Folding Bikes - I has a new foldie!!!

A Dahon Piccolo! Woooot! I got it for a really good price too--$150, and since I'm doing local pickup, no extra shipping charges. :D

I haven't actually picked it up from the seller yet, but once I do, I will post lots of purty pics of my mods--for now, just sticker it up, put lights on, and possibly change the saddle. I am excited to see it in person, and hopefully everything runs great, just as the seller says, but I wouldn't mind so much if it's not perfect. :thumb:

Hey congratulations! I'd love to see the pics when you have it.

Congrats! Looking forward to the pics.

Fun!

Pix asap...:D

Sincere congratulations on your lucky find, Nekohime. I have had my own little Piccolo for 2 years this month and will not part with it for any reason. I hope you will find your own Piccolo as exciting and durable as mine is.

The Piccolo was my first bike and I rode that bike for over 4 thousand miles. I sold it for $30.00 dollars but it was real used up! I beat the bike to death and the bottom bracket was cracked! It was going to need about $100.00 dollars in parts and I ended up buying a used Dahon Presto for $150.00 dollars anyway.

Get a Brooks Champion flyer or the Dahon suspension seat post because the ride gets kinda rough after 10 miles.

Congrats! Looking forward to pictures and ride reports. :)

The bike is in teh bf's trunk as I type! I won't ride it today as I'm sore and tired, but I'm excited to try it out tomorrow if I'm not in bad shape. Lots of pics coming up later though!

From what I can gather, it's a steel-frame, 16", 3-speed bike. Nice!

Picture Time! I present to you the fredification of the Dahon Piccolo.

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j205/nekohime1378/P1310189.jpg

A comparison of the Kent Ultralite (Freddy) and the Piccolo. Piccolo has a longer wheelbase, which will take getting used to, since I'm used to the short and ultra-responsive Kent. Also, Piccolo is naked! I haven't stickered her to hell yet, like I did to the Kent.

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j205/nekohime1378/P1310190.jpg

You can see how much higher the handlebars of Freddy are, and how much lower the seat is compared to the Piccolo. The Kent seatpost was near max insertion, while the Piccolo had room to spare. Needless to say, Piccolo is more comfortable. Haven't ridden her yet, as I'm sore from an accident (see Foo for story), but I've adjusted the saddle position and handlebars to my liking.

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j205/nekohime1378/P1310191.jpg

Freddy watches in disdain as his new sister (as of yet unnamed) goes belly-up to receive her bottle cage. He's upset that she stole all his accessories.

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j205/nekohime1378/P1310192.jpg

The screws that came with my bottle cage did not fit into the braze-ons, for some reason...either that or I lost the screws and found two similarly sized screws instead. *shrug* In any case, the bottle holder is held on by green electrical tape. That's ok--it was attached to Freddy with duct tape, which is infinitely more fred. Ok, Piccolo is officially fredified, but she still needs more stickers. A World Bicycle Relief one is going on her tomorrow, and more will be added as we go along.

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j205/nekohime1378/P1310193.jpg

Voila! She's got lights, bottle cage, lock, bungee cords (because the rack is the old style w/o built-in bungee cords) and...oh no!

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j205/nekohime1378/P1310194.jpg

I did not notice that she lost her front reflector! Freddy flashes his bright reflector smugly in the background. But ah, I will remedy that. On Tuesday, when we are on break for veteran's day, I'm going to steal the reflector off the kiddie bike my sister outgrew and stick that on the Piccolo.

Like I said, I haven't ridden her yet--teh bf took her around the block though, and said the shifter and brakes work fine. I must say, I like the internal gears, and I like how it's NOT undergeared :thumb:

I tried folding--it is a PITA since I have to put the handlebars in the lowest position so it can go between the frame. I did not have to do this with Freddy. If there is anything I can do to avoid fiddling with the handlebar setting when folding, I want to know!

Awesome. Congrats. Great pics.

--sam

nice bike bro! kinda reminds me of a dachshund hehehe looks cute!

First day ride report:

AAAAAAAAAUGH IT HURTS!!!!!!

I tried riding it along sunset blvd (and you LA folks know how bad the potholes are) and I was in pain. I wimped out after 3-4 blocks and took the bus instead, so I cannot accurately gauge how nice the ride is. I do need to tweak the fit more though, especially now that I'm sore. I need a much more upright position now, but I suspect that will change as I get better.

The bike is noticeably heavier than the aluminum Kent because of the steel, fenders, rack, kickstand, chain guard, and internal hub. I'm gonna get rid of the fenders, but I need the rack and kickstand and would like to keep the chain guard. Can't do anything about the hub and steel though. Any suggestions on how to cut down the weight further?

Speaking of the hub, I like it, but I miss the lower gears on Freddy. Part of the reason I wimped out is because the hills were killing me. I guess I just have to live with it so I can have the higher gears.

I broke the front brake today because I twisted the handlebars and front wheel wrong and the left part of the brake snapped. How silly is that! It's a quick fix though--steal parts from Freddy.

Verdict--i like the bike, but it needs lots of tweaking to fit me perfectly.

Nice bike. I like the chainguard. Did the picolos come stock with a chainguard? I can't recall. Congrats!

nice bike bro! kinda reminds me of a dachshund hehehe looks cute!

errr......Neko is a lady.

Nice find Neko!

my bad... i didnt know hehehe

Very nice, Neko! Thanks for the pix!

Nice bike. I like the chainguard. Did the picolos come stock with a chainguard? I can't recall. Congrats!

Yep, it came stock, which I like. No more chain tattoos, and no more pants getting caught in the chainring!

2nd day ride report:

OH GOD IT STILL HURTS :cry:

I desperately need ways to lighten the bike and make the ride smoother. I'm taking off the fenders today, and will mull over taking off the kickstand. Will big apples fit the rims? I think that's the quickest way to add plushness to the ride, but I'll also look into getting a suspension seatpost, cushy sprung saddle, and better grips.

I hate the handlebars and grips! Right now I need a very upright position, and even now that I have the handlebars about half an inch over minimum insertion, it's still not enough. Also, the handlebars are not curvy enough for comfort. In this respect, Freddy wins over the Piccolo. What handlebars can I put on it that won't affect the fold much but add more comfort?

Hey congrats, but it doesn't look like things are working out too well. :( I think I read in another thread that you shouldn't be riding or something? Did you get into an accident? How about seat suspension, a gel cushion, or maybe lowering the tire pressure a bit?

I find that I spend a lot of time off the seat when I'm riding through town (along Hollywood most of the time, which is similar to Sunset). With the stoplights and traffic, I'm always having to accelerate anyway so I just stay off the seat to take the bumps.

Hope things work out!

Hey congrats, but it doesn't look like things are working out too well. :( I think I read in another thread that you shouldn't be riding or something? Did you get into an accident? How about seat suspension, a gel cushion, or maybe lowering the tire pressure a bit?

I find that I spend a lot of time off the seat when I'm riding through town (along Hollywood most of the time, which is similar to Sunset). With the stoplights and traffic, I'm always having to accelerate anyway so I just stay off the seat to take the bumps.

Hope things work out!

Yeah, I was in a car accident 1.5 weeks ago. I'm pretty much ok now though.

I'm modding the bike over the long weekend--cushier everything. :thumb:

First day ride report:

AAAAAAAAAUGH IT HURTS!!!!!!

I tried riding it along sunset blvd (and you LA folks know how bad the potholes are) and I was in pain. I wimped out after 3-4 blocks and took the bus instead, so I cannot accurately gauge how nice the ride is. I do need to tweak the fit more though, especially now that I'm sore. I need a much more upright position now, but I suspect that will change as I get better.

The bike is noticeably heavier than the aluminum Kent because of the steel, fenders, rack, kickstand, chain guard, and internal hub. I'm gonna get rid of the fenders, but I need the rack and kickstand and would like to keep the chain guard. Can't do anything about the hub and steel though. Any suggestions on how to cut down the weight further?

Speaking of the hub, I like it, but I miss the lower gears on Freddy. Part of the reason I wimped out is because the hills were killing me. I guess I just have to live with it so I can have the higher gears.

I broke the front brake today because I twisted the handlebars and front wheel wrong and the left part of the brake snapped. How silly is that! It's a quick fix though--steal parts from Freddy.

Verdict--i like the bike, but it needs lots of tweaking to fit me perfectly.

I think you need to heal more before you take any bike out again. I am far more older than you are. And I have a Piccolo too. I should have problems with the bike with all the hills and potholes I go through each day I use the bike. But I do not (beyond age related things). So that seems to me that your body, not the bike, is the culprit here. Don't worry, you will heal very very quickly providing you take care of yourself. I know I probably sound like your mother, but do bear with me. Long ago injuries do creep up on you after say 40 or so. And I do want you to keep riding all your life if you wish.

As for weight, I did keep the accessories that came with my bike on the bike as you probably noticed when you saw it. My bike weights just over 25 pounds. Compared with my Boardwalk (which is more like your Piccolo in weight), it is a feather. Here is some things I do to lighten the load:

I do not carry much stuff with me. Since it is a folding bike, I do have to lug it everywhere with me. That means I do not need the extra weight. So I do limit what I carry with it if at all possible.

Stripping it down. I done this with my Brompton at purchase. I don't have fenders, racks, computers, pumps, or anything else beyond water, a backpack (soon to be replaced by the front luggage system-I will allow that), and ID. This a popular option with steel frame bikes as far back as when I was very young.

Using luggage carts, shopping trolleys or carts, furniture dollys,or other wheeled vehicles to wheel the thing around long distances. I do this when I travel.


So take heart. There are many things you can do for your new Piccolo. And remember to allow yourself to get used to the internal hub gears. Unless the previous owner(s) changed the chainring/cog on your drivetrain, I doubt that this is the wrong size for you. If you need to change it in the future, you can with ease for the cog, a bit more problem with the chainring.

And do consider a sprung saddle if possible. I could not ride my own steel frame bikes without one on each bike!

Yeah, sprung, cushy saddles are going on the bike! Big apples too, if I can get them. Thanks for the advice, ff--im definitely taking it slow and easing by body into things. I've been off the bike and on PT this whole week and it helped a lot. :) I'm gonna try riding this weekend and if it's not unbearaby painful, I'll test it throughout next week to see what I need to mod during the long weekend. :thumb:

What handlebars can I put on it that won't affect the fold much but add more comfort?

Have you tried barends? I have Ergons with mini barends on my Curve, and they (mostly) don't affect the fold.

Have you tried barends? I have Ergons with mini barends on my Curve, and they (mostly) don't affect the fold.

Hmmm, gotta try those... I really want to put TT-bars as that is the most comfortable for me, but I guess that would affect the fold.

Okie, moar pics!

I got a klickfix system for my bike (thanks Thor!) so I could get rid of the rack and fenders. The piccolo looks naked now, and is somewhat lighter.

Klickfix basket which I throw my other backpack into (I didn't remove the fenders & rack yet in this pic)
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j205/nekohime1378/P2240282.jpg

Klickfix backpack (sooooooo useful--my back is thanking me for the $150 I spent on the backpack)

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j205/nekohime1378/P2250283.jpg
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j205/nekohime1378/P2250284.jpg

You can also see the Mirrycle bar end mirror I added on in those pics. Oh, and the water bottle cage is finally attached to the braze-ons properly--the guys at my LBS were kind enough to give me the screws when they replaced my brakes. Baibai green electric tape!

Also, since I removed the rack and have no more rear reflector, I took the reflector off the bike my bro outgrew and stuck it on the fender mount.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j205/nekohime1378/P2250285.jpg

Other mods not pictured (or not pictured well enough):
-changed brakes to avid v-brakes--better stopping power, and best of all I got them free from a very kind SoCal BF forumite! I still have to order the matching brake levers though, but they work well enough with the stock ones.
-added a Romisen flashlight (http://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/the-53/Romisen-RC-dsh-N3-CREE-Q5/Detail) with two-fish lockblock mount. Ho boy, this thing is bright!

Still to come:
-put big apple tires on. I've been getting by with lower pressure on the kenda kwests, but the bumps on Sunset still bother me a whole lot.
-nirve saddle--in transit, teh bf got me this for xmas! :love:
-get the new ergon GC3 grips next year (the closest I can get to tt bars, I think)
-put avid brake levers
-sticker to heck and beyond! There is a World Bicycle Relief sticker on the drivetrain side, but she needs MOAR STICKERS!!! If anyone can point me to where I can get cheap/free bikey stickers, it would be much appreciated--Planet Bike is out of the ones I put on Freddy. :(
-reflective pinstriping--I have it on my xmas list, and my mum says she will get it for me if she can find it.

Good luck with bike, looks in very good condition. It will be a much beter ride over a longer distance when you get the chance to enjoy it. The klikfix bag and system really makes it. Get well soon and sorry to hear about your accident.

Congrats Neko! The Piccolo is looking like a true commuter:thumb:

Edward