Folding Bikes - Need suggestions for first folder.

Hello everyone,

I've never owned a folding bike before, and I need some help with choosing my first, considering all the options available. I'm a male, 5 ft. 9 in., 148 lb. I live in Queens, NY and I'll be using it mainly to get around town, school, work, bring on public transit, etc. I'll probably ride no longer than 10 miles a day. Maybe around 5 on average. I plan to take longer trips occasionally. It should be able to handle moderately rough terrain, such as minor potholes. Multiple speeds would be nice. Durability and longevity is important. Suspension is not that important if I can just use a different saddle and tires that would achieve similar results. My price range is $500-$600 tops. I've been interested in the 2008 Dahon Speed P8.
Thanks in advance for any advice.

Welcome, my suggestions would be the Speed p8 and MU P8.

also a great deal http://newyork.craigslist.org/que/bik/1368096346.html

or check this out:

http://newyork.craigslist.org/que/bik/1377353095.html
http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/bik/1370246874.html
http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/bik/1366269420.html
http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/bik/1366135093.html

Just make sure it's assembled properly. I doubt any LBS put as much work into assembling dahons as we did. They are literallly garbage out of the box.

Do you ever plan on taking the bike on the train during rush hour? If so, it might be worthwhile to go for a slightly smaller package like the Dahon Curve. If not, then the Dahons already noted are a good match for your needs. The only other suggestion I would make is that if you plan on doing any winter riding, it might be worthwhile to look for a internal geared hub model.

Oh yeah... another option might be Downtube... though I believe they all have suspension. Most people are happy with their Downtubes. The biggest thing is that it uses standard parts that are easily replaced or upgraded.

--sam

Thanks for all the suggestions so far.

if you plan on doing any winter riding, it might be worthwhile to look for a internal geared hub model.
I haven't thought of that. Do you know which models have those? How long would I have to ride in near-freezing weather for it to make a difference, and how much extra would it cost for an internal geared hub model? I'm not that knowledgeable with the technical aspects of biking. =]
I was looking at the Downtubes as well, particularly the 9FS, although I'm still leaning towards the Dahons.

The main reason for the internal hub is that it requires less maintenance... and has fewer exposed moving parts. This means that you will have fewer problems with salt from the roads.

The Dahon Vitesse D7HG, Curve D3, Ciao P8, Mu XL Sport is all I can find in the Dahon line of bikes. The Vitesse and the Curve will be closest to your price range I think. Downtube has the 8H and the 8FH. You can also try the Breezer i3 which would be somewhat comparable to the Curve D3. There is also the Citizenbike Barcelona, which is kind of a Ciao P8 knockoff.

I can't think of any other ones that are in your price range. I suggest you take any opportunities to test ride these bikes that you can.

Good luck!
--sam

Okay, I'll check those out. Thanks again. =]

One last question. what are the main differences between their urban utility and urban performance bikes? What differences will I notice while riding, and for what reasons would someone use their performance bikes over utility bikes?

One last question. what are the main differences between their urban utility and urban performance bikes? ...
I have not been able figure out the parameters that Dahon uses to differentiate their "Urban Performance" bikes from their "Urban Utility" bikes. Generally, within each series (Curve, Speed, Mu) the "performance" bikes have better components (wheels, tires, derailleurs, etc.) than the "utility" bikes. But the Ciao and Glide are "utility" bikes with premium components.