I am a newbie with a Dahon that I'm not in love with. Based on these forums, I've decided to purchase either a Brompton or a Downtube, but I'd like to see a Downtube before I make my decision. I live in the East Village. If anyone has a Downtube and could show it to me, I'd be greatly appreciative.
Also, does anyone know if one is better than the other if I'm 5' 3", 117 pounds (little and light if you're with the far more sensible metric system)? I don't know if one is better than the other for my frame.

Thank you!

-R

(my email is bhatiars@bernstein.com)

As soon as I get everything up and running, I'll take a few pics for ya.

Rachana,

Here's a directory on the Downtube site with a bunch of photos, in case you can't see one in person.
https://www.downtube.com/images/Bikes_7-14/

Rachana

Which model Dahon do you have and why arent you happy with it?

If its a lower end model and you arent happy with spec or something like that I dont think a lower priced folder like a Downtube will do the trick.

A tried and true bike like a Brompton, well thats a different story.

I'll take my Downtube over a Brompton any day. Those wheels are just too tiny. :-P

--Mike

I find it very odd that you are not too happy with your Dahon. Without knowing the model name and the year that it was made, I cannot even guess why or why not. As for me, I happen to now own 2 folders, a 2003 Dahon Boardwalk S1 for 2 years (now a three speed) and a Brompton C type for 2 weeks now.

Each bike fits me very well at 5'2" and a little heavier than you. I am pleased that each bike balances my bike needs at the moment. So please think about and elaborate the shortcomings, as well as the strongpoints of the Dahon before you go out and purchase another folder. Or else you might risk another disappointment with that bike. Let us know what you decide to do.

Hi! I currently own a white downtube FS and a Dahon Mariner<sp?>. I live @ 20th st and 1st ave. I prefer the downtube over the Dahon mainly because of the suspension. Shoot me an email there(AT)bridgeofwalls.net and we'll meet up so you can try it out. I usually ride in on the east river bike path.

Here are a few pictures of the bike
www.bridgeofwalls.net/foldingbikes/downtube/

-=John

Great pics and video!

Thanks,
Yan

I just bought (Dec. 29) a white Downtube FS from Yan so

@ Rachana: we can definitively meet up somewhere as soon as I got it if you didn't meet with "there" already.

@ There: thanks for the pics and video ! Funny you mentioned about the east river path because I used to bike there very often (I lived @ Tudor City (43rd & 1st)).

It's a Dahon Piccolo (I believe it was originally purchased in 2004) and while I do have an attachment to it and feel bad saying anything negative about it, it doesn't seem the most ideal for me. I bicycle to the train every day and it isn't really that small when it folds and gets a bit in the way. And perhaps I'm folding it incorrectly, but it isn't stable when it's folded. Also, I'm a little girl in a walk-up apartment and it's a bit clunky for me to carry. And finally, the front brakes keep popping out both from the attachment point near the tire, and also out of the thing in the handlebars. I just want something that folds quickly and isn't that big, and that I can carry easily, and that won't break on me.
I'm meeting 'there (John)' to see his Downtube tomorrow. Thank you brightppc for your offer though. I still think it would be great if there were video somewhere of the Downtube being folded.

-Rachana

No prob. Rachana and have fun trying the bike.
Let us know what you think of it.

Have you been to the store NYCEwheels ?
They carry few folders there.

Good luck tomorrow !

Just saw the Downtube and I loved the bigger wheels and the ride (and the price!). I've decided to purchase the Brompton however because it folds up faster and smaller, and once it's folded, it stays folded. The Downtube didn't have a mechanism to keep it together, and it was also a bit large for me to carry and for it to not get in the way on the train. It's also a comfort factor that there are three Brompton dealers in town so if anything goes wrong I definitely have a place to get it fixed whereas there don't seem to be any Downtube dealers around.
Thanks to everyone for the input.

-R

Thanks for the review Rachana :-)
I thought about the Brompton as well because of the way it folds and size but I didn't like the price

I am not worry about servicing, it can be done anywhere and Yan is very responsive to emails.

Good luck with the Brompton and thanks again!

I have the Dahon Piccolo and it's a heavy bike at 26-28 pounds! I don't think the Brompton is any ligher and according to the specs, it weights about the same. You should have rolled the bike (Piccolo) into the train station and then folded the bike on the platform. As I said before, only the real expensive Bromptons weight less than the Piccolo and having the package lock together won't make it much easier when it's time to carry and lift the bike. In addition, the Brompton's package really isn't that much smaller than Dahon and you will still get stared at regardless. A couple of inches here and there won't matter especially on the New York MTA which allows you to bring a full size bike during rush hour! I guess folding enthusiast really believe that an extra folding package will make the bike invisible but it won't! As for the Piccolo's not staying folded, this could have been resolved with a velcro strap.

The real difference between the Brompton and the Piccolo is the rear suspension provided by the latter. My Piccolo is unridable after 10 miles due to the small wheels until I purchased a suspension seat post. I can now ride that bike for 40 miles before feeling any discomfort.

You have it backwards: the Piccolo does not have rear suspension built in; the Brompton does (with the elastomer).


Just wondering if this claim is a bit misleading.

If you're trying to maintain a certain speed (i.e. 17 - 20 mph), then I would understand this comment better. If you're not concerned about speed, I don't see why the Piccolo would be more uncomfortable.

Also, Brompton wheels are closer to 18" than are the Piccolo's, so a direct wheel comparison (which almost everyone does) is frivolous. I do agree about the comfort of sprung saddles, however.

Oh, and about those Downtubes:
A cromoly full-suspension ride that can replace a mountain bike would get my attention. Hopefully, the rear dropouts can be redesigned derailleur-less to accommodate hub gears, single-speeds, fixed gears, etc. And while you're at it, maybe you can really best Dahon by bringing to market a FS folding mountain bike tandem.

I never meant to imply that the Brompton is lighter than the Piccolo or that I want my bicycle to be invisible. Actually, I've met a lot of nice people because they were interested in my folding bicycle. To a large man, I'm sure the extra inches on a Piccolo are not a big deal, but when you're a small woman and you have a larger unwieldy package that keeps unfolding, it isn't fun. The Brompton does fold up smaller and neater, and I can do it faster than I can my Dahon, and I decided that was what was most important to me. Btw, the MTA doesn't allow non-folding bicycles on rush hour trains, but even if it did, it's so crowded that those inches the Brompton saves me is going to make life that much easier.
I do like the Dahon, I just like the Brompton more.

Rachana,
I received my VIII FS today and I understand what you mean about a mechanism to keep it together and the size compared to the Brompton.
Since I am not planning to commute with my bike, it is not really a problem for me.

The bike feels really solid and well built. Folding it takes me 30 seconds so I am very satisfied with my purchase so far but I need to bring it to a bike store for a professional to adjust everything correctly.

If you get a Brompton, I would love to see it to compare it to the Downtube.

Downtube has horizontal dropouts so you CAN use a hub gear with no issues. I think Bruce Metras already did that. That was one of the reasons I bought mine was so I could adapt hub gears to it at some point.

As for holding the bike together I used a giant piece of velcro designed as a wire tie for cables. I think they sell them at Home Depot or the like. They also are used for holding coiled extension cords. These ties are soft and don't scratch the bike. They also are lightweight and can easily affix themselves to any tube on the bike until you need them. I have found that while 1 will keep the bike together, I use 2 as I don't want to risk it coming apart while loading it into the back of my car. They come in a variety of colors as well. A small bungee cord (6") works quite well and Wal-Mart has these.

Hmm. They don't look horizontal, but I'll take your word for it. Now, how about a cromo frame?

I can't easily check it at the moment as I am in Europe and it is at home. If memory serves me correctly Bruce put a Nexus hub in one. I can't spend a lot of time seraching for it at the moment as Internet is darn expensive here compared to the US. Ripoff is a better way to put it. Telcos shaft everyone here on communication services so I don't usually browse long while here. I may be totally wrong about Bruce doing but I am pretty sure about though I've been working all night and I should be asleep instead being a folder forum addict!

brightppc - I tried to email you directly but it says you don't wish to receive emails. I'm buying the Brompton tomorrow. Email me at bhatiars@bernstein.com and we can coordinate so you can see it.

-R

Wav, you are correct. I indeed am running the Shimano 8spd Redline hub on my Downtube FS and have been for a few months. No problems, only great things to say about the conversion. I ride on trails, through fields, over bad roads, on nice streets and am very pleased with the performance of the hub. The gear range at 307% is the same as a mega-range 11/34 cluster, so I have enough gear spread for what I intend for the Downtube bike. Right now, I'm doing the same conversion to a Dahon Jetstream XP with the addition of the Schlumpf 2spd crank for a gear range of over 500%. Not sure why yet, but it's fun messing with drivetrains and keeps me out of trouble. Here's a couple of pics of my daily ride Downtube FS.

@ Bruce - thanks for the pics! Looks pretty sweet. I bought a 7spd hub to do the exact same thing. ;-) While I won't have quite the range you do, it'll be fine for what I'll use the Downtube for. When I get back with any luck my 8spd Swift will be waiting for me (Peters says it is almost done) and I put some miles on it and then maybe start the conversion of the Downtube. I am in no hurrry to lace any wheels. In my spare time I've been studying for an advanced exam and I can't deal with any more tedious stuff at the moment.

The Nexus looks really clean on your bike Bruce. In someway it really streamlines the looks of the bike and I like it a lot. Thanks!

I can't help contain my mirth any longer. Am I on the only one that finds the title of this thread a double entendre? If I have to explain it to you, you just don't get it! I am sure lots of people would like to show your their downtube...

I like the bike but don't care for the name too much. I understand the significance of course but the name doesn't work for me but then neither does Dahon. It sounds too much like Dae Woo and the Dae Woo's I've driven have been, well lets just say in a PC world I can't say what I really think about them.

If you don't like the name you must return your bike
Just kidding, I love the name...go figure.

A side note, I am back teaching today so I will probably not post as much in the future.

Thanks,
Yan