http://bikefriday.com/main.cfm?fuseaction=news.article&ID=105&Category=News

When I was trying to decide my first 20 inch folder a couple of years ago, this alerted me to Bike Friday's biggest weakness-too dependant on marketing it's fine bikes on traveling to exotic places. When that market disappeared, if it wasn't for it's loyal followers, it would be gone no matter what a great bike it is. Dahon appeared to survive better even thrived during this period and afterward. The Dahon North American headquarters and warehouse is located only 15 miles from my house. Most bike shops stock Dahon components, accessories or could create a part from scratch. The Brompton has about 20 bike shops(some are located near my house or my sister's house) in the United States as well as one in Canada and one in Mexico.

This was the real tipping point for me. I am not saying that these 2 bikes I have or their makers are for everyone, but it works for me and that is all that matters in the end since there is no real bike community here in Southern California-just alot of loosely associated bike clubs and mostly solitary independent riders. You learn to be on your own and dependent on no one else's opinion. I was like this way before the internet was in existance in it's present form. Folding bikes are simply an good extention of my bicycling beliefs-the ultimate in independence.