Folding Bikes - Dahon - folded footprint - 16" vs 20"

As I continue my research for my first folding bike I am trying to figure out which bikes will fit nicely in the back seat (not the mini-trunk behind the back seat) of my wife's Scion XA. I am at work this morning and unfortunately I left at home the dimensions that I measured for that area. I can post that later this evening.

I am wondering what the difference in folding size is between the 16" and the 20" models? Does a bigger wheel necessarily make the width of the folded bike bigger? and if so, by how much? Also given the same quality of components how much extra overall weight does the difference in wheel size make? The wheels are going to weigh more and the front forks and rear section of the frame are going to be a bit longer (maybe) so I would suspect that they increase the weight by 3 or 4 lbs. Weight is not a big concern but the footprint might be. - and price.

(As I type this my cubical neighbor is rolling in his brompton this morning. He's the guy that turned me on to these folding bikes, but I don't want to spend that much.)

The hardest thing about figuring all this stuff out is the limited opportunities to see the bikes because there are no local bike shops with an extensive collection of different models and manufacturers in my area (San Francisco).

I haven't been there, but supposedly Warm Planet Bicycles (http://www.warmplanetbikes.com/) (on Townsend near the Caltrain station) has a pretty good selection of folding bikes.

Even if they don't have every model you're thinking of, at least you might be able to get a better idea of what sizes you're looking at.

The stats are there on the Dahon website. I don't think there's much difference weight-wise.

In fact, according to those stats there's hardly any size difference, and the Curve D3 is quite heavy.

I've been to the Warm Planet shop and they have 5 - 10 folding bikes in there. They have only a few in the under $500 range that I am looking at - although it sounds like stock changes often there. They have a Dahon in the $400 range and Downtube in the $300s. But not enough models to really do a good comparison. Any other places in the Bay Area have a better selection?

I missed the "specs" section last time I browsed there. The opening screen is too distracting:

http://www.dahon.com/us/folding-bicycles-us-models.htm

Ay-yai-yai

there's a guy in SJ that posts to craigslist quite often w/used and new dahons. doesn't have a listing now. but usually has one every other week. i bought a boardwalk 7 speed from a few months ago and am totally happy with it and it was in my budget.

here's his info. he sells them out of his garage. so you can take a look at what he has in stock.

E-mail: info@commutebikes.com
Phone: (510)396-4155

also when i had a curve d3 16" next to a dahon 20" i htink a speed and a mariner, the footprint was pretty much the same. although the curve was shorter height wise.

As I continue my research for my first folding bike I am trying to figure out which bikes will fit nicely in the back seat (not the mini-trunk behind the back seat) of my wife's Scion XA. I am at work this morning and unfortunately I left at home the dimensions that I measured for that area. I can post that later this evening.

I am wondering what the difference in folding size is between the 16" and the 20" models? Does a bigger wheel necessarily make the width of the folded bike bigger? and if so, by how much? Also given the same quality of components how much extra overall weight does the difference in wheel size make? The wheels are going to weigh more and the front forks and rear section of the frame are going to be a bit longer (maybe) so I would suspect that they increase the weight by 3 or 4 lbs. Weight is not a big concern but the footprint might be. - and price.

(As I type this my cubical neighbor is rolling in his brompton this morning. He's the guy that turned me on to these folding bikes, but I don't want to spend that much.)

The hardest thing about figuring all this stuff out is the limited opportunities to see the bikes because there are no local bike shops with an extensive collection of different models and manufacturers in my area (San Francisco).

I have both 16 inch & 20 inch Dahon models. Even though they are somewhat older ones than the ones you are considering, they can still offer some ideas on how they fit into different environments. And I will also factor in the weight factor. Don't try to separate the individual components too much. Think of the bike as an whole package that you can add or subtract parts as needed to be replaced.

To come to the point, my 16" Piccolo can squeeze into smaller spaces that my 20" Boardwalk cannot go. Since the wheels on the Piccolo are smaller in diameter, the overall bike is lighter-even with all the extras I have on each bike. But if I have a few inches to spare and not so critical, I prefer the 20" bike as it feels more like a traditional bike. Both bikes can fit in the back seat of most cars. Both bikes can (and have) fitted into crowded situations like a packed bus' interior cabin.

Take the car(s) with you when you are at the serious selection stage of your bike's purchase. That way you will know for sure if your intended bike fits, period. Specs are a great way to point out potential candidates and fittings, but there is nothing to match a bike's ability to do something than for a test ride or placing the actual bike in the actual situation (or in your case, where you want to place the bike in your car). Just get the permission of the shop owner first.

You don't have to spend much for the first folder. As a matter of fact, I usually don't recommend you do until you lived with one or a couple for a period of time. My first folder-the Boardwalk S1-was well under 500 US dollars. I did not purchase my Brompton for 2 years after the Boardwalk. I felt ready and confident enough to buy a more expensive folder and be happy with it. I even felt so happy I bought the Dahon Piccolo almost a year after that one.

You are now experiencing the down side of folding bikes. Most bike shops don't stock any or just a couple models of a given brand if you are lucky. The reason is simple. They have to purchase these bikes from the maker themselves. Then they have to allocate some spot on their showroom floor for these bikes. Then they have to wait for customers to find them and at least ask about the bikes. If no customers buy these bikes, they might have to sell them at a loss to them. No, buying bikes is not like a trip to a amusement park on a Saturday. They are a commodity just like everything else you buy.

All you have to do at this point is to choose the make you want, locate the shop(s) that carry the brand, and hopefully find something that approximate what you want in a bike. And the more people like you demand folders, more dealers are apt to carry a selection of these bikes.

Please feel free to contact me here for more help, if needed.

When I was in Mike's Bikes in Sausalito a couple of months ago, I spotted a Speed 8 and a Mu 24. You might want to give them a call first.

http://bayareabikes.com/

this shop in oakland, a short walk/ride from 19th street bart had a few dahon models to check out when i was shopping. they were pretty cool too.

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/bik/905621168.html

here is the guys craigslist posting. if interested.