Dahon Folding Bicycle Forum: Rider Reviews

Dahon Folding Bicycle Forum: Rider Reviews Dahon Folding Bicycle Forum: Rider Reviews http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:00:10 -0700 30 2008 Cadenza 8 After Nine Months Of Use http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7794
I own a Brompton, which when folded, has been very useful for public transport as well as storage in my house. I saw the folding feature of the Cadenza offering additional flexibility over a conventional full size bicycle.
I had a Rohloff hub fitted to the Brompton which has been wonderful for its wide range of gears and low maintenance, so my attention was caught by the Alfine hub fitted to the Cadenza, along with the disc brakes and fat tires.

I bought the bike by mail order, which was a first for me. The only reason I did this was the very good price offered, a saving of over £250.00 on the normal retail price.
The bike arrived well packaged and in good order, after a minimal assembly, it rode well with very little adjustment.

Like most cyclists, I began to replace parts I did not like, found uncomfortable or needed to change (more of this later*).

Parts I have replaced and reason:

Seat-post - fitted a Thomson 31.6mm, 410mm long. Needed the length and strength of the Thomson as I'm 6' tall and 190lbs.
Saddle - fitted Brooks Flyer Special. The brooks offers some suspension and much greater comfort than the saddle the bike arrived with.
Pedals - fitted some old Suntour XC pro grease guard pedals with clips and straps. Much higher quality and easier to service than the stock items.
Handlebars - fitted Thorn riser bars. Needed more upright riding position, also better wrist position.
*Front Wheel - fitted Sputnik rim built onto Schmidt SON disc dynohub. The stock wheel began to go out of true and loose spoke tension, I also needed a reliable lighting system for the winter.
*Rear wheel - rebuilt Alfine hub into Rigida Andra 30 rim which is designed for high flange hubs. The stock wheel was very poorly built with uneven spoke tension, it went out of true quickly and then began to break spokes.

Other components fitted:

Tubus 'Loc' steel rear rack - very high quality German built item, allows fitting of rear LED light in protected position. With a little work, made to fit the frame over the rear disc brake for use with panniers.
Busch & Muller rear D toplight LED dynamo lamp - simple, very bright lamp with stand-light feature.
Schmidt Edelux front LED dynamo lamp - top quality, very bright lamp with stand-light feature.
SKS Mudguards - essential in the British winter
Pitlock security bolts + skewer - excellent product built in Germany from stainless steel. Replaces front wheel skewer and bolts on front lamp, disc brakes and seatpost binder. Requires special coded key to open, hence thief proof.
Hebie chainglider Chaincase - plastic case that fully encases the chain, keeping oil off of my trousers and road muck off of the chain. Great for the winter.

Having made these changes to the bike, I now have a very practical, comfortable and low maintenance utility bicycle that can carry 40lbs of kit, generate its own light and when needed, be folded in half.

Conclusions

Ride - The bike rides well with a neutral, stable feel to the handling.
Frame - The quality of the frame is best described as adequate. The disc brake mounts are not quite square on the frame. The triple cable guide on the down tube seems to have been welded on back to front which is rather odd, this means I could not fit a conventional cable setup if I decided to fit V brakes or a front derailleur. The paint job is very good, thick and even coverage, it appears durable.
Something I don't understand is the rear dropout spacing, it measures 129mm on my bike, which means a wrestling match whenever I install the rear wheel. This is by far the worst aspect of the bike.
The Fold - I must admit that I do not find adjustment of the lockjaw hinge straightforward. I find I have to get the cam close enough to allow the frame to close without the jaws rubbing together, then when the cam is closed, use the other adjustment bolt to nip up the joint to make it solid for riding. A neat design but not very well executed. Certainly not 'quick release'.
Wheels - I was very disappointed with the build quality of the stock wheels, they should not have needed to be replaced after only a couple of months of light use.
Mechanical Disc Brakes - A bit of a fiddle to get dialed in, but work well when set up. Best of all, no black brake dust/sludge on the wheel rim to get smudged over hands, trousers etc. which happens with V brakes.
Alfine Hub Gear - So far, so good. This component seems to be excellent, with smooth changes under moderate pressure on the cranks. With the 38t chainring that came with the bike, the ratios are ok for most applications. Of course it would be lovely to have one extra gear at each end of the range, but you can't have everything.
Weight - With the modifications I have carried out this is not a light bike, but when it is rolling, it is quiet, vibration free and I don't notice the extra pounds.
Would I buy another Dahon? Cadenza or other model? - I like the bike, but it is let down by certain quality control issues with the frame and wheels. At the price I paid, I swallowed the problems I had and got on with kitting the bike out to enable it to do what I require of it.
Had I paid the full RRP, I would have been far from happy.
So unless I could get to a bike shop and take my vernier gauge with me to carefully inspect the bicycle, I would think very carefully before buying another Dahon.

]]> Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:44:41 -0700 http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7794 2008 Cadenza 8- First Impression http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7790
Background: I have just moved to the USA (Maryland) from Singapore after living car free for 10 years.To get to work I need to catch a bus and train. Looking for an alternative to the bus so a bike sounds reasonable. I was lucky enough to be able to rent a bike locker so that made things even easier. Its basically about a 6 mile ride to the station and most of it is on a bike path.

Why a Cadenza?
I was actually looking for the perfect commuter bike- internal gears, disk brakes, mounts for fendors and racks. There is actually not a lot out there that meets this criteria. I am not after speed, what I want is a workhorse- a bike that will just keep ticking along no matter what the conditions. I do like folding bikes, but as I had a locker I did not really need to get one. In the end it was pretty much a price/value call- there is nothing out there that compares in price to the Cadenza 8. I should add that its one of the few folding bikes that come in different sizes (I'm 6'2 so needed a large)

Set Up
Paid a little extra for Thor to give it the full treatment. When it arrived everything was good to go. Just had to install lights, fendors, racks, Brooks saddle etc. Couple of test rides (including in the rain) and it was good to go

The Ride
Speed- The Cadenza is definately slower than my road bike- but it is not slow. Loaded with my bags, big apple tires and an IGH it is a different beast from my skinny tire road bike. I still managed to get it up to about 25miles/hr just coasting down a hill so it can certainly roll.

Comfort- Great. I was able to dial in a nice position that suited me (I like to be stretched out). I could probably do with about another inch more reach so will need to do a bit more adjustment. The bar ends are nice and there is no problem operating the brakes or gears with thick gloves on.

Mechanics- I like the IGH, I find myself changing gears just for the heck of it. Brakes are great and stop really well. I have never had disk brakes before so now I can see the advantages.

Downside
Changing tires. I tried this at home, it was pretty easy to get the wheel off but a real pain to get it back on. Suggest you might want to practice this one at home first

Documentation. I would have liked to have seen more 'Dahon' documents. You got all the standard manuals but very little from Dahon. Things like how to remove the wheel etc would be good to include.

Overall: so far so good. I got this bike for a specific purpose and it does that very well. As we start moving into winter and the wet and icy conditions I would expect this bike to really shine.....]]> Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:47:22 -0700 http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7790 Large Seatpost Is A Big Drawback http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7753 I just purchased a Dahon MU P8. Over all I am pleased with the bike. There is one very large drawback. As I intent to use the bike for commuting, I will be using a rack. To the best of my knowledge there are no quick release seatpost bike racks that will fit the large seatpost. I believe the only option you have is to buy a rack from Dahon (that bolts on). This is very limiting and means standard QR racks and bags are not compatible. Sat, 31 Oct 2009 17:25:38 -0600 http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7753 Any Hammerhead Owners Out There? http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7632 Mon, 05 Oct 2009 06:03:32 -0600 http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7632 Speed Pro Tt Century Ride http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7603 I can't wait for another ride!

I will post some pictures as soon as it is available.

]]> Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:57:50 -0600 http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7603 My New Mu Xl http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7587
just to tell you that my new Mu XL arrived today. The dealer was even kind enough to deliver it to my address and help me unpack and assemble it. I checked the bike and found that it is quite well put together. I installed a rear-wiew mirror (an X-Safe) and a cycle computer (a Sigma BC1606L). Both was done in about ten minutes. Despite the posts about too short computer cables here, the holder for the Sigma fits to the handlebar almost perfectly, allowing twist, extension and fold without a problem. The only other thing that will need changing as soon as possible is the battery-powered rear light, which will give way to a B&M TOPLIGHT Flat.
My first ride was about 8 km to the local cemetery and back, which involved a road with deep loose gravel. The small wheels really handled this exceptionally well and the ride on paved road was almost as smooth as with my 700C suspended bike. Apart from an unexpected twist in the handlebar post in the first ten metres of the ride, everything seemed to be working smoothly (the twist was due to the clamp being too loose - turning it a bit tighter solved the problem). The Nexus Inter-8 Premium hub is the same as on my 700C bike, though it runs somewhat stiffer than the old one. It will probably work-in and smoothen-out in the next few hundred km.
Here's a picture of my new toy:

]]> Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:39:57 -0600 http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7587 Any Review For Mu Ex 2009 ? http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7585 Looking for user review(s) of MU EX 2009 ? Not many people own this bike ? Thanks. Thu, 24 Sep 2009 04:58:59 -0600 http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7585 <![CDATA[Mu Sl & General Comments On Folders]]> http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7551 This is not intended to be a product review for I have only had the bike a short time. Cannot compare it to other folders or even with other Dahon models. I bought the Mu SL sight unseen because my local shop didn't have any. In fact, I purcahsed two from THORUSA, one for me and one for my wife. Couldn't be happier despite my original reservations with buying a bike from anyone but a LBS.

I don't commute by bike. In fact my job warrants me driving throughout the northeast. I have a Specialized Tricross for most riding but added a single speed Raleigh with the intend of taking it with me on road trips. Tried it, didn't work out. Earlier this year, we opted not to take the bikes on a weekend trip up north because the weather looked bad and didn't feel like lugging bikes if we weren't going to use them. Didn't take my single speed on work trips. We began planning a trip to NYS Finger Lakes region and once again, talked ourselves out of bringing bikes. That's when I began investigating folders. We're still going on a long weekend getaway, only this time we'll have two bagged Mu SL's in the back seat.

I must confess, picking a model was very confusing. I decided to narrow my search by selecting a company first. Dahon was the clear choice almost from the start. There are great folders out there but this company is in a league of their own here in the states. A few horror stories but that goes with the territory of selling so many bicycles. In fact, I had a little problem initially but was quickly resolved. Anyway, I deleted my bookmarks from the other companies to avoid a distraction and now focused on opting the right model. I narrowed my choice to two, okay three and then called Thor of THORUSA fame. He knows Dahons. Thor didn't talk me into the expensive Mu SL but I knew it was the best choice for us. Mainly, they are the lightest model and that would eliminate the excuses of not taking it with me on on work trips.

A broad smile came across my face on my maiden ride. I couldn't believe I was on a folder. My wife was not so excited about the bike, mainly because it was meant to be a surprise but she was there when the delivery truck dropped off the boxes. "What's this?" she asked but more on that some other time.

An even broader smile on her face when she took a spin. She couldn't believe how well it rode, comparing it to her fairly high end Specialized road bike. It's even lighter she said, and it's fast. Finally, the ultimate compliment went something like this. It's like riding a stingray for the first time. Ahhh, the stingray, perhaps the most beloved bicycle of all time for those of us who were around when it debuted back in the sixties.

Some ramblings:

The Mu SL weighs 19 pounds. The bike is fast because of well, it is so light and has high quality components. Not a big fan of I-Beam seat posts and the limited saddle offering. The Sram X9 shifter and gearing is a joy to use. Smooth as an automatic yet as fun to drive as a stick. I think the 2010 pricing is crazy though. I really don't think I'd mind or miss a thing with almost any of the Dahon 20" models.

Think Stingray, not as a technical comparison but the simple fun you had riding on that banana seat, arms stretched out on those chopper handle bars. The only thing missing was the stingray couldn't fold and be stored under your desk.

]]> Thu, 17 Sep 2009 19:38:40 -0600 http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7551 2nd Commute On My Speed D7 Today! http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7492
I folded the bike up and kept the seat extended so it was easy to walk around on the subway platform. I also found it easier to just lift the whole folded bike up above my head when walking down steps to get off the elevated platform in Queens. Not bad at all. I did get some fun looks though. People smile when they see that folded bike.

After my great experience tonight I will likely start commuting by bike more often now that I know taking the subway isn't a pain! I never felt like I was crowding anyone and nobody gave me a dirty look like they give the bike messengers with the full sized bikes that take up a ton of room. Okay, back to the FSU/Miami game. Go Noles!

(I grew up in Fl. and went to FSU)]]> Mon, 07 Sep 2009 20:14:19 -0600 http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7492 Mu P8 Touring http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7491 It was supposed to be all down hill with a tail wind, but a few hills and head wind got in the way. Great ride, great bike. My son rode my Dahon Flo. the Mu P 16 kept up on all but the steapest inclines.
Herb]]> Mon, 07 Sep 2009 19:44:19 -0600 http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7491 <![CDATA[I Love My Sp-tt, '07 Vintage!]]> http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7460 I've said it here before, but after riding my SP-TT more and more...I'm lovin' it more and more! Oh sure, I had to fix a few things to my liking (But then my wife sez I "modify" EVERYTHING I buy) but the basic bike is still the same. I rode it around Itasca State Park the last couple of nights after work and the "Wilderness Drive" is a up and down, around and thru 10 miles of biking joy on a One way road surrounded by 300 yr. old white pines, plus about another 10 miles of regular bike trails and park roads (most of which were just re-surfaced in the last few weeks-SMOOTH!)

The DD rear hub has the right gear for virtually every situation from climbing at as low as 7 MPH (actually down to about 4mph) to rocking the downhills at 30 plus. I went for a ride recently with another cyclist and we switched bikes. He got on and cranked it up and remarked: "I can't believe I'm going 25 MPH on the flats on a FOLDER w/20 in. wheels! Now the '09 model has gone to an Aluminum frame and if you can believe the specs, has lost a couple lbs of weight (along with the Pantour Hub, which I LIKE!) Hitting speed bumps at over 25 mph is MUCH less scary with a little suspension. I'd like to try a new Alu-model just for comparisons sake...but they don't grow on trees.

Things I've changed:
Drilled and tapped the chain guard/front sprocket and pulled it over closer the the sprocket. That has TOTALLY eliminated chain drop-period!
Added Aero-bars. I just like the 1-1.5 mph they give me
Re-routed brake cables out from under bar tape. I had a car pull out in front of me last night and I locked up BOTH wheels. That would NOT have happened with the original routing...in fact, I probably would be writing this from a Hospital room right now!
Added SPD pedals. Well, it doesn't COME with pedals and I needed something to make the cranks turn over!

IF you haven't tried an SP, do your self a favor and take one for a ride should you get the opportunity!]]> Wed, 02 Sep 2009 22:34:20 -0600 http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7460 Looking For Reviews For Vitesse P18 http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7447
Is there any one who have a Vitesse P18 and would like to write a review of it.
If its possible to compare the Vitesse p18 and Speed 8 that would be awesome!

I have look over the web but cant find any good reviews of the bike.

I´m going to buy a new dahon.
I have the Speed p8 already and need one more for the wife and thinking that she will have the speed 8
and i take the new vitesse p18.

]]> Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:08:43 -0600 http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7447 Nemo And The Busboy http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7444
And so it goes with the stainless Dahon E-model bikes, and this particular version, the E-3 from 1990. The find came as a result of stubbornly digging through Flickr and Google, looking for enlightenment. Seems like there really isn’t one source that can tell us all those model numbers used for those pre-1990 Dahon vintage bikes. One man’s Classic is another man’s Da Bike. And it takes a really fine nose to recognize the difference between a California and a Stowaway. After excavating many layers of Google without giving up, there on page 8 the reward showed up, with a Kijiji ad from a Northern Ontario farming community. Here was somebody selling not one but a pair of Dahon 3-speed bikes, and low and behold, they were that shiny silver color so beloved of raving-mad eBay bidders --- could be stainless, could just be chrome plated steel. Who’s to say? And to make matters more lustful, they looked almost pristine, no rust, no replacement modifications. My bib was getting wet, drooling over the pics, so I dashed off an email. No reply. Figures.

“Nah … couldn’t be. And if it Be, then they were probably sold by now. Impossible.”

But to make a long story nauseating, it was (real), and they weren’t (sold) and I went (in some haste, seven hours round trip), to purchase said mythical stainless steeds and bring them back home safely. (Much to the wife’s disgust --- “What!? Another one?” she was heard to mutter. In fact, I think the whole neighborhood heard her mutter that, the stage-whisper being rather strident. Didn’t matter, the deed was already done.)

Proud Papa
So now I am the proud papa of a pair of Dahon Stainless Steel E-3 (3-speed) bikes from 1990, with serial numbers A01737 (that’s Busboy), and A01388 (Nemo). The original purchaser was quite a traveler, with his own plane, his own boat, and a big RV camper rig of some sort, so what else could I call the twins but (Captain) Nemo and the Busboy? After all, we have to differentiate among those we love, even if they are simply bicycles. And they have character, these old bicycles, so who’s to say they don’t have soul?

But seriously, folks, it pays to get as much oral history as you can about the older Dahon bikes that you purchase, and make some notes when you are told, because I guarantee that several days later you will have forgotten half of it. Also, you’d be surprised what a little bit of socialization will do, in terms of the seller calling you up and sending you other bits and pieces that they find later, relating to your purchase, like the original bill of purchase or the old tattered manual. (Yes! And E-3 manual covering E-1 and E-5’s!)

Variations
These stainless Dahons seem to have come with a couple of variations that any potential buyer should be aware of. First of course is the number of gears (or lack thereof). The manual I received with these bikes shows an E1, E3 and an E5 (denoting the number of gears), and of course, all things being equal, I’d opt for finding the E5, for reasons which will become clear when you read about driving impressions with the E-3.

There seems to have been a couple of minor differences between the earlier Hon models and later Dahon models, too. (Hon started marketing as Dahon in 1989). The Hon E3’s that I’ve seen all had badges riveted onto the center of the handlebar post facing forward, and lots of clear-plastic stickers on the frames (like “Convertible” and “Super strong stainless steel frame with 18 investment castings”). My twins have NO sign of any stickers (no discoloration from glue at all), and NO Dahon markings on the frame, either. There are no holes for the metal badge nor any obvious signs that there ever was one. The Dahon badges are only on the fenders and the black plastic chain protector. The other curiosity is that many earlier Hons seem to have had a rear brake that was a center-pull (with the yoke for this lying on top of the crank housing, right where my twins have their serial number stamped, so for these, the Hon serial number is near the rear wheel dropouts), where mine are both side-pull brakes front and back. There’s even one intriguing shot on Flickr with what looks like a factory-issue “cross-pull” brake, that tensions at 45 degrees, but it could just be the angle of the shot, confusing the viewer.

The twins have very little mileage (or poor weather) on them. And that was reinforced by the original buyer’s widow, who remembers using them sparingly around some campsites when they went RV-ing in the States in winter. She preferred driving around on her Raleigh 20. They Dahon stainless twins were originally bought together in the States, but the widow didn’t have much other information. Her husband had quite a collection of 6 or more Dahons at one time, but the twins were the “Last of the Dahons” left.

Stainless, not Impervious
Although the frames on these Dahons are correctly called “stainless”, that doesn’t mean you can dunk them in salt water or corrosives with abandon. See, the rest of the hardware (other than the tubes on the frame) is made of less stern stuff (the usual nickel plated steel), and it’s quite common to get one of these that was left out in the rain for a while, that has the dreaded Oxidization disease. Once the rust gets a hold of the parts, you are going to be forever chasing it down, so spend the extra time and money to find a decent example to start off with, or you’ll be trading riding time for scrounging time (“Got anything that looks like this?”) And after-market stainless steel bolts and such are REALLY expensive!

Driving Impressions with Nemo and the Busboy
Funny thing, how you start out intending to do just take a little spin around the block, and then end up going miles further. I went down to Pier 4 park intending to take one of the twins out for an inaugural jaunt, (Captain Nemo at Pier 4, get it?) but planning to get back to the car before the threatening rain might have started. Just wanted to take Nemo out for a shake-out of a mile loop around the park and the attached yacht club, to make sure everything was ship-shape and tight. Next thing you know, I’m half-way along the 5 mile run out to the Desjardins canal, and still pumping away in 1st gear. Turns out that’s the only gear that comes even close to my normal cadence and speed (about 8 mph, at about 80 rpm). The 2nd and 3rd gears are almost useless to me, both meant for much faster stronger cyclists, or perhaps for a fair old gale-force wind at my back. When I do this run on the Mu-P24 I’m using about 6 of the center 8 cluster, and more hub-gears too, if there is any wind. Another trip out with Nemo found us out on the Hamilton mountain escarpment trail in a mild wind (about 10 mph at a guess) and on the outward leg in low gear with the wind at my back, I didn’t notice a thing. Oh, but on the trip home, with that tiny little wind, did I ever suffer for want of lower gears! Leg burn to the max.

Goes to show that you can do with a whole lot fewer gears, if you don’t mind a bit of slower pumping, and a bit of leg burn. Especially when on the flat and with kind wind conditions. Now, I would think seriously about changing the front crank gear, if it wasn’t attached to a classic where I’d prefer to “leave it alone”. Just as well there were no young bucks around, cause I really felt like a grandpa without my extra helping of gears on Muppet, the Dahon Mu-P24. I’m afraid Nemo is just a fair-weather sailor, for me.

There were very few surprises on either trip. A couple of pit stops for both seat post and handlebar height adjustments, some for pics, and a couple of stops to have a look at the rear Sturmey Archer adjustment, and that’s all. That’s a pretty strong endorsement for a near-20-year-old bike. Nemo is so green around the gills (for want of any mileage) that the plastic packaging “cup” that fits over the Sturmey Archer mini-chain to protect it in shipping, had never been taken off! I thought it was some old-fangled bumper-stop (or maybe a magnetic snap pad), until I looked into why the gismo wasn’t releasing and down-shifting smoothly, and saw that the plastic end-cap disc was kind of interfering with the chain-release! Once that plastic flying saucer rear-axle protector was pocketed, then Nemo shifted like a charm.

If we are talking about stability, then Nemo wins hands down over the Da Bike (the design without that front diagonal steering post clamp). We get no sense of wobble or sashay here (unlike Miss Kitty). That’s not to say there is NO flex along the horizontal axis, front to back on the bike, but it is well within tolerable limits. You can hold on to the steering bars while you pump without flex front-to-back. I did get a little bit of tire distortion, but what do you expect from tires that are near 20 years old? And even there, a close inspection doesn’t show any noticeable bulges, so it may be a case of deflating and re-seating the tire rim.

Pretty, but not Perfect
One thing I did notice that is different between the twins, is the angle of the front wheel to the handlebars. See, there is only a limited amount of angular adjustment, and the “stem” at the top is permanently attached with a set screw on the side (so no way to adjust the angle). All well and good except that one has a bit of a wonky angle --- not lots off, but the steering is at least 5-8 degrees off-true. Nothing you can do about it, either, as there doesn’t seem to be any other way to adjust the relation between wheel and tire. You just have to grin and get used to it.

Don’t get me wrong, Nemo and the Busboy are a dream of 20 year old technology, the kind of ride that (like a gull wing Mercedes) has you grinning from ear to ear for the first 10 minutes or so. But that having been said, neither are going to get me to give up seat time on Muppet, the Mu-P24. Muppet is just light-years ahead in design and comfort.

Seat Yourself
As for that seat squeak, well … that would annoy me once the novelty wore off in the first 10 miles or so. It’s loud enough that you don’t need a bell to warn pedestrians that you are coming up on them! The ride is comfortable, but you would think that any new anatomical seat does roughly the same job, with a lot less audible complaining. While the Desjardins Canal ride is nice and smooth, there are mile-long sections of the Hamilton Mountain escarpment trail that are far less kind, and that’s when the need for a true spring seat with those 16” wheels becomes much more pronounced. Ouch. And not the kind of ouch that you’d expect from traversing an obvious pavement crack, or transition from pavement to some other surface. You know, the kind of thing where we all rise out of the saddle to protect our own undercarriage from the shock. No, I’m talking about the paved trail that has several progressive rises and dips to it, such that they set up a kind of sympathetic wave of undulation over a dozen feet or so, until the 4th peak along simply jars the bike suspension to the point that you sense it all the way up your spine and on to your teeth!

All of a sudden, I have this new-found respect for those old Brooks B67 saddles --- you know, the ones with a healthy dose of springs underneath them, the ones that weigh a ton? And cost a ton, too? So I finally broke down and went in to see my favorite local discounter bike store and ordered a Pre-aged B67. The owner is an old graybeard like me, and while he still does local rides with the boys, he allowed as how he has the same saddle on his own personal mountain bike, and loves the resulting ride. Nothing too good for the Stainless Love of your life. (Are you starting to see the hidden costs involved?)

As for me, I’m still struggling with the concept of paying more for a seat, than I have for some of my semi-collectable Dahon bikes (I paid more for that seat, than for TWO old Classic 5-speeds).

On the other end of the spectrum, I went around to several of the used-bike shops that I haunt (looking for things like old 16” road tires), and managed to buy two nice old used saddles for a whopping $10 (one is a Brooks in a leatherette, one is proper leather, but has no name). Now, neither of these are by any means spotless, and both have a lot of rust up inside the “frame” of the saddle. However, I can do what I can with rust-remover first. Then if I coat the metal with a hand-applied metal primer and paint them black, they’ll do in a pinch until I can afford to refit the rest of the fleet. (OK, I admit it --- collecting older Dahon bikes is kind of addictive “Hi, I’m Bob, and I’m a classic Dahon addict”).

Folding Fun
Nemo and the Busboy fold down quite nicely, as long as you take your time. The only oddball step was making sure the non-crank-side pedal was up high, and positioned over the top bar without interfering with the folding action. Once you have that then the rest of the bike folds easily, the pedal on the chain side can be loosened and flipped over the top too, if you like. This is less useful that it appears, because if you intend to lay the bike on it’s side in the trunk, you want that oily chain side (and the more fragile links going into the Sturmey Archer) facing up anyway, so that pedal-arm fold isn’t quite as useful. I am thinking about getting folding pedals for both bikes, just to prevent them taking unnecessary punishment.

And that diagonal brace folds pretty much as the last thing. With the center caster down, you can use the diagonal brace in its normal “deployed to ride” position as a sort of luggage pulling strap (something that every Classic rider knows, but newcomers to this A-model series might not intuitively figure out). That makes the bike a dream to pull along after you (through a train station, say), as compared to the Mu-P24 (which doesn’t want to roll except when canted to one side, rolling on the back wheel only, and only in one direction or the pedal backs up and locks up too). There is no magnetic catch or similar, so I just used the bungee cord on the back-rack to snag around the folded diagonal brace (loosely, not pulling it tight or anything), to keep the whole package secure.

Putting it All in Perspective
Is Nemo worth as much as a new Dahon Mu-P8 or similar? Probably not. Would I have kept Nemo if it was the only bike I had? Probably not if I had to do any serious mileage with it. So why isn’t it a foregone conclusion that at least one of the twins is headed for eBay? It’s a sickness, that’s why. Dahonaholicism. See, when you get all that chrome nice and shiny, then you get visions of what it would look like with a nice Brooks saddle (or even better, with their matching leather handlebar grips and little leather tool bag). Sell? Naahhh. It would be like a photographer selling his favorite shabby-chic props, or abandoning his most-loved model. Not gonna happen. And how can you voice the horror of separating the twins? It just doesn’t seem humane, for some reason. And the idle dream of showing up at some Dahon meet with both Nemo AND the Busboy --- ah, that’s the thing that keeps you smiling during those long cold winter nights.

And meanwhile in the fading hot August dog days of summer, for those relax-and-recover days between long jaunts on Muppet the Mu-P24, there’s nothing quite like exercising a vintage Dahon, either taking it to the local park, or on a short sashay along the waterfront. Or casually flaunting the chrome on your arm, as you get off the bike, fold it up for the curious crowd, and saunter in to get your fancy coffee, with the bar in tow, pulling Nemo behind you. Conversation just seems to dribble away when Nemo does his thing. Cause you know, a classic will do that, regardless of the runway.

So that’s my story, and I’m gonna try to stick to it.

Bob

PS: for more photos, see the DahonOwners Yahoo Group Photos at
"http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dahonowners/photos/album/1861059516/pic/list"]]> Mon, 31 Aug 2009 06:22:47 -0600 http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7444 Driving Miss Kitty http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7407
Early versions apparently had no brake levers and probably used a coaster (back-pedal) brake; later versions had a kind of early band-brake on the rear wheel (often mistaken as a disc brake); later by around the late 80’s they had a 5-speed Shimano Tourney rear derailleur and shift lever. Really early (pre-1989) versions sometimes had a Sugino front 52t chainring. This one has fairly modern Shimano side-pull brakes front and back, and the black brake levers are marked “Wheeling”. Different examples have black steering posts, black seat posts, or variations with chromed posts. Most examples I’ve seen originally came with saddles that had springs. Many of them seem to have come with the lower center “caster wheel” (like a kind of “landing gear”, used when folded, if you want to roll the bike), although many used examples are missing all or part of the landing gear. The center casters are easily broken if you forget to retract them, and British versions of Dahon bikes had them purposely factory-deleted because they were so susceptible to damage.

Most Da Bike models came with a rear parcel platform (oval-curved at the back) straight from the factory. And this model originally came with one pedal that folds up and flatter to the crank arm, although the crank arm itself doesn’t fold (a feature that is found on the Dahon V, the so-called “Classic” line; the May ’84 Bicycling magazine did a review on a 3 speed Classic, which sold in 84 for $340 US).

What really sets the Da Bike model apart from the Dahon Classic line is the lack of that chromed diagonal reinforcing bar or brace, going up to the front steering post. As a result, the Da Bike version has to have a clamp on that front steering post (not unlike the front steering post clamp on a more modern Dahon such as the 2008 Mu-P8) to allow the front post to fold. Another small point is that, I’ve never seen a hockey-stick shaped seat post (the kind that goes up and then bends backward and horizontally under the seat, which offers a more extended riding position for taller riders) associated with the Da Bike model.

The particular example I found is probably from around 1990 or so, based on what the seller had to say. (And Hon changed their name to Dahon in 1989). He is a local historian and part-time auctioneer, and had quite a bit of oral history about the original owner. It has nice Hwa Fong 16”x1.75 tires with the natural-color (flesh) sidewalls, and a vintage YWS bell. The bike was used by an 80 year-old lady to go grocery shopping, and is in excellent shape, with no rust, and most of the paper stickers intact. The paint job has very few blemishes. The serial number itself is B009150643 and is stamped on top of the bottom bracket shell on the frame. (That “B” prefix also sets it apart from the usual “A” prefix on the Classic line). So it was probably made in Sept 1990 (first digit is the year, and 09 would be for Sept). And that seems to match what the seller told me as the oral history (he is still hunting for the booklet and the original bill of sale).

Now, as a preamble, I have to admit that when you have several bikes of the same brand, you end up giving them nicknames, to save time about which one you are talking about. The 80-year-old lady who was the previous owner apparently loved her cats, so what else could I call this bike but “Miss Kitty”? Let there be no mistake, Miss Kitty is in lovely shape (for a lady her age, you understand --- sort of like your Dad’s old maiden aunt what’s her name). And let there be no doubt that Miss Kitty is a real lady.

Driving Miss Kitty
First impression of driving Miss Kitty is that it’s like driving on top of a meandering crocodile, while also perched on a barstool. Oh, not that you are uncomfortable driving on it, but there is a decided sway (a bit of flex in the front steering column, coupled with give in the seat) and a periodic squeak (from the seat springs) to the whole experience. It’s kinda soothing, like the squeak from an old rocker or a wooden swing. Something that my more modern Dahon Mu-P24 has eliminated. But that sashay just adds to Miss Kitty’s character. And the handlebars are kinda short, side-to-side, so Miss Kitty does need a firm hand, so she doesn’t wobble over rough pavement. (Forget potholes --- a lady doesn’t hazard potholes, young man). Add that to the fact that the rotational axis of both of the pedals aren’t quite parallel to the road, so that each of your ankles also wobble, left and the right, with every revolution.

Now, you could plan to change out the whole crank, and put in a more modern alloy affair to get rid of this strange wobble, but that isn’t a job for the faint of heart. Then there’s a question of authenticity --- you gain some, but you lose that Ye Olde Worlde flavor, somehow. She’d be less of a Grande Dame. The amazing thing is that you actually become used to all this wobble and jiggle after a mile or two (believe it or not). Just don’t plan on outrunning the neighborhood Dachshund (you know, the one that’s half a dog high and two dogs ling), if he decides to chase Miss Kitty and starts nipping at your heels. Turns out, running from the neighborhood mutt isn’t considered ladylike, either.

The gear change mechanism is equally dated --- a plastic gear lever mounted on a clutch plate to the handlebars, that allows you to over-shift the rear derailleur, and then slack it back off, to find the point where the worst of the ratcheting noise goes away. Now, for us old fogies, we remember those kinds of levers on all our “modern” ten-speeds. (Same as we remember cars with manual choke and an ignition-advance lever. Ouch). But if you expect Miss Kitty to thumb-snap into the next gear, you don’t know much about strolling along with old ladies, my friend! Chin up! (Don’t gawk at the gears! Not Lady-like at all!)

The brakes will probably need servicing. The pads are harder than Grampa’s arteries, and the cable and the casings look a bit arthritic, too. Nothing that any self-respecting home-mechanic can’t tackle, but add it to the list of things to be done. Amazingly enough, the tubes maintain air pressure pretty good, for an old lady, although those pretty tires with the flesh-colored sidewalls are beginning to show their age, what with the crows-feet cracks starting to show along the sidewalls. There’s no danger, just strolling to the park, but …

It’s a good idea when storing and Older Dahon , to keep it “unsprung” with the various clamps left undone and loose. I also take a couple of minutes after each ride to apply WD-40 to the chrome and wipe it off, and once in a while I use a dab of some general lube on the joints and the drive train. The stickers are actually covered with some kind of lacquer, so you can just clean the painted part of the frame itself with a cloth with a bit of dishwashing liquid dabbed on it. Miss Kitty is a low-mileage Belle, so it doesn’t take much to keep her in the pink, so to speak. She sleeps in her own comforter, off in the corner of the garage, ignoring the younger up-starts (the Mu-P24 and the Treks and the Giatex stretching bikes). Ladies are genteel and make do, and don’t complain about their surroundings, or less-than-salubrious company.

Caregiver versus Investor
Before you go out and take on your own Miss Kitty, make sure you understand that this becomes a labor of love, and that it will never pay off as a financial investment. It’s rare to find a mint condition model, and it’s easy to sink a ton of time (and money) into “improving” a so-so example. Once the rust-rot sets in, you are playing a losing game, trying to keep the corrosion at bay. Even finding similar vintage replacement tires will severely tax your time and wallet. So if the bike you find doesn’t look pretty mint to start, you’re better to just keep on looking, young man. Rescuing a proper lady is always worth pursuing the quest.

Also, any value in the particular example will get diminished if you try and “improve” the ride, with all those anachronistic things like newer brakes, better handlebars, an easier more anatomical or cushy seat, and so on. (Sacrilege!) A modern crank may look pretty and the gear-change may work better for you, but it drops any collector value significantly. (If you ARE pigheaded and do change something, then as a minimum, bag the old parts and keep them stored with that particular bike --- it’s easy to lose the bits or get two or more old bikes cross-kitted).

Similarly having most of the stickers intact and in good shape makes that bike more valuable to a collector (even if some of the stickers are a bit torn or tatty). Fortunately, few collectors are bothering with the early 5-speed Dahon’s (or the even earlier 5-speed Hon models). So you can still find your own Miss Kitty, languishing away in the want ads.

For your first collectable Dahon bike, I’d encourage you to find one that came with a 5-speed derailleur and standare side-pull brakes front and back (for a number of good reasons!). That holds true whether you get a Da Bike version, or the Classic V with the brace that goes up to the front steering tube. First, the derailleur is simple to clean and rarely needs servicing (cause there are few mechanics left who are familiar with the internal gubbins of this sort of mechanism). Second, the gearing on a 3-speed is kinda long-legged for me, and at 61 I find I need a couple lower more gears to keep the cadence up, even on a calm day. On the 5-speed I tend to use the first 3 gears a lot and 4th only rarely. If you intend to drive it a lot, go for the Classic (with the brace). Third, those side-pull brakes are a lot easier to figure out than a coaster brake or the band brakes. If you just want a nice vintage bike with clean simple lines for an occasional stroll to the park, then you might opt for a Da Bike variation (less common, and often less expensive to find a mint version). Remember, these are now 20-year old bikes, and like good companion dogs, that’s like 140 people years.

You might be under the impression that I’m discouraging you from finding your own Grande Dame, but nothing could be further from the truth. Miss Kitty and I have a standing date, once a week, weather permitting, to go for a genteel stroll along the couple of blocks of shady trees and Victorian houses, and on to the park. And you know? I wouldn’t miss it for the world.

PS: There are several more genuine imitation hand water colored tintypes (or digital pics for you non-ladylike viewers) in the DahonOwners Yahoo group photo section. See: "http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dahonowners/photos/album/320728465/pic/list"
]]> Sun, 23 Aug 2009 11:30:09 -0600 http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7407 Speed Tr http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7391
Dahon Mariner (older 26 wheel version)- pretty much junk components all the way around plus took
an allen wrench to unscrew two bolts to fold the darned thing sold it on craigs.

Mu P8- was a really nice bike, however I could not ride it on the rollers- it kept falling over and any time I leaned
to correct the line the rear tire sidewalls grabbed the rollers and almoststopped
exchanged it along with cash for the Matrix full sized Dahon.

Matrix-beautiful bike, nice components everywhere awesome disk brakes. The lockjaw hinges have way too many
moving parts along with allen bolts that did not keep everything from coming
loose. The only way to stop the creaking while riding was to tighten the
holding bolts all the way which defeated the quick folding feature. I put info
on the forum Feb 8 in winter. Returned the bike. It is still for sale at the
dealers. Bought a Montague Hummer full sized bike

Montague Hummer-for the price total crap components. The only good thing was the folding hinge-rock solid.
Seat/brakes/derailleurs/brake levers all junk. Extremely overpriced.
sold it on craigs. The shock was ok-wanted something more road geared

Got a Helios used-spent thirty (30) hours cleaning up the aluminum frame. only mod was insalled a cartridge bottom
bracket. Had Comet 100 psi tires. Those tires allowed me to ride on my
rollers. The light in my head started to glow a bit. sold it on craigs

Speed TR- Awesome folder. Low/High gearing just right for my needs. Put 100psi Comets on it. Rock solid
folding hinge-fabulous performance. Brakes excellent. The hand grips
keep my wrists from hurting and absorb bumps nicely. The internal 3
speed tranny is excellent-super easy to adjust if needed-plus can change
it at a standstill if needed. Road bikes can leave me way behind but I can
keep up with probably 90% of the riders in my area. Put a pannier type
pack on the rear rack. No front rack came with it, though. Rides on rollers
just like the full sized bikes! plus it is small and folds and is a Dahon....

About the dnyo light-junk! The halogen is very dull and the front cover kept falling off. Ordered an LED
through the dealer and got a halogen-called Dahon who said the LED was
Not available in the US.......what?

The fix-Edelux dyno front headlight. Bright enough for me at night in dark streets with
cars lined up on both sides. I zip tied the wiring so it did not need to be cut
and mounted it on the fork up above the front wheel. It is very good for me.

Started the folding journey around Sept or Nov of last year I think and finally am on the road that I want to be
on thanks to the Speed TR. Get compliments on the bike on the bike trail every day I ride on it-kids love it.]]> Wed, 19 Aug 2009 17:56:40 -0600 http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7391 Cadenza Solo 2009 http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7365
I have been riding the Cadenza solo for 15 days, I bought this bike with the intention of using it for short journeys in the city, having previously ridden a multi geared mountain type bike and a multi geared mu S L .

1. appearance, for anyone who likes the minimalist look the bike is a stunning work of art. I fitted mud guards but later removed them as they ruin the minimalist look of the bike, I did not add a rack for the same reason, I realise this might not be practical for some people, I just use a back pack when riding the solo.

2. The fold, one of the reasons I got a bike is I do not want to use public transport, but I have travelled on the bus with bike folded just to see, and have had no problems, I fitted the quick release pedals as the bike come's with standard fixed pedals, although the 26inch wheeled bike's are a slightly bigger package than the 20 inch wheeled bike's, the cadenza solo has no dérailleur, so the width of the fold is less than the mu s l. I can not comment about fitting the bike into car boots as I sold my car 4 years ago because I was sick of being ripped of for petrol/gas and all the other joys of motoring. I have had no problems with the lockjaw hinge's the owner's manual came with full instruction's on how to adjust them if necessary, "well done Dahon" and I changed the oc bolt key as the one provided was a sloppy fit, tut tut

3. The ride, The Solo is a brilliant bike for the city, Ideal for stopping and starting at traffic lights and the single gear means no need to worry about changing down when approaching lights, and when moving off the single gear with the straight chain run and no derailleur drag combined with the 26inch kinetix wheels and continental sport contacts give's you a instant burst of acceleration, although the solo is single speed, when going up hills it is so very well balanced with the kinetix Pro TT handle bar's I find it very easy to stand up confidently on the pedals when going up hills so I have not missed the muti gears, on the descent's I have always been a person who prefer's to free wheel.

I have not tried the Solo fixed geared and don't know yet If I will as I like to freewheel, I will post again if I try it.

The Cadenza solo has become my favourite bike
It is such fun to ride
best wish's
Jeff 60

http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=3641 http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=3642 http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=3698 http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=3697 http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=3696 http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=3699]]> Sat, 15 Aug 2009 18:48:13 -0600 http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7365 In Praise Of Hub Gears http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7341
Over the last 20 years, I’ve always toyed with a couple of bikes, including a mountain bike, and some old decrepit 10 speeds. The riding position on most of them was too bent over and just didn’t suit me. I’d try to get back into that bent-forward stance, but after 3 or 4 weeks, I’d always given up --- just too painful on the lower back (even the mountain bike). And there didn’t seem to be much adjustment on new bikes, either.

So I was still looking for a “better” bike, when I stumbled across a used Giatex last year (2008), one of those stretchable bikes. The Giatex idea seems like a neat option to a folding bike, it looked different, and it got a lot of looks and comments. I took it out for a 20 minute spin around the used bike shop, and fell in love with the upright riding position. (As an aside, compared to the Dahon the Giatex is kinda flimsy and toy-like, but you have to put in more significant seat-time on quite a number of folder-style bikes to realize there is such a big difference between them in their ride)

None of the older bikes that I had, really claimed any long-term allegiance, and the proof was that while they all had some miles on them they’d also collected a nice patina of dust out in the garage. And as a result the rest of the older bikes were all ignominiously given away to the local bike co-op or junked.

The 6 speed Giatex was fine for nice sunny days and relatively flat roads. I like the fact that you can quickly and easily throw a bike in the trunk, and go find a different (safer, car-free) venue to haul it out and go for a ride. I’ve never been much of a “group ride” participant, but I do like to use paths where there are at least SOME other cyclists, in case I get into trouble (and hopefully that trouble is just about the bike). The limitations on the Giatex have to do with frame-flex, too-narrow handlebars (that makes turning wobbly) and very limited gearing when going into the wind or when getting a boost in front of the wind --- in either case I really needed optional lower and higher gearing.

Now, I could have added a triple crank to the Giatex, but I’m not into doing a lot of bike swap work --- I’d rather spend the time riding. So I figured it was easier to buy a used 21 speed Giatex or equivalent, and sell the old bike. (So we like to fool ourselves --- the Giatex has been kept and various parts swapped out to optimize it as a trail mini-mountain folding bike). After a lot of research on the web and poking around on eBay, and visiting all the LBS (local bike stores), around May of 2009 I went out and upgraded to a Dahon model Mu-P24. I had to go to an authorized dealer some 50 miles away to find one in stock, but so be it. Better to have support 50 miles away (while the warranty lasts) than deal with someone over the internet. And there is an LBS (local bike shop) that sells and services Dahon (although they don’t stock very many).

Now I admit I THOUGHT the new Dahon would replace all the other bikes I had. (Naaah!) First, I sold off the old mountain bike and bought a beater Trek mountain bike --- after all, I wanted a heftier bike for the exercise, more exercise for the same miles, especially if I decided just to “go around the block” with all those pot-holes --- no sir ee, I didn’t want to beat up the Dahon with those craters. (I hear some chortles out there, from more experienced riders). That beater is supposed to extend the season somewhat. Then I added a Hybrid Trek Hybrid (so 700c tires on a mountain-bike like frame, with an upright seating position), for those twice-a-month trips with my buddy on the smooth water-front trails. After all, he doesn’t have a folder, so I have to take the van anyway. (What!? It was a good price! OK, pipe down with the laughing). Then along came a nice used Trek mountain bike for less than half price, for those sunnier days when I didn’t want to use the beater. (Quiet!) Still, the Dahon is the bike of first choice -- the one that lives in the Civic trunk and as a result gets the most riding time. Right! So what’s the big attraction?

First, the Mu-P24 is rock-solid, and rides as well as any of the 3 Trek bikes (which were all recently bought second-hand). That’s saying a lot. That lack-of-flexing on the Dahon (unlike the Giatex if you pedal hard) is a BIG improvement. The frame hinge on the Dahon is as solid as a welded fortress gate --- no squeaks. Also there’s no hunting or instability (you can ride the Mu-P24 no hands, with a bit of practice, situation permitting). Alternatively, it’s quite comfortable to sit MORE upright on the Dahon, with only your fingertips on the well cushioned pear-shaped handlebar grips. That’s a big plus on eliminating (or at least seriously reducing) any lower back pain. I should add that I’m 5’ 8” tall, and the driving position on the Mu-P24 is probably is optimized around there. Shorter people might have to change the bar (to a more swept back position), and riders over about 6 feet may have to look at a different bar, too (to get more forward reach). The Speed TR seems to have more forward reach if you are taller.

There’s also no fuss about needing to improve the Dahon seating position --- neither with height, nor with seat position fore-and-aft. And the stock seat is surprisingly quite comfortable. (I had to change the seat on each of the other bikes that I own). There is a real sense of “professional build quality” about the Dahon. So much so, that it’s almost boring, in that you just get the Dahon out of the trunk, spend a minute or so to adjust the few clips and flip down the pedals, and you are ready to go and ride in comfort. No fuss, no muss. Just ride the thing stock, like it came from the factory.

If all my riding was done on sunny days on the flat with no wind, I could probably get by with “just” 6 or so gears, but I try and get out and ride almost every day. About 1 day in 3 around here is wind-free, and the other two days I found I ran out of gears on the Giatex --- not high enough with the wind behind me, or not low enough into the wind. Maybe if I had younger legs and a stronger heart, I’d be OK with 8 gears or so, but you have to work with what physique you’ve got left. That’s why I opted for the 3 x 8 gear set up on the Mu-P24, where I normally stay in the middle (on the left hand control) hub-gear, and just use the right hand 8x control to hunt among the 8 derailleur-controlled speeds to keep me within my pedaling cadence. I’m not that fast a cyclist, with a cadence of around 85 rpm, and a speed of only 8 mph or so. That’s all the ol’ heart will put out, these days. But I’ve managed to improve the endurance to the point that I can keep that speed up for about 2 hours over some moderate terrain. The gear change on the Mu-P24 is smooth and incremental, not unlike riding a decent middle-of-the-pack racing bike.

The place where the Mu-P24 shines is on those windy days --- I shift the left hand control to the donkey set of 8 gears on the way out (into the wind), and the close-coupling of those 8 gears means I can really keep the cadence up smoothly, and still do moderate hills. On the way home, I go the other way, and shift the left hand control into the higher set of 8 gears, and with the wind at my back, I can ALMOST keep up with those teenagers (at least, the ones on the poorly set up mountain bikes, where their knees are under their chins). I find I’m using every gear on the Mu-P24 (although the double-down donkey gear and the super fast gear are never going to get worn out on most of the trails that I use). Mind you, at an average on the flats of only 8 mph, I still get passed by lots of teens on roller skates. And one 50 year old guy with his little dog in a bike trailer. Still, that’s life. As far as the bike goes, I have no real complaints.

The Dahon’s comfortable upright seating position is great (I’ve had to modify 2 of the 3 TREKs to take pity on my lower back and backside, both). I also like the way the Dahon folds right into the trunk of the Civic (so I don’t have to get out the gas-guzzler Odyssey van). Just make sure the rear derailleur is on top, so the hub-shifter plastic part on the rear hub doesn’t take any strain. The standard mounting position for the water bottle cage needs a blanket or similar support so it doesn’t get damaged. I love those wide handlebars and the cushioned pear-shaped grips --- so much so that I’ve added those grips to one of the Treks. I wasn’t sure I’d like the twist-grips for changing gears, but I’ve adapted to these rather quickly. I also appreciate that the only things I had to add were a rack, a bell, a water bottle cage and a substantial lock (although I would have preferred the rack, bell, and water bottle cage came mounted to the bike). No fiddling with any loose bits (one of the TREKs had derailleur cabling problem, and all three needed minor adjustments --- the usual thing for a second-hand bike I suppose).

The Dahon wheels have been true and trouble free --- no loose spokes or other complaints. In fact, the Dahon is remarkably civil about handling bumps and sidewalk heaves. It can also take moderate off road (as in park grass) in stride. It has been a real winner when loaned out to others on test drives --- everyone adapts quickly and loves the test run. In my case, a few more gears and less bike weight wouldn’t add anything to the experience. The Mu-P24 is just plain easy to set up, quick to get riding, and fun. I had to keep active and keep the weight off to make the best of what heart and circulation I had left to me, and the Dahon strips away any excuses NOT to go riding --- it’s right there in the trunk of the Civic along with the helmet and a couple of changes of different weight shirts for whatever the weather.

So there you have it --- a strong endorsement for a Mu-P24. Pics? There’s lots of photos on the Yahoo Dahonowners group. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dahonowners/...os/album/0/list

Bob
]]> Wed, 12 Aug 2009 10:46:43 -0600 http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7341 Latvian Jetstream P8 Review With Cool Aniamated Photo http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7236
You will probably need to use one of the online translators (unless you happen to know Latvian).

http://www.kakao.lv/index.php?zoomzina=334...p;mek=jetstream

]]> Thu, 23 Jul 2009 19:44:19 -0600 http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7236 2009 Mu P8 http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7230
The Fish Is Hooked

Who am I and how did I come to Dahon? Good questions since this is my first post here. I am a middle aged guy who used to be reasonably athletic but whose current fitness "regime" consists of walking about 3 miles a day at a brisk pace. That is far better than nothing, I am told, just not totally effective in preventing the slow accretion of belly fat that runs in my genes from both sides of the family. I used to bike some but not in at least 10 years and I have never been a serious cyclist. I ride the Chicago Metra train most of the way to work every day. My employer recently canceled the free shuttle that used to take us from the station to work and back. We worker bees are currently paying a cab company to replace that service but the high fees they charge have driven so many former train commuters away that the service may be canceled soon since ridership is too low to sustain the service even with the high fees. So I need a replacement to cover that 5 mile gap twice a day. A bicycle seems to be a good way to get to work and a good reinforcement to have in my personal battle of the bulge. Now, Metra allows a few bikes on each train during off hours but none during rush hour. Some of my co-workers who live in Chicago and commute to the northwestern suburb where our employer is located have it easy. Their "reverse-commute" trains are considered non-rush hour trains even though they run during rush hours and they can take any bike they please on them. I live west of the plant and ride the normal commute trains to and from Chicago, getting off at an intermediate stop. So I am cooked, my trains are rush hour trains by any definition.

Cooked except that Metra rules allow folding bikes, in a bag, on any train at any time! So there is where Dahon comes in. I've done some internet research on the other brand options and Dahon seems well respected with a product line that offers the best combination of quality, range of options, and affordability for my taste. Once the decision was reached to proceed with this adventure I located a not so local bike shop who stocked Dahon and gave the product a try. Wheel Werks is too small a shop to stock a useful fraction of the extensive Dahon range and currently they stock none. They have seen a recent surge in Dahon interest though and may keep at least one in stock as a demo in the future. My only access to a demo involved a trip to Village Cycle Sports who are a Dahon pro shop and who have Dahons in stock at a location not so far from me. While there I tried an Espresso and a Speed P8. Initially I found the Speed P8 a little too different from my notions of what an adult bicycle should be to be acceptable. Thankfully I had the sense to try it a little longer and after I played with the seat height adjustment enough to get it dialed into my preferences the little machine was transformed into a very nice ride. The full sized folder with its need for tools to remove the pedals and stow the handlebars looked pretty clunky in comparison even though the initial impression of its ride was much better than the 20 inch.

I left the shop with the feeling that the small Dahons could work very well for me. Besides the commuter application I have the problem that my wife has just gotten interested in cycling again too. The day before we went to Village Cycle to test ride Dahons we had bought her a shiny new Fuji Saratoga 3.0 from Wheel Works. She has some physical issues that the "pedal forward" Fuji helps accommodate. So now she has a bike and I have none. If it wasn't a Dahon I was going to have to get something else. This was last weekend. Monday morning at work I got yet another memo from the folks who coordinate the taxi service outlining the taxi company's increasing dissatisfaction about ridership levels and warning of a possible imminent end to the service. I have a friend at work who is an avid cyclist and who regularly does exactly what I am contemplating (with an old, old Dahon Mariner 6 speed he bought at a garage sale) on days when he isn't riding all the way to work from home on his road bike. This tired old warhorse is not what you would expect to be a good representative for Dahon in the shape it is in except that after talking with him it is clear that he likes it and thinks it would fit my commuter riding and my need for a bike to take casual rides with my wife perfectly. Dahon it is then, but which one?

Is The Mu Frame Too Girly?

I liked the Speed P8 well enough. Every time I visited the Dahon website I found my eye drawn to the Mu series however. I admit that I lusted after the P24 and if Wheel Werks had been able to find a 2008 model they could get for me I would have signed on. I am sure they are still out there but the dealers who have them must not want to part with them to help another dealer. At the 2009 pricing the P8 was as much as I was willing to go and to be honest perfectly well suited to the tiny grades I will face on my commute and to any that my wife would be willing to tackle on our rides. When it came time to lay down the money for the deposit the P8 won out over the P24 and the Mu frame won out over the Speed frame even though I have never ridden a Mu. The other reviews I see here convinced me that the Mu was a safe risk to take.

I see it described as "girly" by some here in earlier threads. I'm not sure where that comes from but I am easily secure enough in my masculinity to ride a Mu even if I did see the "girly-ness" of the design. Some of the dissenters from the girly description have described it as feline, exuding the sleek muscularity of a big male cat, a snow leopard. I have to admit that I find that description more on the mark. In that graceful curve from back to front I can see the conventional depiction of a big cat (of either gender) with its rear paws planted and its real legs pushing off as its torso and front legs are stretched out above the ground in a pounce for the kill. I also see it as a perfect expression of sleek, modern, minimalism. If they rode bikes in science fiction movies, this is the bike they should ride. For my taste the Speed series frames are fine, just too conventional to be exciting. The Cro-Magnon men among us like them quite well however.

A Rose By Any Other Name

I see another thread here where the Mu name is discussed with much criticism of the choice. Personally I think it is an excellent choice, I like it. The other posters could not figure out what market segment the name would appeal to. It is obvious to me: NERDS! As an electrical engineer of 35 years experience I am a life long, card carrying nerd. Anyone who has studied math, science, or engineering to any significant extent would be quite familiar with the use of Greek letters in equations and as symbols for universal constants. Such a background would sensitize you to the frequent use of Greek letters in marketing to convey an image of modernity and high tech prowess. To me the name fits the sleek, spare shape of the frame perfectly. The suitability of a name, like the "girly-ness factor", are in the eye of the beholder but rest assured that many will agree with me. Greek carries an undeniable air of nerdy coolness, as self contradictory as that may seem.

I Have No Bike So I While Away The Hours With Long, Rambling Posts

Well, that's my Dahon story so far and my thoughts on the Zen of the Mu series bicycles. I thank any of you with the stamina to finish this post for your time and I hope that I have repaid your investment in at least a small way with something that I have said. With any luck I will have enough experience with the new toy to make some more conventional comments about its performance in a few days.

Ken]]> Wed, 22 Jul 2009 20:40:55 -0600 http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7230 Ciao P8 http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7193
I love the Ciao for its design which makes stepping out of it at stops so convenient and the speed too is relatively good when there are slopes. Not too steep ones, though, as I haven't been using the gear shifter too much after having set it at No. 4. I will need to work on this function in future.

The bike has attracted a lot of attention whenever I use it and people would ask me what brand and where I got it etc etc. Best part of this is that I'm now more 'mobile' whereas I tended to spend a lot of time sitting in front of the TV whenever I'm not at work.

For my siblings, these days it's cycling time over the weekends and we get to meet each other this way rather than the special occasions when we just gather and have a meal at mum's.

I'm thankful for this wonderful pastime and hope it will continue to grow on me. I'm in my 50's and just had my shoulder operation last June but I'm now comfortable with cycling. BRAVO for Dahon!

]]> Wed, 15 Jul 2009 21:41:42 -0600 http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7193 Speed P8 In Malaysia... http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7188
Firstly, greetings from Malaysia..

I picked up my Dahon Speed P8 two weeks ago and I must say that this bike ROCKS! When I saw it at the dealer, I told myself that I must have it. Having seen a selection of Dahon bikes in Australia some years back, I was bent of getting one.

And finally, it arrived in Malaysia and the first thing I did, was to check out the selection of models available. The 2009 P8 speaks to me because its affordable and when it comes to riding it, its purty nippy and highy manouverable. I was amazed with the fit, finish and quality. This is my first Dahon and definitely not the last. I also bought my wife a Curve D3 so that she can join me in our rides..

My P8

I had a great time with my Speed P8

This coolness redefined!

My wife and her ride..

Sam]]> Mon, 13 Jul 2009 21:14:26 -0600 http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7188 Bike Trips With My Speed P8 http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7174
Just like to share my experiences with my Speed P8.

currently in loved with my bike

Biking 01: Test ride to KL Lookout Point Hulu Langat

Biking 02: Putrajaya 1st Dragon Boat Festival

MELAKA – Malaysia’s Historic City

Cheers,
Fernan]]> Sat, 11 Jul 2009 07:05:24 -0600 http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7174 Dahon Mu Sl 2009 http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7166
The last bike I used to travel to work on was a big old heavy pretend mountain bike, boy was it a pain, the Mu Sl is just right for me as I am 6' tall and weigh 75 kg , the bike was very easy to peddle and very fast it took me a little while to get used to the lighter steering I think that it was just the combination of the kojacks and the smaller wheels, but you soon get used to it, I just fitted the SKS fenders yesterday they look fab, I live in a upstairs apartment the bike is a joy to go out on because it is so light and I am not dreading carrying it up and down the stairs + I just love the way you don't have to worry about what you are going to do with it when you go out, because it folds you can take it anywhere, I never liked the way you always had the worry with the none folders, will it be there when I finish work! not to mention will it be vandalized! anyway as I am sure you have gathered I just Love my Mu S L
and so far everyone else has been paying the bike compliments
the neighbourhood kids think its a fab bike.

Best wish's and thanks to everyone for your help
reference the elboso bag etc
Jeff

]]> Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:49:24 -0600 http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7166 2009 Speed P8 First Impressions http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7148
After spending the last month researching folding bikes, I finally picked up a Speed P8 a week ago, here in Toronto, Canada. The funny thing is I didn't want to buy a Sp-P8! I had my mind set on a Sp-TR but the LBS didn't have one in stock. After listening to what I wanted a bike for (commuting on weekdays, joyrides on weekends), the salesperson suggested the Sp-TR was more bike than I needed and suggested a Sp-P8 or Mu-P8, which is quite a bit cheaper. I was suspicious of this since a salesperson will always try to sell you what's already on the showroom floor than order a product for you, but he suggested I test ride these bikes and I'm so glad I did! Buyers tip: don't judge a bike until you've ridden it. People who buy bikes online are taking a big leap of faith.

Anyway, after test riding the Mu-P8 and the Sp-P8 (taking the same route for both) I selected the Speed and had to admit the salesperson was right: these bikes would suffice and the Sp-TR is more bike than I needed.

I selected the Speed for the following reasons:
Looks- I liked the Speed's red frame and black components colour-scheme better. The Mu is a fine looking bike but the Speed looked a bit more ``manly`` to me, with its straight frame tubing, rather than the Mu`s sloped tubing (insert phallic jokes here :-)
CroMo frame- I`m a heavier guy (over 220lbs). I`m more concerned about a bike that is strong a comfortable, than light and fast. Steel is stronger than aluminum and is less likely to break since it flexes a bit. Having said that, I couldn`t tell any difference between the Sp or the Mu`s frame during my test ride. Both seem pretty solid to me. Also the weight difference between the two bikes was minimal to me.
Big Apple tires- This is the main reason why I chose the Sp. I test rode the Mu (with Marathon Racer tires) first, then rode the Sp on the same route and it was like night and day! The Speed had a softer ride and didn`t seem any slower to me. The key is to maintain a near max. tire pressure.

I`ve ridden my bike for at least an hour every day since I got it and so far, I LOVE it! I`ve never owned a folder before and I love being able to easily bring it with me into my office. Some of my co-workers think it looks silly and I couldn`t care less.

I think the best thing I can say about the Sp-P8 is it has a very comfy ride and I actually forget I`m riding a small folder instead of a full-size bike. What I don`t like about this bike is its gearing: 8th gear is high enough for me, but I find 1st a bit challenging on certain hills. I think this will be a non-issue as I get fitter and lighter...I hope :-)

That`s it for now. I`ll write a more detailed review of my bike in a few months after the ``honeymoon`` phase is over. Thanks to everyone on this forum; the info here is quite informative.

Good luck and good health!]]> Sat, 04 Jul 2009 02:08:24 -0600 http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7148 <![CDATA[Thank You All For Your Great & Awesome Reviews]]> http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7057
I have been keeping on reading reviews on Dahon bikes the past coule of months. Currently I already have 2. One 14 and one 16 inches Curve D3 mainly for my 2 kids 6 & 9. I also got an old mini-mountain bike. I have been looking for 20 inch for sometime as recently I have joined a cycling group of friends that goes for a bit long distance (as I never ride long distance all my life!). I had quite really a bit a pain experience using 16 inch bikes as with my friends are having rodie mountain and racer bikes

(though they never left me alone… hahaha!)

I have been fond of ALL your review and read it for several times. To be honest, I do not really like the design of Pro TT (as I probably not a serious biker). I am more of MU EX or MU SL type. But since I will be riding more long distance stuff, my mind turned to this pro TT. Especially in Hong Kong, where space is an issue for storage. I have read lots of positive reviews on Pro TT that really has convinced me to have this model.

Finally I bought one last week and we’ll pick it up by this Saturday

Many thanks for your great and awesome review!! For sure I’ll keep you posted.

Cheers,

Joel of Hong Kong.]]> Wed, 17 Jun 2009 08:13:14 -0600 http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7057 Went To Buy Speed D7 - Rode Out On Eco D7 / Eco 3 ! http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7033
Drove 100 miles to Corvallis Cyclery (great people) and rode different Dahon models for a couple of hours. Since they had the "cheapo" Eco 3 - just renamed Eco D7 - I decided what the heck - let's take it out. I was sure I would like one of the the Speeds better.

The Speeds rode excellent. I even had them set aside the last available Speed D7 for me, then I rode the Eco 3 almost as an afterthought.

I weigh about 230 and am 6 foot 1 inch with an ultra long torso and only 29 inch leg length so my body is not a "normal" rider at all. My experience really showed me the importance of actually riding before buying.

I loved the ride and feel of the Eco and preferered the shifting of the Eco.. It handles different than a Speed but not in a negative way. They both handle xlnt - but differently. It was fun exploring the different feels. I got so into it that at one point I got lost in Corvallis and had to get directions back to the shop. I was having so much fun riding the Eco that I went miles away!

I kept switching back and forth - and eventually realized I liked the overall handling, shifting. gearing and feel of the ECO 3 better than the Speed D7! The price difference was only about $30 when you took into consideration that the Speed came with a rack (and they had a 2008 in stock at the old price) , so price was not a factor or consideration at all to me.

I had to almost talk myself into spending less on the Eco 3 - cause I had planned on spending more!

But then I need a rear rack, Big Apple Tiress will be nice, lights, etc :-)

Lesson - go to a retailer. Do not order online unless you have to. You might even save a few bucks.

Most of the online retailers are about $40-$50 less than a shop at the $500 range BUT the shops prep the bike and most give you a 1 - 2 month recheck and tune. So unless you have no choice it really isn't a money saver. You'll have to buy those anyway.

Like me you may not buy the bike that is "perfect" in your mind when you ride it and compare.

PS: In my opinion the eco 3 is a much better bike than the price would indicate. I was expecting a low end feel and look, but it is beautiful. Not as customisable as the D7 and others, but a really top notch fit, finish and ride. Positive comments everywhere it is ridden.

Ed Osworth
author "Unstoppable Joy! A Happier You in 12 Simple Steps"]]> Sun, 14 Jun 2009 19:56:37 -0600 http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7033 Anyone Has Feedback On Mu Uno? http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7005 I have previously owned a Speed D7 (stolen... bastards...), and am now considering my next dahon model. I looked into the Mu UNO, which has that old bmx style. However i need to wait for a special shipment for it, so cant test ride it...

Strangely enough, i found no rider reviews on it anywhere! particularly i am interested in:
1. knowing how it suits urban riding in a non flat city (aint san francisco, but it aint the netherlands either)
2. How are the brakes? as a kid i loved chain brakes, but was also a third the size i am now.
3. How's the riding compared to gear models, is it fun? more sturdy?
4. Anything else which seems significant

Anyone willing to pick up the glove?
]]> Wed, 10 Jun 2009 05:52:10 -0600 http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7005 New 2009 Dahon Jack - South Florida - Century? http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=6962
First a question: has anyone ever ridden a full century with a Dahon Jack with factory configuration? So far I've gone 15 miles a ride, and its not bad at all. I imagine 100 would be totally different, any answers to this would be great!

So here's my review:

Gripes:

Urban bike in South Florida is suicidal. When I rode around my city I almost got hit twice. Also helmets aren't mandatory here so I'm surprised that there aren't more casualties of bikes here. I think South Florida is the most bike unfriendly town on Earth. I've never seen a bike commuter down here. There are only MTB in parks, Road Bikes in packs with the occasional rogue biker, and beach cruisers for tourists and older people. They steer clear of intersections and bike lanes are never divided from traffic.
Urban bike, its like the red headed orphan of a road bike and a mountain bike. The jack has big knobs on the handlebars and no knobs on the wheels. Frame can't handle the rough terrain of the swamps like an MTB and doesn't have the gearing, handlebars, and weight to hang with the other road bikes.
My left brake lever broke after a bad brake which caused the bike to flip over. Fortunately nothing else was damaged but this is due to my lack of experience.
Bike pedals were screwed in way to tight to remove using a wrench like in the fold instructions and youtube video for 26" bikes. I need to take it into the shop to see if they can remove them.
Front spoke reflector just blew to bits. I haven't been off-roading, I swear. Spokes on the front wheel look perfectly fine.
Gears needed to be tweaked. Derailleur was off from the factory. I didn't know this and had some issues with the chain not landing on the cartridge.
Parts have rusted a little due to riding in the rain. This forced me to drop it in my trunk while wet but I guess it needs to be dried before being stored.
Due to my rain experience, I don't think I'll ride it in the rain very often to avoid oxidation issues unless someone can think of a way to handle this.

Praise:

Okay, where the Jack shines, its the 500 LB CITY GORILLA of folding bikes. Its menacing. Its really versatile as hell. Sure it isn't the cheetah of a road bike or a rhino of a MTB. But it goes into pock-marked alleys, city environments and work while surrounded by pedestrians (yes did this on Memorial Day). Has almost cruiser like comfort. Wheels that work with the road very well.
Frame is very solid. I see a few knicks but its more solid than a cheap uniframe. Thats amazing.
Gets tons of attention. Everyone wants to know what it is. I think its great advertising for Dahon.
Very spartan, almost as svelte as a fixed gear. I love the clean look.
Once fitted with PlanetBike computer and lights I think it will make it a great cruiser for day and night conditions.

Thanks for reading. I really love the bike.

Will]]> Mon, 01 Jun 2009 06:09:06 -0600 http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=6962 2009 Speed Tt Review http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=6843
First of all the review will probably key in on negatives however don't view this as a negative review. I like the bike. No, I love the bike. But I personally think it's helpful to mention the little things. It's probably helpful to the manufacturers if not other potential buyers.

Let me be positive first. I'm not a fast biker. I'm a former clyde who once weighed 300 lbs or more. I'm safely a 190 lb. guy now. What am I getting too? I'm not fast. But let me tell you this Speed TT is a fast little bike. I am impressed with how it rolls.

I actually caught and passed some road rider the other day.

If I had to sum it all up in one quite soundbite it would be that the Speed TT isn't a bike......it's a machine. A well engineered one. Riding it is a pleasure. Handling is great and if there were complaints with braking in the 2008's I haven't noticed it in my 2009. Shifting was a little weird at first and took me a bit to get used to but I've got it down now. I tossed the chain once on one ride while shifting on the RD. I'm convinced I did it because I think I pushed the levers in opposing directions at the same time. If you're not sure what I'm talking about, neither am I. Just trust me that I think it was my fault.

About that shifting........I'm the kind of guy that as I'm rolling up to a light or stop sign I like to glance down and see about where I'm at gear wise so I can shift where I want to be for the take off after the stop. The way the handlebars and shifting levers are configured on this bike you CAN'T SEE the indicators.

Also the Dual Drive mechanism has three positions not unlike a triple chainring. So WHY DOES MY SHIFTER has 5 positions? The shifter should be a three click shifter for the Dual Drive. Not a regular 4 or 5 position for Front Derailleur trim. I've had some goofy moments shifting and having that Dual Drive slipping and messing up because it wasn't sitting where it was supposed to be sitting.

I'm not a parts aficionado and I don't know what it takes to get super great quality shifters without 5 clicks but my Speed TR has a 3 click lever. Give me three clicks on my dual drive Dahon next year.

And yes I know I'm free to change it and actually it's okay ONCE YOU GET USED TO IT.....but still.

Kudos to Dahon for putting braze ons for a rear rack on this frame. Many of you may think this bike is strictly a hammer bike but I like a rear rack to carry my gear on. I don't like backpacks when I'm riding.

So I slapped a rack on mine and I think it looks fine and it doesn't seem to affect anything as far as my amateur skills can detect.

I still think Dahon needs to find some material that doesn't scratch for a folding bike. Raise and lower your black seatpost a few times and it looks ugly.

I'd like to have an air pump in this seatpost even though I know that low weight and speed is what this bike is all about.

So this review is pretty similar to something I threw up on Bike Forums but all in all the positives far outweigh the negatives. My only real beef is with the shifters and it is something that you get familiar with. Still I'd love to be able to look down and know what gear I'm looking in.

When I ride a full size bike and look down at the rear cassette I'm fairly stable. When I look down and back on this pretty small frame things get a little squirrelly for me.

Take my review for what it's worth. One guys opinion. The bike was a worthy purchase for me even though I own several other Dahon bikes. I had no real reason to buy the bike other than I thought it was cool. It is.

John

]]> Thu, 07 May 2009 15:11:06 -0600 http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=6843 New Hon Solo http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=6772
First time poster and long time commuter who has ridden "normal" 700c bikes for years but just purchase a new folder for the fun of it

Being a big time fixed gear rider I was very taken by the Hon Solo at the shop. It was on sale (as it is a 2006 model which they probably can't get rid of) and was looking seriously at the MuSL but would have swapped the saddle on it for a Brooks so I said....why don't I just buy the Hon which comes with it. Being an avid woodworker the wood chainguard and fenders interested me also.

Anyways the bike is awsome....I don't know what took me so long to find the folding fix!!! Swapped out the 16 cog for a 14 for a more reasonable gear but I love the ride and look of the bike. Funny thing is since I got the bike I've changed my commute. I had never intended to ride this bike so much and do my work commute on it which is 75Kms round trip but one day I had my wife drive me to her work which is about 10km from mine. I folded up the bike and she was able to use the commuter 2 person lane which gave her a great advantage. I can now ride the 10km to work which is very enjoyable but then I'm stuck with the 38km ride home on the fixed gear Solo after work. Don't get me wrong....I love it and like the extra "training" as I previously rode a 700c fixed gear bike round trip but if I was to make the purchase again I would choose the MuSL as the speed would certainly help.

But no worries...it just gives me an excuse to purchase another Dahon bike !!!!! I have 6 bikes and my folder is now my most used.....what took me so long to find it

I can't wait to purchase another !!]]> Mon, 27 Apr 2009 11:51:03 -0600 http://www.dahon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=6772