Still Pedaling

First I want to thank all those that helped with our decision making, and smallwheeler for going to the trouble of locating good used FBs in my area. Susan and I went out to Landis Cyclery in town where the only new Curve D3 was to be found. The sales clerk wheeled it out from the back and it was love at first sight. Susan, my wife, really fell in love with it and she couldn't wait to get the bike out back of the store to ride. Round and round she went, and I wish I had my camera with me because she had a grin on her face like the Cheshire cat in Alice in Wonderland. She said that it rode so smooth and was very comfortable for her. That was easy, so I said to the clerk - ring it up because we are taking this beauty home. The quality is there, no doubt about that. I'm sooooo glad that I didn't order the Citizen Tokyo. Tomorrow morning, its off on our first ride together.

The bike folds nicely - not as easy and compact as the Brommie, but very nice all the same. I only had to make two adjustments - align the handlebars stem so it straight up and down, and move the small magnet on the front fork in order for it and the one on the back fork to line up properly when folded. Other than that, its perfecto. Susan loves the color. It is the new model because as you can see in the photos, it has that nice pin striping on the top tube. The price wasn't too bad - $579 + what I hate paying, sales tax. Here's the little beauty: Little spots that look like scratches is from the flash.

[IMG][/IMG]

















Oh what fun!!

Cheers
Wayne

EDIT: I forgot to mention, the 3-speed hub is from SRAM. One of the mechanics mentioned that they bought out SA. But I thought it was Sunrace. Are they all related?

blakcloud

Don't you just love it when everything works out? You sold your gear, she got the bike she wanted, what more could you ask for?

The bike looks great and I hope you two have many happy times riding your folders.

Still Pedaling

Thank you. I'm sure we will. I'm so glad that I was able to sell the gear so I could buy a decent bike for her. Yes, everything worked out.

Cheers
Wayne

wahoonc

Nice Score!

SRAM is it's own company, they did purchase Sachs (Fichtel & Sachs). Sturmey-Archer was purchased by SunRace. FWIW I have a pair of older Dahon Clasic III's one has a Sachs hub the other has the Sturmey... they were both built in 1984, go figure.

Aaron

atombikes

Wow, the finish on that bike looks great! Great looking bike.

Ozonation

Nice! Are those 16" wheels? 16" Big Apples too?

Sigh. I wish the Brompton could take BA tires...

Still Pedaling

Thanks.

I heard a few years back when a lot of bikes were made in Taiwan, that the factories were so huge that many different brands where going down the line and assembled together, so to speak. Which makes me wonder, jokingly of course, that perhaps they temporarily ran out of Sachs hubs on one line until the people who fill the stock bins could bring in some more, that one of the assembler's buddies on another nearby line chucked over a few Sturmey hubs so the lines could keep moving. Hence your bike with a SA hub and the other model with the Sachs hub. Sorry, its early here and I've only had one cup of coffee.

Still Pedaling

Yep, they are 16" wheels with Big Apples all right. Well at least our Brommies use the same quality Marathons..

Still Pedaling

I was taken back by how nice the finish looks. The bike has a nice quality feel and look to it. I wish the Brompton would come in a similar finish. Although the finish is nice on the Brommie, its a little dull looking when compared side by side with the D3.

dezzie

Damn them wheels look tiny and I am awaiting a moulton mini with 14 inch wheels on, hopefully I will find some alumium rims the correct size for it then relace it back up with its original sturmey 3 speed! I have seen a few Dahons with 14 inch wheels so hopefully I may find a good fit, cant even get decent tyres for 14s!

wahoonc

Mine were most likely made in two different factories. There are several notable differences in the components. I know when Dahon tooled up back in the early 80's they had a hard time getting enough production space. The saddle, rack and fenders on the Red one are replacements.

Aaron

ksisler

OP; re the cost -- you did good at 599 + the Gov'ners burden! It sells for 699USD on Amazon Prime in same configuration. But I would want it with the matching racks, fenders, and lighting kit. Haven't seen one priced full up like that yet. If anyone has a source for a complete one, appreciate posting same.

BTW; impressed that it ships with those tires; not cheap to say the least. Says a lot about the company.

/k

HGR3inOK

A rack and fenders were included on some previous U.S. models of the Curve D3. The current U.S. model Curve D3 does not have them. These, and other, accessories are available at ThorUSA. I recommend adding a Tern luggage truss and a front bag/basket/rack before adding a rear rack. FWIW, I have found the Kanga rack to be very versatile.

-HANK RYAN-
Norman, Oklahoma USA

bhkyte

Mine came with the fenders, rear rack, and stand for 300 pounds mail order. I didn't realise they did nt all come fully equipped.

Still Pedaling

Staring up any new business is a tough grind, especially in manufacturing. If you want to be successful, you have to be prepared to manufacture a large quantity of your product, and need to acquire plenty of square footage.

It looks like you kept those bikes in excellent condition. I like the saddle on your blue bike. My wife is already complaining about the saddle not being comfortable. Its only after you ride the bike for a length of time do you start to realize a saddle change is in order. A sore bum makes for an unpleasant ride.

Still Pedaling

Yep, $579 + tax is not bad considering NYCEWheels is selling theirs for $699 + shipping charges. I was fortunate to find one in my own back yard, so to speak. It would have been nice to have been able to get the bike with a rack etc. Considering the bike sells for a lot more than it did when they sold them with accessories, it wouldn't have taken too much out of their pockets. I'm sure that Dahon's cost for those accessories is minimal.

Yes, those tires are not cheap I'm sure. It does say a lot about the company and the quality of the bike. I can't help but think about the Citizen Tokyo that I considered. The bike sells for $169. I can't imagine the horrible quality of the components, including the tires. Talking about tires, we have a problem out our way with what they call "goatheads". Those pesky little things are the main cause of flat tires on bikes. I put Kevlar liners on my mountain bike to combat those stinking things. While riding along one day I noticed a kind of ticking noise. When I stopped to check the bike out, I saw one of those sticking things in the front tire. The Kevlar liner saved me a long walk home . The dealer I purchased my Brompton from said I don't need liners with the Schwalbe Marathons. The big apple's have the same quality, so I'm sure there will be no problem with them as well.

Still Pedaling

Schwalbe has 14" tires.

Not knowing anything about the Moulton Mini, would these big apple's fit?

Big Apple, 50-254, Black-Reflex, Wire | Schwalbe North America


Perhaps these might.

HS 140, 37-288, White line, Wired | Schwalbe North America

Cheers
Wayne

smallwheeler

what you will want to do is replace the wheels with 16" 305 rims. i doubt you will be able to fit big apples. primo comets will be great for the mini. the actual diameter of a 305 wheel with a primo mounted is 15" or 380mm.

when you receive the mini, please start a thread on your upgrades. i've wanted to play with one of those for a long time. they are too rare in the states though..

dezzie

Yup i plan to, would be great if 16s can fit ok i shall pick brains on the moulton forum but ideally i would stick to originals to keep costs down as it has a sturmey archer hub and raleigh owned moulton at the time so hoping there are no funny sizes or threads as i am hoping to turn it into something really gorgeous but keeping costs down and if i encounter any bits that cause hassle i will probably leave it as its in good condition as is. Will post video later of a guy in japan who builds gorgeous moultons and has done a lovely mini.

smallwheeler

good luck. steve perry's mini/brompton/tikit hybrid:

tds101 

I wish I could have gotten my hands on a Dahon Curve D7 when they were (for a very short period of time from what I've been told) available. The extra gearing would have been nice. And I wouldn't have the size when folded problem I have with my Xootr Swift. Sigh,...

dezzie

This is what I hope to get mine like money depending, its gorgeous! - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gtoo...YATZukhyUw0JSQ

smallwheeler

speaking of which, i recently picked up a bridgestone picnica which has 14" wheels. the first thing i did was clean it. the second thing i did was fit it with a pair of 14" big apples. what a brilliant bike. fantastically fun to ride. the design of the belt-drive is ingenious (internal torque gear inside the crankset).

Cyclosaurus

From your previous thread, I was rooting for you to get the Dahon. Glad it turned out to be the best decision after all. Love the color.

smallwheeler

that's lovely. but, depending on the as-is condition of your new bike, it could be an expensive project. i'm pretty sure these are 16/305 wheels...