With all due respect to the Dahon, which I'm sure is a fine bike, I'd go with the Bike Friday. For real touring, where you're going to spend a lot of time in the saddle, I think the custom fit is worth it, unless you happen to be just the right size for the Dahon. The handlebars on the Speed TR seem to have a rather limited height range, and someone with a long reach might end up feeling a bit cramped. The Thudbuster may be great, but I've done fine with sprung Brooks saddles, and hydraulic brakes seem like a needless maintenance complication to me. Also, you may not end up spending all that much more for the Friday. Granted, for a BF with a Dual Drive, Thudbuster suspension post, and hydraulic brakes, you'll pay a lot more than for the Dahon. But you can get a Triple chain ring NWT with an ample gearing range in the $1000 range, like this one. (I know, that's without saddle or pedals, but I'd be changing those out on the Dahon, too) Some early info linked from the Dahon Forum makes it seem like the 2006 Speed TR will be about $900.00, see this.