Thank you for responding: You raise a good point about saving up for a better bike later; that is definitely in the mix. The Melon doesn't have mounting points for a rack, and I'm unable to find anybody that's hacked together a solution for mounting one other than on the seatpost like I have, so I'm not sure that's as easy an aftermarket mod as one might think. Without the rack, the bike is unsuitable for commuting in wet weather, and I'm also not able to find a rack which will easily come on and off.

These are admittedly minor details, and I'm ultimately pretty happy with the Melon, but I'm feeling like the Dahon Speed might be just a little bit better and worth the trade-off as my entry-level, save-for-a-better bike for now, assuming I can make the trade pay.

Any other thoughts?