Bster13

Hello,

I am considering a folding bicycle that will go in back of a hatchback. I'm trying to find a Dahon or Tern bicycle w/ 16in wheels. Here are three Dahons:

DAHON Curve D3 - DAHON
DAHON Curve i3 16" - DAHON
DAHON EEZZ D3 - DAHON

When they list the "folded size" they list it as A x B x C, but they do not define what those dimensions are (Length x Width x Height?)

I would expect these three bikes to have similar dimensions, but as reported on the website, they see pretty different... maybe they are putting them in different order on different pages? (Width x Height x Length for ex?)

Thanks for any clarification you can lend.

corrado33

I think you are correct. The smallest dimension is most likely the depth (side to side of bike) where as the two longer dimensions are the height and width in the folded form (looking from the side). I'm basing this on the observation that most of them in folded form resemble a square from the side, so the two similar dimensions are used there.

It's odd that such a large company wouldn't be consistent on their web page.

For the record, those are bigger than I had imagined. 2 feet x 2 feet x 1 foot in folded form?

ThorUSA

ok lets start with this tidbit of info ....
Curve D3 is currently not available from Dahon, some dealers might have old stock, but the warehouse is empty .... that doesn't mean that they will be back any time, just right now ... no luck
Eezz is available same as Jifo in ONE speed only at least in the USA
the 3 speed model is neither in stock, nor is there any price for it ... maybe in 2017 ?


One thing which drives me nuts as a dealer is that the Dahon website is mostly International, whatever that means, but you really have to look for the USA website, and even there are model variations which do not exist...


thor

Bster13

That's disappointing.

Thor, can you recommend a compact folder with:

- A few speeds (I'm just looking to cruise at a decent pace, not climb mountains or break speed records, but some elevation is to be expected)
- Doesn't have the price of the Brompton
- Will fit in a small space of a Prius?
- Parts are readily available (that's what attracted me to Dahon)



I found that picture, but unsure what bike it is.

The problem with this particular folder in the pic is that it is too tall, and with the sloping hatch of the Prius, you need to scoot the bike forward such that the rear passenger seat on the driver's side has to be folded down.

(Yes, I plan to retire and live in a Prius. )

ThorUSA

I send u a private message :-)

linberl

FWIW my NWT fits in the back of my Prius, laid flat, without putting the seats down at all. And the NWT does not fold as small as many folders out there. It also fits behind the drivers seat if I remove the pedals and rotate the stem. Where there is a will......

reppans

Zat you Bryce? . Think we last spoke at Walmart ~5 yrs ago or something.. we've ridden together once or twice, (when I had a BMW boxer).

smallwheeler

it's almost impossible to find a decent 16" wheeled bike in the USA for less than a 1000usd unless you can find a brompton or bike friday tikit used. new, if you can find one, the dahon curve costs 6-799usd which is absurd. there are a couple of dahon curve bikes on c-list but, none near you.

Dahon foldable bicycle
Dahon Curve D3 Fire Red Folding Bike Bicycle

other options in the 16-14" range either plummet in quality or are of dubious origin. for example, there are numerous counterfeit and stolen IP bikes being sold by online sellers. this can seem like an attractive option as the fakes may look identical to the dahon bikes. however, the similarity in appearance can be quite deceptive.

one important distinction to consider is the materials and manufacturing processes involved. dahon designs and engineers it's bikes. the characteristic shape of dahon's bikes is made possible by the engineering of the constituent parts that comprise the frame.

to this end, dahon uses their own branded type of ovalized aluminum tubing they call sonus™ tubing. this tubing is triple-butted, which is to say it is much thicker at the ends where the welded connections occur. this contributes significant durability and rigidity to the design.

it would be straining credulity to assume that a counterfeiter would bother with this level of detail or care. and even if they claim to have done so, how can we believe anything they say when they have started their business by producing fakes and stealing intellectual property?

example:

DAHON Dove Uno - DAHON


"crius" brand fake:




my advice would be to search for a high quality used bike. takes a little effort and patience, but it's well worth it.

Bster13

Thanks for the detailed post. So would you says Crius is not of good quality? I was reading up on their 14in folders. So Dahon, Brompton, Tern is where it is at? many thanks.

smallwheeler

i would say that crius is a company that makes it's money copying products that dahon has invested millions in research and development to produce. there are many such companies. the fact that crius stole designs from dahon is alone enough reason to avoid them. if they are that unscrupulous at the start, how can you trust your safety or the safety of your loved ones with products from a company that has theft as its basis?

tern - never. search the forums..