United Trifold: Assembly Completed

The modification of the United Trifold is finally completed! It is more of a total overhaul than just a modification, as practically all the components were upgraded, except for the frameset. You can read all about the new components in the previous posts, found on this main page for the United Trifold.

My objective for this new setup was to reduce the weight of the bike as much as I can (within certain cost and practicality limits), while improving the drivetrain efficiency. Looking good is an added bonus as well!

With that objective, the heavy 7 speed internal hub has to go, both to reduce the weight and to improve the drivetrain efficiency. The rest of the modifications are mainly for weight reduction and appearance improvement.

Let's look at the result of this total overhaul, which might possibly be the most heavily modified United Trifold. I'm pretty sure most people are not as crazy as me to put in so much time, effort and money to upgrade this bike.

Overall look at the new bike! The purple frame and yellow tires are definitely eye-catching and not boring at all.

Folds down quite compactly, but not quite Brompton style.

Chain tensioner manages the excess chain length when folded, making it a very important but often overlooked component.

Not as compact as a Brompton, as the saddle and handlebar sticks out too much.

The handlepost and front fork folds to the opposite side compared to the Brompton.

Overall folded width is decent, if you ignore the width from the non-folding pedal.

If a folding pedal is used, the overall folded width would be reduced significantly.

Joint of the handlepost sticks out quite high as well.

As mentioned earlier, the fork and handlepost folds to the left side, instead of covering the drivetrain like on the Brompton.

The rear wheel is suspended very high up from the ground, which makes the folded package relatively tall. Something that can definitely be improved upon.

Finally, here is a detailed component breakdown of the United Trifold. With this detailed weight analysis, you can know how much weight difference there will be when you change a component.

Weight is just 8.9 kg without pedals, and 9.3 kg with pedals!

In contrast to the stock United Trifold, this bike is much lighter in weight. The stock United Trifold 7S weighs 12.6 kg with pedals, while this single speed version weighs just 9.3 kg. That is a difference of 3.3 kg or 26% lower, which is a massive reduction. There is not much room for further weight reduction, considering that I am already on a single speed drivetrain with no cassette or shifter.

You could cut a bit more weight from the bike, by using super light brake levers, grips, crankset and seat post, that would save an additional 300 grams or so. But this frame itself is still rather heavy, despite the aluminium frame. The fork itself is also super heavy.

Being a single speed drivetrain, there are limitations as to where I can reasonably ride it. Steep slopes are out for me, while relatively fast rides on the road is also not possible as I can't pedal fast enough. This bike is built to be a leisure bike for casual riding along the pavement and park connectors.

Testing the bike out at the Green Corridor, which is a great place to cycle when it is not too crowded.

Yes no crowds, which is awesome.

This bike goes well with the Early Rider Seeker 14 that my kid rides, as the single speed is perfect for leisure rides.

I am pleased to find that the gearing of 59.4 gear inches (Front 52T, rear 14T, 16 inch wheelset) is ideal for most conditions. It is light enough to move off from a standstill, and enough to sustain a speed of 20-25 km/h at a comfortable cadence. Longer or steeper upslopes require more leg power to overcome, while going downhill just means letting the bike freewheel along as there is no point pedaling.

I enjoy the fact that I don't need to think about gear shifting, as there is only one gear. I only need to concentrate on the ride, and vary my leg power to follow the terrain. There is a kind of simplicity to this kind of bike riding, where the focus is on the journey and scenery, and not the technology on the bike.

It would not be a bike that I would want to ride everywhere or everyday, due to the gear limitations, but there are certain rides where this bike would be preferred.