Coldhands

Hi all,

I want to get into touring and have been exploring the options for folding bikes. I like the idea I can just cycle here and there and fold up the bike to catch trains, flights etc. However, the problem is choosing a bike! The Tern bikes look excellent and I suppose the Bromptons too, but they're incredibly expensive. I did a lot of research and ended up looking for a Dahon Speed TR. However, these bikes appear to have been discontinued and have not been replaced by anything similar in the Dahon line up? Any suggestions for me? I was thinking of doing some cycling around Ireland, Baja California and possibly the west-coast of the USA. I have a budget of around £500-700. There are several Tern models in this price range but would they cut it for touring? Likewise, would there be any other potential folding options which could become a solid tourer with a few upgrades? Any advice would be welcome!

jur

Google Tern Recall.

SkunkWerX

How many miles per day, on average?
How much do you weigh?
How much will your gear weigh?
Most run-of-the mill 20" folders, such as Dahon, will have roughly a ~230lb. max weight limit.

Just off of the top of my head....Fenders & Rear Rack would be good things. Gears for hills, a MUST.
Your budget is the limiting factor. But that creates the challenge.

Tires, IMHO, would be of paramount importance. If you buy a new folder, it will have new tires, but in your price range they may not be the best for touring. You will need comfort and a measured amount of puncture resistance.

Again, off the top of my head.....just an example, A Dahon Mariner comes new equipped with fenders and rack.
It is a popular Dahon model. I am not sure what tires are on it, but Kenda Kwest is a good bet. Not horrible tires, but you'd probably want to upgrade them for serious touring. Here in the USA, a Mariner is $588 on Amazon.

Things that are a must for touring, at minimum, would be: a mini pump, 20" inner tube of good quality (2 would be even better).

A Dahon, due to their popularity and market share, would be the most serviceable, in terms of parts and bike shops that support them (in your price range).

Just things to think about.

SkunkWerX

Sorry for 2nd post in a row.

I am showing the exchange rate, currently, at 1.33 = $1 USD or $1 USD = .75 pounds. YIKES!

edit: So your budget, for the sake of us Americans, is $375 to $527 USD.

If you did upgrade the tires, example, to Schwalbe Big Apples, then factor in roughly ~$85-$95 USD for a set of (2) and (2) tubes.

Looking at your budget, you would have to go a bit higher just to get something like a Dahon Mariner.
Forget upgrading anything if your budget is firm.

Perhaps check out Downtube folding bikes. They have some wallet-friendly prices and some models within your range.
Not sure what shipping wold run, unless you traveled and purchased one over here. Downtube 9SP right now is $399 USD
Has a rear rack and rear fender, not sure about front fender, but if you had to add one I'm sure it would not break the bank.

If the pound keeps dropping, I am afraid you will be stuck with little or no options.

Good Luck.

linberl

Since the OP quoted pounds in pricing, maybe they are in the UK. don't they have some sort of cycle to work/subsidized pricing thing? I don't think the program specifies how often you cycle to work...and then you have a bike for touring.

tds101 

Too bad the OP isn't in the USA. The Dahon Jack D7 is $432.55 on Amazon, w/free prime shipping (and no sales tax). It's a steal!!!

Coldhands

Thanks for helping me out! I weigh around 70kg and I am 5ft10" thus fairly average. I am always a minimalist so I think at a guess my gear would come in between 10-15kg, possibly with the necessity to load up another 4-6 for food and water. I really like the look of the Terns - maybe the Verge P20? I could possibly stretch my budget to £800/900.

I know Bromptons and the higher end Tern's are around this price bracket but still, the specific touring Tern's are double this. I have my eye on Baja California so might be doing some unpaved stuff as well, but nothing too crazy I hope. The Brompton P6R is built for touring right? That's stretching the budget however!

But if it means the difference between a shorter, more comfortable ride (in terms of time away) vs going on a longer trip but being uncomfortable and regretting the bike, then that would be a no brainer. PS I'm also confused by gears - do I really need 21 or whatever or is say a Brompton with 6 be enough to get up hills with a tent and two full panniers?

tds101 

I'm going to go the distance and say I WOULDN'T recommend a Tern folding bike. There's plenty of other bike manufacturer's that have had recalls as well, but none have been as underhanded and deceptive as Tern. I'd recommend a different brand for purchase, as other companies tend to care about their customers a bit more.

https://www.bikeforums.net/folding-bi...rn-recall.html

There's possibly more frames that are defective, but with Tern someone will need to get hurt before you hear about it.

Coldhands

That's good to know - so Dahon or Bompton then? I see the Dahon Vitesse D8 is pretty cheap and comes with a rack. Really, I guess I just want it to be comfortable and reliable. I don't intent on going anywhere fast.

tds101 

I'd personally go with either the Dahon Vitesse D8, or the Jack D7. A Brompton is just too $$$ for me.

For me, the Jack would be the final decision. Larger wheels, more solid ride, and still folds small enough. And, the Jack handlebar stem can be fixed with a quick release lever to rotate sideways. I have a NVO stem, and it now rotates in seconds for easy commuting.

Too bad my 26" wheeled folder is the TernJoeP24,... Even though it's a completely different type of frame from Tern, I just don't trust them. And I really do luv the bike. The ride quality is amazing,...and I weigh 225lbs.

reppans

Math is not right 500-700 GBP is ~ 667-933 USD and new budget up to 900 GBP ~$1,200. Wonder if Bromptons are cheaper in the UK?

SkunkWerX

Darn, I even edited, I had it that way at first. I had USD and pounds entered backwards on the on line calculator....my bad.

HE said his budget was 500-700 GBP. it is NOT 900 GBP. not sure how you got there.

500 pounds = $663
700 pounds = $929

So his range in USD is $663 to $929. Not sure how Dahons and the like, or even Bromp's are priced in Britain.

SkunkWerX

The Vitesse D8 would certainly be a decent choice. Gearing is all about your gear ratios.
A 21 speed will have more gears in between to choose from, but will also have overlap in gearing depending on which chainring/cog selection you are in.

A 7,8,or 9 speed bike will likely be designed with a wide range, Low end for uphills and high end for downhills. Check the terrain you plan to tackle, compare that with your biking strength/stamina/endurance. Go to a LBS and try some bikes. Ask what the gear ratio/gear inches are for the bikes you try. They don't have to be the exact model you want, just get a feel for what suits your specific situation. Try some hills, try some speed on flat sections and even try some acceleration from a dead stop.

The best research you can do test ride some bikes.

L134 

Ive toured on a bike friday new world tourist that i picked up used for around $900. Good bike.

Abu Mahendra

This is my light-touring folding minivelo which may give you some ideas on how to build and spec yours. The bike is a Dahon Dash P18 with 20-119 gear-inches on tap. Educate yourself on gearing range and gear-inches. It is not the number of speeds that matters, but rather the gearing range, specified in gear-inches. The saddle is a Selle Royal Supra which is quite comfy, but saddles are personal so you'll have to experiment yourself. A comfy saddle is key. I use regular pedals with Power Grips so I can wear regular shoes yet be clipped in. Grips are broad Biologics that support the heel of the hand, and has a hidden space for a three-size Allen key. Tires are Schwalbe Kojaks, but for greater durability and puncture resistance you'll want something from Schwalbe's Marathon series, or look to Continental tires. In the world of touring there are only two tire makers you need to know, Schwalbe and Continental.

For light touring, that is, 12 kg or less, I'd stick to Klickfix mounts. I've got two, one on the head tube and another on the seat post. They allow you to mount Tern Kanga racks or Ortlieb handlebar bags. Two Tern Kanga racks with dry-bags will give you 40L of storage. Pictured here is an Ortlieb Velocity backpack in the front and an Ortlieb Ultimate6 handlebar bag in the bag. Pictured below that is a Kanga rack with a drybag.

reppans

He increased it.

BikeLite

That klickfix stuff is expensive.

Abu Mahendra

How much is a rack, and a set of 20L Ortlieb panniers? Certainly more than a Klickfix mount, a Kanga rack and a 20L drybag. the latter weighs less too.

Coldhands

Thanks guys - have to say I'm still bamboozled by the amount of choices and options out there! But, it looks like Dahon might be the best bet in terms of cost over quality with the Bromptons a possibility. Here in the UK I found a great price on a Vitesse D8 at just under £400. There is also a Dahon Qix but at £700 it's a lot more expensive. What really are the differences over the mid-section of the Dahon range? I notice the Qix has better tires and a few other things but in terms of frame stability and reliability, would the difference in price between say the Qix and the Vitesse be better term on accessories for touring i.e. swap out the tires, buy a brooks saddle, etc?

1nterceptor

You may want to check out Bike Fridays as well. They have a good reputation as capable touring bikes that fold.
Can you test ride a few models? And when you do; you might want to take note of how they fold and their size.

I have done some light off roading with my Brompton; Schwalbe Kojak slick tires:


My 2013 Brompton S6L-x has 6 gears. Here we're passing some roadbikes uphill; I'm guessing they
have the usual set up - 20(2 X 10) or 22(2 X 11) speed?:

Coldhands

I just bought the Dahon! Thanks for all the tips

tds101 

Enjoy!!! And don't forget to keep us updated on how it works for you.

Coldhands

It arrived but had obviously been handled by some sort of lunatic in either Wiggle.co.uk or the Dahon factory (and then this completely missed by the technician who supposedly checked it at wiggle before it was mailed out). So far their customer service has been pretty lame. I'm really gutted









I used my dad's TR in England often but never really folded it much - my dad said it looks like someone has used brute force to fold the bike when the clasp was somehow too tight/loose. Any suggestions? Of course it will have to be sent back.

tds101 

Return it IMMEDIATELY!!! There should be no other suggestions,... Receiving a damaged bike is unacceptable. And ignore any person telling you to just replace the damaged part.

Coldhands

Yep :/

Can you make out what happened?