Ozonation

Ha! I will assume your Asiatic statement is only meant as a generalization for discussion purposes. I am Asian, and I'm 5'11", 225 lbs. I'm a pretty active guy. I don't treat my bikes with kid gloves. I already wrote my first impressions last year so I'll repeat and augment them here.

It's very obvious that the Helix is not for the "I-want-an-inexpensive-folder-so-I-can-bike-around-the-block-or-cottage-for-15-minutes" casual rider: it is geared (ha ha) for the discriminating enthusiast who wants the "best" in a folding bike design and is unwilling to sacrifice much for a comparable ride. The Helix is not perfect, but for a folding bike, it's damn near close. I haven't fine tuned the ride to my preference but my major observations are:

• It's a stiff ride - great for handling, especially compared to the Brompton. I love my Brompton, but when I'm bearing down, I'm always wondering if I'm going to tear the handles off the stem. The Helix has no noticeable play compared to the Brompton.
• It rides fine on the road, and when I hit construction where the road was ripped up and basically just a giant stretch of gravel and sand, it rode as good as you could expect from a folding 24" bike: noticeably better than my Brompton, but not quite as good as my sturdy framed Hunqapillar with 700c Big Ben wheels. Hey, what do you expect?
• At 5'11", because I'm a little less upright on the Helix than when I ride my Brompton, I could use maybe another cm or two horizontal space. So, I might see if I can get a stem extension to move the handlebars forward a bit: an inch would do it. If you're much taller than me, the Helix is probably going to be one of your best bets, but there is probably a limit to how well it can accommodate a really tall rider. In the owner's forum, there are several taller riders and they seem quite happy so far. Contact Peter if you have a question about your height and bike fit.
• As for the tires, which some people seem so concerned about, yes, it could have benefitted from a few more millimetres clearance so that you could get slightly fatter tires for some more suspension. BUT the tires are not skinny by any stretch, and are fine for almost all riding conditions you would bring a folding bike to. Yes sure, my Hunqapillar with 55mm wide tires soak up bumps and torn up roads better... but no folding bike is going to compare to a full size bike unless you get one of those small folders with 20" fat 4" wide tires. And what's the tradeoff? Weight.
• Weight. So, a lot has been said about the increase in weight from the promised weight to the as delivered final design weight. The difference is about 2 lbs for my configuration (11 speed Alfine). Do I care? NO. Now, YMMV, but it is a non issue for me. It still weighs less than my Brompton configuration. Most people who are using a folder are probably using them in situations where they are commuting, traveling, etc. not situations where a premium on shaving every conceivable pound off is critical. I'm almost always carrying other stuff when I'm on bike: laptop, tablet, lunch, water bottle, thermos, electronics kit, camera, kids spare clothes, kids snacks, kids toys that they insist on bringing but will not play with, a big pack of wet wipes because travel pack sizes are never enough when the kids are with me. Am I belabouring the point? For me (and I suspect a number of others), by the time I get through my kit, the minor difference in bike weight is immaterial. You can lightweight the Helix even further but honestly, I rather have a couple extra pounds of sheer resistant, torque preventing, bearing capacity metal to know my bike won't collapse beneath me.

Sadly, I can't comment more because this whole pandemic situation has meant I just can't get biking much... at all... on any bike because of work and family.

Hope this helps RatonLaveur Cheers.