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[0](https://bikeridingtales.squarespace.com/cart) [Skip to Content](https://bikeridingtales.squarespace.com/blog/2017/1/1/how-i-met-the-birdy-matte-black-zfjs8#page) [](https://bikeridingtales.squarespace.com/) [Blog](https://bikeridingtales.squarespace.com/) [Guides](https://bikeridingtales.squarespace.com/blog/category/Guides) [Reviews](https://bikeridingtales.squarespace.com/blog/category/Reviews) [Subscribe](https://bikeridingtales.squarespace.com/subscribe-1) Open Menu Close Menu [](https://bikeridingtales.squarespace.com/) [Blog](https://bikeridingtales.squarespace.com/) [Guides](https://bikeridingtales.squarespace.com/blog/category/Guides) [Reviews](https://bikeridingtales.squarespace.com/blog/category/Reviews) [Subscribe](https://bikeridingtales.squarespace.com/subscribe-1) Open Menu Close Menu [Blog](https://bikeridingtales.squarespace.com/) [Guides](https://bikeridingtales.squarespace.com/blog/category/Guides) [Reviews](https://bikeridingtales.squarespace.com/blog/category/Reviews) [Subscribe](https://bikeridingtales.squarespace.com/subscribe-1) # How I met the Birdy: Matte Black [Reviews](https://bikeridingtales.squarespace.com/blog/category/Reviews)[Journal](https://bikeridingtales.squarespace.com/blog/category/Journal) Jan 2 Written By [Nadiah Abdul Aziz](https://bikeridingtales.squarespace.com/?author=5860b1ec579fb36de66efc0d) ## Rediscovering Cycling I cycled as a child growing up in my hometown of Bandar Baru Bangi, in Selangor, Malaysia - then a quiet university township with very little traffic and plenty of secondary forest; heaven for kids who liked the outdoors. I can’t remember much about the single speed bike purchased by my financially prudent late father, beyond having bright blue rubber handlebar grips, and a matching saddle. It was nothing fancy compared to my best friends’ mountain bikes and road bikes, but it served me well enough for our escapades around the neighbourhood, and the occasional jaunts off road through the shrubbery to get to the other side of town.  Bike crash buddies, circa 1988. Cycling was ever present throughout my growing years, part of our daily fun after school or over the weekend. I remember full well my mother’s panic when she realised that her daughter and friends had cycled to the fairly sketchy industrial area several kilometres away from home completely unchaperoned, on the day the chocolate factory was having a closing down sale. I also remember riding side-saddle with one of my best friends, crashing into the loose asphalt at full speed while turning a corner at the bottom of a hill, scraping the skin clear off my left shoulder. Puberty hit and cycling faded into the background quietly throughout my teenage years. You could say my return to cycling was somewhat accidental, brought on by my successful campaign to get Eka to excavate his mountain bike out of storage at his mom’s house, where it had been quietly gathering dust for ten years. Once we made the decision to switch from hiking to cycling, a folding bike each was what we agreed upon. It could have been nostalgia for my childhood, or a need to escape from the realities of adult life, or just a desire to be outdoors. Either way, we were both sucked in. ## Finding the right folding bike The next step was to find the right bike. Back problems not withstanding, I knew from the start that comfort would be my main issue, which meant my riding position was of ultimate importance. My second issue was the price of the bike itself, since I didn’t want to have to shell out for something that I did not realise then, would be a long-term investment.  The first folding bike I tried was an [Ori](http://www.oribikes.com/ori/products/detial.php?M=0&cID=1&Key=2), which is also sold under the name Mezzo in Europe. It was a clever thing, folding down to a neat little package within seconds, making it the ultimate commuting bike. I’ll anger many Brompton fans for saying so, but judging by how much easier and quicker the Ori folds, I stand by that statement. The only catch with the Ori, was that it felt fairly twitchy due to the design of the handlebar stem, and it cost a pretty penny. Once I realised that finding a bike to match my requirements would not be easy, I did months and months of research, narrowing the search down to several choices: 1. [Tern Link](http://www.ternbicycles.com/my/bikes/470) 2. [Montague Crosstown](https://www.montaguebikes.com/product/crosstown/) 3. [Montague Paratrooper](https://www.montaguebikes.com/product/paratrooper/)  I was enamoured with the handsome and solid Paratrooper, but sadly crossed it off the shortlist after admitting to myself that I would not be doing much cycling off road. It was a folding MTB after all, and while I enjoy hiking, it became too much of a hassle because it was very location dependent. Road or urban cycling would have to be the priority, with the capacity to handle long rides. I never considered the [Birdy](http://www.pacific-cycles.com/Birdy), [Brompton](http://www.brompton.com/) or [Tyrell](http://www.tyrellbike.com/), since they were out of my self-imposed price range. On the day I’d made up my mind to make the purchase, we drove to [Van’s Urban Bicycle](https://www.facebook.com/pg/VansUrbanBicycleCo/about/?tab=overview) with Eka’s newly bought Birdy 3 in the trunk. Still plagued by indecision, I vowed to give the Tern Link and Montague Crosstown one last test ride, although I was leaning more towards the Crosstown, since it was a full sized foldie with 700c wheels. At this point, I was willing to put aside the fact that the bike could not be wheeled when folded - not easily anyway. ## Hello, Birdy. As fate would have it, there were a number of obstacles in the backyard of the shop on the day. I soon realised that one advantage of the smaller frame foldies, was the better responsiveness in tight corners, which was great for city rides. However, I wasn’t completely sold on the Tern, and the staff convinced me to try the Brompton and the Tyrell, both brands they had in stock. I ruled out the Tyrell since the reach felt a bit too long for me, and the price was fairly steep. Next came the Brompton, surprisingly comfortable to ride, although I wasn’t a big fan of the limited gearing, or the more upright riding position. The staff then suggested I take out my husband’s Birdy from the car, and take it for a test ride to compare. Ironically, this helped convince me that the Birdy was what I’d been looking for all this while, with a good wheel base length and clever suspension system, and decent gear ratios. The fold was not as compact as the Ori or the Brompton, but was still fairly small without stress points like hinges on the frame. I wasn’t too happy about the price, but once the bike ticked all the right boxes, I couldn't deny that I had a clear choice.  My virgin birdy, picked up in January 2016. From the day I put in my order, it would be two more months before my [9-speed Birdy 3](http://www.pacific-cycles.com/Product/Birdy/NEW%20BIRDY%20Standard%209%20Speed) would reach Malaysian shores, but I was confident that I’d made the right choice. The foldie saw a number of upgrades since then, namely the saddle, pedals, front stem, handlebars, gear set, wheel set, and I also installed a modified rear rack. It racked up quite a bit of mileage locally and internationally, and took me on a tour across Japan’s remote Noto Peninsula, our first ever cycling tour abroad. UPDATE: Sadly the Birdy was sold off during the pandemic, upon realising eka and I had amassed an alarming number of bikes in an apartment that was fast running out of space. In addition to the Birdy, we also had a Reach folding bike (also sold off during the pandemic), a Change 700c foldie (currently on an expired loan with a friend who has gone MIA), a Ritchey Outback Break-Away (each). My custom steel Fezz Cycles bicycle fitted with S\&S couplers and another Fezz with the Ritchey Break-Away system were the final additions to my personal fleet, and we inevitably had to face the tough decision of selling off some bikes. Do I regret the money spent on folding bikes? Absolutely not. It was part of my cycling journey after all. My foldies were part of my reintroduction to cycling after a long hiatus, and were crucial in rediscovering my love for it. But in life we adapt and we change as the years go by, and the same can be said for cycling too. How I cycle has changed, and so did my preference for a bicycle. A dog chase in the dark mountains of Alhama de Granada while touring in Spain would ultimately be the catalyst that changed my perspective on foldies. You can read all about it in our Andalucia Tour part 1. I now split my time between my steel Ritchey Outback Break-Away, custom steel Fezz Cycles all road tourer, and custom Fezz steel heavy tourer. The merits of foldies vs full sized bikes will forever be debated, but for me, it all depends on the individual’s lifestyle and cycling style. I will unashamedly admit that I love both equally, I just don’t have enough time or space to own both. I may eventually purchase a small wheel foldie again, who knows\! [cycling](https://bikeridingtales.squarespace.com/blog/tag/cycling)[birdy](https://bikeridingtales.squarespace.com/blog/tag/birdy) [![]() Nadiah Abdul Aziz](https://bikeridingtales.squarespace.com/?author=5860b1ec579fb36de66efc0d) [Previous Previous Graphite Birdy Folding Bike Long Term Review](https://bikeridingtales.squarespace.com/blog/2016/12/29/birdy-long-term-review-fpmfh) [Next Next How I met the Birdy: Graphite](https://bikeridingtales.squarespace.com/blog/2016/12/29/how-i-met-the-birdy-graphite-m5clw) ### [Home](https://bikeridingtales.squarespace.com/home) [Blog](https://bikeridingtales.squarespace.com/blog) ### [Contact](https://bikeridingtales.squarespace.com/contact) [Subscrib](https://bikeridingtales.squarespace.com/subscribe-1)e Powered by [Squarespace](http://www.squarespace.com/?channel=word_of_mouth&subchannel=customer&source=footer&campaign=4fd1028ee4b02be53c65dfb3)

## Rediscovering Cycling I cycled as a child growing up in my hometown of Bandar Baru Bangi, in Selangor, Malaysia - then a quiet university township with very little traffic and plenty of secondary forest; heaven for kids who liked the outdoors. I can’t remember much about the single speed bike purchased by my financially prudent late father, beyond having bright blue rubber handlebar grips, and a matching saddle. It was nothing fancy compared to my best friends’ mountain bikes and road bikes, but it served me well enough for our escapades around the neighbourhood, and the occasional jaunts off road through the shrubbery to get to the other side of town.  Bike crash buddies, circa 1988. Cycling was ever present throughout my growing years, part of our daily fun after school or over the weekend. I remember full well my mother’s panic when she realised that her daughter and friends had cycled to the fairly sketchy industrial area several kilometres away from home completely unchaperoned, on the day the chocolate factory was having a closing down sale. I also remember riding side-saddle with one of my best friends, crashing into the loose asphalt at full speed while turning a corner at the bottom of a hill, scraping the skin clear off my left shoulder. Puberty hit and cycling faded into the background quietly throughout my teenage years. You could say my return to cycling was somewhat accidental, brought on by my successful campaign to get Eka to excavate his mountain bike out of storage at his mom’s house, where it had been quietly gathering dust for ten years. Once we made the decision to switch from hiking to cycling, a folding bike each was what we agreed upon. It could have been nostalgia for my childhood, or a need to escape from the realities of adult life, or just a desire to be outdoors. Either way, we were both sucked in. ## Finding the right folding bike The next step was to find the right bike. Back problems not withstanding, I knew from the start that comfort would be my main issue, which meant my riding position was of ultimate importance. My second issue was the price of the bike itself, since I didn’t want to have to shell out for something that I did not realise then, would be a long-term investment.  The first folding bike I tried was an [Ori](http://www.oribikes.com/ori/products/detial.php?M=0&cID=1&Key=2), which is also sold under the name Mezzo in Europe. It was a clever thing, folding down to a neat little package within seconds, making it the ultimate commuting bike. I’ll anger many Brompton fans for saying so, but judging by how much easier and quicker the Ori folds, I stand by that statement. The only catch with the Ori, was that it felt fairly twitchy due to the design of the handlebar stem, and it cost a pretty penny. Once I realised that finding a bike to match my requirements would not be easy, I did months and months of research, narrowing the search down to several choices: 1. [Tern Link](http://www.ternbicycles.com/my/bikes/470) 2. [Montague Crosstown](https://www.montaguebikes.com/product/crosstown/) 3. [Montague Paratrooper](https://www.montaguebikes.com/product/paratrooper/)  I was enamoured with the handsome and solid Paratrooper, but sadly crossed it off the shortlist after admitting to myself that I would not be doing much cycling off road. It was a folding MTB after all, and while I enjoy hiking, it became too much of a hassle because it was very location dependent. Road or urban cycling would have to be the priority, with the capacity to handle long rides. I never considered the [Birdy](http://www.pacific-cycles.com/Birdy), [Brompton](http://www.brompton.com/) or [Tyrell](http://www.tyrellbike.com/), since they were out of my self-imposed price range. On the day I’d made up my mind to make the purchase, we drove to [Van’s Urban Bicycle](https://www.facebook.com/pg/VansUrbanBicycleCo/about/?tab=overview) with Eka’s newly bought Birdy 3 in the trunk. Still plagued by indecision, I vowed to give the Tern Link and Montague Crosstown one last test ride, although I was leaning more towards the Crosstown, since it was a full sized foldie with 700c wheels. At this point, I was willing to put aside the fact that the bike could not be wheeled when folded - not easily anyway. ## Hello, Birdy. As fate would have it, there were a number of obstacles in the backyard of the shop on the day. I soon realised that one advantage of the smaller frame foldies, was the better responsiveness in tight corners, which was great for city rides. However, I wasn’t completely sold on the Tern, and the staff convinced me to try the Brompton and the Tyrell, both brands they had in stock. I ruled out the Tyrell since the reach felt a bit too long for me, and the price was fairly steep. Next came the Brompton, surprisingly comfortable to ride, although I wasn’t a big fan of the limited gearing, or the more upright riding position. The staff then suggested I take out my husband’s Birdy from the car, and take it for a test ride to compare. Ironically, this helped convince me that the Birdy was what I’d been looking for all this while, with a good wheel base length and clever suspension system, and decent gear ratios. The fold was not as compact as the Ori or the Brompton, but was still fairly small without stress points like hinges on the frame. I wasn’t too happy about the price, but once the bike ticked all the right boxes, I couldn't deny that I had a clear choice.  My virgin birdy, picked up in January 2016. From the day I put in my order, it would be two more months before my [9-speed Birdy 3](http://www.pacific-cycles.com/Product/Birdy/NEW%20BIRDY%20Standard%209%20Speed) would reach Malaysian shores, but I was confident that I’d made the right choice. The foldie saw a number of upgrades since then, namely the saddle, pedals, front stem, handlebars, gear set, wheel set, and I also installed a modified rear rack. It racked up quite a bit of mileage locally and internationally, and took me on a tour across Japan’s remote Noto Peninsula, our first ever cycling tour abroad. UPDATE: Sadly the Birdy was sold off during the pandemic, upon realising eka and I had amassed an alarming number of bikes in an apartment that was fast running out of space. In addition to the Birdy, we also had a Reach folding bike (also sold off during the pandemic), a Change 700c foldie (currently on an expired loan with a friend who has gone MIA), a Ritchey Outback Break-Away (each). My custom steel Fezz Cycles bicycle fitted with S\&S couplers and another Fezz with the Ritchey Break-Away system were the final additions to my personal fleet, and we inevitably had to face the tough decision of selling off some bikes. Do I regret the money spent on folding bikes? Absolutely not. It was part of my cycling journey after all. My foldies were part of my reintroduction to cycling after a long hiatus, and were crucial in rediscovering my love for it. But in life we adapt and we change as the years go by, and the same can be said for cycling too. How I cycle has changed, and so did my preference for a bicycle. A dog chase in the dark mountains of Alhama de Granada while touring in Spain would ultimately be the catalyst that changed my perspective on foldies. You can read all about it in our Andalucia Tour part 1. I now split my time between my steel Ritchey Outback Break-Away, custom steel Fezz Cycles all road tourer, and custom Fezz steel heavy tourer. The merits of foldies vs full sized bikes will forever be debated, but for me, it all depends on the individual’s lifestyle and cycling style. I will unashamedly admit that I love both equally, I just don’t have enough time or space to own both. I may eventually purchase a small wheel foldie again, who knows\!