My Nova arrived this week! Today I took it for a 15-mile spin on my local bike path and city streets. I am intending this bike to be my all-around commuter and travel bike, so it needs to fold for taking onto mass transit, carry panniers and my Ortlieb Shuttle for longer trips, ride solidly for my 12-mile commute, and be inexpensive enough that if (heaven forbid) it got stolen while locked on the street (a huge risk in NYC), I wouldn't be out a major chunk of change.

Impressions so far:

Pros:
* Love the price--won it for $200 on eBay
* Love the orange color
* After riding my full-size touring bike for most of this year, I had forgotten how curious people are about folders. I had two different conversations with strangers while stopped.
* Love the fold--the bike is easy to fold and unfold and the fold is very stable and balanced since the stem goes in between the wheels. The folded package can be rolled if you leave the seat extended since the two wheels are parallel in the folded position. The bike fits nicely in my closet.
* Love the weight--the bike feels *very* light and easy to carry (the 8H was a much clunkier bicycle in terms of weight and compactness)
* The ride quality is comfortable--the bike has a relaxed, upright "city bike" geometry. The stem does not flex and the frame feels solid.
* Gear shifting felt very easy and almost unconscious.

Cons:
* The stock saddle has got to go--it's very stiff and uncomfortable to sit on for longish stretches.
* Would love a broader gear range--I wished I had a lower granny gear for hills and a higher top gear for flats. (But the speed was not bad.)
* When I was climbing a particularly steep hill (the one by the George Washington Bridge that all upper Manhattan cyclists know and hate) I could feel the front wheel lift up a few times.
* The wheels arrived slightly out of true and even after having my LBS adjust the brakes there's still a little rubbing. I may take it back for more work.
* While the water bottle cage braze-ons are a well-intentioned feature, they're pretty much useless IMO because the downtube is close to horizontal and it's easy for a bottle to pop out. For now, I'm using a strap-on Twofish cage for the handlebar stem.
* The bell doesn't work.

Possible mods:
* I have a Dahon Traveller Rear Rack and fenders on order.
* I may upgrade the tires.