I'm in the UK and use my DAHON MU for a 14 mile commute. It feels a lot more solid than a MTB ever did. Infact, you can feel that its more efficient as you push on. I have a lot of confidence in it. I can't say much about brakes other than stretched cables really weaken the braking power. I'm sorry the OP isn't enjoying it. Maybe better to just trade for something else? At least it should have kept its value?