I have two Dahon folding bikes and they are good value. Dahon makes solid bikes. I've put a couple of thousand miles on my three speed and consider it indistructable. I see your getting the midlevel model and I don't consider it a bad choice. If you can afford it, buy the CraneCreek Thudbuster. It really will improve the ride.
When you unfold the bike the first time and get the settings perfect for her, make a mark on the seat post. The next time she unfolds the bike, it won't be a problem getting the perfect fit.
The geometry isn't bad at all and I actually was able to do Bike New York (43 miles) on a Speed 8. It looks kind of funny but the seating position is more of comfort bike than a hybrid.
She should ride in 2nd gear 95% of the time and use 1st gear only for hills. If you think she might want more gears, get the Boardwalk 7
Last edited by Dahon.Steve; 06-17-03 at 08:13 AM.