R & M Birdy wheels question

[PT1029]

I have been asked to move on/dispose of some bike parts. This includes a Reise and Muller Birdy which is definately a spares or project case (worn transmission/rings/wheel rims 18 X 1.75", missing spacers on the seat QR skewer + missing seat post). To guage how to move it on (price if nothing else), does anyone know if replacement 18" wheels are easily got. All I can find on line is £85 for a used front wheel, and silly prices for carbon fibre exotica. A link to this forum also came up, with a link to a Genman shop, but the site did't list specific bits.

With the transmission costs/seat post etc, value isn't looking much!
It is an older version (round tubes, not the slick hydroformed tubes of more recent models).

[LWaB]

Rear rims aren’t too difficult to get but front rims (low spoke count) are rare. Ditto front hubs.

I had to make some replacement seatpost QR spacers on a similar vintage Birdy. Not available off the shelf.

Suitable chainrings are cheaper now than when the bike was new.

[PT1029]

Thanks. Useful (if annoying!) to know the seat QR spacers are not available separately.
I did a differently worded search later.
I didn't find any rims as such.
SJS have 20 hole rims £5.99 (but the front wheel I have is 24 hole) https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/rims-tape/b ... r-20-hole/ - spec says 355 ETRTO but furher down 371 ETRTO rim dia, - 371 doesn't exist as far as I know, not on Sheldon Brown's chart.
Also some "jumior" rear 18 X 1.75 wheels, from non specialist retailers (ie junior bike market rather than fancy Birdy market) - ETRTO not specified, assuming the correct 18", build the rim onto a decent hub.

The rims and the missing seat post may well be the cost killer for restoring this bike (the transmission spares needed are lurking in the other box of bits), so probably best sell the bike for spares.

[thirdcrank]

I appreciate you are asking about wheels, but I think the biggy from your list of missing parts is the seat post for which there is (AFAIK) no alternative to the genuine article
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PS I used to have a Birdy Elox - arguably the flagship of the original range. The Birdy frame was innovative but the majority of the parts were standard: Shimano XT on the Elox (Other models had different drivetrains eg IIRC the Birdy Blue had SRAM 3 x 6) The low spoke count in the front wheel was achieved by skipping alternate spokes in the otherwise standard components. The seat post was titanium and AFAIK unique to the Birdy range. Bearing in mind that the seat post was secured with a quick release collar, it was vulnerable to theft. Although I rarely left my Birdy anywhere, I used to have a lightweight cable securing the saddle + seatpost to the frame

[PT1029]

There seem to be some seat posts advertised on line (correct length/diameter, about £70, https://fudgescyclesonline.com/product/ ... 9_x_565_mm).
The only QR/clamp parts on line seem to be for later designs/models, so it might be DIY shims (as per LWaB's post upthread) for someone if they do it up.

[thirdcrank]

Back to your wheels query, I'm confident my Birdy had standard XT quick release hubs. The front had radial spoking, with only alternate spokes fitted. As originally supplied the rear was fitted with an XT cassette with a 28T large sprocket. My memory is now weak on some details but in those days XT was the second level mountain bike group. I particularly remember the gearing because with the 56T single chainwheel and 18 inch wheels my mental arithmetic brought up a 36 inch gear. It was only more recently that I learned the meaning of ERTRO wheel sizing.

The main point here IMO is that those wheels were standard bike kit but with 18" rims. In those days there was nothing to suggest that that size of rim was odd, other than being obviously small - if that makes sense.

I'd summarise this by saying that I believe that first generation of Birdys had the innovative frame largely fitted with standard components. The most significant non-standard component was the titanium seat post.

[PT1029]

Thanks. It is more the 18" rims, standard hubs can fit (the box of bits has some new Shimano Capreo rear hubs in it (made for small wheel bikes, cassette down to 9t) I need to double check the spoke hole count on the new hubs (32 hole I think), also a Capreo 9s cassette as well.

[LWaB]

The Birdy front hub has a very narrow flange spacing (to provide clearance when folded) with long axle spacers to bring the OLN back up to the standard 100mm.

Replacement Capreo cassettes are in short supply. Moulton has some Sunrace Capreo-compatible cassettes.

[JohnR]

If looking for Birdy parts then it might be worthwhile asking Kinetics https://www.kinetics-online.co.uk/.

[thirdcrank]

What colour is this frame? That will identify which model it is (assuming, of course that it has not been resprayed.)

[cycle tramp]

I have been asked to move on/dispose of some bike parts. This includes a Reise and Muller Birdy which is definately a spares or project case (worn transmission/rings/wheel rims 18 X 1.75", missing spacers on the seat QR skewer + missing seat post). To guage how to move it on (price if nothing else), does anyone know if replacement 18" wheels are easily got. All I can find on line is £85 for a used front wheel, and silly prices for carbon fibre exotica. A link to this forum also came up, with a link to a Genman shop, but the site did't list specific bits.

With the transmission costs/seat post etc, value isn't looking much!
It is an older version (round tubes, not the slick hydroformed tubes of more recent models).

Way back when the mk1 birdys came out 'The folder' magazine, which went on to become a to b, ran an article in which a birdy had its 18 inch wheel rims swapped for brompton 26 inch wheel rims - the writer of the article advised that the ride quality had not been affected and that they now had more tyre choices.

[thirdcrank]

IIRC the 18" Birdy rims and original tyres were the standard size for a "stroller" children's push chair. The only tyres available AFAIK had a maximum pressure of 40psi. Quite soon after I bought mine, Schwalbe introduced a version of their Marathon to fit the Birdy with a max pressure of 80psi.

[PT1029]

What colour is this frame? That will identify which model it is (assuming, of course that it has not been resprayed.)

It is a red one (not resprayed, has transfers on), which in my book says original/early version. It has round tubes, not the hydroformed tubes seen on current versions.

[thirdcrank]

[thirdcrank]

I have found an image online of a Birdy Red, but I have failed miserably to post it

Or I thought that was the case. I see I have posted it