Another short trip tonight. 5 mi plus. Comfortable and fast enough in the top gear for me. Maybe young guys would want a front derailer ? I'm an old timer so it's great for cruising around. If I get a photo this weekend I'll try and post it, but it looks just like the website photos. I have the green one.

charlie

i've had downtube on my radar for a while now and while dr. yan has always scored high marks for me in terms of pricing, features, craftsmanship -- my personal preference was for a folder with No suspension and a simplified drivetrain (6 or 7sp as opposed to 8sp)... i just saw the nova on downtube.com (i revisit the site every once in a while, as i said, 'on my radar') and i have no further reason to hesitate getting a proper folding bike (current one is a vintage pierce-arrow/motobecane) As Soon As Possible... compare the downtube nova to the citizen gotham:

http://citizenbike.com/catalog.asp?p...1&product_id=7

http://www.downtube.com/product541.html

1 pound lighter, and $5 cheaper, and in my opinion, the build quality is a little better on the downtube (of course, dr. yan takes his bicycles very personally). the hinge is a licensed dahon part!

someone in this thread asked for better product photos, and here they are:
http://downtube.com/images/2010_Bikes/Nova/high_res/

and someone else was lamenting the use of a 7sp freewheel... i can speak from experience that it's Very simple to replace a 7sp freewheel with a 7sp freehub (i just did this myself on my jamis trail xr)... though a 20" wheel pre-built around a freehub might be difficult to locate, if you ever Do have an irresistible desire to upgrade the drivetrain, getting a 20" rim, freehub of your choosing (shimano 7sp) and then hiring a local bike shop to do the wheel build for you is always an option. if you get the parts yourself (rim, hub and cassette), expect to pay $50-75 for the wheel build. i HIGHLY recommend http://niagaracycle.com for the parts.

in that photo i see two QR's, one to release the hinge for folding, and another to adjust and lock in the handlebar height. so it's adjustable.

Took the bike to St Pete yesterday. There was a bike get together down by the pier. Walked around for about an hour and then some riding for another hour or so. Only one folder that i saw, a "Curve". Nice finish with 16' wheels and fenders. I'm very happy with the Nova. Just right for my kind of riding. As to fit, I'm 5'10" and 180 lb with a 32 " inseam. Seat post is near it's max and the stem is at the minimum. Fits well. A plus, when folded it rolls pretty well with the seat as a handle. A question, what's the difference between a freewheeland a freehub ?

We all would still really love to see pics of your bike along with a more full review.

OK here are some photos. Not sure what you mean by review, I'm pleased so far. Might look for a better seat at some point. But for a 2-2 1/2 hour ride it isn't bad at all. Not very tech savvy but i did google freewheel and freehub, so thats settled.

Thanks for the pics!

Why would someone want to buy the Nova when a Dahon Eco with 5yr/life warranty costs the same? Performance has 10-20% coupons all the time.

http://www.performancebike.com/bikes..._1073625_-1___

Has fenders too. If that nova uses Dahon technology, they must be comfortable with Dahon quality.

Huh...maybe they buy the Nova because it's lighter, or they prefer to support the smaller business, or perhaps they just like the looks of the Nova better, and it's available in three different colors. I guess there are similar reasons why everyone in the world doesn't buy one brand of automobiles or breakfast cereal.

Edward Wong III
Qile Duo 5 Speed 20" Folder

It's a good point JimBeam... the Eco 3 and Nova seem comparable; it would not be unreasonable to cross shop the two bikes.

just recently, this nova entered the indonesian market.
and just last night I had a chance to test ride a friend's freshly bought nova.
the ride is nice, it came with rather slim tires, so may be it is targeted to run fast on asphalt.
the handlepost hinge, I believe is a more simpler (maybe not fast action) but has the advantage of being stiffer than older style dahon's, that is put on most DLT's
I am sure this bike is really a big contender, challenger, to our local market, where it has already been filled with other Dahon licenced bikes....or even dahon eco, in the 200-300 dollar range.

what I like best is the provision of the front derailer hanger...
also the orange colour, very distinctive....

@tedi: how much is the Nova in Jakarta?

yup. also another future upgrade option is a rear rack - the brazed-on screws/attachment points for that are there waiting for you.

http://www.dahon.com/intl/eco3.htm
http://www.downtube.com/product541.html

Here are the links for both, could some post these side by side, I dont know how to do it, Thanks.

I'd like to add handlebar ends to my 'Nova', any suggestions that won't interfere with the foldability ? Something easily positioned or removed is what Im thinking ? I'm not very familiar with bike accesories available. Thanks in advance.

So, can it be rolled when folded?
' not sure if its been covered already. If so, I apologize.

Bike rolls pretty. well. Seat works as a push handle when not retracted. I rode about 15 miles today. Folded and into the trunk at the end of the day. Out of the trunk and through the parking lot and up in the elevator at home. 250 ft. plus or minus. Real easy.

A Raleigh Twenty knock-off :(

Why the sad face? Should that be a good thing? :)

Edward Wong III
Qile Duo 5 Speed 20" Folder

I still think it looks so close to the Dahon Speed I purchased 4 or 5 years ago. Does anyone know if the forks are steel?

Its now listed for $289. :(

so it is. i guess the $279 sticker was a summertime promotion?
from a business standpoint it's wise to increase the price slightly during the off-season to keep up with expenses.

There is a Nova on Ebay.

I guess you've never had a Raleigh Twenty? A) they're great bikes, and something like them on the market now would be very welcome. B) This is quite, quite different. The only real similarity is that it folds in the middle, which most folders do. The hinge is utterly different, the stem on a 20 doesn't fold, it only telescopes into the frame, the 20 has a taller seat mast etc etc etc. What do you seen as similarities?

I do have a Raleigh Twenty. Its set up as a fixed gear folder and its quite a fast bike. The similarities are in the frame unitube and the tall stem. That's where I see its made to resemble to the Twenty. It would be better if more bikes were made like the Dahon Smooth Hound/Hammerhead. People should have folder bike choices.