Dahon Folding Bicycle Forum: General Discusssion

No Front Brake?

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:39:57 -0700

I recently bought an old Dahon Stowaway on eBay. When the bike arrived, I was surprised to find that there was no front brake. Nor could I see any place on the fork where a brake could have been mounted. The bike was in reasonably good condition, and the previous owner said that he never used the bike much, and its current state is pretty much the way it was when he bought it. The rear brake appears to be some kind of disk or drum brake.

Is this normal? I'm accustomed to relying on the front brake as the stronger brake, and I'm a bit skittish about taking a bike with no front brake on my usual 5 mile commute in city traffic.

I did take it for a brief test ride, and I had no trouble stopping the bike with just the rear brake, but I didn't really push it that hard.

thanks for any input,
JonT

Jetstream P8 Or Vitesse P18

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:33:58 -0700

Hi All,

I'd like to get a more polyvalent ride than my current Curve D3... Prices are very similar from what I gathered therefore I'm wondering which one I should choose... Got to admit I feel the jetstream might more suitable as it looks stronger and I cannot stop myself jumping curves...

What do you think?

Ta
Bill

Have I Been Sold A 2008 Or 2009 Mu P8?

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:35:47 -0700

Hi

I have just bought what has been advertised as a 2009 Mu P8 however on reading various posts on this forum I'm not too sure. I have seen that the 2009 model should have, SR Suntour alloy pedals and the frame hinge should have the new grease flow technology.

My bike does appear to have two small holes on the frame hinge which may be the grease ports. The pedals however do look like plastic/rubber, would this just be that they are rubberised for grip?

In addition the serial number starts D812 which shows the bike was manufactured in December 2008. Were the 2009 bikes produced in December 2008? I realise a similar thing happens with cars and other products.

Thanks for any help and hoping it's a 2009 model only because if it's a 2008 I've been overcharged.

Paul

Where Can I Get These Dahon Jersey?

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:51:39 -0700

Found the Dahon jersey in Dahon.com.cn

http://www.dahon.com.cn/accessories/dress.htm

Anyone know where can I get them?

I like this one

End Of The Road For My Poor Mu Sl

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:41:45 -0700

Instead of just moving without saying anything I thought I'd share my experience of my MU SL. Over the years I already have shared my various break down on these forums but I must now confess that this one was one too many.

To recap, the front forks broke on the 2nd week of owning it and got unfairly blamed on my riding style as I think they were damaged in the transit. Then had endless punctures which is ok as they are racing tyres but about three tyres did delaminate which wasn't great and they are a nightmare to source. One of the spokes broke whilst going up the hill.

Then for the most dramatic part the stem broke luckily I did notice some cracks at the traffic lights... and got off the bike.

After stem incident I had a fairly decent run of about 6-8 months of trouble free riding which was interrupted by a rear broken rim which was fixed but had to wait about 4 weeks for one to be found here in the UK. Also then I decided to change to some more convenient tyres and went for the big apples which I thought would bring some cushioning to those fragile rims. And now about 6 months later the rim has cracked again! and it's going to cost me �120 to get a new rim and I just can't justify paying that for it to probably go again over the summer.

So after talking to a few mechanics in cycle shops and getting their feedback on what problem they are finding I have had to make a hard decision go for a different brand. It seems they just can't take the harsh London roads. Pity I do love my Dahon MUSL.

What Do You Call A Group Of People On A Dahon

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 18:15:05 -0700

as more people get Dahons, is there a collective name that can be used to describe them. I have thought of three,

1 generic name Dahonistas?

2 male riders (esp in London) Dajones (as in the spanish cajones) ?

3 Female Dahoneys?

Round Britain-cycle For Health

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 08:13:37 -0700

Hi all

for those who thought I had disappeared from the forum, I havn't. Just been a bit busy starting to organise a ride around the UK for the charity Sustrans. These people have given the UK 12,000 Miles of National Cycle Network, one-third traffic free to encourage planet friendly travel, whether for fun or work/school purposes. An awesome achievement.

I'm going to cycle the whole of the Uk mainland (just under 4000 miles) using this network as much as possible. Truth is that I've been pretty unwell and to even be able to consider this is fantastic. I had a major breakdown and cycling is part of a long/slow recovery process. Love to get you thoughts and comments.

I will be cycling the South West Penninsular in the spring and the whole of Wales, West Somerset and Devon back to my house in August.You can look me up on facebook (Graeme Willgress) or even better, you can visit www.justgiving.co.uk and make a donation.

All the funds are going direct to Sustrans and I'm raising personal funding and support to do the ride. I've already got Schwalbe, Fudge, Eat Natural and others on board ,so wish me luck. If Your in the UK and you see a white P18 Vitesse pulling a trailer give us a wave as it's probably me out training or let me know what you think on facebook/ this forum

Cheers

Graeme

This Workstand Is Excellent Value.

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:18:24 -0700

Visit:
http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/

Opening page reveals Top Ten Gift Idea's Click onto gift number 4 'Revolution Tune Up Workstand'
Got one myself earlier this year and very pleased with it. Can also read good reviews on their site!

In January of this year it was priced at �88.08
In June of this year I paid �74.86.

Now available at �49.99!

There's also a couple of bikes discounted .......alas not folders.

An excellent company to deal with. Honest and ethical, and always gives good service. Over the years I've also had a couple of bikes off them, out of their own 'Revolution Range'

Thoroughly recommendable!

Wild Bird

Win Something From My Desk

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:42:27 -0700

lets have some fun

I have added all kinds of new bikes, a couple tech bits are also there and and and

on my homepage ...... what bike does that wheel belong to ?
First one with the correct answer wins something from my desk

thor

Dahon Repair / Service Poicy

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:15:39 -0700

I came across this in another forum and wanted to verify its accuracy:

" if a Dahon custom part breaks, the Dealers aren't permitted to repair it; in fact they can't even get parts from the company. Instead they are required to ship the bike back to Dahon"

So for example, suppose I have an issue w/ the seatpost (something that happened recently on my mountain bike)
do I have to send the whole bike back to Dahon as opposed to just taking the seatpost to the LBS for an exchange?
How long does it take to get it turned around? I imagine the shipping back and forth would alone
cost the same as the seat post!

Are there different rules for different countries? I plan to visit Canada in the spring for two weeks?

Instead Of Turning Left To Go To Work, Carry Straight On...

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:40:12 -0700

Nice ride

Now I have to ask myself, why don't I do that

Warranty And Size

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 02:20:50 -0700

Hi,

I'm ready to buy a used Dahon jack. Its not "used", its a new, but the person want to sell it..

My question is about the warranty:

She bought it from an official dahon dealer in uk by internet. She has the bill.

I live Belgium.

The warranty is available ? (according the dahon website "his warranty only covers bicycles and components purchased through an authorized Dahon dealer and is only valid within the country in which the bicycle was purchased")

She say me that the seller assure her that the warranty is available

ps: its a MEDIUM bike, i'm 1m86, according website i need LARGE (1m83-1m93) : is it so important?

thank you

Biologic Reecharge Plus Biologic Bike Mount For Iphone Will Be Nice &a

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:42:12 -0700

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8RFlznzmTE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJg_VzOBVN0

Article:
http://www.dahon.com/news/releases/08272009.htm

I spotted these short video clips on Youtube. I am really impressed with such handy little gadgets for 2010. Keep up the good work!

Lockjaw And Takedown Frames...

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:45:00 -0700

Hi, gang. I ended up here on your forum while researching in hopes of buying a travel bike sometime next year. After reading and drooling over the takedown (08 - 09?) Hammerheads and Smooth Hounds, it looks like they`re both going to lockjaw fold frames for 2010. I`m wondering how that will likely affect the bikes.

My uneducated guess is that the foling frames don`t pack as small as the takedowns do and probably pick up a little extra weight. Does that seem to be the case? As far as it goes now, I don`t think any folders will fit into the Airporter Mini suitcase that is currently listed for S.H. and H.H. Any way to split the hinges for packing purposes? Also, from what I`ve read about the current lockjaw folders, the hinge mechanisms have a reputation for being plenty sturdy, but maybe a little finicky- is that pretty much agreed upon or have I taken a skewed view? Thanks for your help- I know a bit of speculation is involved, so even if nobody cares to take a stab at my questions here, I`ve already goten a lot of good info from your forum.
Brian D

Poll: Which Lock(s) Do You Use?

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:07:41 -0700

Hey all,

My wife & I are new/rookie owners of the Glide P8 and Jack, respectively, and love our new bikes.

We're tryin' to decide on getting a lock (chain or U-lock) and wondering what y'all currently use (brand/model, where you purchased).

Would love your feedback, thanks!

Bikes In Boxes

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:39:16 -0700

The BBC had a few things to say about bikes in a box recently

Keeping Your Favorite Dahon Accessories Forever-along With Your Dahon

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:05:42 -0700

Here is an good example of a Website to assist people to live more independently from the grid. I selected this example above as a very popular concern of once you found the perfect Dahon or other make saddle, you might get to keep it forever (like I want to keep my old Doubleplay bag from a few years ago. Dahon no longer makes them).

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-recover-an-old-bicycle-seat/

Or Add Leather Cover:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Cover-your-worn-bicycle-saddle-with-real-leather/

Don't miss the rest of the huge free instruction offerings there too. This is just one example.

Sheldon Brown

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:32:00 -0700

Several people have expressed some interest in putting together a special tribute to Sheldon Brown, who made such remarkable contributions to bicycling. He passed away on February 3, 2008, aged 63. If anyone is interested in pursuing such a prospect, then he or she may wish to offer suggestions as to what might be done, what sort of efforts are needed, and what, perhaps, anyone wishing to volunteer might do.

Those in the forum unfamiliar with his work, or wanting to renew acquaintance with it, may wish, preliminarily, to visit:
-his web site, which continues: http://sheldonbrown.com/
-the tributes paid here in the Dahon forum: http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showt...d&pid=35206
-the extraordinary obituary that appeared in the Times: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/o...icle3469993.ece
-his Raleigh folder, remarkably decked out: http://www.foldingcyclist.com/Sheldon-Brow...lding-bike.html

I've posted a number of photos of him that have appeared on the Internet, many in conjunction with tributes paid upon his death. As you will see from the pictures, Sheldon was quite a showman in addition to being a remarkable devotee to virtually all things v�lo. I for one would love the opportunity, the excuse really, on one of my trips east (I hope before winter to do some riding along the Erie Canal) of visiting his old stomping grounds in Massachusetts and recording (audio and video) some remembrances of his cycling friends and colleagues.

Terry

Announcement Of The All New Updated Website Now Fully Transferred To G

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:14:59 -0700

I am pleased to finally complete the full transfer of my flagship Website from the terminated Geocities to Google in spite of my illness. I have updated it completely, rearrange and added some new sections and topics, and more fully illustrated the pages with my own photos of all my bikes in action, just in time for your holidays planning and probable Dahon folding bike purchases. Here is a quick overview of this particular Website:

Since this Website is growing at a very fast pace, I have created a all new inclusive listing of all topics and subtopics covered here. You can see The Complete Table Of Contents Here. You can see a Abbreviated Form of The Table Of Contents for the Web 2.0 Section Only located at it's First Page. The Other Major Topics Maintenance, Selection, and Security have their own Table Of Contents too. Just look for the guiding links located at the top and the bottom of each page. Of course, you also have the option of using the Traditional Side Bar Menu or this Web site's own Search Engine located at the top of all pages of this Website.

I hope you find the all new flagship Website even better than before than before when it was on boring old Geocities.

For The Bike Geeks...

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:56:34 -0700

Tallbikes are recreating the old Rudge.

(And yes, I'm on that list)

Speed Tr, 2008 Speed Prott, Speed D7 And Speed P8

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:03:37 -0700

So, the 2008 description of the Speed P8 says: "The Speed P8 shares the same frame as the Speed Pro and combines it with..."

The 2009 description of the Speed P8 says: "The Speed P8 shares the same frame as our classic Speed and marries..."

The Speed TR frame appears to be the same as well.

The Speed D7, also appears to be the same.

1. Are the 2008 Speed ProTT frame and the Speed P8 and Speed TR frames all the same?

2. What is that "classic Speed" being referred to in the 2009 Speed P8 description? Is this a reference to the Speed Pro TT?

Thanks in advance for input.

Mike

Just Bought A Dahon Matrix 2008

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:49:09 -0700

Hi

I've just bought a Dahon Matrix 2008 model folder bike. My daily riding is 3 to 4 miles to the station off road along a resurfaced ex-railway track followed on by a similar distance through the London traffic.

I used to have a Dahon Vitesse and the off road section was really hard on the bike especially on the route home when you're going downhill, at speed whilst hitting some pretty uneven ground. Are the current tyres on the 2008 Matrix robust enough to soak up this kind of punishment or should I upgrade? If I need to upgrade, what make and type of tyre would you suggest?

Thanks

Knees Problem

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:11:01 -0700

When I ride fast for long periods of time, my knees hurt. This doesn't happen when I ride slowly in a low gear. Last year, I rode 3,000 miles. After this much training, shouldn't my knees be able to handle the strain?

Biologic Dynohub

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 07:24:29 -0600

So the wife's new Ciao is fitted with the Dynohub.
Good grief! It's like riding with the brakes on. No idea Why
anyone would want one. OK it's green no batteries BUT on
a 20k test run I reckon I exhaled more extra CO2 and did
more damage to the Ozone layer than a years worth of LED
lighting run on batteries.
Took the bugger back to the shop and they laced up a nice
hub in exchange for the Dynamo.
On the way to the shop I rode by the river.
Ran the bike up to a steady 20k and stopped
pedaling, rolled 7 lamp post lenghts. Same deal with the hub
changed, rolled 9 lampost lengths. The silly whirring sound has
gone too.

20 Inch Wheels Just Feel Silly

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 02:50:31 -0600

Just got my first folder the other day -- a Dahon Mariner off Craigslist. It's a cool little bike, and it rides better than I expected. The only problem is, I feel totally silly riding it. I mean, it looks like a clown bike. I'm sure others have felt the same way, so I'm hoping someone can help me out. Do you have any tips on getting over this feeling, when it seems like everyone driving by is giggling and pedestrians stare as you ride past?

Cycling In Africa

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 07:25:53 -0600

http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=3974

!!!!!

Cr-rash!

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 07:44:02 -0600

Sometimes you see it coming, sometimes you don't. This morning had an eerie quality as it was still dark when I exited the train and a dense fog enveloped the area I had to ride through. I should have been on my guard and I was -- against automobile traffic. Other dangers lurked around the margins of my perception and I was blind to them. I was already on Company property when it happened. Our campus has electric gates that prevent Unauthorized Persons from driving onto the grounds except by passing through a checkpoint controlled by a guard. Weeks ago he had instructed me to use a specific automatic gate to enter the campus. I have a badge that should let me through but evidently the gates also need to detect the metal mass of a car before they will operate as just waving a badge at them while on a bike does not get you through. So the deal was the guard would manually operate that specific gate for me when he sees me approaching. And he usually does but sometimes there is a different guard there who doesn't know the drill and sometimes he is sleeping, er ... checking his laptop (yeah that's it, I was checking my laptop!), and doesn't see me.

Generally this is no problem since there is enough room to ride around the end of the gate. It happened so fast this morning that I am still not sure exactly how it, or I actually, went down. I rode around the end of the gate, not terribly fast. To do this there was a drift of fallen leaves that I had to ride through in and near the gutter that I would have avoided if the gate had been raised for me. After clearing the gate I need to veer off to the left to cross three inbound lanes so that I can make a left turn at a stop sign shortly after the gates. I think the problem occurred at that point. Obviously, you need to look over your left shoulder very carefully to make sure that you can safely cross those lanes. Perhaps when I did that or maybe when I actually started to turn left the front wheel skidded out on those leaves which were wet from the fog. All I know for sure is that suddenly I was going over and down on the ground on my right side. Once something like that happens you tend to lose track of the details.

If you have to take a tumble I guess this was a good one to take. I got up, brushed myself off, and assessed myself for damage. I'm happy to report that there seems to be none. I don't even feel sore anywhere (yet) so the fall must have been more gentle than it seemed at the time. Banging your head on the pavement in a fall like that could cause a serious injury. That's why I wear a helmet although in this case it is not scuffed up so apparently I did not hit my head this time. I did feel myself slide forward on the pavement a short distance, perhaps my speed was not as low as I think! I can't find any scuff marks on my clothes or the bike either though. My bike computer was knocked off. I did not notice that at first. When I did I returned to the crash site and located the computer. Evidently at least one car must have run over it before I could get back to it since the LCD is smashed and I don't think the fall would have done that.

Trying to take a curve at high speed on pavement covered with leaves -- obviously dangerous, don't do it! Riding straight through a pile of leaves did not seem dangerous at all. Now I know to be more cautious.

Ken

Dahon E203

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:57:45 -0600

Hello all,
just purchased a Dahon E203 for a killer deal,but it needs parts (of course killer deal and all). I have searched and searched but keep coming up with the same thing, dealers of the new bike and no parts for the older ones.

Is there anyone out there that may have a bit of information on this subject?

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Curve Sl

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:25:48 -0600

Dahon lists the gear inches at 38-85 inches for the curve sl withe the nexus 8 IGH. I'm wondering what size chainring it has to get those results. Sheldon Brown's calculator gives it 27.5 to 84.3 with a 52t chainring, 16" wheels and 16t rear sprocket.

Man Injured & Made Comatosed By Careless Cyclist

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:20:03 -0600

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/phila...7087.html"" target="_blank">http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/philadelphia/65727087.html

Take a good look at this article. Here is an pedestrian out walking in Downtown Philadelphia, PA around 6:00-6:30 one evening recently:

".....heard a loud crash, then saw two men on the ground, one of whom had been riding a bicycle. The bicyclist, according to those witnesses, indicated that he had hit (Andre) Steed, then vanished from the scene....(the attending doctors) believe he may have hit his head on something as he fell, or crashed to the sidewalk hard....he was hit sometime between 6 and 6:30 p.m. Two people told lawyers from the firm that they heard a loud crash, then saw Steed on the ground with the bicyclist. The bicyclist got up and spoke briefly to one of the witnesses, who said the bicyclist admitted that he had hit Steed. The cyclist then adjusted his handlebars and pedaled away....Witnesses said the bicyclist was a thin, white man who appeared to be in his early 20s. He was about 5-foot-9, wearing a white hooded sweatshirt with red spots, and rode a while mountain bike....."

Most people are not aware that bikes, even though they are much smaller and lighter than a heavier motorcycle or a car, can still injure even kill someone. In the state where I live (CA) this type of accident is a hit & run, leaving the scene of an accident, causing great bodily harm-a felony and major legal trouble bike or no bike. We have to be careful around other pedestrians and protect them just like we as cyclists expect bigger vehicles to take care of us.