tdonline

A bit surprised neither the Dahon Speed 7 or 8 were considered. Also a bit surprised by their critique of the BF Pakit.

[URL="https://thesweethome.com/reviews/best-folding-bike/"]

ThorUSA

The Mariner which was tested was actually last years model. This years has a push pull trigger shifter, Shimano rear derailleur, Schwalbe tires ... :-)
and a very cool liquid silver paint job...

bargainguy

It's always interesting to see a bunch of folding bikes reviewed together with handy links to purchase those bikes. Makes me think this test is not terribly impartial. I would much rather see a review from a website which had no vested interest in the outcome.

fietsbob

The Best Folding Bike | The Sweethome

New York city folks, they appear to weight the scoring of "best" by price, so they seem to list Brompton as an Upgrade pick.
bikefriday builds as the customers order is next in the Queue, so a sample in a NYC Store is just one of the many possible configurations.

Bonzo Banana

Is that why the drivetrain on the Mariner being reviewed is nothing like the drivetrain of the Mariner D7 currently being sold or did she actually review the Mariner D8? You can see the difference between the Mariner images on the page itself. The later Mariner seems to clearly have a freewheel not sure about the other one and the derailleur is one of those neo types. The model reviewed has the derailleur mounted to the left of the axle.

It looks like the Mariner D7 possibly has been downgraded for this years model. Sometimes when I look at Dahon models its almost like the European models are inferior to the US but this looks like the US version is now catching up with the European version i.e. downgraded too. When I look at Dahon's over here they are clearly freewheel based but reading descriptions of the US versions and looking at pictures and videos it looks like better components or maybe I'm just looking at older images that haven't been updated.

The review really should point out if there is a new version with inferior components. It's common practice to change review scores when a bike specification changes for the revised yearly update.

Personally I wouldn't worry about the verdict of this review if you own a bike that is badly reviewed. The review is pretty awful and amateur and much of the text seems incorrect and unfair to the other bikes.

I mean this for example.

"As for tech specs, the Mariner D7 is outfitted with a forged aluminum crank (more long-lasting, according to our experts, than the pressed/riveted steel or aluminum that manufacturers sometimes use to cut costs) and a Shimano Tourney rear derailleur, which offers decent quality for the price."

The information about the cranks makes little sense and Shimano Tourney is Shimano's entry level derailleur found on entry level bikes often sub $150 as is the Shimano freewheel. I can't argue with people preferring the Mariner D7 which is totally valid but many of the other conclusions and information is poorly done..

There are so many variables about what makes a folding bike good for an individual rider that it is always difficult anyway. What if you are riding on rough roads, gravel plus rain with a fully laden bike you are going to want a higher quality drivetrain at least cassette based and ideally hub gears protected from the rain. What if you are in stop/start congested traffic all the time again hub gears might be a priority. What if you are nipping on and off public transport or trains etc.