Bikerjohn: Doesn't LOOK low-end! Where did you find that and what's the brand/model?

Both of the above bikes seem interesting, very unusual in terms of design and amount of users. Are these on chops' list yet?

I think there was a tidbit on the Airframe site about it being the lightest folder, the Xootr Swift is lighter as are 1 or 2 others.

The ariframe is interesting as the whole frame seems to act as some sort of suspension.

Yes, Chop already has it in his AtoZ

the rims are velocity deep v's they come in a number of painted colours

The jointed aluminium frame seems to cussion pot holes, etc.

There is a very steep hill near my house Rockingham Hill ( http://www.rockinghamcastle.com ), at first I found the flex in the frame off putting, however, working with the bike and the frame flex allows for a very strong rythmic pedal push, and makes the hill easier than I would normall expect.

Steve B

I have a 9 speed Bike Friday Carusoe. The love the way it handles in traffic and I like the overall size of it. My only complaint is that I would love to change the handle bars over to touring bars, and the saddle I had was way to harsh on a longer ride (over 25 or 30 miles), so I changed it over to a Brooks B-17. I hope this helps my sits bones.

Hi FlaTour; I am intrigued by your Worksman folder. I went to their website and the bikes appeal to me not only because, as you said, the frame is strong (I'm pretty heavy), but also because of the relatively low prices and the utilitarian look. The website didn't have much in the way of specs and didn't show a picture of what they look like folded. I'd like to know more. Any info you could share would be appreciated.

I bought my "folder" from esbuys. Looks like they have more colorful versions available now.
<http://www.esbuys.com/sports_hobbies/esth367_26_army_recon_21_speed_folding_bike.htm>
The bike has no brand name componenets (All China made) though it is servicable as sold. I installed a good Shimano triple crank as the orginal crank was very sub-par. I had a "Bell" seat with flashing red lights hanging around so I put it and a new seatpost on, the orginal equipment was not as good. Notable was the too short seatpost as I am fairly short at 5' 10", I needed a post with about 3 additional inches. The pedals were crummy plastic so I changed those, and also put on a pair of 26x1.5" road tires too. All in all I now have a sturdy bike that folds and is roadworthy.

Hi everyone
I am the newbie on the system, name is Mecno

I have been a professional bike mecanic < in french slang a " mecno " in my world anyway> for 16 years and
was getting quite bored with the whole thing.

But
:eek: now i Have a folder and life is all nice again!

bought a Dahon Getaway 5 and restored it, looks really nice and works even better ( will post a photo soon )
and now I am getting really interested in the Dahon presto lite ( the Getaway has been taken by my wife, she could not resist it )

any comments on that model?

Mecno

Hi Mecno.. Welcome to the forum! Sounds like with your experience you'll have lot's to offer on this board. Looking forward to seeing some more of your restoration project. How come you aren't on a Peugeot? ;)

Gid day everyone,

http://img126.imageshack.us/img126/1598/b16zh.th.jpg

This is my bike a KHS Westwood, I read about it in articles on this site and also 'The folding society' particularly Chris Pattens article, I have contacted Chris for information and he has been most helpful. The only changes I have made are the Maxxis Hookworm tyres (Big apples were going to be hard to get) and new handgrips. I was looking for a folder and tried a Giant halfway and Dahon Helios and just happened to find this bike which had been in the shop for 18 months. I was impressed with its fittings and ride quality. Just coming to grips with all the possibilties for the use of a folder. I'm from Western Australia where the car rules and and there are plenty of wide open spaces. Folders are far and few between. I wanted to get a bike for my wife and was considering Downtubes and Swift, but shipping to Perth would be expensive. My brother hearing I wanted another bike, who had an accident on his bike and was giving up riding, offered me his Brompton T5 (approx 10 years old) and a Birdy silver (4 years old). I'm waiting for these to arrive from the eastern states. Reading mainly on this forum has inspired me to see folders in a new light and I am looking forward to exploring some of the interesting places that this forums' partcipants have described.

Salut Mecno!

Bienvenue! Vous venez d'ou? Moi, au Pays de Galles. On va faire un tournee en France fin de Mars.

Hi

to answer the questions

I found some Raleigh folders but the price was extravagant and that Dahon was offered at a really good price, my wife just took to the thing in such a way I could not pass.

J'habite presentement a Victoria sur la cote ouest du Canada. Pour ceux qui utilisent la langue Francaise ceci est territoire ennemie < juste pour rigoler> mais les Francophones sont rares.

Please let me know if I do something or need to learn, for after all I am a newbie on forums.

Mecno

anybody with info on Dahon presto lite?

as promised here is a photo of the bike < note some modifications like aluminium front rim, deore short cage derailleur and a replacement chain guard and more to come>

Hi -

After injury and family kept me away from biking for most of the last ten years, my 10-year old son's interest helped re-awaken my own. Riding his 20-inch wheels made me appreciate the maneuverability of the smaller wheels, and I couldn't see myself climbing on my old skinny-tired road bike (a fast but harsh ride) so I eventually began exploring the folder world. Settled on a 2005 Downtube VIIIFS as my first but probably not last folder. So far I've swapped the saddle for my old Ideale, tires for Primo Comet Kevlar 1.50s and stem for a 90mm. More tinkering to come I'm sure.

http://img107.imageshack.us/img107/7513/pier10fz.th.jpg

http://img107.imageshack.us/img107/3082/pier27gs.th.jpg

Hi everyone,
Finally got the bikes, added to the KHS Westwood, T5 Brompton about 1997 vintage and a four year old Silver Birdy. Seeing most of the posts are from the Norhtern Hemisphere I thought you might need some thawing out! Max temperature today 30 degrees C, last week up to 38 degrees.

Edd

To Edd,

Yeah, well it's +4C here in Belgium, sunny today after we had snow yesterday. I catched a cold and so stay indoors today, pitty I can't go out riding today.
Like your Birdy. It's a shame they're so expensive and even more of a shame there aren't a lot of Birdy-owners hanging around ths forum.

But, ah, another two months and this bloke will be touring around the Greek isle of Corfu !!! :p

Cheers!
Tom

Hi Tomaso,

Yes we stay indoors during the day staying out of the heat but we do have balmy nights that are still good times to ride. It does not rain often and only generally for short periods at least we don't need mud guards!

The Birdys are expensive, I was lucky to get mine from my brother. I am new to folders and never seen a Bromptom, Birdy, Swift and all the other brands. I have previously only seen a Halfway, a few Dahons and one Bike Friday (tucked into a large pack of 'racing' bikes) from time to time.

I have really enjoyed these bikes and this forum, one of the things I like about these small wheeled bikes is their nibbleness and 'SLOW' speed handling, ideal for moving around pedetrians and picking your way through tight places.

Even in the short time I have been riding them I have met some very friendly and ineteresting people who want to have a chat, some how the bike breaks down the barriers.

Corfu sounds great I bet you are counting the days!

Edd

Inspired by Edd's recent experience in folders, I ordered a new 20" folding bike from www.cellbikes.com.au as an 'early birthday present' for my wife, just last week. Here's what it looks like:

http://www.cellbikes.com.au/product....3041303e02146d

The total cost was $398, which is possibly the most affordable 20" folder on Australian retail market at this point in time, and is about 33% cheaper than a Dahon Boardwalk. The delivery time from Sydney to Perth was 3 days on the road, and freighted to my door.

From box opening, it only took 3 minutes to take the bike out, remove the cardboard protector strips from the frame rails, unfold the bike into the riding position and ride away! I'm 6'2" tall and 90kg, and this bike is an abosolute joy to ride. Handling is good, being both nimble and yet very stable.

The build quality is really good and surpasses the photos shown on the supplier's website. The wheel spokes are stainless steel too. The frame hinge is well made from billet alloy and the tig welded joints are a nice visual feature of the bike. The OEM Kenda tyres ride well over pavement joints.

Whilst the 20" folder from Cell Bikes is branded as a "Progear", it's most likely of an unknown Chinese manufacture, which means it would possibly be found in other countries under a different brand.

Already, I've had other bike riders stop and ask me about this bike, and although I've ridden it more than my wife, she's sincerely thanked me for buying it for her. Non-folding bikes wouldn't have much such an impression!

When folded, the Cell folding bike dimensions are:

Length: 88cm
Width: 35cm
Height: 65cm

Pros: Great handling, good build quality, lightness, value for money, good looks.

Cons: No carry bag supplied, non-adjustable steering tube, noisy front brake pads.

Looks like a great folder, indeed (and for that kind of money!) The only real con is probably the non-adjustable steering tube. Brake pads are easy to replace and I am sure the bike fits into a Dahon-doubleplay bag.
Looks like a bargain to me ! ;)

Four folders now, the approximate pecking order:

1. Bike Friday Pocket Crusoe. 16 speed light touring bike.
2. Bike Friday Pocket Tourist. 8 speed commuter.
3. Dahon Speed P8, another commuter bike.
4. Raleigh Twenty, 5 speed hub gear bike, just got into rideable condition.

And I used to have a Bike Friday New World Tourist and a Dahon Boardwalk. :)

I still have two non-folding 700c wheeled bikes, and they get used, too.

Mecno.I have a classic 3.It has the same frame as your getaway 5 and a centerpull brake . I converted it to a fixed wheel. I could not deal with the rear brake.I am not a mechanic so i got sick of having it adjusted. :mad:I like it much better as a fixed wheel.

Brand new Dahon Speed P8. So far, it's great.

I am the proud owner of a custom Swift Folder, courtesy of the fabulous Peter Reich.
It has the SRAM dual drive, 24-speed, Ultegra 165mm cranks, Deore LX brakes, Ritchey headset, Sun CR-18 rims and Schwalbe Marathon tires. I added Candy C pedals, a Brooks B17, a Carradice Zipped Roll bag, and the trusty Cateye Mity 8 computer.

Thanks to all the folks for their input on the Swift thread - it was very informative while I was doing the research for this bike. For those of you shopping for a folder, I can wholeheartedly recommend the Swift - it is a great ride - fast, responsive, and rock solid. The SRAM Dual Drive is a dream!

Hi Jcl,

Looks like a sweet machine !!!! WELCOME !

Tom
(Dahon JetstreamP8 owner)

Dahon Jack. In M_at Black :)

I've ridden it to work for the first time (Well to the train for now) and it drew quite a bit of attention - not many full size folders around here.