Folding bike owners?

[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

[tulip]

Saddle - only you can make that decision.

I love my folding bike. I ride it as much or more than my 700c-wheel bike. I ride it on long journeys, short trips, and everything in between.

[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.

[NbyNW]

Oh yeah: I also have an I-Beam seatpost on my Dahon. The stock seat was too narrow for me, so I replaced it with this, which I find very comfy:

http://www.dahon.com/us/accessories/.../biovelvet.htm

But I agree with what others have said above, it's very personal. That said, there are options, even if the bike you get comes with a different attachment system. You can check out SDG's website to see the full range of saddles that they make for the I-Beam system.

[Rosie8]

Thank you for responding. I appreciate the advice from all of you. I hear what you're saying, azfiddle, about 7 gears being needed in the Prescottt Valley area. My Giant Suede is a 7 speed and I don't think I would want to have less gears than that. Even if the hills aren't that bad around her, the wind is crazy sometimes, especially in the spring. We get 20-30 mph winds in the spring that are killer to ride in. Also, if one wants to ride up the steeper hills in Prescott, it helps to have at least 7 gears.

My main goal in riding daily is for fitness - the exercise and relaxation effect of riding in pleasant surroundings. It's helped me lose weight and lower my blood pressure.

[Reesha]

Has anyone ever flown with their folding bike? I'm thinking about getting one and taking it with me to europe for the summer so I can get around there... sounds easier than packing up a regular bike.

I'd be curious to hear your experiences.

[tulip]

Yes, I've flown with my folder several times. I have a case for it. Just make sure that it meets the weight restrictions for luggage, or they will charge you extra. I had no problems with flying with my bike. I put a note in the inside of the case for TSA with photos of the bike inside.

[Reesha]

May I ask whether you got the case from the bike company? Did it exceed size restrictions?

[Reesha]

I wonder if something like this would work if I padded it with clothes:

http://www.amazon.com/Sunlite-Travel.../dp/B000AO7EOG

[tulip]

I would never use a soft-sided case for airline travel. Have you seen how the baggage people toss stuff around, not to mention the baggage that falls off the carts when they whip around corners! Padding with clothes will not provide the protection of a hard-shell case.

I got my case from Bike Friday. It's a Samsonite, and it adheres to the size limits. It is a hard plastic case with wheels and an extension handle, just like a normal suitcase. You can find more information on that particular case on the Bike Friday website. I think it's the Oyster case or something similar.

There's lots of good packing advice on the Bike Friday website, and I think alot is quite useful even if your bike is not a Bike Friday. There's also a pretty active Folding Bike Forum at BikeForums (bikeforums dot net).

I've taken my bike to Europe and out west (I live on the east coast). I have a friend who has had great success in shipping his bike ahead, in the hard case. Of course, you would need to have someone trustworthy on the other end to receive it.

I do have a soft case for protecting the bike when I put it in my car. That works fine.

It's wonderful to have a bike in Europe. If you are going to be in one place, you might want to look into bike rentals as well. I did that years ago when I visited France for a month. I used the rental bike to get around town, and I also took it on some longer trips. It was a 3-speed, so I didn't go on alot of those longer trips, but I did do a 40-miler on it. Slowly.

[Reesha]

Well, the folding bike would be my bread and butter in a lot of ways. I'd be on a farm in the middle of nowhere away from buslines and trains and I'd ride the bike to bus/train, stash it, unpack it and ride off to see some of my dear belgian friends.

I guess I always imagine bikes to withstand a little more abuse than they do... mostly because in all my years of crashing and such I've never broken a bike. The hard shells seem very expensive... and while I can afford a bike, another couple hundred for the hardshell could be too much. Maybe for this summer I go with a cheapy folder and a good case and then sell the folder in favor of a better one further down the line.