Originally Posted by
smallwheeler
dahon bikes are "lifestyle products" intended for pootling around on paved bike paths with a lifespan of 3-5 years of gentle recreational usage. take my opinion for what it's worth to you, but when i first got into folding bikes it cost me about 2k and 2 years of frustration trying to use dahon bicycles for urban commuting.
I had 3 Jetstream (1 P8, 1 XP, 1 EX). I bought the EX 2011 and 6+ years after it is always OK. I upgraded some parts, mainly for better performance and to lighten the bike. The only one thing I was constrained to change, excepting tires, was the rear SRAM dual-drive hub with (broken) internal gear.
I think Jetstream series are not intended for extreme riding, sure. However it's a very versatile bike allowing off-asphalt-road : wood trails and even light/friendly stony paths with some modifications. For hostile trails I'd be more careful.
In urban environment, I can ride aggressively without problems including sidewalk jumps.