Opinions on Dahon Bikes?

Elisa Francesca Roselli said:

On the other hand, I've spoken to dealers here in Paris who claim they
have stopped keeping Dahon in stock because they had too many problems
with these bikes.

My primary supplier of bikes is a Dahon dealer and he's reported no=20
great problems with them. He also sells Bromptons, and Birdys too.=20
Dahon have (AFAICT) a good reputation for all their machines, from value =

for money basic bikes up to fairly serious sports models.

Quoted message said:

swear by Brompton for folding bikes, but I am not that sold on Brommies=

=2E

Quoted message said:

I'm not keen on the 16" wheels and find them very heavy and clunky. The=

y

Quoted message said:

are famous for their elegant folding system but I'm not looking for
something to take on the metro.=20

While I would agree that a Brom is not the bike for the job you have, I=20
would point out that while not light they're not /that/ heavy, are in no =

way "clunky", and the 16" wheels are fine for the jobs the bike is for.=20
I've overtaken road bikes and been MTBing on my "heavy and clunky"=20
Brompton, so less of the rudeness! ;-)

Quoted message said:

Also there is a concern for the weight limit on the Dahon models I'm
looking at. I am very near it. With luggage, I would be over it. I don'=

t

Quoted message said:

know how important this is - would it prejudice the folding system and
void any guarantees?

I would guess it has a fairly good safe working tolerance, but you might =

be better looking around the field more. If you want something light=20
and strong that can travel well perhaps look at Moultons. They don't=20
fold, but they do disassemble for easy transport, they take luggage=20
/very/ well (the racks are effectively an extension of the spaceframe)=20
and the spacefarme construction means they're very strong as well as=20
reasonably light. More expensive than the Dahon (the Pashley built ones =

range up to about =A31000) , but you'll get a stronger bike and that seem=
s=20
to be one of your concerns. Bike Fridays would be another place to=20
look, again not cheap but with an enviable reputation.

Pete.
--=20
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Elisa Francesca Roselli said:

I'm beginning to get that "third bike itch". Myrtille and Behemoth are
both city bikes and have my everyday riding needs pretty much wrapped up
between them.

I have started to dream of longer runs, bike touring in beautiful
holiday places. But this almost always seems to mean renting an
unfamiliar bike locally and getting used to its idiosynchracies.
Behemoth is way too heavy to cart around. And there are many kinds of
terrain for which she has let me know she is unsuitable.

Dahon makes a folding bike called the Speed TR which has a rack for
luggage and a Sram DualDrive shifter. I am tempted by the possibility of
a bike that I could take with me on trains, and travel with on tours. I
know a very intrepid Russian lady in Cambridge who has a Dahon Speed
Pro, a related model, that she swears by. She has ridden it all over
France. She says it is a dream. She can take it anywhere and it then
takes her anywhere. But she is light and wiry with her steel-colored
hair and her Imperial accent, and I would never be so bold as to place
myself in the same lofty cycling category as her.

On the other hand, I've spoken to dealers here in Paris who claim they
have stopped keeping Dahon in stock because they had too many problems
with these bikes. One told me he had a customer nearly kill herself when
her Dahon came apart at the folding join in full traffic. These dealers
swear by Brompton for folding bikes, but I am not that sold on Brommies.
I'm not keen on the 16" wheels and find them very heavy and clunky. They
are famous for their elegant folding system but I'm not looking for
something to take on the metro. I cannot tell if the dealers were
knocking Dahon to promote Brompton or whether they really did have a
good reason.

Also there is a concern for the wieght limit on the Dahon models I'm
looking at. I am very near it. With luggage, I would be over it. I don't
know how important this is - would it prejudice the folding system and
void any guarantees?

The Speed TR costs over £600 so it's not an anodine purchase. I'd be
grateful for your experiences/opinions.

EFR
Ile de France

Hi Elisa,

I've got an old Dahon Classic (so I'm told) and also an L6 Brompton. Both have 16 inch wheels - the Brompton is lighter to carry and handle on the road than the Dahon, which handles like a submarine. Newer Dahons may not be so heavy, and I'm sure other posters can tell you more about them. The Dahon's tyres are thicker than the Brommie's at 1.75 inches which adds to the heaviness on the road. I've not found any rear pannier system for either bike, and I'm guessing you'd need a Dahon with bigger wheels if you wanted to carry panniers. The Dahon doesn't feel particularly unsafe as long as everything's tightened up. I think the hinge mechanism is secure and newer models are probably improved, if anything. It's more fiddly and messy to fold than the Brompton, but that may not be a consideration for you. If you would be leaving the bike locked up unattended then perhaps you should go for the Dahon - a Brompton is very "nickable" and mine either comes with me to places where it can get in folded or stays at home. Hope you enjoy whichever you eventually go for!

Elisa Francesca Roselli said:

I'm beginning to get that "third bike itch". Myrtille and Behemoth are
both city bikes and have my everyday riding needs pretty much wrapped up
between them.

I have started to dream of longer runs, bike touring in beautiful
holiday places. But this almost always seems to mean renting an
unfamiliar bike locally and getting used to its idiosynchracies.
Behemoth is way too heavy to cart around. And there are many kinds of
terrain for which she has let me know she is unsuitable.

I'd suggest having a read of the Foldsoc website
(http://www.foldsoc.co.uk) which compares and contrasts different
folding bikes. For what you want to do the Brompton is probably not the
answer as you've found although some swear they are suitable for long
distances. The options to look at are the Dahons, the new Trek and
Specialized folders, the Birdy Red and the Giant Halfway. The Airnimal,
Bike Friday and Moultons are better riding bikes but much less
convenient folded/disassembled and are a fair bit higher price than you
are looking at. Given what you've said I'd stretch that little bit
further to a Birdy Red which will be good for touring but can also be
folded up for use around Paris should you wish. The Dahon's are not
nearly so neat folded but then they are primarily designed to fold up to
store in small Far Eastern apartments rather than in the car, on the
train or taking inside for security

I know its not Paris but if you get the chance to go to Bath Railway
Station, Avon Valley Cyclery are just out the back and have all the
different models that you can try and compare before buying:
http://www.foldingbikes.co.uk

Tony

in message <[email hidden]>, Elisa Francesca

Roselli (') said:

I'm beginning to get that "third bike itch". Myrtille and Behemoth are
both city bikes and have my everyday riding needs pretty much wrapped
up between them.

I have started to dream of longer runs, bike touring in beautiful
holiday places. But this almost always seems to mean renting an
unfamiliar bike locally and getting used to its idiosynchracies.
Behemoth is way too heavy to cart around. And there are many kinds of
terrain for which she has let me know she is unsuitable.

I know nothing about Dahons either for or against, but have you
considered an Airnimal <URL:http://www.airnimal.com/Chameleon.php>?
This seems closer to what you want than a commuter folder, and has a
very good reputation. I don't know about weight limits; you'd have to
ask them.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

Morning had broken, and there was nothing we could do but wait
patiently for the RAC to arrive.

Elisa Francesca Roselli said:

I'm beginning to get that "third bike itch". Myrtille and Behemoth are
both city bikes and have my everyday riding needs pretty much wrapped
up between them.

I have started to dream of longer runs, bike touring in beautiful
holiday places. But this almost always seems to mean renting an
unfamiliar bike locally and getting used to its idiosynchracies.
Behemoth is way too heavy to cart around. And there are many kinds of
terrain for which she has let me know she is unsuitable.

Dahon makes a folding bike called the Speed TR which ..........

In addition to the folding society website mentioned by Tony Raven, if
you've specific questions, you could send them to the folding society
web-master.

He's usually ridden most things, so should be able to answer specific
questions.

I get the impression that Dahon make some excellent machines, though in the
past their output was perhaps "lower price, and lower quality". They cannot
be the world's largest folding bike maker for nothing.

- Nigel

--
NC - Webmaster for http://www.2mm.org.uk/
Replies to newsgroup postings to the newsgroup please.

Tue, 10 Aug 2004 17:25:09 +0200,
<[email hidden]>, Elisa Francesca Roselli

Quoted message said:

I have started to dream of longer runs, bike touring in beautiful
holiday places. But this almost always seems to mean renting an
unfamiliar bike locally and getting used to its idiosynchracies.

Since you aren't seeking the instant foldability of a true folding
bike, have a look at the Bike Friday line. They come with their own
travel case that converts to a trailer for your luggage.
--
zk

Several people in the Chicagoland Folding Bike Society have Dahons, both
lower end commuter bikes and higher end bikes suitable for touring, and
have had good luck with them.

The problem with Dahon and all other "off the shelf" folder
manufacturers is their failure to produce a man-sized bike. They all
have weight limits of around 230 lbs. which of course is too light for a
man (or larger woman) who might be traveling with perhaps a 50 lb. pack.
In the winter a rider might have 10 lbs. worth of clothes and boots on
as well. Take the weight guidlines seriously, especially for aluminum
bikes! You might be able to fudge a few pounds over the limit, but not
25-50 lbs.

Bike Friday will custom manufacture folders with stronger tubes to
support heavier weights (even as high as 350 lbs. AFAIK) but I don't
know how much more they cost than their other bikes which typically
support about 200-230 lbs.

-Bob Matter
Chicagoland Folding Bike Society
Dedicated to the promotion of folding bicycles
and enhancement of the folding bike experience.
http://www.geocities.com/rjmatter/

Robert J. Matter said:

The problem with Dahon and all other "off the shelf" folder
manufacturers is their failure to produce a man-sized bike. They all
have weight limits of around 230 lbs. which of course is too light for
a man (or larger woman) who might be traveling with perhaps a 50
lb. pack. In the winter a rider might have 10 lbs. worth of clothes
and boots on as well.

How embarassing. There was I thinking I was a man when all along I'm
not. Why didn't anyone tell me you had to weigh at least 80kg before
you were one. Someone should have stopped me going into the toilets,
and at least a girlfriend should have told me.

To think my whole life's an illusion.

A

On 10 Aug 2004 18:48:06 +0100, Ambrose Nankivell <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Robert J. Matter said:

The problem with Dahon and all other "off the shelf" folder
manufacturers is their failure to produce a man-sized bike. They all
have weight limits of around 230 lbs. which of course is too light for
a man (or larger woman) who might be traveling with perhaps a 50
lb. pack. In the winter a rider might have 10 lbs. worth of clothes
and boots on as well.

How embarassing. There was I thinking I was a man when all along I'm
not. Why didn't anyone tell me you had to weigh at least 80kg before
you were one. Someone should have stopped me going into the toilets,
and at least a girlfriend should have told me.

Remember to take the 50lb pack off before getting on the scales!

Do people really cycle with 50lb packs?

Colin

Elisa Francesca Roselli <[email hidden]> writes:

[About Dahon bikes]

I don't know about the Dahon, but if you're looking for a
touring-folder type thingy then you could go for a birdy. I have a
Blue, but if I were buying today I'd go for a Grey... assuming I could
muster the requisite number of beer tokens.

On Tue, 10 Aug 2004 17:25:09 +0200, Elisa Francesca Roselli
<[email hidden]> wrote (more or less):
....

Quoted message said:

On the other hand, I've spoken to dealers here in Paris who claim they
have stopped keeping Dahon in stock because they had too many problems
with these bikes. One told me he had a customer nearly kill herself when
her Dahon came apart at the folding join in full traffic. These dealers
swear by Brompton for folding bikes, but I am not that sold on Brommies.
I'm not keen on the 16" wheels and find them very heavy and clunky. They
are famous for their elegant folding system but I'm not looking for
something to take on the metro. I cannot tell if the dealers were
knocking Dahon to promote Brompton or whether they really did have a
good reason.

Biketrax(.co.uk) in Edinburgh bill themselves as a foldable
specialist, and stock both Brompton and Dahon.

Perhaps you might want to contact them?

--
Cheers,
Euan
Gawnsoft: http://www.gawnsoft.co.sr
Symbian/Epoc wiki: http://html.dnsalias.net:1122
Smalltalk links (harvested from comp.lang.smalltalk) http://html.dnsalias.net/gawnsoft/smalltalk

in message <[email hidden]>, Ambrose Nankivell

(') said:

Robert J. Matter said:

The problem with Dahon and all other "off the shelf" folder
manufacturers is their failure to produce a man-sized bike. They all
have weight limits of around 230 lbs. which of course is too light
for a man (or larger woman) who might be traveling with perhaps a 50
lb. pack. In the winter a rider might have 10 lbs. worth of clothes
and boots on as well.

How embarassing. There was I thinking I was a man when all along I'm
not. Why didn't anyone tell me you had to weigh at least 80kg before
you were one.

Well if it's any comfort to you, I'm only just a man, and I'm trying
hard not to be. I've another two and a half kilos to lose. Mind you,
I'm quite small - only 186 centimetres.

This side of the Atlantic, Clydesdale is mostly in Lanarkshire.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; Madness takes its toll. Please have exact change.

Elisa Francesca Roselli said:

I'm beginning to get that "third bike itch". Myrtille and Behemoth are
both city bikes and have my everyday riding needs pretty much wrapped up
between them.

I have started to dream of longer runs, bike touring in beautiful
holiday places. But this almost always seems to mean renting an
unfamiliar bike locally and getting used to its idiosynchracies.
Behemoth is way too heavy to cart around. And there are many kinds of
terrain for which she has let me know she is unsuitable.

Dahon makes a folding bike called the Speed TR which has a rack for
luggage and a Sram DualDrive shifter. I am tempted by the possibility of
a bike that I could take with me on trains, and travel with on tours. I
know a very intrepid Russian lady in Cambridge who has a Dahon Speed
Pro, a related model, that she swears by. She has ridden it all over
France. She says it is a dream. She can take it anywhere and it then
takes her anywhere. But she is light and wiry with her steel-colored
hair and her Imperial accent, and I would never be so bold as to place
myself in the same lofty cycling category as her.

On the other hand, I've spoken to dealers here in Paris who claim they
have stopped keeping Dahon in stock because they had too many problems
with these bikes. One told me he had a customer nearly kill herself when
her Dahon came apart at the folding join in full traffic. These dealers
swear by Brompton for folding bikes, but I am not that sold on Brommies.
I'm not keen on the 16" wheels and find them very heavy and clunky. They
are famous for their elegant folding system but I'm not looking for
something to take on the metro. I cannot tell if the dealers were
knocking Dahon to promote Brompton or whether they really did have a
good reason.

Also there is a concern for the wieght limit on the Dahon models I'm
looking at. I am very near it. With luggage, I would be over it. I don't
know how important this is - would it prejudice the folding system and
void any guarantees?

The Speed TR costs over £600 so it's not an anodine purchase. I'd be
grateful for your experiences/opinions.

EFR
Ile de France

Today I went into a bike shop (Warlands in Oxford - highly recommended)
looking for my one bike to keep at home (for sob story, see my thread "a
bike of many hats" last week). One of the bikes I had a ride on was a
Moulton. Oh my gawd, what a piece of kit!

The Moulton is fast, and obviously very efficient - at a guess, I would
have been giving my touring bike a run for its money. It bounces like a
pogo stick if you start screwing the juice on too hard, but apparently
this can be "tuned" with some nuts and screws. I would guess I'm heavier
than you (about 240lbs) and imagine the bike is set up for someone lighter
when it leaves the factory. There's all kinds of pannier racks available,
and I know people have done heavily laden tours on them, so weight can't
be too much of a problem.

Admittedly, it does look weird. People were stopping and smiling at me,
not sure if this was because I had "potential purchase grin" or they
thought I looked stupid. But what the hell, for a ride like that I reckon
I could live with it. Plus I know I could leave the kids on mountain
bikes, and a good few roadies coughing up dust miles behind me. <-;

The prices go from £675 for the Fx8, which I rode today and which my
opinions are based, up to £2500-plus for the AM - trying this next week.

Chris

--
|C|H|R|I|S|@|T|R|I|N|I|T|Y|W|I|L|L|S|.|C|O|M|
Remove the bars to contact me

"Gawnsoft" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Tue, 10 Aug 2004 17:25:09 +0200, Elisa Francesca Roselli
<[email hidden]> wrote (more or less):
...

Quoted message said:

On the other hand, I've spoken to dealers here in Paris who claim they
have stopped keeping Dahon in stock because they had too many problems
with these bikes. One told me he had a customer nearly kill herself when
her Dahon came apart at the folding join in full traffic. These dealers
swear by Brompton for folding bikes, but I am not that sold on Brommies.
I'm not keen on the 16" wheels and find them very heavy and clunky. They
are famous for their elegant folding system but I'm not looking for
something to take on the metro. I cannot tell if the dealers were
knocking Dahon to promote Brompton or whether they really did have a
good reason.

Biketrax(.co.uk) in Edinburgh bill themselves as a foldable
specialist, and stock both Brompton and Dahon.

Perhaps you might want to contact them?

When buying a Dahon, be aware that the models with the same designation are
nonetheless sold in different configs in different countries. For example, US
(and possibly UK?) models come without the mudguards and rack that are standard
in continental Europe.
--
Mark South: World Citizen, Net Denizen

Chris Davies said:

The Moulton is fast, and obviously very efficient - at a guess, I would=

=20

Quoted message said:

have been giving my touring bike a run for its money. It bounces like a=

=20

Quoted message said:

pogo stick if you start screwing the juice on too hard, but apparently =

Quoted message said:

this can be "tuned" with some nuts and screws.

And tuning your pedalling technique a bit, I'd think.

Quoted message said:

Admittedly, it does look weird. People were stopping and smiling at me,=

=20

Quoted message said:

not sure if this was because I had "potential purchase grin" or they=20
thought I looked stupid.

Small wheels =3D=3D [censored] bike is the common perception. I get laughed at=
a=20
lot on the Brom, though the yoof I overtake on it seem rather perplexed=20
that I'm able to do so... Add appropriate gearing and suspension to=20
small wheels and they become an asset rather than a problem.

Quoted message said:

The prices go from =A3675 for the Fx8, which I rode today and which my =

Quoted message said:

opinions are based, up to =A32500-plus for the AM - trying this next we=

ek.

Don't forget the New Series, which will set you back around 5 grand!=20
(yes, really!). Only ever seen one, which Peter Gabriel was riding=20
around the stage singing "Solsbury Hill" from on the Still Growing Up=20
tour. Resplendent in stainless steel, it looked /very/ shiny!

Pete.
--=20
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

"Elisa Francesca Roselli" wrote...

Quoted message said:

I'm beginning to get that "third bike itch". Myrtille and Behemoth are
both city bikes and have my everyday riding needs pretty much wrapped up
between them.

I have started to dream of longer runs, bike touring in beautiful
holiday places. But this almost always seems to mean renting an
unfamiliar bike locally and getting used to its idiosynchracies.
Behemoth is way too heavy to cart around. And there are many kinds of
terrain for which she has let me know she is unsuitable.

Dahon makes a folding bike called the Speed TR which has a rack for
luggage and a Sram DualDrive shifter. I am tempted by the possibility of
a bike that I could take with me on trains, and travel with on tours.

The third bike itch is a good thing, and a good touring bike would be good
to have, but does it have to be a folder? I believe that there are still
trains in France that accept fully assembled bikes, and I never found boxing
up my bike to travel on TGV trains to be all that dreadful a chore.

I'm not recommending against the Dahon or other folder, just suggesting that
you consider non-folding as well as folding machines when shopping for a
tourer.

=v= Here's another folding bike website:

http://www.geocities.com/justridingalong/folding-bicycle/

Check out especially the links at the bottom.

=v= You might subscribe to the folding-bicycle email list
(details on that website), but you'll get pretty much the
same responses you got here: "Try the one I got, I like
it." To which I might personally inevitably add, try the
Bike Friday, I like it. (Mention my name if you buy one;
I can buy some new tires with the referral fee.)

=v= Dahons are the cheapest, and I've taken some rides on
some good ones. Quality varies, though, so try before you
buy, if you're going that route.
<_Jym_>

Le Wed, 11 Aug 2004 16:04:45 +0000, mark a écrit :

Quoted message said:

(...) and I never found
boxing up my bike to travel on TGV trains to be all that dreadful a chore.

Some of these foldable bikes come with beautiful cases to be carried in
trains or airplanes.
But when you get to your destination airport/station, what do you do with
the case ? I guess you can't put it on your rack and carry it with you
during your whole trip ?

Anybody has personal experience to share ?

Thanks
Jacques

Jacques Moser said:

Le Wed, 11 Aug 2004 16:04:45 +0000, mark a écrit :

Quoted message said:

(...) and I never found
boxing up my bike to travel on TGV trains to be all that dreadful a chore.

Some of these foldable bikes come with beautiful cases to be carried in
trains or airplanes.
But when you get to your destination airport/station, what do you do with
the case ? I guess you can't put it on your rack and carry it with you
during your whole trip ?

Anybody has personal experience to share ?

I usually get a hotel at the destination and leave the case with them
until I get back. Otherwise there is always left luggage.

Tony