Folding Bikes - GoBike vs Downtube VIII FS vs Halfway RS

On one side we have Chop with a very nice GoBike that nobody can find a dealer outside Belgium.

Right in the middle we have a nice Downtube VIII FS that, for the price, sounds and looks like a good deal, but apparently there is also only ONE owner visiting this forum.

And all the way on the other side, here I am as the sole user of a giant halfway with rear suspension.

The question is: are we really ALONE with our bikes? I would LOVE to hear more about the GoBike or the Downtube VIII FS. I am very satisfied with my Halfway but I cannot rest untill I have a solid opinion about the rest of the bikes out there.

Rafael

Ride more often

On one side we have Chop with a very nice GoBike that nobody can find a dealer outside Belgium.

Right in the middle we have a nice Downtube VIII FS that, for the price, sounds and looks like a good deal, but apparently there is also only ONE owner visiting this forum.

And all the way on the other side, here I am as the sole user of a giant halfway with rear suspension.

The question is: are we really ALONE with our bikes? I would LOVE to hear more about the GoBike or the Downtube VIII FS. I am very satisfied with my Halfway but I cannot rest untill I have a solid opinion about the rest of the bikes out there.

Rafael

Ride more often

Hi Rafael!

Just posted a few of the downsides of the GoBike, it's not all Roses & Chocolates!
Met a guy on Cardiff station the other day who was very happy with his halfway, which looked very nice & was well kitted out.
At the end of the day I'm in a fairly unusual situation, in that I'm on tour all the time (tonight Holland, tomorrow Belgium, then Switzerland, Austria and Poland & that's only the 1st week of a 7 week tour!)
I only have room on my bus for folders, So if it seems like I have money coming out of my ears, I most certainly haven't! But I now spend my hard earned on what get's used day in & day out!
I'll help with the plus points & minus points of any of my bikes, which i hope will redress the sometimes sketchy info while deciding which is the best buy for your circumstances.

Safe riding!

On one side we have Chop with a very nice GoBike that nobody can find a dealer outside Belgium.

Right in the middle we have a nice Downtube VIII FS that, for the price, sounds and looks like a good deal, but apparently there is also only ONE owner visiting this forum.

And all the way on the other side, here I am as the sole user of a giant halfway with rear suspension.

The question is: are we really ALONE with our bikes? I would LOVE to hear more about the GoBike or the Downtube VIII FS. I am very satisfied with my Halfway but I cannot rest untill I have a solid opinion about the rest of the bikes out there.

Rafael

Ride more often

Rafael,

Add this to the mix: KHS F20 Westwood and family of bikes!

Full suspension 20" wheeled folders... only available in Pacific Rim countries directly from KHS Japan it seems! (I was lucky and found a 2003 model when it was still available in Canada; they ony offer the non-suspension F20 here now...)

see: http://www.khsjapan.com

Chris

Right in the middle we have a nice Downtube VIII FS that, for the price, sounds and looks like a good deal, but apparently there is also only ONE owner visiting this forum.
I think there are at least three owners of the VIII FS (BruceMetras, there__, and me) and one of the VIII (farrellcollie) visiting this forum. :)

Rafael,Check out the 2006 Dahons at the Dahon website. Catch a link from the dahon single post #1. :D

I think there are at least three owners of the VIII FS (BruceMetras, there__, and me) and one of the VIII (farrellcollie) visiting this forum. :)


Yup, I was curious who the 'one' was myself....haha..btw, I have two Downtube VIII FS bikes in the household and bought a third for a friend. I ride mine everyday for all my short jaunts in town. Extremely durable and sees a lot irregular roads and riding off curbs. No creaks or groans and shifts smooth. For the current street price on new ones, you could get 3 of them for the price of some competitive 'Full Suspension' folders. I haven't seen a better value yet.

Bruce

The Dahon site that I can acess has the 2005 series only. I think the Jetstream P8 would be a good match to me, but is there anything new about the 2006?

The KHS site (japanese) is very nice. Sometimes I wonder WHY the US is so....behind.

Good point Rafael, I agree
- my 10c - ... I think its human nature - like most, dare I say 'marginal' interest groups (from unusual auto collectors, to bird spotters and even the 'r' word (religion;-) ). It is so easy to get stuck into the detail, to get into saying 'my xxxx, is a better than your yyyy, you should get a xxxx' (even when done most politely !!) and to loose the big picture .....

In our interest group (ie viewers of folders forum) I think the big picture is that the use of folding bikes of ALL types/makes/models can be a real advantage - wherever bikes and other transport mix. Its good to exchange views, finds and experiences on this, with no particular bias other than folders. Si