Ah, That's so awesome traveling. I hope someday I can take on my bicycle in the europe

@Freewheels_ca

Ай бұрын

Of course you can, just make it happen :)

This is very good example of using Helix folding bike!

Great videos, very enjoyable. Greeting, Martin, Brisbane, Australia

@alainlapierre9850

9 күн бұрын

Thank you so much, it is a pleasure to have a nice comment from the other side of the planet. One day, we'll cycle in Australia. Enjoy cycling....

Lovely video, very inspiring! On my next trip I will have to try cyclotouring for sure. Maybe I will even have to swap my trusty brompton for a helix..

Really informative and inspiring video!

Alain and Lucie, your video tour and the background commentary were beautiful. It is great to see both of you getting younger by the day. Happy cycling and a healthy new year!

Look forward for next Vlog

Alain and Lucie, I love the way you travel. This is a great site and great information on how to tour the world bicycling! I want one of these ultralight bicycles - do they make them with batteries? Thank you for sharing your insights and learnings!

This is fantastic information on how to tour world on bicycle. Have you find any birding opportunities ?

@alainlapierre9850

Жыл бұрын

Yes of course, we have seen wonderful birds. The most amazing was the abundance of storks, and something absolutely unusual, some couples nest in cliffs on the seaside.

Thank you for sharing your adventure! I have a question about your bikes. I have been deciding between the Helix, with its 24 inch wheels, and the Brompton T line, with its 16 inch wheels . Would you say that with that rear rack, your Helix was able to fold properly? How did it handle in a variety of terrain?

@Freewheels_ca

4 ай бұрын

This is a very interesting question (comparing the Helix and Brompton T line) because the idea of making movies about our setup came from an encounter of an Italian cyclotourist who already had a Brompton Titanium and he was in love with our bikes for different improvements over what he had: larger wheels, standard components like the Shimano Dura-Ace derailleur, 11 gears (9-34), disc brakes,... and still fold in a suitcase compliant with airline regulations. About the rear rack, Helix will release a rear rack in the coming months for which I gave my list of wishes. I confirm that the rack will fold seamlessly with the rear wheel and will not really increase the outer limits of the folded bike (it is not prototype rack seen in my first movies, it was improved with a completely new design). About the terrains, we have tried gravel, sand, cobblestone, asphalt with the luggages and it works really great. We have gravel tires and regular tires, which we change based on the trip we are doing (ex: gravel in Portugal but regular along the Danube). Keep in mind however that I weight 165 pounds with in addition 30 pounds of luggage. I welcome other questions.

@ggregory2031

4 ай бұрын

Thank you so much - your perspective is just what I needed in my decision! I think the helix makes the most sense for longer tours, even with the larger tires and standard components. I’m looking forward to the rear rack as well. My concern has been, since I haven’t been able to get on one of the bikes for test ride, is that the clamp and folding mechanisms are not as robust as the Brompton. Would you say that they hold up for the long-term, hard-core use of an every day cycle tour? Thank you so much for doing these videos! They are so helpful and very inspiring!

@Freewheels_ca

4 ай бұрын

I had similar concerns before buying, that's why I went directly to the factory in Toronto. We did 5 trips in 2 years and regular commuting, more than 5000 kms so far and the joint are still like new. To reassure you, you could ask questions in the 2 Helix Facebook group that I know about: the Hong Kong Helix bike club (facebook.com/groups/529965727638324) and the Helix Bike Backers (facebook.com/groups/232673718420071). Although I am a big fan of Helix, I understand that this is not Brompton with their distributor network, popularity and the number of accessories. For smaller rides and daily commute, Brompton is an excellent choice. Remember also that lots of people travel with Brompton, even the greatest cyclotourer of all time, Heinz Stücke, who did the last 100,000 km of his life with a Brompton. However, for us, touring with luggages days after days is our main usage, and I am a technical gee with concerns about stability and security, so I am ok to take the risk of working with a small company that offers a better suited bike for our needs. Hope this helps in your decision :) @@ggregory2031

Liked. When you are going about looking at the city, how do you keep your bike and panniers safe from being stolen? These are obviously eye catching bikes.

@Freewheels_ca

Жыл бұрын

It depends on the situation, let me explain. If we are visiting a large city (ex: Paris, Lisbonne) for a few days, we will probably leave bikes and the material in our hotel room or in the campground facility. It is often easier to walk and take public transportation in large cities. However, if we are on the move when we want to stop (museum, restaurant, grocery), we will lock the bikes with the rear panniers in a place where a thief could feel unsecure to take the time to steal in front of multiple eyes. Our front handlebar bag has all our valuable things (passport, phone, credit card,...) and we always keep it with us. We also always use common sense. If it is an unsafe country, one of us might stay with the bikes (at the grocery for example). But in a safe country, we could leave the bikes for an hour with our good locks (ABUS BORDO locks). In any case, we took insurance for our bikes and material, so in the worst case scenario, we would not lose everything and buy new stuff back home.

Arkel panniers have a reputation for being heavy, but I've never seen any like yours. Are they as lightweight as Orlieb panniers? (I've used both Arkel and Ortlieb products.) (Good photography and story line, by the way.)

@Freewheels_ca

Жыл бұрын

Hi.... We are using the latest generation of the Arkel panniers (model Orca) which is simpler and lighter than the previous models. It compares to the Ortlieb Classic in terms of characteristics and weight: a pair of Orca 45 liters is 2290gr and the Orlieb Classic 40 liters is 2080gr while containing 10 liters less. We really love the Orca and wished that Arkel would have done an handlebar bag of the same generation, this explains why I opted for an Ortlieb on the handlebar... Thanks for the video nice comments....

Hi what brand and model are your bikes? .

@Freewheels_ca

Жыл бұрын

We have Helix ultralight bikes, you can find them at helix.ca . You can also see more details about those in our video 'The Magic of ultralight cyclotouring'. Enjoy !

@smvr666th

7 ай бұрын

​@@Freewheels_cathe tax and Import would be enormous by shipping to europe?

@Freewheels_ca

7 ай бұрын

I don't know for the taxes and shipping to Europe, you are welcome to ask them here: helix.ca/store/ On that page, you will read that they sell direct without distributors, that would surely cut the price. @@smvr666th

That's "ultralight"? 😂😂😂

@Freewheels_ca

7 ай бұрын

Yes, it is definitely ultralight for long cyclotouring trip involving camping. If you take the time to watch this other video (kzread.info/dash/bejne/kZl8scyxmru5c9Y.html), you will see what traditional cyclotouring looks like, often more than 25 kg of luggages per person. Of course, the most ultralight you could imagine is a racing bike and only bring the cycling clothes you are wearing and a credit card, but it is another (expensive) way of traveling. If you have some good tricks, please share, they are always welcome.

@chacmool2581

7 ай бұрын

@@Freewheels_ca Nah. Nowhere near Ultralight. Sorry.

@Freewheels_ca

7 ай бұрын

@@chacmool2581 your hidden arguments leave me speechless.