Folding Bikes - Handlepost upgrades to my 2004 Boardwalk S1

I was just on the Dahon forums and was going back and forth with ACE in regards to his adjustable handlepost. I was looking at purchasing one for my bike as I had previously hacksawed the fixed height handlepost on mine. Not a bad job but I have read of potential problems in terms of the strength of the handlpost when a quill stem is inserted. To be on the safe side, I was looking to replace the hacked post with an adjustable one. I put a call in to Dahon California and was told I couldn't do it as the adjustable handlepost wasn't compatible with the S1 I have. If I had an S7, then I could do it. I thought I could then just purchase a new fork, headset as well as a new adjustable handlepost but was told I couldn't do that either. He just flat out told me to sell the bike and get a new one. Ya, thanks for the help!

Anyways, this is what I've been thinking...
a. Keep the hacked fixed handlepost and ride it
b. Have a custom fork built with an extended steerer tube in which to clamp my stem and bars to (similar to what Walter at Bike Friday has on his fixed Bike Friday Pocket Rocket)
c. Try to figure out if I can modify an adjustable handlpost to fit.

Any suggestions?

Try contacting Gaerlan (http://gaerlan.com/dahon/dahon.htm) and ask if he has older style adjustable handleposts that will work. I'd almost bet that he does. Worth a try, anyway.

Try contacting Gaerlan (http://gaerlan.com/dahon/dahon.htm) and ask if he has older style adjustable handleposts that will work. I'd almost bet that he does. Worth a try, anyway.

Thanks for the suggestion. I took your advice and spoke with Jay at Gaerlan. Although Dahon did have a 1" adjustable handlepost, it's no longer in production, most likely due to the conversion to 1 1/8". He did suggest, since I already cut down my fixed height handlepost, to find a long enough 1 1/8" tube/pipe, a large enough seatpost collar and treat the handlepost like a seat tube. I'd just need to notch the handlepost so it acts like a seat tube would once the seat post collar was tightened.

On a side note, I recognized his accent as being filipino and being filipino myself, I thought that was kinda cool.

What Jay suggested to you work great.

I have done it on two Dahon from around 2001-2002 (Helios and Speed) with 1 inch steerer and i have now problem. It is sad 1 inch handlepost can't be found anymore. If we broke one, what could we do?

Does anyone have pics of this type of fabrication... I'm having some difficulty determining which tube is the larger one. The fork steerer or the tube that acts as the stem extension.

It seems from the explaination that the extension is the larger tube.

I am pretty sure that fixed 1 inch handlebars are still available , just the adjustable ones are not....

although I keep asking about it ...lol

thor

Does anyone have pics of this type of fabrication... I'm having some difficulty determining which tube is the larger one. The fork steerer or the tube that acts as the stem extension.

It seems from the explaination that the extension is the larger tube.

Please take a look at http://www.guybouchard.ca/dahocaro.htm

You will see how i have done it on a Mikado (Dahon Helios i think) folder.

On a side note, I recognized his accent as being filipino and being filipino myself, I thought that was kinda cool.
On a side note to your side note: Filipino here, too...no accent though. ;)

When I get the money and time, I need to buy that adjustable 1 1/8" adjustable stempost from Gaerlan for my '05 Vitesse.

Please take a look at http://www.guybouchard.ca/dahocaro.htm

You will see how i have done it on a Mikado (Dahon Helios i think) folder.

I see, but in the case where there is a 1" steerer on the fork as progre-ss describes, wouldn't the collar be attached to the extension? (top half)

On a side note to your side note: Filipino here, too...no accent though. ;)

When I get the money and time, I need to buy that adjustable 1 1/8" adjustable stempost from Gaerlan for my '05 Vitesse.

Very cool indeed. I don't have an accent either (well, maybe a Canadian one since I lived there for most of my life and now live in the States). But, I can understand and if I need to, speak Tagalog.

Those handleposts are quite pricey eh? The handlepost and the sliding part are almost half of what I paid for my Boardwalk! lol!