Downtube Question

[Donald Wile]

Hi Folks, I'm a total nuebee to bikes and folding bikes...however, by reading this forum I'm strongly considering the purchase of either the Downtube VIII FS or non-FS model. My questions are the following:

1. I'm 5'11" and 190lbs...will I find this a comfortable ride? I just want to have fun tooling around...no serious riding.

2. Will the bike fit in my Chevrolet Cavilair's trunk?

3. I'm pretty sure I want a bike with fenders to prevent road splash and a back fender carrying rack would also be nice.....some of the pictures I see of the Downtube show these and some don't....does the Downtube come with these items?

4. Is the FS version worth the extra $50?

5. Anything else I should know?

Thanks in advance for your sage advice

[Wavshrdr]

Donald- First let me welcome you to the board. I have 2 Downtubes (we often abbreviate them as DT) and I am quite happy with them. I have quite a few other folders as well so I am in a good position to comment on them specifically and generally.

1.) I am definitely bigger (6'2", 230#) than you and I find the bike to generally be comfortable if I slide the seat back in the rails as much as possible and after playing with the bars a bit. It does feel a little more short coupled (ie. closer seat stem to handlebar stem) than some of my other folders. I do have a long torso but if you don't it should feel about right.

2.) Shouldn't be an issue. It fits in the back of my VW Beetle (new style) with the rear seat folded up with a little work but that is not a big area.

3.) FS doesn't come with fenders the base model does. Easy to add fenders later through many aftermarket companies if so desired.

4.) I personally think so as adding a good suspended seat option (such as a Thudbuster) can cost as much as another DT or darn near it. The FS will make for a smaller package if you want to put it in a suitcase but on the FS you don't get a rear rack, fenders or a kickstand. I will say that the shock works quite well even for a big guy like me.

5.) I think the DT is one of the best values out there. It is not my favorite folder but my favorite cost me about 4 times more than what I paid for a DT. The bike is strong, reliable and uses standard and easily replacable compenents should something happen. Very few propietary things on it. For your size I would buy the 2005 model rather than the later ones as the 2005's have stronger wheels (more spokes). Slightly heavier but if you are a big guy you will like the strength especially if you load it up.

I would also say you have a good chance of having some shipping damage. Yan @ DT has been good about taking care of these issues. UPS is brutal on bikes it seems. I had a bent derailleur hanger bracket (maybe a $1 part) that was bent and Yan sent me a new one. Took a few minutes to replace and all was well. Bars are a little narrow for me but all in all the bike rides well. It is a little heavy but not terribly so. At the low end of the price scale you get a bike that would match up nicely in the "real" 500-600$ folder range. It isn't worth the MSRP they claim it to be but closer in the mid-range priced bikes. Since in real dollars you can buy it for much less AND you get a nice carry bag, it makes for a great deal. I bought 2 of them even though I already had 3 other folders at that time. I have no regrets. If you do have more money to spend (~$800+) then I would suggest looking elsewhere. But if you are looking at <500$ then DT should be your first stop. Check out the entire DT thread if you want to see more comments. Toughest choice will be color. I bought and orange and a white since I couldn't decide.

[Donald Wile]

Thanks for the detailed response to my questions. It helps alot. I'm going to place my order today. You mentioned that UPS might damage the bike in shippment....do you know where the bikes are shipped from? Also, can an aftermarket kick stand be added to the bike? One feature of the 2006 model that seemed interesting was the "Adjustable angle removable faceplace stem" ....I'm not sure what this is (perhaps you could explain)...however from my reading in other posts on this great forum I ascertained that it helps adjust the handle bars to allow for a more comfortable ride (is this correct?). I was surprised that you were not recommending the 2006 model....the company info states it to be good up to 220 lbs. I'm only 190 lb and my weight doesn't fluxuate alot. Will the stainless steel spokes in the 2006 tire make up for the fact that there are fewer? Thanks again for your help.

Regards, Don Wile

[Donald Wile]

One other item....I've never had an opportunity to ride a folder...how similar to a full size 26" bike is the ride of a DT? What are the most noticable differences?

[downtube]

Thanks for the detailed response to my questions. It helps alot. I'm going to place my order today. You mentioned that UPS might damage the bike in shippment....do you know where the bikes are shipped from? Also, can an aftermarket kick stand be added to the bike? One feature of the 2006 model that seemed interesting was the "Adjustable angle removable faceplace stem" ....I'm not sure what this is (perhaps you could explain)...however from my reading in other posts on this great forum I ascertained that it helps adjust the handle bars to allow for a more comfortable ride (is this correct?). I was surprised that you were not recommending the 2006 model....the company info states it to be good up to 220 lbs. I'm only 190 lb and my weight doesn't fluxuate alot. Will the stainless steel spokes in the 2006 tire make up for the fact that there are fewer? Thanks again for your help.

Regards, Don Wile

Donald,

I have never added a kickstand to the FS bike, however someone posted a thread here claiming a recumbent kickstand will work.

The adjustable angle removable faceplate stem has two features.
1. The angle of the stem is adjustable for many different positions...should work great with tall and short riders for more comfort positions.
2. The removable faceplate means you can quickly remove the handlebar without removing a grip and brake lever. This can come in very handy sometimes.....probably not too often. View a pic at http://www.lickbike.com/productpage.aspx?PART_NUM_SUB='1069-20'

The 2005 bikes have 28H/28H front/rear wheels. The 2006 have 24H/28H with stainless steel spokes. A 24H front wheel should be sufficient for most applications (especially with a suspension fork absorbing road shock), additionally the stainless steel is more corrosion resistant.

Thanks,
Yan

[Wavshrdr]

One other item....I've never had an opportunity to ride a folder...how similar to a full size 26" bike is the ride of a DT? What are the most noticable differences?

I think the FS DT rides better than an unsuspended normal full size bike. Keep in mind there are pluses and minuses to small wheels. Small wheels are affected more by holes in the pavement moreso than big wheels. Basic laws of physics apply. However small wheels accelerate and climb better than big wheels. For me the pluses outweigh the minuses. I give up maybe 1-2% topspeed but I can draft more easily behind other riders because I can get close to them if I ride in a pack.

All in all the ride on the FS DT is pretty good. I rode mine again the other night with my kids. I definitely noticed the suspension vis a vis my other bike without it. It is not super high tech suspension but it does an adequate job. Don't think I am damning it with faint praise but it isn't meant to soak up super big hits but it does a decent job of absorbing small to medium size bumps. A smaller person would probably like it even more than me as you could take a pretty big hit with it.

[Donald Wile]

Well its ordered. Based on all the info I could find and the helpful information above, I placed my order today for a 2006 DT VIII FS (white). I'm very excited and will anxiously anticipate its arrival. I'll post my review once I've had an opportunity to play with it. Thanks all for your help.

[v1nce]

Looking forward to that review!

[Donald Wile]

Just to set my expectations correctly....from the time an order was placed with DownTube how long was it before the item was shipped/received....(BTW I live in California). Thanks.

[Wavshrdr]

It took me about 1 week.

[14R]

4-5 days to Florida.

[Donald Wile]

Hi All,

Got my 2006 Downtube VIII FS and just took it out for my first real ride. What a thrill! Now keep in mind that I have nothing to compare it against and that I know nothing about bikes, but I had a great two hour ride. I received the bike undamaged and I was happy to find that everything seemed properly adjusted. Before I started my ride I made a trip to my local bike shop and replaced the seat with a nice big wide one (I intend to be a casual rider and prefer comfort), I bought a water bottle, water bottle rack and helmet...I was good to go. I loaded my DT into the trunk of my Chevorlet Cavalier (small trunk opening) and with a bit of fiddling it fit just fine (needed to remove the seat though...no big deal). I then drove to a local park and assembled my dream machine in a couple minuets....I was off. I experimented with the seat height and handle bar height until I felt comfortable. I'm 5'11" and 190lbs. I had no problem finding several comfortable riding positions. At no time was the seat post fully extended...in fact I don't understand why anyone would want to extend it all the way. At one point I pulled it out quite a bit and could barely mount the bike...back down it went. I found the gears to shift smoothly, and the ride was amazingly smooth...bumps in the road...who cares the FS did its job...very nice. I used all the gears and found the range to be very adequate...though I must admit I didn't try going up any significant incline. The bike is very responsive but easy to control and to stop. I had a big smile on my face the whole time. I only stopped my two hour ride to go home for some lunch.

Any negatives you ask....minor...the post that attaches to the handle bars got a bit scratched up as I slide the post up and down.

So at this point I'm very happy with my purchase and would recommend the DT to anyone.

Regards, Don Wile

[ichiban_jay]

Sounds wonderful! I hope my bike DT works just as well as your does! Can't wait... I'm giddy with excitement.

[v1nce]

Nice!

[juan162]

Hi,
was just wondering if you're feeling any ill effects after your 2 hour ride? How's your butt?
juan162

[v1nce]

Well Juan,.. How is YOUR butt? Skinny? Trim? ;) ha ha. Funny questions here. Don't worry Juan i am only kidding, the only butt that interests me truly is my GF's.

But yeah, it is pretty impressive, from nothing to a 2 hour ride..!

[juan162]

v1nce,
This is probably TMI, but my but is a bit big, but getting smaller every day. I've lost 25lbs so far, thanks to watching what I eat and biking regularly. I hope to lose another 25lbs before I'm done. If I can do this, I will buy myself a new Swift as a reward!!!:)
juan162

[v1nce]

I sincerely congratulate you on your efforts Juan, keep up the good work! :)

[Donald Wile]

As mentioned, I replaced the seat that came with the DT with as wide a seat as I could find. With that, my butt was fine :).

Yesterday I drove to work and at lunch pulled out my DT and went on a one hour bike ride along a pretty bike path here in Santa Clara Ca.. What a wonderful experience. I normally exercise at a GYM 3 times a week and hate it (so boring), but I had a great time riding the DT. I'm hooked.