Folding Bikes - 2006 US Dahon catalog is out

Go here to find it:

2006 US Dahon catalog (http://www.dahon.com/dahonbrochure2006.pdf)

mmmm...that hammerhead 7.0 looks like a cool ride..wish i could get a better view of the handlebars...

mmmm...that hammerhead 7.0 looks like a cool ride...

Only the hammerhead model?

Anyone noticed any amendments / additions over the 'leaked' swiss one last November?

Mu SL wins the design award.

well thats the world catalog with all models in it.
for the US market not all bikes are planned to be imported.....


might ant to check the pricelist for the planned US models

http://www.thorusa.com/bikes1.htm

Thanks Thor

Anyone think that the mini-bikes have any merit? Seems like a foolish idea to me.

Anyone think that the mini-bikes have any merit? Seems like a foolish idea to me.

If you mean the Hammerhead, yes, they have merit as Criterium bikes, among other things. If Dahon can overcome resistance to the idea, I suspect we'd see those being used for street races.

Yeah, their catalog calls them "mini-bikes" , see p32.

Why criterium bikes? I see for turning radius or putting them more easily where you want them, but trying to refine these to the point of the bikes used for that purpose hardly seems possible from a low/mid-end bicycle company?

What other purposes? The fact that the frame is normal size means the "folding" them (a misnomer) will hardly be any smaller than a normal bike. And you lose all the benefits of a big bike in the process, ie. inexpensive components and replacement parts ($5 100psi 700x25c tires).


If you mean the Hammerhead, yes, they have merit as Criterium bikes, among other things. If Dahon can overcome resistance to the idea, I suspect we'd see those being used for street races.

Hey that's neat, I can't wait till my Solo comes in, it's coming but the LBS say's it'll be march or so till it's here, it'll be fun to ride it!!

Benjamin

Anyone noticed any amendments / additions over the 'leaked' swiss one last November?

The leaked swiss one was with incomplete text for the sling sack, but the new one came WITH THE SAME TYPOS.

In my opinion, they are the same.

Rafael

I think the minibikes definately have merit. For the applications and benefits already mentioned (which are pretty significant by themselves) and also for applications when people desire stronger wheels with less material.

Personally i will almost always want the folding capability i think but that does not mean i can't imagine some people would love a minibike for the many qualities it does and could posses.

If nothing else, if the minibikes do take off it may well result in cheaper and more 20 inch components and increased acceptance of small wheeled bikes of all sorts which IMO would be a great thing. It might even contribute a little in debunking what i like to call the 'Small wheels are BaaAAAd and Good Wheels Good, MmmmKaayy?!' conspiracy.

For the applications and benefits already mentioned (which are pretty significant by themselves) and also for applications when people desire stronger wheels with less material.


That's the exercise here: what are the benefits (what's been listed isn't convincing, for me, at least? I don't think strength is much of an issue for a well built 700c wheel. Do you have good weight comparisons between the two?

I just think this seems like a blunder, but of course this has been well thought out to introduce a line of them. It would be nice to make more apples-apples comparisons, if the availability/cost of all things were the same.

Who here would kerb a 700c road rim? I'd worry about it going out of true for sure.

I'm a big fan of the minibike idea. I've actually designed one and I'm thinking of having custom prototype made. A framebuilding contact in the US actually reckons I could have a market and even offered to get a limited production run done at near cost but it's too much for me right now - haven't got the resources/space/time etc.

But back to the bikes. I think the 'cute' factor can play in this a lot as well as the practicalities already mentioned. The speedyness, nippyness of small-wheeled bikes is appealing. Just look at Japan. I think the world is either going smaller or bigger these days - iPod Nanos or International CXT Sports Utility Juggernauts - and with more people living in ever sub-divided appartment space the more practical a bike is the better. Yes they aren't as small as a folder but they also aren't as complicated which must appeal.

On a slightly off topic note - I (re)discovered this bike - the 1979 Mongoose Moosegoose yesterday. A high-framed BMX for taller riders. Could this along with the sadly defunct F1 bmx series be the original 'minibikes'?

See? Nothing is really new!
http://vrpracing.net/bikes/moosgooselg.jpg

I bet you could take that 'off some sweet jumps" :)

http://i.xanga.com/heart_icons/sweet%20jumps.gif

I bet you could take that 'off some sweet jumps" :)

http://i.xanga.com/heart_icons/sweet%20jumps.gif

hehe - nice graphic...

N: What kind of bike do you have?
P: It's a sledgehammer.
N: Dang! You got shocks, pegs... lucky! You ever take it off any sweet jumps?

I [heart] Napoleon Dynamite!

I like the groove, yeah, it's not a folder, but I still like it...

It's groovy.

Hey Jasong, i don't know if you have read the recent

'Large wheels and Unsprung (non leather) saddles are a lie?!'

Thread. In the rants there i think the case for small wheeled and even minibikes is made at nauseum, yet done well (ha ha, i did start the thread so i got of course give props to myself, since not too many other people are feelin' my opinion on this one).

@ Pixel, that is awesome about that company and minibike. I think all minibikes need is being seen, maybe some promotion and they could turn into a fad or even phenomenon. I mean who would have predicted MTB's to be so huge 2 or 5 years before their introduction. Not too many.. we may be the early adopters, those who are predicting it for minibikes, today. Or we may be sad Folder Freaks that will have to realize in a few years time that we will always be a group of fringe lunatics. Either way (or something in between) i don't mind one bit. I hope your custom job happens for you!

As for That Big BMX, really nice bike! Love the straight fork and beefy yet not ridiculously oversized (tubes) frame. And guess what, it has the same Bling a$$ Sakae Gold anodized Crank as my Twenty, i think i rack up some Retro (grouch) style points with that co incidence too. :)

Another funny co incidence i just saw Napoleon Dynamite yesterday, pretty funny movie. Am i the only one that thougt the Nerdy Hamsterish Girl (Deb) that he gets wth in the end (i think) was rather cute in an understated way? Check out the headshot on IMDB

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001499/

Woof Woof! Sccchhweeeett! :)

Lastly, i have studied the Dahon Catalog and i am very impressed with their offerings. It is another thing which is hard to predict with any level of certainty but i do think that one day at least some of their bikes will be considered Design classics and ones in mint condition may command high prices and be collected. So maybe someone should buy one and open the box in 20 years time, it would be an interesting experiment.

Too young for ya' V1ince. ;)
But, yes, she is a cutie-patootie. (I haven't seen the film yet)

No way AF, although she does have lolita appeal according to the Bio she is 20! i am still in my twenties, well barely ha ha. I saw her first! (mental age has not caught up yet)

I want the new bag, nay, NEED it. :D It seems 10x easier to use, plus you get to carry the bike AND have other people see it, commenting on how cool it is. If I were single (happily married, thanks) I'd get many dates that way. ;)

Seriously, it is superior to the DoublePlay bag in that I believe I could easily fit my SpeedPro in there with Marathon (or bigger) tires (a stretch with the current bag, doesn't zip all the way) and fenders to boot. I'm excited, what can I say?

I hope Thor can get it in stock, and finally get the elusive slipcover too, not to mention those sweet-looking removable clipless pedals. OTOH, I can't justify any of it until I start commuting again, for which I must have a job, for which I must finish the diss. Ooops, gotta go! :D

... not to mention those sweet-looking removable clipless pedals.
I've read those clipless pedals use a special cleat exclusive to MKS? Someone on the Birdy group mentioned this, and said they won't fit the standard, generic Shimano M-51 cleat. That is, if you care.

yes they come with cleats, they are OH SO SLIGHTLY different .... makes me wonder if a file would do the trick to make them work on both pedal systems ...

But first we need to get some, which aint all that easy
Thor