Folding Bikes - Do any folding bike companies actually have spare parts readily available

I have three Dahons so I must love them. But every single time I try to get a part for one you can't get it or it takes months to get. WTF?

At some point I'll buy another folder but I don't think the next one will be a Dahon. Do they all suffer from parts availability issues?

John

Bike Friday sure does.....:thumb:

:love:Brompton sure does.:love:

Raleigh 20?:innocent: (upgrades is fun!:thumb:)

Parts availability and model churning is one of several reasons I have stayed clear of the Dahon's.

Aaron:)

I have the same problem getting parts for my Dahon while it was still under warranty. I finally was able to get in touch with them via email, and they responded by sending me the parts. I had to get additional warranty parts, and they stopped responding. Dahon sucks at this.

would be a good reason to upgrade the parts if it's upgradeable (and that's the question). i just bought a dahon so am i going to be had by the company thru the bike's life with me ? darn...that sucks big time. i hate to say this but i really love the ride of the bike and yet if it will give me problems getting parts (if i need one) down the line then what good it is to keep this bike. just when i thought i have found a better handling bike - here comes the parts issue. oh well. need to get back to the drawing board and plan my next acquisition......

thanks,
vic

Xootr Swift is easy to upgrade and maintain as, apart from the frame, seat post and handlebar stem riser, everything else is standard and can be bought from any good bike shop.

so dahon's components are not standard and can't be upgraded ? just curious as i just had mine for less than a week and i am also planning on upgrading some parts like BB, crankset, hubs and others.

thanks,
vic

Many Dahon parts are proprietary and get changed every few years. A few dealers (e.g. Gaerlan) may have older parts around, but it's kind of a crapshoot.

Some parts can be upgraded, some can't. Hubs, rims, spokes, wheels, cassettes, chains should all be standard; rear derailleurs (e.g. Neos) might not.

Definitely a plus for the Xootr and Bike Friday, in that almost everything is standard.

Bike Friday sure does.....:thumb:
Yes, the few times I had a problem with mine I was very impressed with their service. First happened on our local 'Turkey Day' ride when I noticed a crack starting in a weld. Called their 800 number when I got home expecting to leave a message. But no, a real live person picked up immediately (at 4 pm on Thanksgiving) and gave me instructions for shipping it back to them via FedEx (at their cost). Had the bike back in about a week despite letting them know that it wasn't urgent since I had other bikes available - and at no cost to me.

The other occasion was a couple days before leaving on a fully-loaded (i.e. camping gear) tour when I had a spoke break and decided that I'd feel more confident if I rebuilt the wheel with another rim. Mine has the 451 wheel size which is one of the few components on the bike that's not found in most local bike shops. So I called them and they sent me a rim overnight so I was able to build it up the evening before the tour.

i wish every bike company had that kind of service. they a rare breed nowadays.

thanks for the info. now that you mentioned it, i now know what folders to look for in my next upgrade. but what about the downtube ? are components standard ???

thanks,
vic

I can't speak of experience outside of the USA, however, I will tell you that there seems to be a communication problem between DahonUSA and its dealers. Dealers place the part orders, but aren't getting the parts they request in a prompt manner. It's not the dealers fault, I'd place it squarely on the personnel at DahonUSA who claim to have the parts in stock.

Dahons are great bicycles and I enjoy mine. I hope that this communication problem at DahonUSA stops soon. It is costing them a lot of lost sales and frustrates both dealers and owners.

I have three Dahons so I must love them. But every single time I try to get a part for one you can't get it or it takes months to get. WTF?

At some point I'll buy another folder but I don't think the next one will be a Dahon. Do they all suffer from parts availability issues?

John

Dahon support is very poor, at least in the US.

I am trying for several weeks to find a replacement chain guard for a new Vitesse D7HG. I managed to get their phone number (not an easy task), talked with a technical guy but no help. I also checked at few dealers/LBS but no help either.

Kam

hi dahon owners,

i know that the crank size of dahon is 44T. i am thinking is i would be able to swap the crank with a Shimano Sora FC3450 50-34t 9-Spd 165mm 2-piece crankset . will this give me enough high and low speeds if i keep the stock 11-30T 6 speed cogs or should i also upgrade my rear cassette to a 7 speed ? is this a worthy component upgrade ?

thanks again,
vic

I can't speak of experience outside of the USA, however, I will tell you that there seems to be a communication problem between DahonUSA and its dealers. Dealers place the part orders, but aren't getting the parts they request in a prompt manner. It's not the dealers fault, I'd place it squarely on the personnel at DahonUSA who claim to have the parts in stock.

Dahons are great bicycles and I enjoy mine. I hope that this communication problem at DahonUSA stops soon. It is costing them a lot of lost sales and frustrates both dealers and owners.

My experience is the same. I'm amazed the shop I ordered from was even able to get the bike in in the first place.

The key is to purchase a bike that uses "standard" components - other than the frame. BF and Swift do so. Makes things a lot easier.

That said, BF has a good stock of parts and is prepared to ship them all over the world at a moments notice, if needed. Fortunately, to date, our Fridays haven't needed any replacement parts due to breakage.

What parts I have ordered from them - to modify the bikes - have been shipped to us very promptly.

My Dahon S1 is a bit different, the Thudbuster seat post had to be custom, but the brakes, brake levers and bar ends were from performance bike. I started to look at changing the gear range on our previous Boardwalk D7s and it was not going to be that easy, although it could have been done.

BF is also prepared to refurb their frames or even whole bikes - Dahon is not.

Two different business models and volumes of business. (BF is making something like 2,500-3,000 bikes/yr while Dahon is making 300,000-400,000/yr.)

It is costing them a lot of lost sales and frustrates both dealers and owners.

On the other hand it somehow must also be enabling them to bring in lots of sales by keeping their bikes affordable and competitive (though I'm not sure exactly how...you'd think standardization would make things cheaper :twitchy:).

Sure, there are better riding folders on the market, but few fold as well or are as much of a bargain. Don't get me wrong I own a 20" Downtube (which uses standard components) and also consider it a bargain, but it's heavy as sin; The Downtube Mini is lighter, but then again once you add fenders/rack/tires/etc it's considerably more expensive than the Dahon Curve.

It's a shame that Dahon's aren't more standard, but I think it's a worthwhile tradeoff for what you get. If I didn't need a cheap bike to lock outside I'd replace my Downtube with a Dahon from www.thorusa.com in a heartbeat (I can't imagine Thor leaving any of his customer's out in the cold on parts...he'd make it right one way or another).

I had this conversation a couple times now.....
I wonder what parts are so different on a Dahon than on any other folder.....

Seatpost size : same as swift and others : I have 6 different seatpost in stock ...
Neos rear derrailleur..Yeah this is correct BUT a regular derailleur hanger ( available all over the place) can be bolted on the frame and a regular derrailleur can be used ....
Saddles... most all saddles are regular ones, the SDG/kore saddles come with their own seatpost... they can be replaced with a regular saddle and seatpost, OR an adapter to convert I beam to regular ( adapter available from JB to all dealers including me who has them in stock...
front hub is Dahon or other hub manufacturers, several in the FAr East, American Classic in the US ....
Rims spokes Brakes, Cranks, Bootom bracjets, chains grips, handlebars, all are standard
Frame is always own brand of course, same as fork ...
Handlepost is own design , same as all other folding bike companies have their own...

I wonder where this stark resentment about Dahon comes from, and always nothing better than the call for proprietary Dahon Parts...... yes if you want to upgrade an old Boardwalk to an adjustble Handlebar than you are plain out of luck ( you should have donme that 5 years ago ) Today we only have parts to keep you going, but nothing to upgrade anymore....
Same as other parts.... like chainguards.... Yes it has been a pita to get them, but they are cosmetic nature and not 100% necessary to keep roliin ...I had a couple for 2 years on my shelf they never sold , I ll try to get a couple more after those are gone , but have no calls for them .....

Having said that.... the accessory delivery of Dahon could be improved ( and I know they are trying to do that, but also keep in mind that Dahon has a handfull of employees , versus trek or Specialized etc who have literrally hundreds .... I rather have a sharp calculated bike, and have to wait for a special carrier once in a while, than to pay for hundreds of people with an inflated bike price....) But again the accessories could flow a little faster.... Components are available, when the dealer order them ( Usually)

Thor

The hinge joint on my curve and the retaining clip for the stem lever had to be replaced. I assume these are proprietary parts, and it took several weeks and a lot of phone calls/ emails to Dahon.

Also, purchasing parts isn't the problem (I have a magnetic retain thing on order from you which has shipped promptly, thanks!) so much as getting warranty replacement parts from Dahon or through my shop.

This is last year, but it took an awful long time, a month or two, to find out that the Curve SL I had ordered was backordered and wouldn't be available for some months. They couldn't have told the dealer this sooner?

I had this conversation a couple times now.....

Thor, any suggestion on how to get that acrylic chain guard for a few months old Vitesse D7HG?

I had not luck with dealers or with Dahon directly (called them few times).

Thanks,

Kam

Seatpost size : same as swift and others : I have 6 different seatpost in stock ...
Neos rear derrailleur..Yeah this is correct BUT a regular derailleur hanger ( available all over the place) can be bolted on the frame and a regular derrailleur can be used ....
Saddles... most all saddles are regular ones, the SDG/kore saddles come with their own seatpost... they can be replaced with a regular saddle and seatpost, OR an adapter to convert I beam to regular ( adapter available from JB to all dealers including me who has them in stock...
front hub is Dahon or other hub manufacturers, several in the FAr East, American Classic in the US ....
Rims spokes Brakes, Cranks, Bootom bracjets, chains grips, handlebars, all are standard
Frame is always own brand of course, same as fork ...
Handlepost is own design , same as all other folding bike companies have their own...

I think the complaints are mainly the handlepost and the wheel hubs:
-Folders which don't have folding handleposts just use regular handleposts, but those folders obviously don't fold nearly as well as a Dahon (except the Carryme which ingeniously just uses a regular quill stem with a QR at the top to telescope into a long threaded steerer and head tube, but that's only possible with really small wheels).
-No doubt there are manufacturers of appropriate wheel hubs, but the end user needs distribution...which is why it's important to buy from a good dealer like you instead of a shop which throws in the towel if Dahon doesn't hold their hand. Personally I like the idea of the smaller wheel hubs because if standard width hubs are optimal for larger wheels then smaller hubs would have to be optimal for smaller wheels.



I rather have a sharp calculated bike, and have to wait for a special carrier once in a while, than to pay for hundreds of people with an inflated bike price....)

Me too. The whole point of replacement parts is to keep a folder being ridden and folded. So compromising the fold or ride for easier replacement is counterproductive. Besides, ease of replacement is a self-fulfilling prophecy because your choice (in aggregate with the choices of others) is what determines what "standard" will be.


...through my shop...
...They couldn't have told the dealer this sooner?

Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't imagine your dealer would get much better service from Trek or other manufacturer's selling volume at discount. I suspect the difference is that your dealer is much more dilligent in dealing with Trek since they know what brings home the bacon.

That's why I like to buy from little guys participating in online forums; you buy the bike and you get knowledge, enthusiasm, and dilligence for free, whereas if you walk into an LBS you're paying for every single minute they spend researching, understanding, or interacting with the manufacturer of those "gimmick bikes"...or they just sit on their arses and blame it on the manufacturer.

IMO, end customer's shouldn't be expecting much when calling Dahon. That's not the kind of business they're running. Your dealer should be dealing with it and if they aren't then you probably chose the wrong dealer.


Thor, any suggestion on how to get that acrylic chain guard for a few months old Vitesse D7HG?

I had not luck with dealers or with Dahon directly (called them few times).


Have you tried posting in the for-trade thread? I was thinking that I should put some of my more esoteric folder parts on there...like the kickstand for my Carryme. :p

Ok shoot me an email I have a chainguard for ya

When I packed the Friday to take it home from Oregon I found that a couple of the parts for the packing case were missing. They had them in the mail to me by the end of the week. Same deal for the seat post when I traded the adjustable in for a built-to-order one (it was the wrong size originally for some reason). New post was there, by Fedex and at no cost to me, in just over a week. There should be no cost -- it was there mistake after all -- but I was surprised at how fast it went.

I had an MuP8 whose frame bent. I can't get any joy out of Dahon. I'm just out cash for that bike.
I want some rubber spacers that keep the handlebar all nice and centered. They're mostly cosmetic but they're on every bike so somebody makes them.
Dahon told me to use zip ties.
I asked for black touch up paint and Dahon told me to use a Sharpie.
I needed a Revolve bar stem as one bent on one of my bikes. Forget about that. Can't get one anywhere. An LBS supposedly ordered one for me and said two months. That was about 8 months ago.

I need a replacement shock for my Jetstream. The answer from Dahon? Get it rebuilt.

I NEED a replacement. I did rebuild it and whoever rebuilt it before me botched it. BADLY. It holds air but it won't forever. I need a replacement.

Simple fact is I've gone to Dahon support probably 5x's or so. I have owned FOUR Dahons that I bought in the course of one year. I'm an awesome customer. I've never had one satisfactory encounter with Dahon Tech Support.

Oh I always get a lengthy email from support but it never actually provides an answer.

I love my bikes but I'll never buy another one.

John

Ok shoot me an email I have a chainguard for ya

Thanks Thor. Will send you email now.

Kam

Trek JApan.. something is not right.... a bend frame and a handlepost is usually warranty .. absolutely no problem to get something like that replaced from Dahon.....
Maybe you need to work on finding a better dealer .........

Sharpie answer : I tell you that is the very best way to fix small scratches.. all this funky paint doesnt work, as it is designed to be burned in and if you use it "cold" it will make a mess and never work just right.. A sharpie however .....Great ... for all red tones I suggest Finger nail polish....

Rubber O rings fir the handlebar...... you can get all kinds of O rings in every hardware store ... go all out and get you a pair .... :-) I agree however. stuff like that should be available, its a very cool idea

There are ather manufacturers for rear shocks for the 07 and earlier Jetstream out there, Unfortunately Cane Creek doesnt have any shocks nor parts anymore ( I bought the last ones) But that is not only Dahons fault. In this case the manufacturer of the shocks should have a decent enough bin full of replacement parts for Dahon ready to go and also available after the original is no longer specked. Unfortunately in the bike industry this is all to common , that a Parts manufacturer goes all out to get speck , but after the speck is over they dont care about spares no more.... But as I said they are a few 130 mm long shocks out there ....
( I think it was 130 mm long right ? ) The new one on the 08/09 Jetstream is longer

thor

Thor,

You're the only saving grace in the Dahon community.

I have an LBS here who sells Dahon. I did not buy my bent Mu P8 from them and they have tried to intercede for me with Dahon and I've just gotten no love at all.

I'm just of the opinion that my bent frame, at the hinge area is a money hole for me. I took it back to the department store I got it from and they got the parts for a hinge to fix it and changed the stuff but the hinge area is bent. It was basically the same.

Dahon simply won't do anything for me except to tell me to take it back where I got it.

I have a Speed TR, a Speed P8 and a used Jetstream XP and don't get me wrong I absolutely positively love the bikes and can't get enough of them but when it comes time to replace, upgrade, or whatever I do with all these bikes I have, Dahon is just not an option.

Heck as you know all the orders I make to Dahon from their website get farmed out to you. They don't even fill their own orders.

John

Dahon really does seem to be shooting themselves in the foot. I know of two different shops in my city that have dropped Dahon because of lousy warranty and replacement parts fulfillment.

I know of two different shops in my city that have dropped Dahon because of lousy warranty and replacement parts fulfillment.

that's not good. is the customer service in US or somewhere else ? i just hope dahon is reading this thread ....

Dahon really does seem to be shooting themselves in the foot. I know of two different shops in my city that have dropped Dahon because of lousy warranty and replacement parts fulfillment.Interesting post. A chap named Wild Bird over in Dahon forums also raised this issue and Dahon were very interested in contacting that shop.

I don't think Dahon people read much here though. It would be good if you could post this in the relevant Dahon thread as well (which has been dead for a month now).

Unless Dahon has significantly improved their US parts fulfillment operation, I doubt the owners of either shop would want to hear from them. One shop stopped selling folders entirely, the other took on another line that has much better dealer service.

I have a MuP8 that I needed the forks replaced after an accident. I was told by the shop that it would be a month, so thought I'd try go direct to Dahon the manufacturer, but that was kinda a run around....and the message I got from tech support was over worded, and didn't provide much help....Brakemeister seemed to be the only one to give a sensible, to the point answer at the time.

To my surprise, and delight, the LBS did pull through & had a replacement fork for me in 2weeks.

Still, considering that experience, and another w/the hinge, and also with upgrades, the Mu was that last Dahon I'll buy...

As for sales strategy, it's probably more volume than quality..(w/the exception of Thor)
I almost bought a '09SpeedProTT from an online shop here in Japan, but didn't get a reply from my inqury till this week...My initial inquiry to the shop was in Feb! :eek: JMHO, But I think Dahon needs to be more selective on who/what shop they partner with..

Happily upgrading & riding the Swift..:p

JMHO, But I think Dahon needs to be more selective on who/what shop they partner with..

Yeah, but then again I don't know any other brand of folder that can be test ridden almost anywhere in the world and, perhaps consequently, I don't know any other brand that sells more bikes either.

I always think that manufacturer's of unconventional cycles need to find better ways to get their bikes available for test rides. Looks like maybe Dahon has found a way and despite the drawbacks I bet the whole folder industry has benefit from the exposure.

As they say, "there's no such thing as bad publicity."



Happily upgrading & riding the Swift..:p

Swift is a great bike, but it's not really a substitute for the Mu SL in terms of fold.

I mean, don't get me wrong, I wouldn't buy a Dahon from any of the B&M shops I've tried them at because I know the shop employees are boneheads (and I've seen them muck up other brands too...even Bike Fridays) nor have I ever owned a Dahon, but I've yet to see a complaint from one of Thor's customers which all makes me believe that the Dahon name isn't the problem as much as the name on the bill of sale.

Just my 2c.

Now you guys make me raise my prices ..... besides running around with a big head full of hot air...
lol

There are problems .... poblems like any other bike manufacturer has..... with the scale of things it is understandable that there are 2000 more Dahon complaints than brand X .... Plus lets not forget that many Dahons are a first bike purchase from folks who are just starting to ride bikes again.... compared to Brand X or Y or T where they dealing mostly with seasoned bike riders.....
There is nothing wrong with that I like " Noobies" and feel great when somebody buys a bike just to have fun without any prior knowledge ...

but you see the problem....where you and I break out the allen key and tighten this or that ( like we are used on any bike ) some folks dont know and keep riding until the wheel collapses due to spoke breakage ( just as an example )

Now one complaint which meanders through this whole thread ..... Dahons answers are slow and action is slower yet ..... This is maybe a problem which wouldnt arise if the Dahon brass wouldnt be as easily contacted the first place .... Lets see they have a handfull of employees in their CA office and they have to answer to consumers emails ? No wonder they get nothing done ..( lol ) Who has send a email to Mr Burke ( Trek) or Michael Sinyard ( Specialized) and received an answer about the lousy bell on the bike ?

or the Dahon bulletin board, where its not regulated at all. people come up with all kinds of things and expect Dahon to respond... The Dahon folks read that forum, but they do not interfere with it.... also they usually do not take any action, Thats up to the dealer and the importer etc etc But to the consumer it leaves a bad taste, : I written my problem down and nothing happens !!! There are very few Dahon dealers on that forum and they usually jump in and try to help if otherwise no help can be found, but this is not an overnight kinda thing ..

Dahon wants to get more peole on bikes. they plan to do that with having lots of dealers with bikes on the showroom floor to testride and so forth. The dealers make good margins and with that comes a little work, like getting warranty solved, getting the customers spare parts and accessories especially for commuting and especially for folders.... Dealers at this time barely know about folding bikes as an alternatives to "real" bikes. They put one bike on their showroom but no accessories and certainly no spares.
Than the dealer can barely pay a 16 year old full of andrenaline who is all gang ho on the latest Sram red head and Shimano XXXR and rides a 15 inch suspension downhill gnarrly moster with a full helmet and all the gear.... he is working there because he loves MTB s or 4000 road bikes ..but he is not real ..... ( 16 year olds please forgive me, but you are still wet behind the ears)
That kid has no clue to sell a folding bike .. so it lingers around the shop .....

can you imagine how difficult it is for Dahon to find crazy folks like me , who simply love all small wheel bikes and folders in particular.. and I am not so much interested in a 6000 dlr Downhill monster ...

Now Dahon interferes in the regular chain of command ( answering emails and sending out stuff directly.....) versus going through the dealer ( as everytbody else is doing ) guess what ?,

some dealers get all upset, that they dont see the customer in their shop and that they cannot help their customer.... and Dahon gets a boot because they dont like the manufacturer to do their business.. !! ( or to tell them how to run their shop )

OOPS
Of course I am not naive and I know of many shops who are not following through and sometimes going direct is the last option.... but they are always all kinds of sides of a medal ....

enough rant
its Friday

tomorrow i go sailing ...unless the weather changes to real bad

Thor

so dahon's components are not standard and can't be upgraded ? just curious as i just had mine for less than a week and i am also planning on upgrading some parts like BB, crankset, hubs and others.

thanks,
vic

OMG, Vic! You bought a Dahon? Which model? How do you like it so far? How does it compare to the Citizen? :eek:

OMG, Vic! You bought a Dahon? Which model? How do you like it so far? How does it compare to the Citizen? :eek:

kitn,

i sure did. it's a dahon boardwalk 6 speed in british green. here's a picture when i just got it (sorry i don't have a picture of it unfolded). i am liking it so far. the ride is so much nicer, smoother and different. for some reason it feels a lot faster than my old tokyo. maybe because of it's 20" wheel. since the frame is slightly bigger, it is more stable. and the handle post feels solid than my tokyo. now i know what they are saying regarding the ride between the entry level and the name brand folder. did you get a brompton yet ???

thanks,
vic

Rofl.

It's really good to know we're not the only problems getting spare parts from Dahon, or in fact even any sort of warranty anything from them. I've been trying to order one derailleur for literally, the last 4 months for a Dahon mu. Great