Review on 🚲 Experience Ultimate Portability with the IXI Bike Breakaway Compact Bike by Jeff Grindley

I've had this bike for a few months now and absolutely love it. The makers of this bike have packed many features into this small package. Strengths: 1) It's lightweight. 2) The aluminum frame is sturdy and very well made. I expect many years of good use. Rust can be a thing of the past. 3) The stainless steel front brake disc is durable. I don't see this feature on many bikes of this type. 4) The design is unique and attractive to some. I'm a fan. 5) All tools are well hidden in the frame and seatpost. No need for an extra tool bag. 6) The drivetrain is surprisingly strong (no chain) and clean (one of the main reasons I bought it). It is made of the same material as some motorcycle gears. Very quiet. The only noise you hear on the road is tire noise. 7) It disassembles in seconds. 8) There are some optional accessories that add functionality to the bike. 9) High pressure tires means faster riding and less work (think road bike) 10) When the handlebars and pedals are folded it takes up very little space 11) The carrying handle is integrated into the design. This allows you to balance the bike with one hand. 12) Adapting the bike to riders of different heights is very easy. 13) No top tube means you can get on and off quickly and easily. This is particularly attractive to people with stiff limbs like me. Weaknesses: 1) The rear brake should only be used in an emergency (according to the manufacturer's information). It is not intended for everyday use. The front brake is sufficient for most applications. 2) Using the front brake can be an adventure. If you don't like going over the handlebars (which happens when the front brake is too tight at high speeds), you have to watch your speed, especially on descents. 3) The gear selector switch is not very reliable. I can consistently count on two out of four courses. 4) Four gears limit its use to fairly flat areas. 5) The unique geometry places the bike's center of gravity quite high. That means you have to ride low on steep hills or the bike will hit you. 6) Disassembling the bike in half makes sense only when transporting it in your car (for trips to the beach, to the park, on vacation). , etc.). This is inconvenient for commuting by bus, subway, or train. The pieces are too big and chunky to carry with both hands. An additional carrying bag is also not suitable for this. 7) Replacing rear tires is counterintuitive; I had to look at the instructions on their website. 8) Non-standard parts can be difficult to find. 9) Due to the limited production, little promotion and high price, the bike may not be on sale for too long (hope it goes down with consumers). 10) Tubes are readily available at most bike shops, but tires are not. I'm a fan of the bike and I hope it catches on. My bike is currently equipped with several accessories. which I can highly recommend. The rear basket and fender are must-haves when you go shopping. So far I've had no problems taking it to the store. Wings are essential in rainy areas. They are made of almost indestructible material and work well. A cup holder and bell are good, but a repair kit is a must (it tucks neatly into the seatpost). Headlights and taillights are necessary, but I decided to take them elsewhere. The bike fits perfectly in my Mini Cooper when broken in half. I can fit this bike and my wife's Bike Friday into her 2005 Rav4 and still have room. If you have a larger car I would recommend a standard compact bike. You'll save yourself a few hundred dollars. The discontinuous model has limited functionality. The Friday bike is better for commuting and overall, but it's more expensive. Edit (April 10, 2010): I tried but had to give up. I had a few issues with it, but they were significant. Running a breakaway model really is, and I mean, not worth the extra cost. Every time you break a bike in half, for example, you have to disconnect the cable that's pulling it. Over time you have to readjust the gears. After a while, the cable can no longer be adjusted and must be replaced. If you break your bike frequently, plan on changing the cable regularly. I find the HUB to be pretty reliable, but when something goes wrong there are very few reputable entities willing to work on it. I visited five nearby stores, some with over thirty years of experience, and said that there are too many moving parts in the HUB that are impossible to handle. I found a newly opened shop that was too keen to mess around with my bike. I think he tried to use my bike to practice. In any case, it was not a center that needed work. I swapped the cable and everything was fine. Stay away from wings. The system that attaches them to the frame is too weak. I had to remind myself to check them every time I transported the bike in my car. They are easy to remove and some of the small attachments can be lost rendering the wings unusable. In addition, they are too expensive. Finally, keeping the Kevlar tape perfectly centered can be a challenge. If not perfectly centered, it will rub against the rear hub and make pedaling difficult. It could be pain.