Dahon Boardwalk upgrades?

[wardie]

I am considering a Dahon Boardwalk because it's a decent but inexpensive folding bike. Based on the reviews I decided against a Giant Halfway. I like the Boardwalk and the price and wondered if it was upgradeable using a derailleur in the back. I know the front gearing is fixed. Anyone upgrade the compenents? maybe put on rear brakes when they changed out rear rim? Any mods let me know. Wardie

[James H Haury]

What are you thinking of ? (On the d7)Of course you can change out the crank and get a bigger chainring up to 58 teeth from loose screws bicycle small parts and you can get a custom freewheel from them too or use a shimano megarange (11- 34)also you can change the tires to up to about 20 by 1.75 with the highest pressure you can get without having to remove the fenders without fenders you can get 2 inch wide tires on it. Folder fanatic modified (her?) Boardwalk S1 into a 3 speed or you could make the S1 into a fixie /ss with a flip flop hub( now you are talking bucks though)

[Foldable Two]

I have had more fun playing with my Boardwalk S1 - bar-ends and 1.75" tires to date - than doing anything to my D7. My wife, and other members of the family, cannot understand my need for TWO bikes, let alone the need to "play" around with one of them.

I think the thought is: "He is 64, when is he going to grow up?"

I was thinking today that the single-speed fits me better because of it's vertically adjustable handle bars.

Anyway, I have like $400 in the two bikes, plus my minimal mods. I enjoy them alot.

To my wife, her D7 is just another bike that happens to fold.

[Bacciagalupe]

I like the Boardwalk and the price and wondered if it was upgradeable using a derailleur in the back....
IIRC the dropouts on the Boardwalk S1 are different than with the derailleur-equipped bikes. I'm not sure but I don't think it has a spot to add a RD. It may be easy to put an internal hub on it and difficult to add a rear derailleur.

If you're looking for a cheap bike to mess with, I'd say go for it. If you're trying to save money, I'd say get a Downtube, a used folding bike, or just bite the bullet and shell out the extra $150 for a Speed D7.

[folder fanatic]

"...and wondered if it was upgradeable using a derailleur in the back. I know the front gearing is fixed. Anyone upgrade the compenents? maybe put on rear brakes when they changed out rear rim? Any mods let me know." -Wardie

I have a 2003 Boardwalk S1 which I selected that particular model because it has a horizontal dropouts in the rear. I wanted to (and did) add a three speed internal gear hub. Plus I added a handlebar mounted shifter, the type of rear wheel brake that I like (a hand one vs. a coaster brake which came with it), and Kool Stop brake pads. If your heart is set on a derailleur equipped, rather than a internal hub equipped bike, I would look at another Dahon model like the Speed D7 or the Mariner, or go Downtuble. Try to keep cost down by getting a model as close to what you want as you can, then convert.

[invisiblehand]

I am considering a Dahon Boardwalk because it's a decent but inexpensive folding bike. Based on the reviews I decided against a Giant Halfway. I like the Boardwalk and the price and wondered if it was upgradeable using a derailleur in the back. I know the front gearing is fixed. Anyone upgrade the compenents? maybe put on rear brakes when they changed out rear rim? Any mods let me know. Wardie

It has been a while since I read the old threads, but I know that there are a posts regarding some heavy mods on their boardwalks. You could probably find them in 15 minutes with the search tool.

[juan162]

Wardie,

The S1 is steel, right? That means you can cold spread the rear triangle, ad a cheap derailleur hanger($1-3 bucks, even in a LBS), and add gears. However, unless you can build your own wheel, already have the parts, and are willing to do the work yourself, I think it's cheaper in the long run to purchase a bike that already has gears, if that is actually what you want. If you really need to keep the cost down you can always try a rebadged Dahon like a Yeah. I believe they have 6 speeds, but if you have a spare 7 speed derailleur and cassette, I think it will fit the 6 speed hub. You could also try the Schwinn runabout.

Juan

[James H Haury]

I recommend a d7 or a Downtube if you want gears. The price of mods can really add up. The S1 was never desinged for gears.The d7 was designed as a derailluer bicycle plus it is probably a lot lighter than a yeah.