Folding Bikes - Fitting for a Dahon Speed

I've begun to have serious wrist pain on my Dahon Speed D7, so I took it to a bike shop and asked for a fitting. I was told that it's not possible to do a fitting for a Dahon -- "it doesn't adapt to you, you have to adapt to it" -- and was given the suggestion to lower my seat.

Is it true that Dahon's aren't "fittable"? Are there other folding bikes (from Dahon or anyone else) that are more adjustable in a way that would help my wrists?

Try a different bike shop. Seat height is adjustable, handlebar adjustments can be made, seat can be slid up or back so I think you should fine someone who is willing to help and not just turn their back.

Kenal0

Check the angle of the brake levers - if your wrist is bent while using them it could cause problems. I rotated mine down on my D7 so my hand and arm are in a straight line when braking.

The later handlebar posts are telescopic. Is yours too low, putting more weight on your hands? The saddles move back & forrard, and the seatpost is adjustable.

The handlebars on my D7 rotate - are yours rotated forward to the stop?

I also have the brakes on my D7 rolled forwards so they are in a straight line - through the forearm, wrist and back of hand. I can cover them smoothly and fluidly that way. From the side they brake levers are just dipped ever so slightly below the horizontal axis. I ride with my bars around 1.5" higher than my seat - I prefer comfort and a good view to negating drag and find I can ride all day like this. I keep my seat level, neither forward nor back. Seat height is so that I have almost a straight leg at the bottom of one pedal rotation - but still not a locked knee. If I hold this position then dig my heel downwards my knee still has some 'play'. Once the seat height is set I adjust everything in accordance with that. Don't know if that's how others set things up but I've always done it that way and never had a days problem with posture yet.

:50:

Thanks for the replies. Chessbored, do you have a photo of your setup?

I don't have a photo unfortunately but if you try out the setup I described and just see how it suits you. I always start with the seat height and fit everything around that. Once the seat height is chosen then then I sey my handlebar height accordingly - I like them fairly high - wind resistance is not too much of an issue as I just do everyday riding for leisure, commuting and errands. I favour a good view over small increases in my aerodynamics. Some people have their bars a few inches lower than their seat but I like mine slightly higher. Even changes of an inch or so can make noticeable changes in comfort in the long run - you might be craning your neck just that little bit more, stretching/compressing joints that bit extra, etc. Lastly I try rolling the bars forwards and back until I can cover the brakes smoothly and turns feel fluid. Most bars have some curve or angle to them so rolling them forwards and back has a knock on effect on how they feel turning (yaw?). Try rolling them too far forward and then slowly shifting back until you feel you've gone too far back the other way and keep refining this until you find the sweet spot.

Hope this helps - it's a very subjective thing and what feels nice and comfy for one rider will not suit the next rider. Be sure to check you have your seat set high enough. So many people ride with them too low and it tires one more rapidly and leads to aching knees and joints. If you see-saw side to side when pedalling it's too high but that's unusual. Get your seat height right and the rest will hopefully follow. On my D7 I felt ridiculously high up for a while, although I knew I wasn't.

Good luck!