Thanks all for your feedback. Tonight I walked to Safety Cycle in Hollywood, picked up a Dahon JetStream 8 speed, and rode it home. I think it is excellent so far, but time will tell. If there are minor compromises in performance with this bike (relative to a full-size), I think they are more than offset by the thril and convenience of folding the thing up in seconds, carrying it upstairs, and stowing it in the guest bedroom closet. I was also very confident on this bike tonight, riding through Hollywood at rush hour. I would have felt uncomfortable and anxious on my LeMond, but on this one I could jump curbs when necessary, and ride on rough terrain without worrying about a flat. It is also plenty fast for my needs. This weekend I'm going to take it up some canyon roads in west LA and see it how it performs!