Thank you, Gordon, for such a detailed reply. I'm sorry I missed the earlier postings, as it would have saved you some typing time! I did search on several key words before posting this thread, but didn't turn up the earlier discussion.

You do not need to convince me of the usefulness of hub brakes. Prior to acquiring the Dahon Boardwalk in June of this year, I rode a roller brake-equipped cycle for about two years. It was a commuting bike that I assembled on a 6-speed Specialized BMX frame. As I stand only 5 ft. 7 in. (170 cm), it seemed that, by using a very long (16 in./40 cm) seat pillar and a long, steel stem extender, I could manage to make this small frame rideable. Since the fork spacing was standard, I was able to equip the bike with front and rear roller brakes on 20 in. (ETRTO 406) wheels.

I discovered over time, however, that I was a hair too tall for the bike. If I were an inch or two shorter, I'd still be riding that bike, as it served me well. The Dahon was intended as a replacement (of course, the Dahon was too big, but that's another story ...).

What I did not know when I bought the bike was that Dahon used the 74 mm OLN standard for its forks. The bike's stock brakes did not pose a problem this summer when the New York region suffered a long summer drought, but when the rains returned in earnest in October, I rediscovered, in a rather frightening way at times, the limitations of caliper brakes, even the efficient "linear pull" type.

I was not able to check this thread over the weekend. In that time, I came across a 1 1/8 in. BMX-style chromoly fork (with, most unusually, slightly curved fork blades) that was being offered at an on-line auction site. As there were no other bidders, I was able to secure it for a small sum, inclusive of shipping. In the first instance, since I have committed to buy and, in fact, have paid for the fork, I will go ahead and install it after I have built up a new pair of wheels based on my existing set of roller brake hubs and new rims.

I suspect that the new fork may result in a harsher ride (and a heavier bike!!!), as it looks quite a bit more robust than the stock Dahon fork. If need be, I will install 20 x 2.0 in. tires to add a bit more cushion (replacing the nominal 1.75 in. but somewhat narrow Haro tires that I have been running).

In any event, I am encouraged to learn, however, that the steel "unicrown" Dahon forks can be "cold set" (i.e., intentionally bent), if need be. By the way, do you have a sense of the weight of the riders who have had their Dahon forks spread to 100 mm? Would that affect the decision to cold set the fork? (I weigh in at a stocky 170 lbs. (12+ stone)).

Last but not least, does anyone have any experience with the much-hyped Schwalbe "Big Apple" tires? Would 20 x 2.0 Big Apples soften the ride? Do they roll reasonably well? Can anyone suggest a fast-running 20 x 2.0 in. tire, or a generously proportioned 1.75 in.?

Thanks.