Iief

I'm looking to upgrade from my Boardwalk S1 to get more gears as I feel like I'm in the wrong gear about 95% of the time on my single speed.

The Nova looks nice. It has a 7 speed which I think would suit me just fine; practically anything would be a nice improvement from 1 gear.

Are there any other good bikes within the Nova's price range that have multiple gears? I can't seem to find anything else that competes at that price point.

HGR3inOK

Check Thor's "special pricing" on the Dahon Eco C6. (Note that the the Eco C6 price includes fenders.) See https://www.thorusa.com/dahon/current/ecoc6.htm.

Dynocoaster 

Check CL and Ebay for folding bikes also.

Dynocoaster 

Give Thor a call and see what he might have hidden in his warehouse for that amount.

Jiten

For a bit more, you also have the option of a Dahon Speed D7. Ask Thor about it.

fietsbob

Put another IG hub laced in a new rear wheel with the gears you want.

In the one you have.

Dynocoaster 

Sturmey Archer 8 speed with wheel already laced to it and shifter new https://www.utahtrikes.com/PRODINFO-S...Wheel_Kit.html

Dynocoaster 

3 speed Sturmey Archer a bit cheaper https://www.utahtrikes.com/PRODINFO-S...Wheel_Kit.html

kamtsa

"If you need just the hub we can cut the rim off for you"

Jyyanks

Performance Bikes has a 20% off coupon today and they they have the Speed D7 in stock. Its a bit more than the Nova but not by much. Just a thought.

kamtsa

The Nova is a fine bike for the price. Light, good fold (stands stable on that bottom triangle, easy to roll on two wheels), relatively low flex (Dahon hinge on the main tube and adjustment free hinge on the stem), telescopic stem and good brakes. As expected from the price, the components are low end but it works. My wife has one and she prefers it over Brompton S (I don't though I think that it is more aesthetic than the Brompton). We regularly do 10-25miles rides with it with no problem.

In addition to Dahons you may want to look also at Citizen Gotham II. I expect it to be in the same class as Nova but have no experience with it. In the past I dealt with Citizen and was very satisfied with their customer service.

https://www.citizenbike.com/catalog.a...&product_id=24

bt93

The Downtube usually run SunRace components, which while lower cost than Shimano or Sram, they're not low end. Go to the Sunrace website and check out the specs on the derailers, compared to Deore, they look good. I wouldn't be shy about running SunRace on a commuter, sometimes the only reason for the low price is no ads or sponsorships.

kamtsa

For the Nova drive train they use Shimano https://www.downtube.com/product541.html

lighto

If your primary goal is to get better gearing, you might consider spending a little more (d7 maybe) to get something with a little more on the high range. The nova has a 46T chainring and a 14-28 freewheel, and I personally find myself spinning out more than I'd like when riding any type of extended downhill grade. Upgrades are not necessarily straightforward either, since it uses a freewheel instead of a freehub/cassette.

ShinyBiker

I upgraded the shifter on an old DT 8fs. I replaced it with a Shimano Deore ST-M530. The shifter was much better from the stock one. I don't think I messed with the rear sunrace derailleur.