Green Gear Cycling Bike Friday pakIT User Manual

Using Your Bike Friday®

Green Gear Cycling, Inc.

3364 W 11th Ave. Eugene, OR 97402
800-777-0258 USA & Canada
[phone] Int’l • [phone] Fax
www.bikefriday.com • [e-mail]

version 3/4/14

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Table of Contents

The story behind pakiT 4
The growth of pakiT 5
Anatomy of a Bike Friday pakit 6
Anatomy of a Bike Friday pakiT: Closeup 7
A Word on Safety / Your Tools 8
Congratulations / If You Need Help 9
Unpacking your pakiT 10
Assembly: Connect Frame 11
Remove Fork / Frame Spreaders 11
Install Rear Wheel 11
Install Front Wheel Quick Release 12
Easy Pack Mast 12
Using a Quick Release 13-14
Assembly: Reconnect Linear Pull / V-Brake 15
Adding Brake Cable Slack 16
Stem Safety Check 16
Mount the Stem Riser 17
Double Check Steering 17
Install Pedals 18
Double Check Your Bike Friday 19
Adjusting your pakiT: Frame Size 20
Saddle Height 20
Handlebar Height 21-22
Quill Stem Handlebars 22
Main Frame: Archer Technique 23-24
Main Frame: Gravity Technique 24-25
Main Frame: Two-Person Technique 25-26
Adjusting Headset 26-29
Packing in TravelCase: 30
Remove Accessories 30
Remove Pedals 30
Separate Main Frame 30
Remove Seatmast / Seatpost 31
Open Front and Rear Brake 31
Remove Front Wheel 32
Remove Rear Wheel 32
Install Fork Spreader 32

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Table of Contents

Install Rear Wheel Dropout Spreader 32
Handlebars 33
Placing pakiT into TravelCase 34-36

Accessories: Travel Trailer Parts and Assembly 37-39
Dual Drive Hub Information 40
Bike Friday Service Overhauls 40
Bike Friday Service 41
More Maintenance Tips and Information 42-44
Airport and Travel Tips 45
Warranty Information 46-47

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The story behind pakiT

A Bike Friday pakiT on tour
in Europe.

A note from Bike Friday Co-Founder Alan Scholz:

Thank you for purchasing our Bike Friday PakiT. Your bike is
an example of the wonderful empowering relationships we
have with our customers.

Why we created the pakiT

More and more people are living busy lives in the city, stuck
inside buildings, trains, buses, cars and airplanes for 95% of

each day. We wanted to build a bike that clearly ts a busy

city lifestyle, while offering people more joy and health
with a super-convenient design that allows a bike to always
be with them wherever they are.

We believe people are happier and healthier when they
are free to roam under their own power, and do it daily.
The right bike is what makes this possible. For 21st century
city life, the bike needs to easily travel, be compact, light
enough to carry, sized to t the rider, and have a high qual­ity ride. The pakiT, equipped with all of these traits, will
truly liberate a busy person in the urban jungle.

I hope you enjoy your ride,
Alan Scholz

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The growth of pakiT

We have found the limitations of most folding bikes are:

• Heavy - Hard to take up stairs, into buildings, onto pub­lic transit.

• Have Greasy Chains - Hard to keep nice clothes clean.

• Come in Only 1 Size - Doesn’t t most people well for
regular riding.

• Few Gear Options - Hard to ride on hills or at a fast
pace.

• Proprietary Components - Makes customizing impossible
or costly.

The pakiT bike is a breakthrough that addresses
each of these areas:

• Light - Easily carried with a single arm, or in the back­pack.

• Belt Driven - Grease free, maintenance free, lasts lon­ger than a chain.

• Come in Multiple Sizes - Fits a wide range of riders from
54” to 76”.

• Many Gear Options - Great for whatever style of riding
you prefer!

• Standard Industry Components - Easy to upgrade & cus­tomize.

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Anatomy of a pakiT

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Anatomy of a pakiT: Closeups

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Welcome to the Community

Congratulations!

You have just purchased the nest travel bicycle available

today. Your bike has been carefully designed and con­structed for your personal travel needs. All of our bikes are
manufactured in our Eugene, Oregon factory by real
cyclists who care about our customers and our products.

Please take your time reviewing this manual before you

assemble your new Bike Friday. You will nd your new

bicycle to be simple and reliable anywhere you go!

If You Need Help . . .

If you need technical assistance with any Green Gear®
Cycling product, or are unclear on the proper operation of
your Bike Friday, please call us and a Service Technician
will help you get back on the road. Our toll-free number in
the US and Canada is 800-777-0258; international is +1-541­687-0487. Normal business hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays,

Pacic Time. You can also email service questions to

[e-mail].
Because we understand the needs of world travelers, we

offer 24-hour technical support in emergencies. If necessary,
please call our regular number and our answering service
can forward you to a Service Technician on call.

Extra Accessories

We also sell an extensive line of bicycle and travel
accessories. Whether you are riding the local back roads
or venturing into foreign lands we have the gear you need.
Call us for information on spare tires, tubes, replacement
parts, fenders, racks, bags, or other items to complete your
Travel System. You can purchase these products from our
online store: www.store.bikefriday.com

More Information

To check out our products, nd other useful information,

discover Bike Friday events and Yak with other Bike Friday
owners on the bulletin board, go to our main website at:

www.bikefriday.com

Blue skies and happy trails from Green Gear Cycling

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A Word on Safety

Bicycles are a lot of fun, but improper use can result in
harm. Please, always ride safely!

• Always wear a helmet.

• Follow the rules of the road, and be courteous.

• Use front and rear lights after dark.

• Dress appropriately for the weather, the season, and
lighting conditions. Be seen!

• Always carry a spare tube, patch kit, pump and a tool
kit.

• Keep your bicycle in good shape.

• Check your tire pressure before every ride.

• Make sure all quick releases are secure.

• Have your bicycle routinely serviced for trouble-free
travels.

Your Tools

All Bike Friday bicycles are delivered with a com­bination 5/6mm S-wrench [right] that is attached
to your water bottle cage. This wrench should
get your new bike on the road (along with your
own pedal wrench). Leave it in your bottle cage
so that you always have it handy.

All bikes ordered with
a TravelCase™ suitcase
also come with a tool
pouch [right]. In the

tool pouch you will nd

some cotton gloves to
keep your hands clean,
a folding tool set, and
a 4mm ball-end driver.

We also sell more
extensive tool kits for
home repair work. We
encourage you to learn
how to work on your
own bike. If you are not
familiar with bicycle maintenance, consider taking a local

class. It will improve your condence and self-sufciency as

you venture across the globe.

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Unpacking your pakiT

Unpacking Your PakiT From a Box or TravelCase

Opening your box or TravelCase may present an intimidat­ing sight, particularly if you ordered many accessories.

Do not worry; we work hard to keep our products as

simple as possible. We recommend nding a quiet area

and some room to spread out.
This manual will address the fundamentals of packing,

assembly and adjusting techniques. However, because
your bicycle was built for you, you might discover that
your bike was packed at the factory slightly different than
the one in this manual.

You do not, however, have to repack your bike in exactly

the same fashion as this manual suggests. You may nd a

better way of stowing your accessories and we encourage
you to experiment.

Your PakiT should only require minimal assembly. It will
take approximately 15-45 minutes and require a basic
level of technical skill.

You will need a 5/6mm hex wrench (included), a 15mm
open wrench (or pedal wrench) and a pair of scissors (or
better yet wire cutters, snips or diagonal cutters) to cut
zip ties.

Take care not to damage the frame while cutting zip ties.
[Note: Depending on the components you have purchased

with your Bike Friday, your specic model may require

other tools for adjustments.]

Temp pic!

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Assembling your pakiT

Open the box or TravelCase and remove the bike from the
container. Remove the bubble wrap or felt covers and lay
the disassembled bike out on front of you.

Connect Front and Rear Frame Sections

With a hand holding the front and rear sections respec­tively, insert the front (male) section into the rear
(female) section of the main frame. Ensure that the snap
/ spring button slips into one of the 4 holes.

Remove Fork/Frame Spreaders

The PVC tubing in between your
fork legs and rear dropouts are
intended to help prevent damage
when traveling. They are held in
place with wheel quick release
skewers. Open the quick release,
unthread the knurled nut, and
put the spreaders in the tool
pouch for future use.

Fig. 1 Fork speader.

Fig. 2 Grasp Derailleur body. Fig. 3 Fasten quick release.

Install the Rear Wheel

Release (spread open) the rear brake and make sure you
are in the highest gear (largest #) on the right side (rear)
shifter. [SEE PAGE 12 FOR BRAKE RELEASE OPERATION] To
install the rear wheel, grasp the derailleur body and pivot
it backward to make it easier to insert the wheel into the
dropouts. When putting the rear wheel into the dropout,
align the chain with the smallest cog of the cassette.
Fasten the rear quick release skewer (or rear axle bolts on
a Dual Drive hub).

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Assembling your pakiT

Install Front Wheel QR

Open the front brake release,
then position the front wheel
making certain that the wheel
axle is fully seated in the front
dropouts.

Now install the quick release
from the fork spreader on the
front wheel. Make certain that

Fig. 4 Front Wheel QR.

Mechanic’s Tip: If you are ever unsure of the proper
direction of the front tire, looking down at the tire,
the tread should be oriented so that it is pointing for­ward. Often the tread is in a arrow-ish pattern and this
makes it easy to point it in the forward direction. The
quick release levers, front and back are to be placed on
the non-drive side of the bicycle.

there is one spring per side of
the hub axle and that the small
end of the spring is pointing
toward the center of the hub.
Loosely thread on the knurled
nut for now.

Easy Pack Mast
The PakiT bicycle models have a seat­mast that telescopes out of the lower
seat tube. Install the seatmast into the
seat tube. Note the minimum insertion
mark etched at 4” from the bottom on
the mast. This is the minimum amount
of the mast that must be inserted (over­lapped) in the frame. Tighten the bolt
on the seatmast clamping collar.

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Fig. 5 Insert
seatmast.

Using a Quick Release

Using Those Nifty Quick Releases

On a cold and snowy day in the 1927 Gran Premio della
Vittoria, a tired and numb Tullio Campagnolo struggled
with the frozen wing nuts on his rear wheel while trying to
change gears. In a moment of frustration and inspiration
Campagnolo envisioned the modern quick release. The
bicycle world was transformed.

The quick release is one of those simple but great inventions
that really makes life better. However, if used incorrectly,
you can potentially endanger yourself. Although a reliable
and safe product, some people have been injured because
they didn’t know how to properly use this elegant device.
Your Bike Friday PakiT has several of them. If you are not
familiar with their operation, PLEASE study these directions
carefully. If you are still unclear on their operation, call us or
contact your favorite local bike shop before you ride!

Quick Release Operation

A quick release is a simple cam with a lever that swings
through an arc that is square to the axle. As the lever moves,
the cam clamps the wheel to the frame, or secures the frame
joint. It is not a wing nut to be rotated around the axle.

The tension on the quick release is controlled by how tight
the knurled nut on the other end is set. Only wheel quick
releases have the small cone-shaped springs. Note that the
small ends of the springs face toward the center of the hub.

Quick Release Maintenance

We recommend adding a few drops of light oil to the lever
where it enters the cap several times per year. This will
keep your quick release working smoothly for years.

(Loose)

Knurled Nut

(adjust tightness here)

Springs

Open

Cam

Close

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(Starts getting

tight here)

QR Lever

(Stiff)

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Using a Quick Release

Adjust Knurled Nut

With the wheel installed
and the axle properly
seated in the frame (or
the frame joint closed),
position the quick release
lever so that it is in line
with the axle. Then turn
the knurled nut on the
other side clockwise until
it is snug. When the quick
release is properly adjusted, you should be able to freely

swing the quick release lever for the rst half of its arc, at

which point the lever should offer resistance.

Continue Closing QR

Using the palm of your
hand press the quick
release lever through the
rest of its arc until the
lever is closed and parallel
to the wheel. You should

feel very rm resistance

when the quick release
is properly adjusted (the
lever may even leave a
light imprint in the palm of your hand).

Fig. 6 Quick release operation.

Fig. 7 Setting quick release tightness.

Double-Check!

Ideally, the quick release
lever should be facing
the rear, or upward.
Levers that are facing
forward can catch on any
number of things and be
accidentally opened.

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Fig. 8 Closed QR points toward rear.

Assembling your pakiT

NOODLE
CARRIER

Fig. 9 V-brake open.

Fig. 10 Grab the noodle carrier.

NOODLE

Reconnect Linear Pull
Brakes / V-Brakes

To close the V-brake to the
riding position, while fac­ing the brake, with your

left hand (index nger and

thumb), grab the noodle
carrier and with your right
hand grab the noodle and
slip the noodle tip into the
slot on the noodle carrier.

If you cannot get enough
“slack” to put the noodle
tip into the noodle holder,
then the brake cable may
need to be loosened a
bit. See the next step for
instructions to add some
slack to the cable. Repeat
this procedure on the rear
brake.

Fig. 11 Slip noodle into slot.

Fig. 12 V-brake closed.

Mechanic’s Tip: Sometimes
the cable housing can come
unseated either where it
enters the noodle or where
the housing enters the
brake lever barrel adjuster.
If the housing is unseated,
it will not be possible
insert the noodle tip into
the noodle holder. In fact,
it will make the process
quite frustrating; make
sure the housing is properly
seated at both ends.

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