Riese & Müller Birdy
Prices from: £2,579
From: £132.13 per month
(For 12 months with Cycle to Work)
Whether you’re on holiday or for everyday working, the Birdy takes you safely to any destination, with Riese & Müller Control Technology. Thanks to its unique folding properties and low weight, you can take it with you easily at any time: folded together, it fits onto any form of public transport or into any car boot. And it can also be adjusted to different rider heights just as quickly as it can be folded.
A Riese & Müller classic, the Birdy is Germany’s answer to the Brompton. This folder comes with full suspension, hydraulic disc brakes and proper gears.
For the avoidance of doubt, the Birdy is not electric, and is the only non-electric bike we sell. We include it in our range because it’s a fantastic bike, but also because it’s the original Riese & Müller bike.
The Birdy is the first bike that Markus Riese and Heiko Müller designed after the two met as German engineering students in the late 1980s. They produced the first prototype in 1993 and with it won the prestigious Hesse Innovation Award. Within a couple of years they had teamed up with a Taiwanese entrepreneur who wanted to build the bike, and “Riese und Müller” was born.
With a folding bike there’s typically a significant compromise between the riding experience and how small it folds. From its earliest days, the Birdy has stood out as the folding bike that bucks this trend.
The early prototypes were designed with geometry to match a Colnago sport touring bike. When you first get on a Birdy, it’s immediately obvious that you’re riding something that’s as close to an ordinary bike as a full folder gets. And when folded, the Birdy remains one of the most compact options on the market.
The cherry on top is the Birdy’s full suspension, the benefit of which becomes immediately obvious when you take to the UK’s less-than-perfect roads!
As with all Riese & Müller bikes, the Birdy comes fitted with front and rear lights as standard. Unlike the electric bikes, the Birdy’s are powered by a dynamo in the front wheel hub.
Everything at a glance
- The Birdy folding world record is 4.9 seconds
- Its folded dimensions are 80 x 62 x 34 cm
- It stands alone as a compact folder with true full suspension
Find out more about ordering a bike from us and getting it delivered.
From Riese & Müller:
Record folder.
No other folding bike in the world can be folded as quickly as the Birdy: the world record is 4.9 seconds. Its folded dimensions are 80 x 62 x 34 cm. In addition to its quick and compact folding properties, it never fails to impress with its safe handling.
Unbendingly flawless.
A folding bike without a hinge on the main frame? Not only is it possible, but it can also be done with style and functionality. Because the pivot points of the suspension act as the pivot points to fold the bike, the Birdy has the same frame stability as a normal bike. And so it rides like one too. Another advantage that this brings is the Birdy’s wonderfully low weight.
Maintains a deep relationship with the road.
Only a folding bike with true full suspension keeps contact with the ground on poor roads - and keeps you in full control. The active rear swing arm with its convenient pivot point position and optimised anti-dive front wheel suspension form the core of the Control Technology. They ensure increased road holding and riding safety, even at high speeds. Vibrations and impacts, like those experienced on cobblestones or kerbs, are significantly cushioned.
Fits everyone. Without compromises.
The height-adjustable stem and adjustable seatpost, both with flip-flop length adjustment, mean that the seat position of the Birdy can be adjusted to rider heights from 1.50 to 2.00 m and adapt to every rider’s comfort preferences. As a result, it can be used by multiple riders. The large diameter of the stem and handlebars, as well as the quadruple clamp, ensure maximum rigidity and stability.
Options – all the bells and whistles
Variations – different available configurations of this bike
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Birdy city
Shimano Nexus, 8-speed hub gear, freewheel
£2,579
-
Birdy touring
Microshift, 10-speed derailleur gear
£2,669
-
Birdy rohloff
Rohloff Speedhub 500/14, 14-speed hub gear
£4,069
Features – choose the size and colour for you
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Frame sizes
Universal
-
Colours
Cyan, white, graphite matt
Optional extras available for this bike
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Sport or Comfort stem, adjustable height
Can be selected at no extra cost
-
Carrier
Suitable for use with panniers
£94
-
Pannier adapter for handlebar
Includes KlickFix handlebar adapter, lockable, cannot be factory configured
£47
-
Abus folding lock
Perfect for use with Birdy thanks to the longer Velcro straps
£84
-
MKS Ezy Promenade detachable pedals
Quickly and easily removed, cannot be factory configured
£75
-
Carry bag
For carrying the folded Birdy, fits onto the top tube after use
£38
-
Rear elastomer yellow/green
Yellow = soft, Green = harder, cannot be factory configured
£14
-
Front shock absorber, harder
Harder fork elastomer, cannot be factory configured
£14
Specifications – frame geometry information
| Top tube length [cm] | 60 |
|---|---|
| Head tube angle [°] | 72.5 |
| Seat tube angle [°] | 73 |
| Trail [mm] | 61 |
| Wheelbase [cm] | 101 |
| Bottom bracket height [cm] | 28 |
| Top tube height [cm] | 54 |
| Chainstay length [cm] | 43 |
| Overall length [cm] | 147 |
| Wheel size ["] | 18 |
| Head tube length [mm] | 88 |
| Headset size ["] | 1 1/8 |
| Front suspension travel [mm] | 30 |
| Effective rear suspension travel [mm] | 60 |
| Bottom bracket width [mm] | 68 |
| Rear dropout width [mm] | 135 |
| Weight [kg] | 12.9 |
| Weight [lbs] | 28.4 |
| Gross vehicle weight rating [kg] | 120 |
Confused?
Check out our buyers’ guide which explains what all this stuff means! Or find out more about ordering an e-bike from E-Radicals.
