Folding Bikes - Came sooo close to buying a Dahon Speed TT today

LBS in Japan has one and I went and looked at it. I'd have picked it up but I can't wrap myself around the fact it retails for $1500 in the states and was about $1900 here.

And the spare parts thing. And it's got the same crappy hinge that my MU P8 that bent at the hinge has.

John

:lol: So you took a look at it! Quite a sight, isn't it! :D

I asked the shop to price match a netshop here in Japan that was advertising the same '09SpeedTT for 127,000 (bout 1200usd?), but they said they couldn't.

So I went for my Xootr Swift, which I think was a blessing in disguise. :love:

That SpeedTT's a GREAT looking bike, but I agree..the hinge-worry, and lack of (simple) customization is a turn off..

For that $1900, I'd go for a Friday Rocket, or maybe even another nicely soup'd up Swift.

I had fun 'almost' buying a SpeedTT too! :D

I looked at the book they had and it was 189,000 yen but right next to it was 160,000 yen.
He told me that was before tax. I think somewhere in the middle of that is where you could get the bike.

I'd order from the US but FPO shipping is all Parcel Post (space available type or ocean shipment) because of the oversize boxes for bicycles.

Last folder I bought took like 6 or 7 weeks. In this case you have to ask yourself is $400 worth having LBS support. Under normal circumstances it could be for me but I'm supposed to be moving this summer to mainland Japan. I drop the $400 and then don't have the bike shop. I don't need another folder, I really don't but I really can see me cruising on that bike. It had braze ons for a rack as well which shocked me.

I may yet buy it but I don't need it, it's too much money, and it has that crappy hinge. That hinge on steel might be okay, but the 2009 Speed TT is aluminum.

John

What other performance folding bikes are available in Japan? I have heard that it's the Land of Mini-Bikes, although not necessarily folders....