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12-07-09, 11:53 AM
After reading and researching for over 2-3 months, I finally decided on my first Folding bike. As in my previous posts, I'd started off trying to decide between a Bike Friday or Brompton, but after all considerations were complete, a dark horse rose to the top of my list: the 2008 (steel frame) Dahon Speed PRO TT!
I'd like to give its initial impressions and hope to update this 6 months and 12 months later as things settle. In full disclosure, I should also mention that I have also ordered a Brompton m6L as a Christmas present for my wife!
Short review: You get a lot of bike for your money with the SpeedPRO TT. I'm extremely happy with my purchase. It's a relatively fast race bike which folds decently. You should buy it though expecting some minor technical/mechanical issues.
As said above, I overall love the bike, but want to clear the negative considerations first. While Bike Friday's renowned for fitting bikes to customers, I was impressed w/ how well the SpeedPRO could adjust to a variety of customers. The handlebars in particular are very comfortable and easy to adjust/change.
With that said though, I also feel the range that Dahon publishes for this bike is an outright lie. I'm 5'11" w/ a 31.5" inseam and around 190lbs. and I fit well w/ the seat-post extended to the last number. I personally prefer having a little bend in the knee but others w/ similar leg length may not like it. The bike will work for 6'4" person but only if he has a 5" Afro.
As for the weight range, I'd hesitate to recommend it to someone who weights more than I. In fact, like most race bikes, I imagine this is designed for our slimmer brethren. I don't hear any creaking but if I were heavier, I think I'd want wheels w/ a few more spokes. This is just my impression and time will tell. Still I'm certainly going to avoid any curbs and potholes which most of do anyway. In contrast, I'd have to say that the Tikit and Brompton seemed more sturdy in this regard and I'd be worried less about them tackling these urban obstacles.
The SpeedPRO TT has the much maligned caliper brakes. When I got the bike, the rear brake lever bottomed out into the handlebar. Looking through some videos, it was pretty easy to readjust the tension to fix that. We've had a few unusual rainy/foggy days and I've felt very comfortable going downhill and dealing w/ traffic stops. I use disc brakes on my mountain bike and typically just use the rear one b/c I don't want to go over the handlebars. I've only used the front disc brake for feathering/modulating. So coming from that perspective, I'm perfectly satisfied w/ these caliper brakes and in contrast to the mountain bike, rely more on the front brake.
Pedal strike is also something new to consider. I was riding down a cull de sac and turning to go back up realized I needed to stop pedaling and stay at 3 and 9'o clock to avoid striking the ground.
The Shifting/Hubs aren't quite as easy as advertised. The Rear Derailleur needed a little adjustment, the process of which I was familiar, and now it works smoothly. The Dual Drive Hub though has already given me headaches. After about an hour of test riding, the shifter stopped working. It turned out the cable had been pulled out of the STI shifter somehow! The bike was certainly rideable so my first real ride was to the Local bike store to get it fixed. I rode back home only later to learn I now can't shift to the low gear. On a derailleur system, I'd release tension and adjust the limit screws, but I'm going to have to play a little with this to get the right tension. I'm hoping that this isn't going to be a recurrent issue!
The ride itself is great. I had planned to order the saddle adaptor so I could use my favorite Selle Anatomica, but I was truly astounded to discover I was comfortable on the stock saddle. Quite an unexpected bonus to use my regular shorts/tights as I hate wearing the typical lycra/maxi-pad combination.
The bike is as maneuverable if not more so than my mountain bike. I'm spoiled by the stability of my recumbent for descents, but this felt as stable as any upright bike could descending 30+ mph. The bike also is meant to be rode seated in your saddle; there is also little more side to side flex when I ended up hammering the pedals uphill (as I'm currently unable to shift down to 1st gear). I tend to prefer spinning up hills so I think once I get the hub-gear in sync this will work well. Compared to the stock Tikit and Brompton this bike is probably 1-2 mph faster.
Now the folding portion. My second ride was to get a haircut. Normally, I'd have taken my car, so I was excited to bring my bike in with me. Folding/Unfolding takes about 10-15 seconds (longer if you use an allen wrench to release the handlebars). It's easy to learn and painless. The frame of the bike is actually pretty compact, but the handlebars stick out and seem to have a knack for bumping into things! Still I've also taken the bike to Barnes and Noble and a doctor's visit today. All of these places before would have required a car as I do not trust any sort of lock to secure a bike. For what it's worth, I had no issues bringing a bike into these establishments except that I attracted more looks my way when I was just having a hot chocolate. If you're a ninja or a spy, this is not the bike for you.
The bike is 2-3 lbs lighter than a Brompton/Bike Friday and actually pretty easy to carry. Getting it through doors or around people in aisles takes a little consideration but I expect to make these sorts of adjustments automatically w/ more experience. The Bike Friday seemed much more awkward to carry and awkward to roll and my preference is using the SpeedPRO for these situations. Obviously a Brompton is less bulky to carry and shines in this area.
Other considerations; in 2009, the SpeedPRO was redesigned w/ ALuminum rather than steel. It saves about 2lbs of weight and costs about $400 more. I never had the chance to test a 2009 bike, so can't say if the ride is better/worse. I felt that the 2008 models were a bargain, and if there really is something to that "Steel is real" it's that much better of a deal! I did speak to Bike Friday also about duplicating the SpeedPRO w/ a Tikit using a dual drive, H-bars, STI shifters etc. They never got back to me w/ a cost, but looking at their website it would probably have cost me double what I paid. Oh and their version would probably weigh 2-3lbs more.
Still, I assume that for people who don't want to deal w/ any of the minor mechanical issues I mentioned early in this review, the BikeFriday's probably best for unpack and ride away. For those who like to ride out of their saddle, the Bike Friday's also the answer. I also imagine that for the other spectrum, those who want to tinker and change handlebars, gearing systems, the BikeFriday's better suited in that area. Also, the SpeedPRO requires at least 30 minutes to fit into a legit airplane suitcase by removing the front/rear wheels vs. the Tikit which packs in about 10 minutes.
My only planned upgrades are to add "reellights," a bottle cage, and an STI mirror.
As for Brompton vs. SpeedPRO. I felt that the SpeedPRO's gear range and performance was enough to put it ahead. Plus I'm hopeful my wife will let me borrow her's :)
I'd like to give its initial impressions and hope to update this 6 months and 12 months later as things settle. In full disclosure, I should also mention that I have also ordered a Brompton m6L as a Christmas present for my wife!
Short review: You get a lot of bike for your money with the SpeedPRO TT. I'm extremely happy with my purchase. It's a relatively fast race bike which folds decently. You should buy it though expecting some minor technical/mechanical issues.
As said above, I overall love the bike, but want to clear the negative considerations first. While Bike Friday's renowned for fitting bikes to customers, I was impressed w/ how well the SpeedPRO could adjust to a variety of customers. The handlebars in particular are very comfortable and easy to adjust/change.
With that said though, I also feel the range that Dahon publishes for this bike is an outright lie. I'm 5'11" w/ a 31.5" inseam and around 190lbs. and I fit well w/ the seat-post extended to the last number. I personally prefer having a little bend in the knee but others w/ similar leg length may not like it. The bike will work for 6'4" person but only if he has a 5" Afro.
As for the weight range, I'd hesitate to recommend it to someone who weights more than I. In fact, like most race bikes, I imagine this is designed for our slimmer brethren. I don't hear any creaking but if I were heavier, I think I'd want wheels w/ a few more spokes. This is just my impression and time will tell. Still I'm certainly going to avoid any curbs and potholes which most of do anyway. In contrast, I'd have to say that the Tikit and Brompton seemed more sturdy in this regard and I'd be worried less about them tackling these urban obstacles.
The SpeedPRO TT has the much maligned caliper brakes. When I got the bike, the rear brake lever bottomed out into the handlebar. Looking through some videos, it was pretty easy to readjust the tension to fix that. We've had a few unusual rainy/foggy days and I've felt very comfortable going downhill and dealing w/ traffic stops. I use disc brakes on my mountain bike and typically just use the rear one b/c I don't want to go over the handlebars. I've only used the front disc brake for feathering/modulating. So coming from that perspective, I'm perfectly satisfied w/ these caliper brakes and in contrast to the mountain bike, rely more on the front brake.
Pedal strike is also something new to consider. I was riding down a cull de sac and turning to go back up realized I needed to stop pedaling and stay at 3 and 9'o clock to avoid striking the ground.
The Shifting/Hubs aren't quite as easy as advertised. The Rear Derailleur needed a little adjustment, the process of which I was familiar, and now it works smoothly. The Dual Drive Hub though has already given me headaches. After about an hour of test riding, the shifter stopped working. It turned out the cable had been pulled out of the STI shifter somehow! The bike was certainly rideable so my first real ride was to the Local bike store to get it fixed. I rode back home only later to learn I now can't shift to the low gear. On a derailleur system, I'd release tension and adjust the limit screws, but I'm going to have to play a little with this to get the right tension. I'm hoping that this isn't going to be a recurrent issue!
The ride itself is great. I had planned to order the saddle adaptor so I could use my favorite Selle Anatomica, but I was truly astounded to discover I was comfortable on the stock saddle. Quite an unexpected bonus to use my regular shorts/tights as I hate wearing the typical lycra/maxi-pad combination.
The bike is as maneuverable if not more so than my mountain bike. I'm spoiled by the stability of my recumbent for descents, but this felt as stable as any upright bike could descending 30+ mph. The bike also is meant to be rode seated in your saddle; there is also little more side to side flex when I ended up hammering the pedals uphill (as I'm currently unable to shift down to 1st gear). I tend to prefer spinning up hills so I think once I get the hub-gear in sync this will work well. Compared to the stock Tikit and Brompton this bike is probably 1-2 mph faster.
Now the folding portion. My second ride was to get a haircut. Normally, I'd have taken my car, so I was excited to bring my bike in with me. Folding/Unfolding takes about 10-15 seconds (longer if you use an allen wrench to release the handlebars). It's easy to learn and painless. The frame of the bike is actually pretty compact, but the handlebars stick out and seem to have a knack for bumping into things! Still I've also taken the bike to Barnes and Noble and a doctor's visit today. All of these places before would have required a car as I do not trust any sort of lock to secure a bike. For what it's worth, I had no issues bringing a bike into these establishments except that I attracted more looks my way when I was just having a hot chocolate. If you're a ninja or a spy, this is not the bike for you.
The bike is 2-3 lbs lighter than a Brompton/Bike Friday and actually pretty easy to carry. Getting it through doors or around people in aisles takes a little consideration but I expect to make these sorts of adjustments automatically w/ more experience. The Bike Friday seemed much more awkward to carry and awkward to roll and my preference is using the SpeedPRO for these situations. Obviously a Brompton is less bulky to carry and shines in this area.
Other considerations; in 2009, the SpeedPRO was redesigned w/ ALuminum rather than steel. It saves about 2lbs of weight and costs about $400 more. I never had the chance to test a 2009 bike, so can't say if the ride is better/worse. I felt that the 2008 models were a bargain, and if there really is something to that "Steel is real" it's that much better of a deal! I did speak to Bike Friday also about duplicating the SpeedPRO w/ a Tikit using a dual drive, H-bars, STI shifters etc. They never got back to me w/ a cost, but looking at their website it would probably have cost me double what I paid. Oh and their version would probably weigh 2-3lbs more.
Still, I assume that for people who don't want to deal w/ any of the minor mechanical issues I mentioned early in this review, the BikeFriday's probably best for unpack and ride away. For those who like to ride out of their saddle, the Bike Friday's also the answer. I also imagine that for the other spectrum, those who want to tinker and change handlebars, gearing systems, the BikeFriday's better suited in that area. Also, the SpeedPRO requires at least 30 minutes to fit into a legit airplane suitcase by removing the front/rear wheels vs. the Tikit which packs in about 10 minutes.
My only planned upgrades are to add "reellights," a bottle cage, and an STI mirror.
As for Brompton vs. SpeedPRO. I felt that the SpeedPRO's gear range and performance was enough to put it ahead. Plus I'm hopeful my wife will let me borrow her's :)