14R 

Now that I noticed the rear wheel is not mounted on vertical drops, how hard is it to remove the wheel without breaking the chain open?

How much of handlebar-bending do you get?

Any idea of the gear inches ratio?

My bike is on E-bay, all I need is 15 more bucks and I have my Mini in (well, actually I need the money for something else, but will make my life easier to get the Mini in the future)

14R 

Gender alteration surgery: Scheduled.


Rafael "Rachel Del'Toro" Guerra

Crankypants

I believe that the low is 24.8" and the high is 75.4". The only flex I feel in the handle bar/stem is a result of adding the Dahon adj. stem, but it is minimal, and I am comfortable with standing up and pulling the bars on climbs. Rear wheel is simple to remove, just slide the wheel forward in dropouts to loosen and remove chain from cog.

Crankypants

Or large men 5'10" to 6'4" weighing over 200 pounds!

14R 

Do you believe a bigger chainring would fit? Ideally, if this bike could get into the mid 90s, I would get it to my gf instead of another Merc or Brompton.

maunakea

cranky, do you need a compact fold, or do you simply like the Mini more than 20" bikes?

Crankypants

I like the compact fold, but frankly, I wanted to see if a 16" bike could be fast enough and comfortable as a touring bike. My mini mod was an experiment to find an affordable folder that can pack up easily enough to get me on any train or plane that wouldn't take my larger bikes, but I wanted the ride to by nice enough to do some long self contained trips. So far, I am totally happy with the ride, and feel like it holds its own compared to the Swift and BF bikes that I have tried. I guess any other 20" DT would have been fine, but the mini is the shizel.

14R 

The only reason I am "migrating" from 20" wheels to a Merc/possible a Mini is my need to travel, have a hassle free bike and yet have a "real bike" feel when riding. My trips usually involve more than one city (last January I took a Downtube hardtail to 11 connections, I spent aproximately 10 hours braking it apart/putting it back together in every city). A Strida, maybe one of those Xootr thing would work if, and only IF I didn't have a very nice bike at home and wanted something that rides like a real bike, not a "similar". In other words, I need a compact BICYCLE, not a riding thing that feels somewhat like one.

I am currently semi-happy with my Merc, but would love to get something without the chain tensioner.

Now I am not sure if I asked this already: Can the Mini fit inside luggage without disassembling it?

Polaris43

[QUOTE=Crankypants]I thought that these Big Apples were comfort tires, but they roll! I bought them from a fellow member : www.thorusa.com

Cranky,

Can you give us a model number or other identifier (like full size) directly from the tires? I want to change the tires on my Mini and my VIIIH to the Big Apples and am having trouble finding them as well.

Thanks for your help.

Crankypants

Here is the order page for choosing either the 16" (305) or 20"(406).
https://www.thorusa.com/schwalbe1.htm

maunakea

cranky, sounds like the Mini really works for you and that you'll put many miles on it. I recommend that you lube the headset, BB, and hubs with some high end, waterproof grease. Generally speaking, the grease quality is the only serious deficiency in DTs from the POV of heavy use.

Polaris43

THANKS!!!

smokeyrules

I just got my mini yesterday. I'm happy with it. Then I'm reading all these posts about putting "Big Apple" Tires on it. Can someone explain why someone would do this and what the benefits are?

maunakea

High psi, the BAs roll fast. Medium psi, good "suspension" effect. Low psi, tolerable off-road traction.

I just rode a friend's new Dahon Speed P8 with BAs pumped to stated limit. Rolled fast, but no suspension effect at that psi. Nothing takes the place of a sus fork, but the BAs or S-Licks provide significant improvement over a skateboard ride.

14R 

If I can get a front fork with suspension for a DTMini, my dreambike will actualy materialize...

Any ideas?

maunakea

RG, RST would be the likely source, you might look at

https://www.rst.com.tw/product/pd2007/product2007.htm

to see if any come in 16". IIRC, RST has several models in 20", but none in 16".
-MK

BruceMetras

You could spend $70 and get a Huffy and strip it for spares...

Bruce

14R 

BM,

I checked some websites with 16" forks, but my fear is that whole 305 - 349 thing. Do you believe this one would fit?

I really liked THIS ONE, the type of brakes would make the transition easier...

Marleetet

If you don't like the pink- try this one

https://www.johndeeregifts.com/product-product_id/290040

bookishboy

Would these forks hold up under adult weights? I'd be concerned since they're manufactured for children's bikes. Their durability might be an issue, and the possibility that they're "dialed-in" for child weights.

14R 

I actually took a brake from studying and went to the local Wal-Mart and Target to check kid's bike after BM's post. The quality is horrible, it feels like cheap, made to brake and not near close the one spotted on the Japanese Brompton.

Due to the small wheels, I think the Mini would definately benefit from some form of front suspension, even if it is the internal hub one. But I guess there is a Recumbent 16" fork, secretly kept away from the folding community that we are just not able to locate yet.

Crankypants

Have you ridden the mini? Doesn't really need front suspension, IMO. Just try out some fat tires first.

Crankypants

I recommend keeping the original tires on for as long as you are comfortable and don't crave something else. When you do switch, the difference will be obvious. My Kendas kept getting jabbed by little blackberry thorns. When I replaced them with the BAs, the ride felt much quicker and cushioning. The old tires are fine if you don't ride the bike all the time.

Crankypants

Thanks, I better do this ASAP, I'll be taking the bike to Romania on Oct. 3 in a suitcase that I haven't fond yet.

Marleetet

Cranky-

I bought my wife a Mini- she loves it (5'4" tall). I tried it and like the idea of all the small places that I could store it (on a boat, private airplane, in a crowded car, etc...), but what I didn't like about it was the rearward rake of the front stem (5' 11' 215lbs.). I could more than easily get the seat high enough for me, but the handle bars were just too close to me.

I see in your pictures a different front post than the standard. Was that a creation of yours or a purchased add-on.

I would really like this bike to work for me!

Mark