tcs

Seven years in the making! Announced for production five times!

Now here:

EuroBike 2014 - Dahon - YouTube

Folding Style ©: Dahon Curl 2015

They've changed (fixed) the front fold to go to the drive side. The nifty parallelogram seat fold down from the prototype has been included. That looks like a std. Shimano 3-spd hub, and if so, then nearly any IGH would fit.

DVC45

its a Bromptonized Dahon.

invisiblehand

It's a Brompton.

DVC45

Wonder if it cost as much?

chagzuki

Just to fully take the piss they've put an actual Brompton pedal on it.

I wonder why the handlepost is not angled forward...presumably an option for that exists, otherwise the riding position is ****e.

But quite extraordinary that there's now a direct competitor to the Brompton in the West.

chagzuki

And latches for a much quicker fold/unfold.

tcs

And, with that hydroformed aluminum frame, the potential to be lighter and stiffer.

And the potential to add any IGH.

"I wonder why the handlepost is not angled forward...presumably an option for that exists..."

For that option to not exist, Dahon would have had to fit the bike with something other than their current standard Radius V handlepost used on almost all of their other bikes.

tds101 

The Clinch and the Curl look amazing!!!

chagzuki

When folded the latches protrude far less from the frame than a Brompton's, which is neat.

I also like the adjustments to the rack so that it's horizontal when unfolded.

The italian site mentions a Nexus 7.

Ozonation

Very cool. Is this a 16" wheeled bike? I'd love to see a 20" wheeled version. I know it wouldn't be as compact, but it would still be compact enough.

Wouldn't there be some ah - infringement - issues here, or are those not relevant?

dezzie

Cant wait for the Clinch, I hope its not too dear as I will gladly trade my xootr in for that bike its gorgeous although I would like to see a version with a bit of suspension like a moulton as well as it will be harsh to ride on British roads!

tds101 

Sadly, for me, the Clinch doesn't have a way to attatch fenders or a rack. It's a hot bike nonetheless,...

Now, the Curl + a Nexus 7 IGH would be a KILLA!!!

washuai

I'm excited for another smaller folder, especially at a lower price point. Everything was indicating, I was going to continue hoofing it or get a folder only to discover it wasn't going to meet my needs. Well at least I'm encouraged until they announce firmer details.
Nexus 7, one short of hills?

Brompton and tikit are out of my league and too fancy for my 'hood. (brompton and hills are not friends). I think I'd prefer an Ori\Mezzo, over either, but since they aren't available in the US, I'll never get to know. They're probably still out of my budget. Not even the used market was really helping me find anything to discourage a lesser new bike.

I'll still keep my eyes out for the next downtube \ bike1 mini, while I'm at it.

Edited to add this article says it's an 18", not a 16" on the curl. Confirmation?

tds101 

I'd personally find a Dahon D7 to be more of what I'd like to purchase. The Curl might work tho, as it's quite a small fold. I want a trunk-friendly folder.

washuai

I'd probably go for lighter vybe c7A, or better yet 2013 Shimano 9 Hasa, over D7, in 20", although need to do more research, about whether the parts are standardized enough on Hasa. Going up a class within Dahon, the Vitesse D8, is lighter, skinnier 11.3" on it's shortest fold side and 8.
However, I'm more concerned about packed train cars and hauling things up and down 2-3 flights of stairs.
It'll be interesting, once there's more dimension and weight information on the curl, where the curl fits between the current Dahon models and other folders.
Better yet, when there's info on how it rides.

tds101 

I don't want a 20" wheeled folder, as I already have my Xootr Swift. I'd prefer a 16" wheel size, and I'd like an IGH with a bit of speed. The D7 and Curl fit the bill.

jur

That Curl is radically different from the first one that saw the light. They have abandoned the S-shaped top tube and copiedy Brompton's hump-back tube. Intereso, since the patent was for the S-shaped tube, while Ritchie registered the hump-back top tube in the patent or copyright, not sure which. In any event, that is a Brompton clone as far as the fold is concerned. I guess they carefully scrutinised the Issue to see how they could get away with something that in essence is identical, but perhaps different enough in some minor details to be "legal".

BruceMetras

That will be the 355mm ERTO size .. which I consider to be in the 16" category (16" 305mm Dahon Curve - 16" 349mm Brompton - and then the 355mm (only 6mm difference in diameter over the 16" Brompton size) Birdy size, which for some reason is considered an 18" size even when the larger 369mm 17" Moulton wheel has been around forever) .. in any event, the picture shows a Schwalbe Marathon Racer which exists in Birdy 355mm but not Brompton 349mm sizes ..

washuai

Thank you.

What D7 has a 16, aren't speed D7s 20s? Answering myself - Curve D7, I see, possibly other older models, (Jifo, not a 7).
20s: Speed D7 Ciao D7, Mariner D7, vitesse d7hg

tds101 

As you see, I'm referring to a Dahon Curve (there was a D7 model, and I'd luv it with a nice Nexus 7 IGH), and the Curl would be excellent with a 7 speed IGH as well. I don't want standard gearing IF I get a super-small compact 16" folder. Too much grease in my trunk.

tcs

Got a plan view of the new bike? It looks like the rear wheel on the 2015 Curl lies next to the frame tube when fully folded, not under, and Dahon's press release describes it as an "asymmetrical top tube".

jur

Look carefully at this photo and you will see the split brace tubes (or perhaps not tubes but bars)
https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LbkLTCPDzr...mage%2B(1).jpg

Also near the end of the linked youtube video, you can clearly see the back wheel under the hump and between the braces.

energyandair

Inch sizing eg 16", 18" 26" seems to be rough approximations based on tire outer diameter (OD) rounded to the nearest inch.

My 355mm Birdy tire's OD with Marathon Racers is about 17.5"
My wife's 559mm mountain bike tire's OD with Marathons is about 26" and mine with 35mm Kojaks is about 25.5".
I'm not sure why a 349 mm Brompton tire is called a 16". Perhaps the initial use of the size was with narrow tires

I find the metric sizing (355mm and 559mm) which is based on rim size and is much more precise, to be a lot more useful.

tcs

While the design changes Dahon seems to have made to the Curl concept over the last seven years should significantly reduce the production cost, I still don't expect this to be a cheap bike. I'm guessing a retail price somewhere between the EEZZ and the Jetstream P8.

bhkyte

I need to get saving...