Originally Posted by MoeŁ
I think you are quite right on all points.
I think most of those who put down 16" folders for longer journeys either have no other experience than their own 20" folder and only speculating, or they are comparing with an very old/inferior 16" model which is not fair. On my "dream wish-list" for upgrades for my "Presto Lite Tourer" would be stiffer seatpost and handlebar, more gears and maybe longer wheel base, but not 20" wheels..
/MoeŁ
I have the 2001 Dahon Piccolo and have put thousands of miles on that bike. I don't regret the purchase because it was the bike that got me back into cycling. However, I see the limitations of the 16' inch wheel real and for the most part unnecessary. The Piccolo, Presto and Brompton have only one advantage that a 20' inch wheel folder does not and that is the ability to enter the cabin of a bus. Furthermore, this point is debatable because I've known many individuals who took their 20' inch wheel folders inside buses so I may be wrong.
The 20 'inch wheel folder is just better in almost every regard. It's provides a stable, comfortable and fast ride without sacrificing gears unlike its 16 inch cousin. I could not recommend a 16' inch wheel folder unless the person wanted to enter the bus on a frequent basis (multimode transport). Since very few people do this, I believe that 99% of all folding bike purchases should be for a 20' inch model. In fact, in all my days, I've never seen anyone bring a 16' inch wheel folder inside a bus.
These are my observations between my Piccolo(16) and Speed 8 (20')
Overall Comfort ---------- Speed 8 and Piccolo both need either a Brooks Champion flyer or suspension seat post. The straight up position makes them uncomfortable after long rides but I find the bumps less harsh on the Speed 8.
Speed ---------- My tires pressure are the same on both bikes but the Speed 8 has less rolling resistence due to the more efficient cassette. The Piccolo with it's Sturmey archer AW-3 or Sram Spectro 3 suffers from friction loses.
Weight ------- It may surprise many to know that my Piccolo and Speed 8 nearly weight the same! There is no gain in performance here.
Folding size ---------- Piccolo is smaller here but not by much.
Again. You purchase a folding bike because you either
a. Lack space in an small apartment.
b. Lack space in a boat
c. Lack space in a private airplane
d. Need to use multimode transport (bus, train)
e. Want a travel bike for overseas
The 20' inch folder will do well in A, B, C, E and half of D. Other than the bus, you would always choose a larger folder because it performs better and there is no need to compromise in gears and comfort.
I can see someone buying a Piccolo to use a beater bike because no one would want to steal its components.