Originally Posted by
smalltalk
So I took my Dahon Mu P8 out yesterday on an extended group ride. This is the Dahon I’ve already owned for 3 plus years, that is MORE upright than the Brompton I test rode.
Long story short: it was a total failure. I should have known better than to ride nearly 30 miles on a bike I wasn’t used to. I leaned forward only about 10 degrees, but that was more than enough to totally kill my neck. Apparently I need to be as close to vertical as possible when riding, wind be damned! My RANS Zenetik allows this.
This makes virtually all folders off limits for me except for short rides, unless extra measures are taken to modify the riding position. I could never buy a Brompton, or any other folder, unless the dealer rectified the situation before the sale!
Your needs push you into custom territory for a folder. Bike Friday will build to your specs, but you will pay for that. Otoh, if you found a used one in your size, you could get them to just make you a longer stem mast to replace the existing one. But the BF is packable, not really multi-modal (except the pakiT). You can get a "brompton" luggage mount welded onto a Bike Friday but it's still not going to totally scratch your itch so to speak. Another way to get stress off your neck is with a recumbent, if that interests you.