Originally Posted by
pibach
I do fold my Dahon Mu regularly, multiple times a day, a full fold takes me ~7 sec. And can do it while walking (inspired by some Tikit fast folding videos). The Tikit might be even a tad faster.
My biggest issue with the Dahon fold is having to adjust the cockpit every time to get the saddle height/angle right as well as the bar height/angle and rotation. At least this is the case with the D7. It's not so bad with the fold as you don't have to be precise, but when unfolding the bike you either take the time to set it up right or the cockpit is wonky.
I had a Mu P8 test bike from my LBS and the fold was no better.
With the Tikit the cockpit is exactly the same each time without any thinking about it.
Having ridden with quite a few Dahon owners now I have never seen a Dahon folded/unfolded in half the time it takes for my Tikit.
Originally Posted by
pibach
You can't compare a D7 to a NWT. It's not in the same price range. Compare it to a Speed TR. Or a Mu P24, or even a Mu EX (with BA tires) or a Jetstream XP.
Of course I can compare them since these are the bikes I own. I never suggested they were equivalent or that there were no other options.
I test rode a Speed TR and it's the only Dahon I've tried that fit me reasonably well. I don't suit the one size fits all Dahon cockpit particularly well which is a major reason I got a Tikit and a NWT for the size range. The Speed TR seemed like a nice bike in general, but I didn't love some of the component choices and given the cost think a Bike Friday is a better touring option. Particularly now with their lower cost stock bikes providing a cheaper option to a custom Bike Friday, but still offering some sizing options.
Where I think Dahon has the advantage is at the lower end of the price spectrum. Three of my friends ride Dahon D7's simply because they can be had for under $500 - a lot cheaper than a Tikit. Frankly that's why I got a D7 and it showed me how great folding bikes were leading to my ownership of a Tikit and a NWT.
However, this thread was about folding touring bikes so I assume we are talking bikes in the $1K+ range.