First off, the ride quality impressed me from the moment I tested the bike, and is the reason I decided to get it. The Joey is stiff, fast, responsive, and feels like a regular size bike in all the good ways, with the added benefit of 24" wheels which really do accelerate faster (but also loose speed faster?). Compared to the NWT, the Joey performs quite well, although the ride on the NWT feels a bit more comfortable, perhaps because of the steel frame, or the awesome geometry. Both bikes are fine for long rides, in my opinion, as both are fast, comfy and efficient.
My only problems have been with my Shimano Nexus 8 hub, which in spite of being the primo red band model, has been given to some skipping and sticking, although this is slight and may just be the gears "breaking in". if this continues I will definitely make good on the warranty for this component.
Another thing I am very pleased about are the 507 wheels, which give me a wide array of tyres to choose from. I am going with the Schwable Marathons, as they have always served me well. I could go for something wider and knobbier if I wanted to do more off road stuff. Tyres in the 507 size can be had in most countries, as it is very common in BMX and kids bikes, so this is a plus for touring in southern latitudes.
I have had problems finding a rack, and although Airnimal suggests fitting a regular sized rack, this increases the folded package to the ponit where it will no longer fit in its carrier bag, which for me is essential. Instead of a quick realease half-solution, I am looking into getting a custom rack made, with Brompton style rollers to roll the folded bike right into markets and such(still looking for someone who can make this for me, any leads?).
so, aside form the awesome ride, the folding aspect of the bike is actualy not bad at all. although it is not nearly as practical as a bromton in this respect, it does fold into a nice square package which, after removing the front wheel and velcro-strapping everything together, can be easily carried in one hand, up and down stairs, on a bus, etc. The carrier bag is nice, although positively oversized (im thinking of having mine "taken in" a bit) and allows me to carry my bike past my landlord and into my building (NO BIKES ALLOWED!!!). In this respect, it is much easier to handle than my girlfriend's NWT, although she can get it folded about 20 seconds faster then mine, the folded package is much more unwieldy to carry up to our appt. The Joey folds to a similar size, but more regularly shaped and easier to manage.
The bike weight is 13.5kg, with a brooks b-17, the shimano nexus 8 hub, and the schwabies.
Oh, and another place where the Joey is more convenient than the NWT is in getting it into the suitcase for travel. Yesterday on my second attempt, I was able to get it packed and ready for air travel in 5 minutes flat! The suitcase is only slightly bigger than the one used for the NWT. It is clear this bike was specifically designed for airline travel.
So bottom line: the Joey is an awesome bike if you dont want to compromise performance in an urban hybrid type of ride, but still need the bike to fold relatively quickly for transport, storage, etc.
it is not the cheapest, but I think these bikes, like the Fridays or the Bomptons, are quite evergreen and will always fetch a good aftermarket price even after a couple of years. It also seems quite durable, and I think it should last a lifetime. airnimal offers a 7 year warranty on the frame, which for aluminium is not bad!
And I found my dream rack! OMM Sherpa with some custom fittings, allows me to put the bike in the first fold bag without removing the rack, I can still fit regular panniers, and is totally bombproof!
The only thing i am very unhappy about is the quality of the Bule suitcase for carrying the bike onto ariplanes. it has broked in a different place EVERY TIME it has been on a plane (4 times so far) and it is very hard to find a suitcase that will fit!
please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
