09/09/2026
A few posts ago we shared some snaps from Diederik and his Pocket Rocket Pro, where we teased some undisclosed upgrades.
The element we couldn't talk about? Hydraulic brakes. Diederik backed the R&D to make it happen, and the result is now part of the Pocket Rocket Pro.
He tells us the hydraulic hoses are actually easier in the folding and unfolding process than the old mechanical cables, since they're more flexible. Pair that with wireless shifting and there are only two lines to work around. With the lower stem and the wireless blips for shifting in the drops, he says the bike now feels like a real racing bike.
Diederik is now enjoying the fruits of his trust, taking his bike with him as he travels for work. His most recent email came from Cape Town, where these photos were taken. He also found a very nice replacement decal for the front hub.
Want to talk hydraulic brakes for your build? Speak with Walter or Peter, or call the factory direct: +1 (541) 687-0487
09/02/2026
We had the pleasure of showing Jayson of Gravel Cyclist around the factory last week. If you want to see how a Bike Friday gets made, this is the video for you. The video is now LIVE. Go check it out!
https://youtu.be/coDQgIO9jhA?si=A4gQEyKsWAa1ulC6
08/28/2026
Last week we announced a new Bike Friday, the Pocket Rocket Further, an adaptation of the legendary road bike, this time built for loose gravel. We didn't want to get too far into the show bike itself at the time, as not all of the options on it are standard. Now the dust has settled and we have some fantastic photos to show for it, we wanted to take the opportunity to point out some of the details that make this bike unique.
It runs an "easy pack" removable seat mast to help with packing into the suitcase. That costs you the "quick-fold", but it lets us use a titanium mast, and the length of it gives excellent passive suspension that soaks up much of the bobbing. This one was made for us by fellow Eugenians .
The new UDH modular dropouts let us run thru-axles, so we spec'd 13-speed SRAM Rival XPLR eTap.
What makes that gravel gearing rather than road gearing is fairly straightforward. It's 1x, so there's no front derailleur to clog with mud or drop a chain off when the bike is bouncing underneath you. The cassette runs 10 to 46 teeth, a proper road gear for the hardpack and a bail-out for the climbs where you're just trying to keep the front wheel down. The jumps stay small at the top where you want to fine tune your cadence, and spread out at the bottom where you've stopped caring.
The brakes are flat mount, so they can be hydraulic or mechanical. Hydraulic is the optional upgrade, a long-time hot topic amongst Bike Friday riders. Through our testing, customer feedback, and with a bit of care during the fold, we're confident the concerns around fluid in transport can be mitigated. If it's not for you, mechanical is still there.
The swan neck custom ultralight stem is always a talking point at events. Perhaps people have just grown accustomed to adjustable stem risers and dialling in their fit. We chose it partly out of nostalgic whimsy, and partly because we knew the exact reach of the rider it was built for, so we could trim a little more weight off the bike.
Additional Parts:
Saddle
Bars, Cowchipper
Hubs, BB, headset, chainring and seat collar
Photos Made Bike Show .bike
08/24/2026
Hi Folks, if you weren't able to make it to Portland last weekend, Jason from Gravel Cyclist put in the hard miles going around each of the bike builders A-Z, including our stand, where we showed him our latest release, the Pocket Rocket, as well as last year's show bike, the thru-axle All-Packa.
You can check out his videos on his YouTube channel, and while you're there, subscribe to catch more exclusive Bike Friday content coming soon to the channel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lu0RQWHw_SM
You can check out his videos on his YouTube channel, and while you're there, subscribe to catch more exclusive Bike Friday content coming soon to their channel.
