vmaniqui

hi all,

i am planning on upgrading my dahon boardwalk handle bar and would like to ask what and how can i best tackle this ? i am attaching a photo of the original handle bar. as you can see from the pic, it has a lock so you can adjust it horizontally. i didn't want to put a drop bar as it will cost me more since i need to get a different shifter and the brake lever for the drop bar are more expensive than the regular lever. couldn;t find a previous post and if this is a repeat pardon me and kindly send me the link. i know that some have done this and have been successful. appreciate it.

TIA,
vic

relyt

Looks like you can loosen the clamp on the stem, and then slide the bar out sideways. You will need to take the brake lever/shifter and grip off of one side of the bar.

Why upgrade? If not a drop bar, what kind of bar do you want?

It is probably a 25.4mm stem clamp, but you should check to make sure. In that clamp diameter, you can get straight bars, riser bars, swept-back bars, bullhorn bars, and even drop bars.

la2sei

What is it that you want to get from a new bar? I changed mine to get a hand position that I found more comfortable. There are many handlebars that you can use. Here are two bars I've tried on my bike.
north road soma sparrow

The fold may be impacted as well.

Swept back bars may give you a more natural hand angle, but will reduce the reach. The reach will also be affected by the forward sweep and drop or rise the bars have.

here are some shops that have a variety of bars:
https://www.velo-orange.com/haandst.html
https://store.somafab.com/flriswandmob.html
https://www.webcyclery.com/home.php?cat=455

The bars I used are 25.4 at the clamp. The Velo Orange Milan is a good deal at 19 dollars, an it has a long straight section to fit a grip shifter.

puppypilgrim

You need to define what you want from a handlebar change? More upright? More stretched out? More hand positions? How long are your rides? 5 miles, 10 miles, 20 miles, 30 miles longer than 30 miles? All these factor into the recommendation.

It appears you want to make a change for the least amount of money. Is that correct?

vmaniqui

thanks for all the responses. i may not have been clear. i am a newbie as far as folding bikes and biking/riding is concern. i am starting to do 5 miles and up a day and plan on increasing this as time goes on. i am planning on upgrading my dahon boardwalk D7 into a speedy bike. i know that there are a lot of speedy folder bike around but i wanted to do my own upgrades as i like to tinkering things. i want a handle bar that may look like a racing one. so i guess the drop bar is the only option. but my next question will be - have anyone done this before and is it a wise upgrade ? with my present handle bar situation will this upgrade work for me ? maybe an upgrade for a least amount of money also .

thanks again,
vic

vmaniqui

yes. i have checked the size and it is 25.4mm. what i have in mind is using a stem to make my riding position a little forward so maybe not necessary a drop bar. more on a straight bar but more forward so adding a stem will work then ???

thanks,
vic

nekohime

I think you should try bullhorns or tt-bars. They're not as low as drops, but you can get several hand positions and a more forward position than straight bars. I love bullhorns on speedy bikes--not that I own any speedy bikes, mind, but I'm in love with v6v6v6's MuSL with tt-bars and my next folder will probably be something similar to it.

puppypilgrim

Read this thread I started: https://www.bikeforums.net/folding-bikes/537715-dahon-helios-short-bullhorns.html

This is an inexpensive way to get a more aerodynamic position on your Dahon. I bought a used drop bar off Craigslist for $10. I cut the middle of the bend using a hacksaw and smoothed out the rough edges with a file (5 minute job for both sides). This is known as a chop and flop (you mount it upside down). It will work in your handlepost clamp.

The benefit of doing this mod. is that is allows you to use your existing brake levers. You won't have to re-cable, buy new brake levers or gear shift levers. Being short bullhorns, it doesn't interfere with the fold very much. Long bullhorns will compromise the fold in a far greater way.

The downside of using short bullhorns is the lack of the road drop for the ultimate tuck position. However if you observe most roadies, the majority of the time, they are using the straight portion of the drop bars or riding the hoods. The horn portion of the bullhorns allow you to assume all but the most extreme of drop bar tucks.

This method will cost you a drop bar and a set of handlebar tape. The Bontragers I used costs $15 in my country. The bar cost $10. The hacksaw and black electrical tape I already owned.

vmaniqui

hi,

i was actually reading your post and found it quite right for what i want in a handle post. so this is really a drop bar that you cut. interesting - but quite frankly it really worked ok. might be an option for me. you didn't cut your handle post right ? just the drop bar. i will surely try this one. thanks a lot for posting.

vic

thanks all for the replies. really appreciate it.....

jur

Just beware: Drop bars have a thicker diameter than flat bars which are 22.2mm. I can't remember what road bars are (1"?) but you won't push the levers over it like puppy did unless you get hold of one with the right diameter.

4cmd3

Vic,

Here's a modification that may interest you - it was something I originally tried after learning about it from other Dahon owners.



Basically you would need cut down the top portion of the handlepost - you can certain try it without cutting it down first, by slipping the stem on from the bottom (it will just look silly) And if you have concerns about making a permanent modification, you can always buy a 2nd upper post from ThorUSA for under $15.

Required:

#1
(optional) Dahon Revolve Stem with quick release top - ThorUSA ~ $15
- cut off the clamp part

#2
relatively short or adjustable road-stem (26.0 or 31.8 handlebar diameter) - you probably want <= 70mm ~ price varies dramatically, check eBay for some deals

#3
1" to 1 1/8" stem adapter ~ $5 (sometimes come with stems)

#4
drop handlebar (26.0 or 31.8 clamp diameter to match your stem...)
- again check eBay for some cheap options?

#5
bar tape...

#6
DiaCompe V287 v-brake levers
- these let you use your existing v-brakes without any adapters.
- mine are shown painted, they are by default silver levers... I do not recommend painting.

#7
- road brake cable (it has a different head on it from mountain brake cable)

#8
Mounting bracket for twist shifter
- many ways to do this, usually via some accessory mounts, there is also the HubBub (but pricey)

#9 plug or top-cap
~ just to finish off the appearance... you can put a wine-cork in there if you don't care.

vmaniqui

4cmd3,

thanks for posting this. certainly worth looking at and trying......

vic

puppypilgrim

vmaniqui,

I wrap black electrical tape (cheap) around the area where I want the brake levers to mount. This builds up the surface ever so slightly to provide a better surfaces for the brake levers to mount. I had no problems pushing my brake levers onto the chopped drop bars. However my levers are Avids and allow me to flex them open ever so slightly if I need to. In my case, it was even slightly larger than needed for the drop bar diameter.

Drop bars come in different sizes namely: different widths and drop heights. Mine is 39cm C-to-C (center-to-center) which is probably too small for you (what can I say? I'm a munchkin at 5'6" with short legs). Make sure you measure a width that feels right for you to aid in selecting a drop bar for chopping.

If you decide to go this route, you want to wrap the handlebar tape going clockwise when you are standing and facing the bullhorns of the bike. This will ensure the tape only tightens and not loosen when you grip it. If you haven't wrapped tape before, don't worry, its not too difficult. Ask for help when you come to that stage if you need it. There is a particular way to do it so the tape holds.

If you're a clydesdale (meaning - large and in-charge ), I recommend getting a 31.8mm stem and bar. It will feel more solid.

puppypilgrim

4cmd3,

I really like your drop bar setup - I considered that too. In the end, I decided to try it with the chop and flop first and if I needed more room in the cockpit, I would cut the handlepost quick release and add the stem to put the handlebars forward. Went for a 40 minute ride yesterday and think its about right for me. Being 43, I can't stretch out on the lower part of road drops without discomfort anymore.

The Dahon looks good with drop bars. I test rode mine with the drop bars mounted to the existing QR before chopping it into bullhorns. Its just me..but long bullhorns on small wheeled foldies look disproportionate. But drop bars and mini-bullhorns are OK

rscott67