Like everyone else, I felt like a kid at Christmas recently unwraping my new custom made New World Tourist. After my wife and I paid $700 in baggage fees to transport our traditional touring bikes back East, I decided the time had come to explore a Bike Friday to meet my future touring needs (and escape ever increasing baggage fee ripoffs imposed by the airlines). My New World Tourist has been the answer to my dream. Not only does my wallet thank me as I check in my samsonite suitcase at no extra cost, I smile ear to ear at the performance of this great bike. It is everything that I had imagined and more. More importantly, I was equally impressed at the service I received from Bike Friday after delivery. In my inaugural trip to Texas, a crack developed in my Shimano Ultegra large front chain ring. A quick call from the dealer to Bike Friday resulted in a new replacement part being immediately delivered to my local dealer at no cost. Not only am I impressed with the bike but I'm equally impressed with how they stand behind their product. Cross country here I come.

I was a little concerned about the performance of a bike with such little wheels. I had had a BikeE recumbent (as well as a Tour Easy and a Volae highracer)and it seemed to be very doggy on hills. I was told by BF that I would love this bike and I do. The first time I rode it I couldn't help singing at the top of my lungs the Richie Havens tune FREEDOM! A week after I got it I was on a 400 mile tour across upstate NY with hundreds of people. I got lots of questions, gave some test rides, and had the tour mechanic tell me that it was a nice bike. The oddest comment I got was when I wheeled into the parking lot at the end of the week and a gentleman said, "You rode 400 miles on that bike?" And clapped. I said, "This is a better bike than most of the bikes on this trip. Wanna try it?" He did and loved it.

A few weeks later I had to go away for a week. When I returned, I took my NWT out for a morning spin as usual. As soon as I got on the bike, I thought, "I LOVE THIS BIKE!" It's my trusty steed. Flying with it was a breeze and I loved not having to deal with UPS or Fedex (nothing against either company) and not having to send my bike ahead and worry if it got there. The morning of the trip, my friend and I strapped our tents and sleeping bags to our rear racks and strapped her duffle bag onto my trailer and rode the 5 miles from our B&B to the start of the ride. FREEDOM!

I just got back yesterday from a 3-week vacation in Europe and brought my new New World Tourist with me. Getting and bringing the bike was one of the wisest decisions I've ever made in my experiences as a long-time traveler. My son and I biked for a week along the Danube River in Austria and my NWT performed like a charm. The bike withstood all the surprises and abuses I put it through, with flying colors.

For example, I would often have to shift gears really quickly not knowing what kind of terrain was coming around the bend. I biked on some pretty sharp and jiggly cobblestones in almost all of the little towns we biked through. I also carried the bike up some pretty narrow steps and through narrow passageways.

My son's Dahon, in no way, matched the performance and durability of my Bike Friday. After we first arrived in Europe and he put his bike back together, he had problems with the gears. Also, at one point, he fell down and the fork got bent, meaning he had to constantly adjust for the cock-eyed steering. I, on the other hand, did not have a single problem with my Bike Friday.

After biking along the Danube, we used the bikes to explore the cities we visited: Vienna, Innsbruck, and Paris. I notice this time around in Europe that the larger cities are becoming much more bike-friendly. In Vienna and Paris, you can rent a bike right off the street, paying by credit card for the time you use the bike (similar to the system in Amsterdam, except there it's free). When you're done with the bike, you just drop it off at any bike station. I figure that these cities realized that if they're going to make bikes available for everyone, they had better make more bike lanes. And lo and behold, there's more bike lanes.

I spent five days biking all over Paris, feeling very safe because there are often designated bike lanes for cyclists. Often, you share the bus lanes with the buses and taxis. I know I'm basically preaching to the choir when I tell you how great my experience was with my Bike Friday. If you want any tips on biking along the Danube or in Europe in general, just let me know.

Here's two of them: It's a good idea to carry your folded bike in a bag when you ride the long-distance trains in Austria. Otherwise, you'll be charged an additional 7 Euros per bike. We didn't bring bags and were charged twice for our bikes, which really hurts your pocketbook when you're traveling in already-expensive Europe. If the bike is disguised in a bag, it will just be considered part of your luggage.

If you still want to bring your bike unfolded and undisguised on the train, it's a good idea to get a reservation for your bike because space is often limited, especially in the summer when everyone, including Europeans, is traveling.

I also got a lot of interested stares at the Bike Friday trailer that I was pulling around with me during my travels in Europe. No one else in Europe has a system like that and every European who commented on the trailer thought it was a great idea and a nifty design.

I also wanted to say that pulling the trailer was a breeze and did not cause any hinderances or problems. In fact, I was able to keep up with my son, even though he was carrying less weight. The only snag was when I had to go uphill (which was not often during this trip). During those few instances, I had to get off the bike and push the bike and trailer up the hill. Although I didn't mind pulling the trailer at all, next time I bring my bike to Europe I'll opt for having both front and rear panniers (I only had rear ones this time around), instead of bringing the trailer. It's just easier to maneuver your bike without the trailer when you're riding around in those small European villages with those darn narrow cobblestone lanes.

My son was able to leave the suitcase that held his bike at the hotel he was going to stay at on the last day of his trip. We just asked the hotel if they wouldn't mind keeping his suitcase for two weeks until he checks into the hotel and then from there, flies back to the States. The hotel graciously said yes. If keeping the suitcase at a hotel is not an option, you can also check it into long-term storage at the airport you're arriving at and leaving from. At the Frankfurt airport, they charge 5 Euros a day per piece. To sum up this review, I love, love, love my Bike Friday and would highly recommend getting a bike from them. Bike Friday is a great product, made with great care, high quality, and, I think, with a lot of love.