hopperja

I decided to start a new thread, rather than keep the other BF vs. Tern thread going, as I've already made my decision.

If you haven't seen my wordy review at the Tern forums and if you're interested, you can find it at the link.

Below are some pictures, but first, some more info:
1- I forgot to mention that the rear wheel is radial laced on the non-drive side and two-cross on the drive side. Some might find that interesting and/or useful to know.
2- The magnet that holds the front back to the back half when folded is adjustable. Very nice. Not adjusted in the picture, by the way.
3- The side holes are not actually for water bottle cages as I'd thought, but for the optional trolley rack.
4- I mounted Power Grips to the stock pedals. I had to do some drilling (one extra hole in the Power Grip mount, 1 hole in each pedal. They still fold as they should, and the Power Grips are secure. They seem to work pretty well, and are a nice compromise for not having clipless pedals. They are better, IMHO, than toe clips.
5- I like that the water bottle cage does not interfere with folding. I haven't attempted to stuff it into a suitcase yet, so it may need to be removed for that.

I did what I call a fitness ride today. Typically, my fitness rides are about an hour or less and I ride as fast as I can the whole time. Today, it was 53 minutes 41 seconds, 13.75 miles, 15.37 mph average, 709 feet climbing, max grade 10.3% (according to Google Tracks). My actual cruising speed was probably faster, but I had to slow down/stop for lights, cars, stop signs, etc.

Now for the pics:



Enjoy!

rex615

Nice bike, seems to have the same wheels and tires that my Mu, even the rear wheel lacing, which I think is kinda cool. Guess you cant run a full radially laced rear wheel as the spokes couldn't transfer the torque from the hub.

hopperja

rex615- I think Tern borrowed heavily from Dahon. In fact, most of Dahon's design team and patents went to Tern (or are shared between Dahon and Tern), and Josh Hon still owns two of the three Dahon companies. My understanding (correct me if I'm wrong), is that Josh had a huge influence on many of the Dahon designs and likewise at Tern. Much like when Grant Peterson left Bridgestone and started Rivendell Bikes. Josh's design philosophy is going to be a common thread between Dahon and Tern, and even many of the parts (ie, Biologic and various patents) are going to be recognizably Dahon-esque.

I think what Josh and the new Tern designers tried to do with Tern was use their knowledge of Dahon as a solid foundation, then improve on it. I suspect this move was not only due to their family rift, but also because a smaller, single company would be more agile than the tri-headed huge international label of Dahon. In that regard, Tern could move more quickly to implement what they believed to be improvements (ie, more standard parts, improved stiffness in front end and joints, etc.).

I've never ridden a Dahon, so I can't speak to how it compares to their recent offerings. I do know that my Tern is a very comfortable bike and it fits me very well. I've never done a century, but I don't think I'd have any problem doing it on my Tern. I told my wife tonight, it makes me want to strap the lights on it and after everyone's gone to bed, get it out and cruise around town. It's really a pleasure to ride.

Jiten

hopperja, thanks for sharing pictures of your nice Tern. Can you please measure the height of the handlebar from the ground?

rex615

Go for it, a Century is totally doable as long as the bike is comfortable, many have toured across the US on folders.

As for that night ride, you should try it sometime. I love doing that in the summer. I live in a small town and usually by 8 or 9 the traffic has died down, then its like you own the streets.

The days near a full moon are great for riding in the country roads. There is something surreal about the low light, even on roads you know well. I wear a reflective vest and put on some blinkies just so cars can see me.

Enjoy your new bike, the adventures have only just begun.

hopperja

I have not done a century, but I have done many, many night rides. In fact, I've commuted part time for several years and most of the time one way or the other is in the dark. This bike just makes me want to go out and tool around at night just for fun...

I measured the floor to handlebar height - 40.25".

I also made a first attempt to fit it into a Samsonite 29" suitcase. I eventually figured out how to get it to fit, but it required more disassembly that I would have liked (stem off, fork out, cranks off, wheels off and deflated). I wonder if the Tern-branded Airporter Mini is designed specifically for the Tern which would allow for less disassembly?

Jiten

Thank you for that information, it's good to know. That's about a couple of inches higher than the height of my Speed P8's handlebar at the lowest position (I noticed that Tern bikes don't have telescoping handleposts). The lowest handlebar height (center to ground) of my Speed P8 is ~37.5 inches.