Originally Posted by
bargainguy
One of the problems with the Neos is that the frame was designed around it. You can't just swap in a different rear derailleur should the derailleur start acting up, as the derailleur is mounted just ahead of the rear axle (effectively the driveside chainstay). There's no place to hang a dropout-mounted rear derailleur.
Thor sells a Tern adapter for models that use the Neos, but I don't see any Dahon adapters.
There is a Colorado company called Wheels Manufacturing that makes a Dahon rear derailleur hanger, #27. I've never used one, but it might actually allow your Dahon to use a standard dropout-mounted rear derailleur instead of being locked into the Neos. Please check with them before purchasing, they know more about it than I do:
Wheels Manufacturing Derailleur Hanger 27
Thanks for the info! If I do go the route of ridding myself of the Neos, then it will be with a Shimano Nexus 7 or 8 spd internal hub. IMO, internal hubs are the best route for urban commuting.
Half of my commute incorporates light rail and when I get to the office, it is best if I fold the bike for elevator usage and storage. This is why I chose a folder in the first place, for the ability to fold in cramp spaces. I think that it is perhaps the frequent folding/unfolding and banging/cramming of the bike on public transit that has worn the derailleur out over the years.
I'd prefer to commute by bike exclusively (11-12 miles in total) and have tried it a few times, but the roads/bridges in East Los Angeles (which I must use to get from Pasadena to downtown LA) are littered with puncture prone objects and narrow lanes with high speed traffic that make even a seasoned cyclist like myself weary of using them daily. Currently, I bike to a light rail station in Pasadena, get off in LA's Chinatown and bike through the heart of downtown LA the remaining 5-6 miles to my office.