Folding bike owners?

[wildeny]

I have a KHS T3 (27 speeds). Its folding mechanism isn't as smooth as Dahon, but I like its compact size and specs.

I had ridden on it from the bottom to 3275 m in altitude.

[shootingstar]

I have a KHS T3 (27 speeds). Its folding mechanism isn't as smooth as Dahon, but I like its compact size and specs.

I had ridden on it from the bottom to 3275 m in altitude.

Actually about 8 yrs. ago, a Dutch cyclist visited us and stayed over night here. She was cycling around the world with her panniers, etc. It included some mountainous areas. She had a Brompton.

A month ago, I found out one of my sisters and her hubby bought folding bikes for themselves simply because they wanted a 2nd outdoor activity to do for the times when they bring along the folding kayaks... all in the car.

[LindieLulu]

Hi

I live in Torquay, Devon in the UK, we have hills here (in fact nothing but hills!), I live on the 4th floor and there are no elevators, but carrying the bike up the stairs is not the problem, its simply so stiff to fold and its takes a great deal of effort, being in my mid 50s I am perhaps not quite as strong as I once was.

Lindie

[Geonz]

I have a Dahon because I wanted a folder and that's what the LBS that does my service has. I ride enough that I wasn't goign to be happy on the Speed D7, the most popular model; when I tried the P8 with the highest gear a little higher, and pieces parts in the gears that simply went to gether better, I was much happier. I really like it for being able to toss it in a car, and it handles well enough to keep up with a group ride if it's not a hammerfest. (I also use it for dropping off bikes at the bike shop 'cause I don't have a car. I can put it on or in my Xtracycle and go to Champaign Cycle and drop the big redthing off and ride away. New employees are inevitably amused )
I *love* the fat tires on the potholes and paths, too.

[Rosie8]

Thanks everyone for your input. This gives me lots to think about. All of you are so helpful in pointing out advantages and such for different folders and their purposes.

Every winter, my biking falls off because of the sloppy mud. Even though I live in the high desert of AZ, it gets cold here in December and January - sometimes down around 17 F. Cold can be tolerated, but not the muck during the days (usually sunny even if only 30 F.) I was thinking about buying a new indoor exercise bike or joining a gym for a few months, but I'd really rather bike outdoors.

I could keep on loading my regular bike into the car, but as I'm approaching 60years old, not sure how long I'll want to keep doing that.

Guess I might have to see if any dealers carry folders. Flagstaff and Phoenix are 2 hours away and might have some in stock. Thanks again.

PS - Geonz, my car mechanic always laughs at me when I pull my bike out of my car to ride home while it's being serviced. They have a free ride courtesy car but don't travel on dirt roads!

[NbyNW]

Chiming in a bit late, for what it's worth:

I did an 11-mile round trip commute last year on my Dahon Speed Pro TT. It's one of the higher end Dahons. I really enjoy the handling of this bike. It's light and nimble and has a low center of gravity. The weight of the bike is comparable to my non-folding road bike.

I loved that I could fold it up quickly and stash it under my desk, as there was no other secure storage option at my work.

Another added bonus that I didn't think about until after I had been riding the bike for some time was the low stepover. I really appreciated this feature since my hip range of motion was constrained due to an injury several years ago.

It is sturdy enough for longer rides. I did a 24-mile charity ride on it last fall. This year I did the 40-mile distance of the same ride on a different bike, but I think the Dahon would have been just fine too.

I'm not sure what gear combination you are considering, but I would say that my Dahon (which is set up with a 3-speed SRAM DualDrive x 9 ring rear cassette) is slightly less efficient at climbing hills than my conventional bike. But a lot of that can be compensated for by adjusting your gears.

I have not yet traveled with my Dahon, but I like the idea of taking it with me when I'm on vacation. What's stopping me right now is that I still need professional help re-installing the DualDrive clickbox if I have to take it off to work on the rear wheel, but I consider that my shortcoming, not the equipment's.

There is a rumor that Dahon is developing a bike with a fold similar to Brompton's; it seems that they've figured out a way to work aroundwith the patent issue, or perhaps Brompton's patent is hitting a milestone, I am unclear.

[Rosie8]

I do have another question. Do most people stay with the original saddle that comes on the bike or do you change it?

[azfiddle]

My husband has a Dahon Boardwalk 7 speed (bought used for $100). He rides it about 20 miles each day on his work commute. He had to replace the back wheel with a heavier, BMX type wheel as the stock back wheel isn't strong enough to take the daily riding. He's put about 1500 miles on it since May.

We live in Tucson and know the Prescott Valley a little- he thinks the 7 speed would be fine for your area, but not a 3 speed.

Sharon

[kmehrzad]

I do have another question. Do most people stay with the original saddle that comes on the bike or do you change it?

Rosie,
One thing to mention about the saddle on my Dahon ... it was attached to an I-beam seat post, which didn't allow just any saddle to be substituted. You can get an adapter, though, if you wanted to change it but extra $$. I don't know whether all Dahons have this feature or not. Here's a blurb from Dahon web site:

EXtreme Performance Component Groupkore i-beam saddle/seatpost. The patented I-Beam system replaces the traditional saddle rail design with a single carbon composite beam. The benefits are a dramatic reduction in weight, 200% more fore-aft adjustment, and superior strength. The sleek new Kore saddle features an outstanding shape and is designed with a Flex shell for outstanding comfort. The seatpost is made out of 2014 aluminum in a SuperOversize 34 mm diameter for a strength to weight ratio that can’t be beat. Tilt is infinitely adjustable. And should you decide that you want to stick with your favorite Brooks or Flite saddle, you can fit the seatpost with an adapter that will fit any railed saddle. The 2008 saddle/seatpost combination is up to 80 grams lighter than last year’s I-Beam system.