Dahon folding bikes

Tamyka Bell said:

Anyone got any comments on Dahon folding bikes?

(I've looked at online reviews, so there's no need to post a tinyurl to
(JFGI).com, I'm actually just interested in your personal feedback.)

Tam

Tam,

you might find some of Tom Worthington's stuff on Dahons interesting.
tomw.net.auindex.shtmlOpen ↗.

Tom was the ADF web master, if I recall correctly, at one time and there are some interesting Defence IT 'travelogue' articles there too. He is a nice chap and also a sometime visitor to a.b. His email address is on his website so I'm sure he would not mind if I post it here - [email hidden].

SteveA

I have been riding a Dahon Helios P8 for about a month.

I Drive-Ride my commute into Melbourne CBD (8.5km, 5.5km)

I like the range of the 8 gears, up to 90inches is fine for me.
I normally don't fold it all the way to put it in my boot, only fold
the frame and rotate the handle bars.

It is not a stiff as a full frame bike if you are really pulling the
handle bars up hills, but I'm not really that fit yet.
I like the weight, its not too heavy for me to manhandle into the boot
or hang on a rack at work.
The folding pedals work well, though I slip off at times and I am
thinking of possibly replacing them with pedals with cleats on one side
and a platform on the other.

My only real gripe is that the chain can fall off under the right
(bumpy) circumstances. I might try and buy one of these
http://www.thorusa.com/dahondrivetrain.htm

Tamyka Bell said:

Anyone got any comments on Dahon folding bikes?

(I've looked at online reviews, so there's no need to post a tinyurl to
(JFGI).com, I'm actually just interested in your personal feedback.)

Tam

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Tamyka Bell said:

Anyone got any comments on Dahon folding bikes?

(I've looked at online reviews, so there's no need to post a tinyurl to
(JFGI).com, I'm actually just interested in your personal feedback.)

Tam

[PHP][/PHP]

had never noticed those contraptions or indeed the decals on them until I read this thread - bugger me they all seem to be Dahons.

Anyhoow, this morning was walking (in rain grumble) along queen St and this guy on a dahon jumps from road up onto footpath in front of me and when he lands his chain bounced off. He cursed and stopped right in front of me, so I took the opportunity to ask him what he thought of his folding bike. Might have been bad timing given he was wet and [censored] about dropping his chain - cos he really unloaded on it. In fact he said I could have the fscking thing. Apparently he drops the chain at least once every ride and it rattles and is generally unreliable. Tam I think you can take this with a grain of salt, as the bike was suffering major neglect - I couldn't count the cogs due to drive-train grime, more paint was missing that was left on it, and it looked generally in a poor state of repair. If I had just his review to go by, I'd buy rollerblades.

monsterman said:

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Tamyka Bell said:

Anyone got any comments on Dahon folding bikes?

(I've looked at online reviews, so there's no need to post a tinyurl to
(JFGI).com, I'm actually just interested in your personal feedback.)

Tam

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had never noticed those contraptions or indeed the decals on them until
I read this thread - bugger me they all seem to be Dahons.

Anyhoow, this morning was walking (in rain grumble) along queen St and
this guy on a dahon jumps from road up onto footpath in front of me and
when he lands his chain bounced off. He cursed and stopped right in
front of me, so I took the opportunity to ask him what he thought of
his folding bike. Might have been bad timing given he was wet and
[censored] about dropping his chain - cos he really unloaded on it. In
fact he said I could have the fscking thing. Apparently he drops the
chain at least once every ride and it rattles and is generally
unreliable. Tam I think you can take this with a grain of salt, as the
bike was suffering major neglect - I couldn't count the cogs due to
drive-train grime, more paint was missing that was left on it, and it
looked generally in a poor state of repair. If I had just his review
to go by, I'd buy rollerblades.

--
monsterman

Hehehe except that description sounded like the state of my rollerblades
;-)

T

monsterman said:

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had never noticed those contraptions or indeed the decals on them until I read this thread - bugger me they all seem to be Dahons.

Anyhoow, this morning was walking (in rain grumble) along queen St and this guy on a dahon jumps from road up onto footpath in front of me and when he lands his chain bounced off. He cursed and stopped right in front of me, so I took the opportunity to ask him what he thought of his folding bike. Might have been bad timing given he was wet and [censored] about dropping his chain - cos he really unloaded on it. In fact he said I could have the fscking thing. Apparently he drops the chain at least once every ride and it rattles and is generally unreliable. Tam I think you can take this with a grain of salt, as the bike was suffering major neglect - I couldn't count the cogs due to drive-train grime, more paint was missing that was left on it, and it looked generally in a poor state of repair. If I had just his review to go by, I'd buy rollerblades.

Birdy... Birdy...Birdy. I wants a Birdy. Mit Rohloff.

birdy.com.aubirdy rohloff.htmOpen ↗

SteveA

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SteveA said:

Birdy... Birdy...Birdy. I wants a Birdy. Mit Rohloff.

birdy.com.aubirdy rohloff.htmOpen ↗

SteveA

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that is one ugly looking piece of [censored]

monsterman said:

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that is one ugly looking piece of [censored]

Now Monster - that ain't noice. Is your objection to folders, little wheel bikes or Birdies or that particular model Birdy?

The Reds and the Force are languishing on the bottom together, and now you put [censored] on the Birdy. How cruel is life?

SteveA

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SteveA said:

Now Monster - that ain't noice. Is your objection to folders, little wheel bikes or Birdies or that particular model Birdy?

The Reds and the Force are languishing on the bottom together, and now you put [censored] on the Birdy. How cruel is life?

SteveA

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Nothing against fold-ups or any particular brand. IMHO the Dahon's just look better - less "angular", less "manga artist conceived" and not so panierisque looking. Still, how sweet would that rohloff 14 be😎 😎

Yeah, reds caned ---- again ----. Force had the week off - more time to plot the reds' downfall next weekend eh? At least one of us wont be winless this time next week. I fear the ex-reds have had this one marked in the calendar for a while ..... ........:eek:

monsterman said:

[PHP][/PHP] [PHP][/PHP]

Nothing against fold-ups or any particular brand. IMHO the Dahon's just look better - less "angular", less "manga artist conceived" and not so panierisque looking. Still, how sweet would that rohloff 14 be😎 😎

Yeah, reds caned ---- again ----. Force had the week off - more time to plot the reds' downfall next weekend eh? At least one of us wont be winless this time next week. I fear the ex-reds have had this one marked in the calendar for a while ..... ........:eek:

rode a Dahon and a Birdy. Bought a Bike Friday! I went a bit overboard though and spec'd it up. Very happy:-)

ProfTournesol said:

rode a Dahon and a Birdy. Bought a Bike Friday! I went a bit overboard though and spec'd it up. Very happy:-)

Bike Friday - even more of a wallet lightener than the Birdies. Noice Boiks!

SteveA

ProfTournesol said:

monsterman said:

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Nothing against fold-ups or any particular brand. IMHO the Dahon's
just look better - less "angular", less "manga artist conceived" and
not so panierisque looking. Still, how sweet would that rohloff 14
be😎 😎

Yeah, reds caned ---- again ----. Force had the week off - more time
to plot the reds' downfall next weekend eh? At least one of us wont
be winless this time next week. I fear the ex-reds have had this one
marked in the calendar for a while ..... ........:eek:

rode a Dahon and a Birdy. Bought a Bike Friday! I went a bit overboard
though and spec'd it up. Very happy:-)

--
ProfTournesol

But, seeing as the Dahon is the only one I can afford, can you provide
some feedback on it?

Tam

SteveA said:

Bike Friday - even more of a wallet lightener than the Birdies. Noice Boiks!

SteveA

Air Friday 10kg
Wallet 0kg!

there are cheaper BFs though and they are custom frames.

Tamyka Bell said:

Anyone got any comments on Dahon folding bikes?

(I've looked at online reviews, so there's no need to post a tinyurl to
(JFGI).com, I'm actually just interested in your personal feedback.)

Tam

How about a Ritchey Break-Away... there's a very lovely Ti version.

In aus.bicycle on Sun, 5 Mar 2006 15:16:32 +1000

Tamyka Bell said:

But, seeing as the Dahon is the only one I can afford, can you provide
some feedback on it?

Hmm.. those are cheap!

I was going to suggest the Airnimal from flyingfurniture.com.au but
those Dahon thingos are well under the Airnimal prices.

Have you seen
http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index.php/t-54744.html
http://www.johnforester.com/Articles/BicycleEng/dahon.htm
http://www.epinions.com/bicycles_2003_Dahon_Boardwalk_6/display_~reviews
http://www.roadbikereview.com/cat/2003-bikes/2003-folding-bike/dahon/PRD_139317_4344crx.aspx
http://www.foldsoc.co.uk/tests.html

Zebee

SteveA said:

Tam, you might find some of Tom Worthington's stuff
on Dahons interesting. ...

Thanks. My Dahon has been to Europe and back
<http://www.tomw.net.au/2004/europe/>.
I also bought a little one in China on impulse to ride around Beijing
<http://www.tomw.net.au/2003/bws/>.

I like them because they have what I need and nothing too fancy. When
mine broke <http://www.tomw.net.au/2005/bbb.html>, Dahon fixed it under
warranty with no quibbling
<http://www.tomw.net.au/blog/2005/10/bending-bicycle-better.html>.

Quoted message said:

Tom was the ADF web master, if I recall correctly, at one time ...

Yes, I set up the first official web site for the Australian Department
of Defence in 1995 <http://www.tomw.net.au/nt/k95.html>.

Quoted message said:

there are some interesting Defence IT 'travelogue' articles there too.

Non-defence travelogues these days:
<http://www.tomw.net.au/travel/tourist.htm>.

Quoted message said:

He is a nice chap ...

Blush. ;-)

Quoted message said:

and also a sometime visitor to a.b.

AB?

Tamyka Bell said:

Anyone got any comments on Dahon folding bikes?

I've got the Boardwalk model before they went all
super expensive.

It's light, nice to ride (bit small
for me, I'm 6' tall), and the 6-speed is ok. I used
to ride to the station, take it on the train, then
ride to my work in the Sydney CBD from central. Then
[censored]-rail issued an edict that foldable bikes
(in bags or not) still required a child fare ($30/week)
so I gave up... thought about taking a canoe to
work every day in protest.

Anyway, it's a nice bike. It really does fold in
15 seconds like they say. It's pretty ungainly
to carry in the folded position, 'cause 10kg is
bulky. Mine was $500 from Cheeky Monkey in sydney.

Actually if I had to fault it, *sometimes* when you're
putting the power on, and you shift gears, the frigging
chain would jump off the front ring. But this will
happen only when there's a bus behind you.

Oh, keep the tyres at their max pressure for a nicer
(easier) ride.

cheersbigears,
-kt

--
Kingsley Turner,
(mailto: [email hidden])
http://MadDogsBreakfast.com/ABFAQ - news:aus.bicycle Frequenly Asked Questions