Bikeforums.net is a forum about nothing but bikes. Our community can help you find information about hard-to-find and localized information like bicycle tours, specialties like where in your area to have your recumbent bike serviced, or what are the best bicycle tires and seats for the activities you use your bike for.FergusF
07-09-08, 02:25 AM
Here's a copy of a post I made on the Dahon user's forum, hope someone finds it useful. I find Bikeforums an excellent resource so I try to contribute when I can.
After some research using this very helpful forum and other websites, I ordered a 2008 MU XL Sport which arrived last week. I have only done 3 short rides of about 35KM (total distance) so far. Here are some of my first impressions:
*Ordering and availability:
I had originally ordered a 2008 Jetstream P8 from another distributor, but got tired of the long delays. I don't think these were the fault of the dealer but of the Dahon factory. It seems their projected delivery dates are not reliable, also they seem to vary by country. I had ordered the bike in March 08, expecting a delivery in late May. Then I found out it would not be delivered till late June, later this changed to late July - finally I got tired of waiting. I wanted to get some riding in before summer was over so I cancelled the order. After a bit more research I found a 2008 MU XL Sport on offer at a German internet dealer at a good price (I am located in Spain and the local distributor doesn't stock this model). Although the German dealer had the Jetstream in stock, I decided on the MU instead, mainly for the hub gears and deciding that for 90% of my riding I would not really need the suspension. The order arrived after about a week and I was very happy with my dealer's service. A full pre-delivery check was done and my own checks (wheels true, spoke tension, cables, mudguards, etc.) showed the bike was well set-up by the dealer. I also got free: SKS mudguards, front & rear LED lights, lock, kickstand and El Bolso bag as part of the deal - stuff which I probably would have bought anyway so it was a nice touch to include with the deal. I am not sure if it's ok to mention the dealer here, I don't believe they are an 'official' distributor, but I would be happy to recommend them if anyone is interested.
*First impressions:
Good quality components and frame, noticeably lighter than my other folder (2004 Brompton L3). The finish of the frame (a dark grey metallic colour) and components seems tough and overall it's an attractive bike. My wife likes it a lot! I think I will be riding the Brompton when we go on rides together!
It took about 5 minutes to remove the packaging and unfold the bike, it is easy to do so but not as convenient as the Brompton. Most of the time I only part fold the Brompton (flip the rear wheel underneath) for getting into the lift and easy storage in my apartment...with the Dahon I will miss this facility. On the other hand the MU frame feels a lot more solid and it is easier to carry it on stairs and not have to worry about the frame 'self-folding'. I like the fact that it has attachment points for rear rack and front Klikfix adapter, I think I will try to find one of these soon.
*Ride and handling:
Faster and more solid feeling than the Brompton, especially at higher speeds. Not a 'nippy' in heavy traffic but more stable on the open road. The ride is smoother than I expected but harsher than the Brompton.
I plan to add a Brooks saddle and (possibly) a Thudbuster seatpost to help smooth out the ride. I am not sure if I could ever get used to the Kore I beam saddle. After many years almost exclusively using Brooks saddles on my bikes (B66, B67 and Champion Flyer), I guess I am spoiled. The Kore saddle feels harsh and plasticky in comparison, I feel a lot sweatier and need to take more frequent breaks off the saddle. So that will be changed for a B17 as soon as I get an adapter.
I found the front end a bit harsher also, added some Cane Creek barends after my first 10KM ride and these are a big improvement.
*Wheels / tyres:
Wheels were true and spoke tension (tested by ear only) seems even on both wheels. The Schwalbe Kojak tyres are fast-rolling, give a reasonably smooth ride on my loop around the city (streets with the usual potholes, grids etc and some paved bike paths). The grip is excellent on these surfaces, haven`'t had a chance to test it in the rain yet.
*Gears:
The Shimano Nexus 8 has a good range, though the gearing seems low compared to the Brompton. The gearchange seems smooth in all gears although some changes (e.g 4th>5th and maybe some others) take a bit more effort than others.
I think the lower gears will come in handy when hauling luggage, on the Brompton this can be a struggle. My 'city loop' has only one short 'hill' and this was easily tackled in 3rd. The lower gears will come in handy on some of my longer rides which have some steep hills where I have to walk the Brompton.
The top gear seems about the same as 3rd (high) on the Brompton, so it should be adequate for me. I like the ability to change gears when stopped as I do a good bit of city riding with many, often unexpected, stops for lights, pedestrian crossings, buses, etc.
*Problems:
I had a problem with the handlebars and top part of the handlepost rotating on hitting smallish road bumps, this happened twice on my first ride. It was not _too_ dangerous as the bars can only rotate about 10 degrees. It was pretty disconcerting though, and a big disappointment on a bike costing about 800 Euros.
It looks to me like the problem is due to the slick surface on inner surface of the lower handlepost and the outer surface of the upper part, i.e. the interface between the 2 parts.
I tightened up the clamp as suggested on the Dahon users forum, that seems to have worked for now but I am afraid it could re-occur when I venture on to some of my other favourite paths which are bumpier with a packed dirt/gravel surface. I saw another Dahon forum poster's suggestion involving pieces of 'music wire' but I did not understand it fully, will have to take a closer look. I am afraid to tighten the clamp too much in case I damage the aluminium post. If it keeps happening I think I will try sanding where the 2 surfaces meet to rough it up for a better grip.
If you have read so far, thanks for your patience! I didn't mean to turn this into a novel, just to give my first impressions - overall I am very happy with my first Dahon and looking forward to many kilometres of cycling. I will try to post some photos up at a later date.
If anyone has any questions about the bike, I would be happy to try to answer them.
Regards,
Fergus
After some research using this very helpful forum and other websites, I ordered a 2008 MU XL Sport which arrived last week. I have only done 3 short rides of about 35KM (total distance) so far. Here are some of my first impressions:
*Ordering and availability:
I had originally ordered a 2008 Jetstream P8 from another distributor, but got tired of the long delays. I don't think these were the fault of the dealer but of the Dahon factory. It seems their projected delivery dates are not reliable, also they seem to vary by country. I had ordered the bike in March 08, expecting a delivery in late May. Then I found out it would not be delivered till late June, later this changed to late July - finally I got tired of waiting. I wanted to get some riding in before summer was over so I cancelled the order. After a bit more research I found a 2008 MU XL Sport on offer at a German internet dealer at a good price (I am located in Spain and the local distributor doesn't stock this model). Although the German dealer had the Jetstream in stock, I decided on the MU instead, mainly for the hub gears and deciding that for 90% of my riding I would not really need the suspension. The order arrived after about a week and I was very happy with my dealer's service. A full pre-delivery check was done and my own checks (wheels true, spoke tension, cables, mudguards, etc.) showed the bike was well set-up by the dealer. I also got free: SKS mudguards, front & rear LED lights, lock, kickstand and El Bolso bag as part of the deal - stuff which I probably would have bought anyway so it was a nice touch to include with the deal. I am not sure if it's ok to mention the dealer here, I don't believe they are an 'official' distributor, but I would be happy to recommend them if anyone is interested.
*First impressions:
Good quality components and frame, noticeably lighter than my other folder (2004 Brompton L3). The finish of the frame (a dark grey metallic colour) and components seems tough and overall it's an attractive bike. My wife likes it a lot! I think I will be riding the Brompton when we go on rides together!
It took about 5 minutes to remove the packaging and unfold the bike, it is easy to do so but not as convenient as the Brompton. Most of the time I only part fold the Brompton (flip the rear wheel underneath) for getting into the lift and easy storage in my apartment...with the Dahon I will miss this facility. On the other hand the MU frame feels a lot more solid and it is easier to carry it on stairs and not have to worry about the frame 'self-folding'. I like the fact that it has attachment points for rear rack and front Klikfix adapter, I think I will try to find one of these soon.
*Ride and handling:
Faster and more solid feeling than the Brompton, especially at higher speeds. Not a 'nippy' in heavy traffic but more stable on the open road. The ride is smoother than I expected but harsher than the Brompton.
I plan to add a Brooks saddle and (possibly) a Thudbuster seatpost to help smooth out the ride. I am not sure if I could ever get used to the Kore I beam saddle. After many years almost exclusively using Brooks saddles on my bikes (B66, B67 and Champion Flyer), I guess I am spoiled. The Kore saddle feels harsh and plasticky in comparison, I feel a lot sweatier and need to take more frequent breaks off the saddle. So that will be changed for a B17 as soon as I get an adapter.
I found the front end a bit harsher also, added some Cane Creek barends after my first 10KM ride and these are a big improvement.
*Wheels / tyres:
Wheels were true and spoke tension (tested by ear only) seems even on both wheels. The Schwalbe Kojak tyres are fast-rolling, give a reasonably smooth ride on my loop around the city (streets with the usual potholes, grids etc and some paved bike paths). The grip is excellent on these surfaces, haven`'t had a chance to test it in the rain yet.
*Gears:
The Shimano Nexus 8 has a good range, though the gearing seems low compared to the Brompton. The gearchange seems smooth in all gears although some changes (e.g 4th>5th and maybe some others) take a bit more effort than others.
I think the lower gears will come in handy when hauling luggage, on the Brompton this can be a struggle. My 'city loop' has only one short 'hill' and this was easily tackled in 3rd. The lower gears will come in handy on some of my longer rides which have some steep hills where I have to walk the Brompton.
The top gear seems about the same as 3rd (high) on the Brompton, so it should be adequate for me. I like the ability to change gears when stopped as I do a good bit of city riding with many, often unexpected, stops for lights, pedestrian crossings, buses, etc.
*Problems:
I had a problem with the handlebars and top part of the handlepost rotating on hitting smallish road bumps, this happened twice on my first ride. It was not _too_ dangerous as the bars can only rotate about 10 degrees. It was pretty disconcerting though, and a big disappointment on a bike costing about 800 Euros.
It looks to me like the problem is due to the slick surface on inner surface of the lower handlepost and the outer surface of the upper part, i.e. the interface between the 2 parts.
I tightened up the clamp as suggested on the Dahon users forum, that seems to have worked for now but I am afraid it could re-occur when I venture on to some of my other favourite paths which are bumpier with a packed dirt/gravel surface. I saw another Dahon forum poster's suggestion involving pieces of 'music wire' but I did not understand it fully, will have to take a closer look. I am afraid to tighten the clamp too much in case I damage the aluminium post. If it keeps happening I think I will try sanding where the 2 surfaces meet to rough it up for a better grip.
If you have read so far, thanks for your patience! I didn't mean to turn this into a novel, just to give my first impressions - overall I am very happy with my first Dahon and looking forward to many kilometres of cycling. I will try to post some photos up at a later date.
If anyone has any questions about the bike, I would be happy to try to answer them.
Regards,
Fergus