Tyrell IVE - Overall Ride Quality

4th and final part of the Tyrell IVE review, and the most important part: How well does it ride? There is no point having a nice looking bicycle if it doesn't ride well, as it is meant to be ridden and not a wall decoration.

Previously we looked at the various components of the Tyrell IVE, the folding mechanism, and then the folded size comparison with the Dahon and Brompton. Now, after testing it for a longer distance, I can give a more balanced and comprehensive review.

For this comparison, it will mainly be done against the Dahon and Brompton, which are the typical 20 inch folding bike and the 16 inch folding bike. For some of the attributes that I chose to highlight, it will be compared against each of these bikes to see where it stands.

Do take note that there are many attributes that will collectively define a bicycle as good or not, so we cannot just judge it based on one or two items. Of course, if those attributes are very critical to you (such as folded size or price), they will naturally carry more weight when you are selecting the ideal bike for your needs.

The final test ride was done during the OCBC Cycle 2018, which is a good chance to fully evaluate the Tyrell IVE. It consists of fast rolling flats, some longer upslopes (Sheares Avenue), and also fast downhills. Most importantly, I have done a similar route on the Dahon MuEX and the Brompton M6R on previous years as well, so it is a relatively fair comparison.

Starting off with the transportation of the bikes to the OCBC Cycle start point, let's compare the Tyrell IVE with the other bikes and finally the overall ride quality.

Transporting two folding bikes is easy. Just put both of them in the car boot and you are good to go! No need to fold down the car seats or remove the bicycle wheels.

Practically, in terms of transportation size when putting the folded bike into the car, the Tyrell IVE fits in a similar space as the Brompton, even though it is larger in terms of folded size. Unless your Brompton already fits tightly without any extra space around it, the Tyrell IVE should also fit quite easily in the same space.


Saddle
Even though I was wearing padded cycling shorts, the stock saddle started to feel uncomfortable for me after just 10km. I have used saddles with even less padding (such as the Selle Italia SLR Kit Carbonio Flow), without much discomfort, even after longer distances, so I can say that my butt is rather seasoned in terms of bike riding.

Although the stock saddle seems wide and cushy, it does not seem to have enough support in the correct areas. It might fit well for some people, but not for me. That made the ride a little tougher that what I expected, due to the unexpected saddle discomfort.

Stock saddle is not so nice for me, although it might work well for others.

If I owned the bike, I would have changed out the saddle to my preferred brand or shape. Another reason that contributed to the butt discomfort was the more upright riding position.


Riding Posture
Being a flat handlebar bike, the riding posture is naturally more upright compared to a drop bar bike, which I am so used to. My two main bikes, the Canyon Endurace and the Avanti Inc 3 (three bikes if you count the recently-disassembled Java Freccia mini velo) all use drop bars, which I prefer due to the better ergonomics and also faster ride.

Having a more upright riding posture means that more weight is on the butt, compared to a drop bar bike where more weight is on the hands. Therefore, riding in an upright posture will make it more likely to cause butt discomfort.

This brings me to the next point, which is that the distance between the saddle and the handlebar is rather short. Once again, for people of average height or more, the posture might be too upright. This would be ideal for shorter riders, but taller riders might want to extend the reach for a more sporty riding posture.

The upright posture is similar to that on the Dahon and Brompton, so I cannot fault the Tyrell IVE on this. It is a result of using flat handlebars, which is usually used for folding bikes for a more compact fold and more casual riding.

Tyrell IVE and Dahon MuEX on top of the bridge along Sheares Avenue!

If you want to know the benefits of using a drop bar or bullhorn bar, check out this old post here!


Handlepost Stiffness
What I really liked about the handlepost is that it feels super stiff! It feels just as stiff and unyielding as the first time I tried the Tern Verge P18 a few years ago. With a stiff handlepost, you can pull on the handlebar confidently to put down the power, or pedal while standing up. This is something that the Dahon or Brompton cannot match, as their handleposts will still have some flex.

Massive handlepost design of the Tern Verge series, I was so impressed by the stiffness when I first tried the bikes.

Riding Speed and Stability
The most important attribute of a bike, in my opinion, is how well it rides. "Well" doesn't necessarily mean fast, although it is always nice to go fast with less effort. In my definition, a bike that rides well is a bike that you will want to ride again, simple as that. Be in fun, or fast, or comfortable, a bike that you like to ride is a bike that you will ride often. I have come across bikes that are not nice to ride, such as a cruiser that I tried in Long Beach, or most of the shared bikes around. OK for short distances only (less than 3km), where the alternative is a long walk.

One thing I liked is that the Tyrell IVE rides faster than the Brompton. Even though the wheelsize is similar, the Tyrell IVE just feels more stiff and lively than the Brompton. On the Brompton, even with the stiff suspension, you can still feel the bike bobbing up and down slightly when pedaling hard. There is no such phenomenon on the Tyrell IVE which feels more efficient.

Of course, the 20 inch Dahon still goes faster, as it has larger wheels, smoother tires, and is also more lightweight by almost 3 kg!

The Tyrell IVE is also very stable when rolling down the slope at 50km/h, partly due to its long wheelbase and also stable geometry. It feels even more stable than the Brompton or Dahon, which is also helped by the stiff handlepost. With a properly spaced cockpit, it will be even better.

The Tyrell IVE has a really long wheelbase!

Shifting and Braking
The stock shifters, rear derailleur and cassette that comes on the Tyrell IVE is Shimano Sora 9 speed, which is a road groupset. With proper shifters that have easy-to-operate levers, shifting operation is much easier and more intuitive compared to the Brompton 6 speed.

On the Brompton, I had to create my own DIY gear indicator, so that I know how to shift up the gears. On the Tyrell IVE, shifting is easy with no fuss.

Other than gear shifting, the brake lever position on the Tyrell is more ergonomic, as it points downwards at about 60 degrees, instead of being almost straight down as on the Brompton. With a better lever shape and better ergonomics, it is easier and more comfortable to use the brakes.

Brake lever on the Tyrell IVE has a nice lever shape and is angled downwards at a comfortable angle.

That said, most bikes have the brake levers angled correctly, it is just the Brompton that needs the straight-down angle for compact folding.

Actual shifting performance on the Tyrell IVE is also better, as it uses a normal chain and cassette, so I can shift under load even while pedaling, or even make multiple gear changes at a time. That is not possible on the Brompton, due to the nature of the Sturmey-Archer 3 speed hub that does not allow gear changing while under load. This is a big difference as I do not need to think about pedaling lightly while changing gears  on the Tyrell IVE.

Using chain and cassette allows quick gear changing that is possible even while under load.

Another benefit of having 9 speeds is much better cadence control, as the steps between the gears are smaller. With that, it is easier to find a suitable gear for pedaling efficiently, which is another factor that contributes to the Tyrell IVE having a faster ride than the Brompton.


Others
The stock Tyrell IVE comes with a 53T chainring, which is too low for a regular cyclist. With a 53T/11T combination, and 16 inch wheels (although it says 18 inch, the actual size is almost same as 16 inch), the top gear is only about 80 gear inches. This means that I ran out of gears far too easily, even when cruising along on the flat. When going downhill, pedaling does not have much effect as the bike is already rolling so fast.

On the other end of the gear range, the low gear is too low, as I didn't need the lowest 2 gears even when going up Sheares avenue. It is easy to upgrade the stock chainring to 56t or even 58T, to get a gear range that is more suitable.

Stock chainguard is already 58T compatible, so you can use a larger chainring without needing to change the chainguard.

Finally, the Tyrell IVE uses mainly standard drivetrain and brake components, so it is easy to upgrade or replace components, unlike the Brompton which uses many special parts. If you want to go 10 speed, easy, just upgrade the drivetrain. Want better brake levers or calipers? Just upgrade it with standard components. The crankset can also be upgraded easily if you feel a need to do so. If you want to reduce the bike's weight, you can do all those above, plus change to a lighter wheelset.

Servicing the bike or changing the inner tube is also easy, as the Tyrell IVE uses normal wheels with quick release axles, no need to bring out a wrench to loosen the axle nuts.


Conclusion
The Tyrell IVE is a folding bike that rides surprisingly well, given its small wheel size. With a stiff frame and handlepost, putting down power is efficient and it translates into a fast ride. The stock 9 speed components are decent enough that there is no need to upgrade it, although you can do so easily if you want to.

With a stock weight of 11.5 kg (without pedals), I think it is quite feasible to reduce the weight to 10kg if you want. Just changing to a lighter wheelset and tires will yield a significant amount of weight savings. Using lighter drivetrain components will save even more weight. That is not even counting the easy ones, which is a more lightweight seatpost and saddle.

Although the folded size is not as compact as the Brompton, the ride is good, while it offers excellent flexibility and potential in terms of component upgrades and weight loss.

If you ask me to choose between the Tyrell IVE and the Brompton, it will be a difficult choice. If I absolutely need a compact folded size and don't plan to upgrade the components, the Brompton will be ideal. However, if I want to upgrade the components easily, and want better shifting performance, while only needing to fold it occasionally, the Tyrell IVE will be more suitable. Ultimately it depends on what is your need.

While I was writing these posts on the Tyrell IVE, I found that Tyrell came up with a new version, the Tyrell IVE Sports that addresses some of these issues, as seen below. It seems that Tyrell already know of these issues and have already worked to improve it.

New 2018 Tyrell IVE Sports

As with all bikes, it is best to test ride the bike, preferable over a longer ride, to know the pros and cons of each bike. There is no perfect do-it-all bike, only the best bike that best fits your needs. If you have multiple requirements, it might be best to have multiple bikes...

Tyrell IVE - Geometry and Folding Comparison with Brompton and Dahon

In the first part of this Tyrell IVE review, the overall bike features were shown, followed by the second part which studied the folding mechanism in detail.

For this third part of the review, the geometry and folded size of the Tyrell IVE will be compared to my two other folding bikes, the Dahon MuEX and the Brompton M6R. This will give us a good idea of where the Tyrell IVE stands when compared to a typical 20 inch folding bike and the super compact Brompton.

In my case, I did not resort to more precise measurements such as using a measuring tape to check the actual dimensions. It is more of a rough gauge by eye, to see if there are discernible differences. If I cannot find a difference by looking at it, then it is probably not different enough to be felt.

Starting with the 20 inch Dahon MuEX, which is equipped with 406 sized wheels, let's compare the bike geometry and the folded size with the Tyrell IVE.

Putting the bikes side by side first...

As always, I align the centreline of the bottom bracket to each other as this is the datum for the whole bike.

Rear end of the bike (at tire circumference) is almost the same, despite the difference in wheel size. 

As the Tyrell IVE has a longer chainstay, the rear hub axle is further back from the bottom bracket compared to the Dahon, which results in the rear length being similar even though the wheel is smaller in diameter.

As for the front end, the Tyrell IVE front hub is also slightly further in front compared to the Dahon. Overall, this means that the Tyrell IVE has a longer wheelbase (about +30mm) compared to the Dahon.

When folded, the Dahon is longer, as the 20 inch wheel sticks out more. The other end of the folded package is aligned for a fair comparison.

The Tyrell IVE has a wider folded package, as the handlepost folds outwards instead of inwards like on the Dahon.

Overall height of the Dahon is taller, mainly caused by the saddle sticking out on top.

Moving on to the Brompton, let's do the same thing and compare the geometry and folded size. At the end of this post, I will summarize everything and draw a conclusion.

Putting the Brompton and Tyrell IVE side by side. Tyrell IVE has a higher top tube and also has a down tube, compared to the Brompton which only has one large top tube.

Once again, align the centreline of the bottom bracket before doing any more comparison.

Tyrell IVE has a longer chainstay length compared to the Brompton, with an additional 20mm (estimated).

Can't really see it clearly here, but the front hub is at about the same position.

With the front hub in the same position, and the wheel sizes being similar (349 for Brompton vs 355 for Tyrell IVE), the front edge of the tire is at the same distance from the bottom bracket.

Comparing the folded appearance, the Brompton obviously looks neater, with no slanted angles like on the Tyrell IVE.

Folded length of the Tyrell IVE is longer, as the bottom bracket of the Tyrell IVE is behind the seat tube, as compared to the Brompton which has a bottom bracket in front of the seat tube.

For folded width, the Tyrell IVE is much wider, as both the handlebar and front wheel sticks out quite a bit.

Another view of the folded width comparison

As for the folded height, the Brompton and Tyrell IVE have the same height, with the saddle being the highest point.

Overall Length (front tire to rear tire)
Dahon (406 wheel) > Tyrell IVE (355 wheel) > Brompton (349 wheel)

Wheelbase
Tyrell IVE > Brompton > Dahon

Folded Length
Dahon > Tyrell IVE > Brompton

Folded Width
Tyrell IVE > Dahon > Brompton

Folded Height
Dahon > Brompton = Tyrell IVE

In summary, the Tyrell IVE has a surprisingly long wheelbase, which corresponds to the stability that I feel when riding it at higher speeds.

As for the folded size, the Tyrell IVE is shorter and lower than the Dahon, but wider due to its more clumsy fold. The Brompton comes out the champion again for having the most compact fold.

If you absolutely need the most compact fold, the Brompton is the choice to get. However, if you don't need the most compact fold, the Tyrell IVE is a good choice as it is cheaper than the Brompton, given the same spec (9 speeds vs 6 speeds on Brompton), is slightly more lightweight (11.5kg vs 12.3kg), but folds slightly larger. There are also other pros and cons, such as shifting, braking, which will be elaborated on in the next post.

From this comparison, you will be able to find the folding bike that best suits your needs, in terms of folded size.

For the final part of the review, I will share my opinion on the ride quality and other aspects of the Tyrell IVE.

Tyrell IVE - Folding Mechanism and Design

Having done the brief introduction to the Tyrell IVE, here is a more detailed look! For today, we shall focus on the folding mechanism and folding design used on the Tyrell IVE. After all, this is a folding bike, and the folding design definitely matters a lot.

The Tyrell IVE is an interesting bike, as it combines the folding design from different brands, creating its own unique folding method.

For example, the rear triangle folds below the frame, similar to that used on the Brompton. The handlepost design is similar to the Tern design, with a long clamping length for extra stiffness. Handlepost clamp lever is a quick release type like Dahon's design, which is far easier to use than the Brompton type which needs to be turned. Finally, the Tyrell front fork also folds, which I think is a Tyrell original design, first seen on their Tyrell folding mini velo, the Tyrell FX.

Let's check out each of the folding components in detail!

Big red lever mounted on the left side of the handlebar, which is used to release the rear triangle from the frame. 

I have never seen a remote lever used as part of the folding mechanism, so this is new to me. If you press the lever during riding, nothing will happen as your weight still keeps the rear triangle and frame together. However, if you lift up the bike and press the lever, the rear triangle will detach and swing downwards.

Red lever activates the inner cable which runs to the rear triangle. This releases the latch that holds the rear triangle to the frame.

View of the metal latch on the rear triangle, which catches onto the frame. Activating the red lever moves the latch.

The part which the metal latch hooks onto. Although the black part looks like a rubber suspension (like on the Brompton), it feels quite stiff and probably does not flex much.

Roller wheels on top of the rear triangle, which supports the bike when the rear triangle folds below the frame. Design borrowed from the Brompton.

Metal rear fender with a small roller wheel mounted on top, which will also support the bike when the rear triangle is folded.

Small roller wheel in use. Small clearance between the fender and the ground, might have problems rolling if pushing the folded bike over uneven ground.

Initially, I was skeptical of the idea of having a remote lever activate the rear triangle folding mechanism. Is it worth mounting a lever, running an inner cable and outer casing all the way from the handlebar to the rear triangle, just to activate the folding mechanism? Not only does it add weight and complexity, it also adds additional cabling which will clutter up the bike's appearance. It could easily be replaced by a lever on the folding mechanism itself, similar to the Brompton design.

However, after using it for a while, I find it quite useful. For example, when I am rolling the bike along (unfolded), and I need to stop and park the bike, I just need to press the red lever and fold down the rear triangle. Since my left hand is already on the handlebar, right hand holding the saddle, it is super convenient to press the red lever and swing down the rear triangle in the same motion. There is no need to bend down and look for the folding lever, like on the Brompton.

Convenient? Definitely yes. Unnecessary? Maybe. A more low profile remote lever will probably appeal more to me. I will be fine with no remote lever at all.

After folding down the rear triangle, this is how it looks. Parking mode.

As seen from the picture above, the front wheel needs to be turned to the side to avoid the rear wheel. This direction is opposite from the Brompton, so I was initially confused until I figured it out.

Also, you can see that the the rear wheel actually ends up beside the frame, instead of directly under the frame like on the Brompton. This is partly limited by the triangular mainframe which cannot accommodate the rear wheel directly underneath it.

How does the rear wheel, which is initially aligned with the frame, end up beside the frame when you fold it? This is made possible by a rear triangle hinge that is angled towards one side, as seen below.

The special rear hinge that is angled to the side, allowing the rear wheel to swing to the side of the frame.

Although it is ingenious, I don't think it is an elegant design. From an engineering point of view, it is difficult to control the angle during manufacturing. Straight profiles are always easier and cheaper to manufacture, compared to special shapes or dimensions. That said, Tyrell does not do things the easy way, that is what makes them special.

Moving on to the front fork, I think the Tyrell folding front fork is an original Tyrell design. The Brompton has a folding main frame, just behind the head tube. With a folding front fork, the length of the folded package can be shortened. Let's see how it works.

Loosening the clamp will allow the bottom half of the fork to swivel down, with the pivot located at the rear as shown here.

There is a secondary pin that passes through both the upper and lower part of the folding fork. This prevents accidental folding if the front clamp loosens, which can be catastrophic.

After loosening the clamp, the pin must be pulled out, to allow the fork to fold.

The safety pin has a button at the end, which must be depressed to allow it to be pulled out or inserted into the fork.

Having the safety pin is a reassuring safety feature, however it can be quite easy to lose the pin, especially if you forget to insert it back after removing it during folding. Another problem is that the pin tends to rattle within the fork, as there is some free play. I had to use a rubber band to put some tension on the pin, so that it does not rattle when I cycle.

There is a plastic catch on the non-drive side of the rear triangle, which will be used to hold the front fork when folded.

Front fork folded, but not placed onto the plastic catch yet (located on the rear triangle).

Top down view. As you can see, the front fork rests on the plastic catch which is located on the rear triangle. This holds the front fork to the frame, preventing it from swinging open.

Handlepost design, with a chunky base that looks very similar to the Tern design. The lever design is something different from Dahon or Tern though.

The black block holds the upper part of the handlepost to the lower part when the lever is closed, by pressing it down firmly. It can be adjusted by turning the lock nuts on top and below of the black block.

One major advantage of having a tall clamp portion is that there is a larger interface between the handlepost and the steerer tube, which will improve the stiffness of the handlepost. Is it effective? This will be revealed in a later post on Ride Quality.

There is a small little metal stub on the other side of the handlepost. What does it do?

When the handlepost is folded down, the metal stub goes into the black plastic catch, which prevents the handlepost from swinging open. Similar in design to the Brompton.

With the front fork and handlepost folded, the fold is almost complete!

The final part of the fold is to lower the seat post, which works the same way as other folding bikes. Release the seat post clamp, and push down the seat post into the seat tube. For this bike, the fitting between the seat post and the seat tube is rather tight, therefore it takes a bit of force to push it down.

What is the purpose of this little plastic knob, and the strange semi-circle frame design?

The semi-circle frame design is to avoid the seat post when it is lowered. Some may call it clever, but I feel that it looks more like a workaround.

As for the plastic piece, it will rest against the seat post. This holds the rear triangle in place, instead of having it swing down when the bike is lifted. Similar to the Brompton design.

Final folded package. Quite wide and long, and looks quite untidy to me.

Side view of the folded size. Still looks OK.

As you can see from the folded package, the fold is not compact like the Brompton, neither is it neat like the Dahon. It has a relatively wide size, which also makes it harder to carry around. The folded size comparison will be done in the next post.

Although there are roller wheels under the bike, it is difficult to roll it around as it seems too wide, while steering it is also difficult. It is much faster and easier to carry the folded bike around using the top tube.

There are many little cutouts and special frame designs on this Tyrell IVE, with the purpose of enabling the fold without interference. Some people may like this kind of design, calling it clever, but I personally don't like it.

It feels like "since there is interference here, let's just create a depression on the frame to avoid the interference". This is done many times on this frame as I will show in more detail below. Not only is this not elegant, the special design also spoils the clean aesthetics and increases the production cost.

Depression on side of front fork. This is for fitting into the plastic catch on the rear triangle (shown earlier). Comes with a thick rubber patch to avoid scratches.

Depression on right side of down tube, behind the chainring. This is to avoid the rear tire when the rear triangle is folded down.

As shown here, the depression on the down tube is to avoid interference with the rear tire.

Another depression on left side of the down tube, near the headset.

This is to avoid interference with the front mudguard stays when the front fork is folded.

With all these special designs on the frame, the fold is made possible, although it is still not compact compared to the Brompton. Anyway, it works, although not in an elegant way that I would prefer.

The final thing that annoyed me is that the bottle cage bosses on the down tube is practically unusable. Although there are two threaded holes, and you can mount a bottle cage on it, you can't fold the bike!

When a bottle cage is installed on the down tube, folding is not possible as the rear wheel will interfere with the bottle cage.

Even if I just install the portable pump, the front mudguard stays will still hit the pump.

In summary, the bottle cage can only be used if the bike is not folded! You basically need to choose between folding the bike, or having a bottle cage BUT cannot fold the bike. This is quite ridiculous to me as this is a folding bike, and if you can't mount a bottle cage AND fold the bike, you might as well leave out the bottle cage bosses.

If the bottle cage prevent the full fold, but still allows the half fold (swing down rear triangle to park the bike), then it might still be acceptable. However, the bottle cage interferes with even the half fold, meaning that I cannot even swing down the rear triangle to park the bike.

Therefore, in the end I am forced to remove the bottle cage and pump mount as it just cannot be used together with folding the bike. The two bottle cage bosses are practically useless to me as I cannot use them. Do take note of this if you plan to mount a bottle cage on the Tyrell IVE.

With that, the folding mechanism and design has been shown. The next post will compare the folding design and geometry of the Tyrell IVE with my other folding bikes, the Dahon MuEX and the Brompton M6R.