I have a somewhat modified Dahon Speed D7 with drop bars and my 13 mile commute on it is nearly identical to the commute on my two full size road bikes. I don't really hammer on any of my bikes, but I do ride a decent pace, and the folder compares quite favorably in terms of speed to the full size road bikes. I am sure that if you were racing, this would not be the case, but commuting is not racing for me, anyway.