What's wrong with Mezzo bikes?

[Old Plodder]

Anyone on here into cycling? Asked psbr69

(Used to do) 80+ miles on my Moultons, though they don't fold.

 

[ufkacbln]

I have only ridden an early one, but the problem for me was that the steering is ahead of the front axle. I found this uncomfortable and the steering did not suit me.

 

[A Owain]

Sorry, signed up to chip in, because I have had a Mezzo D9 (2008 model) for over two years and use it nearly every day. So I have a fairly good experience with it.

Basically, it is a good bike with some pretty serious design flaws...it rides very well, apart from an annoying vibration in the stem. It is pretty fast and nippy and easy to control (once you get used to it). It is ever so slightly undergeared - the lowest gears are too low to be useful, unless you are completely out of shape and the highest gear could be higher for going down hill quickly. Having said that, for urban riding in London I hardly ever use anything other than the top three gears, spending most of my time in the top gear as I got fitter and more used to cycling. So much so that I even considered turn it into a single-speed folder.

So what is the problem with it?. Well, it's just got all sorts of bits and pieces that need to be just right - otherwise things go wrong. It is certainly not a low maintenance bike! The gearing system is very sensitive to weather and the folding mechanism interferes with it. I have had so many really weird problems with it - including the chain wrapping around the cage plate and the pulley and twisting the whole mech out of shape. I've also had twigs getting stuck in it, and on one occasion had it just inexplicably get stuck and the chain snap while I was cycling quickly. Some of these problems may be due to my utter incompetence at bike maintenance, but the whole gearing system seems very sensitive and easy to mess up.

Also, the seat post clamp should be considered a perishable component, like break pads - I am on my 4th! the problem is that Mezzo does not provide replacement seat posts! Luckily the guys at Evans in Chalk Farm are really into bikes and like a challenge, and they always manage to re-purpose some old Dahon seatpost clamp and use that to fix it.

So would I buy the Mezzo again? I don't know really, I wish they had a version with 3spd internal hub gear (which I think would many of the problems) - I know they had the I-4, but not sure that is being made any more.

Also, when I bought mine, wiggle had it on a clearance price which was about £600 - the full price has already gone up a lot now, and I am not sure I would want to pay £800 for it. If I still had space restrictions, It would still be top of my list, but perhaps an up-market dahon model would be a better bet if I wanted something maintenance free. We have moved house, so storage is less of an issue, so I reckon my next bike would be a full sized bike rather than I folder, but I won't be looking for a bike yet as my Mezzo still does the job.

 

[mickle]

Basically, it is a good bike with some pretty serious design flaws...it etc etc.

I agree 100%.

Apart from the bit where you suggested that its a good bike.

 

[TheDoctor]

Tried one, hated it. The steering just felt...odd.

 

[JC4LAB]

Enquired about one last year at a folding Bike shop in South Manchester who used to plug them once then suddenly stopped....They said the bike was ok but where having problems with the supplier whatever that means..communications & aftersales parts etc is my guess..Parts and repairs is something to consider when choosing a brand..Folding society does good reveiws on most brands ..

 

[jefmcg]

Enquired about one last year at a folding Bike shop in South Manchester who used to plug them once then suddenly stopped....They said the bike was ok but where having problems with the supplier whatever that means..communications & aftersales parts etc is my guess..Parts and repairs is something to consider when choosing a brand..Folding society does good reveiws on most brands ..

The company is fine, in my experience. When I crashed last year, I took the bike into Evans and they told me I needed a new front wheel (rim was bent), and it would take 2 to 3 weeks. Rang the supplier myself, they said "2 to 3 days." Went back to Evans who said "2 to 3 days to our Gatwick warehouse, then 2 weeks to here"

So rang the supplier again, who would not sell me the part directly, but only through a distributor. They were helpful and it turned out my nearest LBS to home was a distributor. Called them, gave them my credit card number for a deposit and they ordered it. I had my near wheel by the weekend.

I've subsequently replaced the folding part of the handle bar and the rear wheel through the same process, and it's been pretty painless. The rear wheel took about 4 days, which was a worry as it failed on a Sunday, and I needed it for the DunRun the following Saturday.

(yup, my mezzo has done the DunRun, London->Brighton, 12,000km since January 2011 and I guess somewhere between 20,000-30,000km since I purchased it in 2008.)

 

[RichardH]

Does anyone know if Mezzo, or rather what seems to be their parent company ATB Sales, are still able to provide customer support if there's a problem?
They haven't produced a new Mezzo since 2010 and as others have noticed, many dealers no longer stock them.

 

[lilolee]

Mezzo no longer exist. They are now ORI bikes http://www.oribikes.com/ori/about/about.php

So there is no support for your Mezzo, so you had better be a good mechanic.

Fortunately I am so I am now on my 3rd Mezzo which was the last version made the D10. (2nd D9 which I used on the ride down to Bordeaux is now the wifes) and the d4 died after 10 years long service and an accident which bent the front forks which can't be replaced.

IMHO the D10 addressed all of the problems mentioned above.

Half the price of a Brompton, just as good, but with no support community or after market service, which I envy.

 

[jefmcg]

Mezzo and Ori lived side by side in different markets. I think mezzo is UK only. That ORI web page is dated 2010, so that's while mezzo definitely still existed. And it still doesn't list dealers in the UK.

http://www.mezzobikes.co.uk/models.html is still up, so are you sure it doesn't exist anymore?

 

[lilolee]

Mezzo and Ori lived side by side in different markets. I think mezzo is UK only. That ORI web page is dated 2010, so that's while mezzo definitely still existed. And it still doesn't list dealers in the UK.

http://www.mezzobikes.co.uk/models.html is still up, so are you sure it doesn't exist anymore?

ATBSales don't answer emails or pick up phone

ATB Sales Ltd
Whitworth Road
St Leonards on Sea
East Sussex
TN37 7PZ
Reg in England No. : 2131034
VAT No. : GB472654137

phone: +441424 753566 fax: +441424 751415

Also the boss of http://www.velorution.co.uk/ who is bringing in ORI to the UK gave up on ATB so he did it himself.

Ignore the copyright date of 2010 on the ORI site, they have this years bikes on there.

Beyond this I have no idea of what is going on and no doubt this confusion just weakens the MEZZO/ORI market in comparison to Brompton. Places like Winstanleys might have a better idea if you asked them.

 

[Bill]

I have been thinking of getting one for some time, and they generally seem to have good reviews. But they seem to be losing popularity. Evans used to stock them but doesn't any more. None of my LBS seem to have them. Is there something about them I don't know?

I have to have folders for storage reasons - at least for the next couple of years. I have a Brompton which is great, but the Mezzo is, apparently, more stable and more like a larger bike to ride. I need a rack and I need a bike free from the "bits dropping off and alarming creaks from the frame" syndrome I have experienced with Dahon (Vitesse).

So. How are Mezzos? Is there something wrong with the design or build, is it simply losing out against Brompton or is my perception that there are fewer of them simply incorrect?

 

[Bill]

Twanger, What bits fell off your Dahon Vitesse?? As I own one of these I would like to know in advance!.....nothing has ever 'dropped' off mine!

 

[Mark104]

I have been thinking of getting one for some time, and they generally seem to have good reviews. But they seem to be losing popularity. Evans used to stock them but doesn't any more. None of my LBS seem to have them. Is there something about them I don't know?

I have to have folders for storage reasons - at least for the next couple of years. I have a Brompton which is great, but the Mezzo is, apparently, more stable and more like a larger bike to ride. I need a rack and I need a bike free from the "bits dropping off and alarming creaks from the frame" syndrome I have experienced with Dahon (Vitesse).

So. How are Mezzos? Is there something wrong with the design or build, is it simply losing out against Brompton or is my perception that there are fewer of them simply incorrect?

Try taking the wheel off a mezzo. 99.9 per cent of bike wheels come off under a ' common sense principle' . Not the mezzo. You have to think about, otherwise life is just too simple. There are so many things wrong with the bike where do you start!

 

[Kell]

I always thought they looked quite cool compared to the older Brommies - if that's a word that can ever be applied to 16" wheeled folding bike. Just more modern. Since I've developed tennis elbow in both arms, I wonder how much of it has been due to the incredible vibrations that come up the stem of my Brompton and whether having some form of offset in the steering column like hte Mezzo would mitigate against that.

As for price, a quick Google suggests £975 for a D10 - while my Brompton was £1080. Hardly half price.