with the idea of a Pocket Rocket - principally because it would be a bit lighter, and advantage both when riding and carrying the bike. I was still mulling over the idea when I heard that Graham McDermott was selling his Rocket, and at a price which persuaded me to buy it without delay.
Buying second had means you don’t necessarily get the colour you want, nor the precise componentry you would specify, and of course the bike may not fit as well as one custom built for you (and of course you don’t get a nameplate either!). In practice none of these factors were a real problem. Graham’s bike was less than a year old, with a very low mileage and in superb condition. The Midnight Blue paintwork looks great on the bike, and the Campag components (Shimano 105 brakes), though they would not have been my choice, suit the bike both in terms of appearance and performance. Although the stem is rather high and a bit too long in reach, its acceptable, and in fact I switched the stems of the NWT (originally fitted with dropped bars, but now fitted with flat ones) and the Rocket with beneficial results for both bikes - fortunately they turned out to be interchangeable, though I gather this may not always be the case between different models of Bike Friday. The Pocket Rocket has exceeded all my expectations. It is the most exhilarating bicycle to ride that I have ever owned. If, for example, I find myself labouring on a hill, if I put in a bit more effort it seems to give me a lot more back. It’s a really fun machine. What puzzles me is how different in character it is from my NWT. The only visible differences are the straight forks, the different stems (which I’ve swapped anyway), the larger 451 wheels and IRC tyres (the NWT has City Jet tyres, which are a good road tyre), and the gearing. The Rocket has a more limited range of gears, and in particular the bottom gear is about 10 inches higher, but it only feels to lack one gear at the bottom of the range compared with the NWT, although in fact numerically it corresponds to more like 3.
I suppose for heavy touring I might still favour the NWT with the extra gears (and also the lugs for the front carrier, which are not on my Rocket), but otherwise the Rocket is my bike of choice for almost anything. If you have been tempted by a Pocket Rocket, but are still hesitating, go for it - you won’t be disappointed.
Mike Hessey
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Last updated: 7 March 1999
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