So what do I do now?

I've owned this bike since October of last year. I've mostly ridden this during lunch when I have to drive to work and weekends on flats with 5-8 miles per ride. I am thinking of making this my primary commuter which means 35 miles round trip to work and back with 500 ft elevation change. Downhill to work, up hill home (no steep grades but uphill none the less).

I'm moving from a KHS TC hybrid. For some reason I prefer riding the Dahon over the KHS because it feels more fun. I know that's a subjective phrase, but I like the nimbleness it has over the 26". But I like to keep the same comfort and durability that I have on the KHS frame to be present on the Dahon.

So back to my original question. What do I do now?... to make it close the comfort my KHS has. The KHS has mid rise bars, Odesa fork, seat suspension, 7 speed rear, 26x1.9 wheels with Kenda hybrid tires.

Any ideas, or am I crazy to ride a folder that far?

Put on the fattest tire that can fit for a more comfortable ride. I don't know the bike so I can't recommend which tire but others can chime in with other helpful advice.

Ride it!

As blackcloud said, get the widest tires you can fit on the folder. If you like the riding position of the KHS and want to match it on the Dahon, bust out a tape measure and figure out what you need to do to duplicate it -- a different stem/bar combo should get you pretty close, if not spot-on. Others will chime in if I'm wrong, but you may be able to get a Thudbuster seatpost if seatpost suspension is important. If you like the saddle on your KHS better, swap it out with the one on the Dahon.

Not crazy at all to ride a folder that far, but if it will be an only bike, doesn't hurt to dial things in to your liking. No harm in trying it out on a few commutes before going with all kinds of upgrades, either -- you might be pleasantly surprised how capable it is, stock.

Rode it into work this morning. Not that bad. Not even bad at all. Pretty good actually. My hands did get numb, but shaken of real easy. Maneuverability is better than the 26". And I'm a shorty at 5'5" so its easier at stoplights to mount and dismount. Mostly asphalt, so the ride wasn't harsh. I already did swap the saddle from the KHS before the ride. Because I never did like the factory Dahon saddle. You're right mconlonx, the bike did surprise me.

Thanks for the tips fellas. Nice to haves: Fatter Tires (Obvious upgrade that I didn't think of), Seat suspension (Thanks for the tip on Thudbuster). Need to have would be a stem adapter with a little rise. But all in all, I'm okay with the ride for now. I'll truly know for sure after my ride home but so far so good.

You might consider different grips (not sure what your Mu has). I really like the Ergon products. A "crescent" style handle bar with a small sweep can usually be installed without affecting the fold. And the Aber Hallo stem may be able to get you a bit more upright. See: Handlebars, Extenders and Bar Ends

-HANK RYAN-
Norman, Oklahoma USA

My My N360 is the folder I own that I ride the least, mainly because of the weight and drag of the NuVinci hub.

Having said that, if I were going to make that my main commuter, I would add:

1. Ergon grips as Hank suggested above

2. Saddle upgrade to saddle of your choice

3. Fenders and rack (probably go with the Tern Cargo Rack)

4. Big Apple tires -- these balloon tires will effectively give you a "suspension" ride

5. Head and taillights

6. Water bottle holder mounted on the stem -- the default water bottle screws are right on the "top tube," resulting the the bottle or cage getting kicked every time I get off or onto the bike, not a great location. Also pretty far to reach down to grab a water bottle while moving.

It's not at all crazy to ride a folder for a 35 mile trip, I've done the entire Springwater Corridor and I-295 trails in Portland with my Mu N360 and it did fine in the Red Rocks Canyon outside Vegas as well.

But keep the KHS around for a change of pace is my advice, because you will get a little tired of lugging the boat anchor that is the NuVinci hub up 500 feet of elevation gain every day.

^Definitely keeping the KHS. Mainly for winter and not so great weather days. Racks are the top of my list. Already got headlamps and tails installed. Good idea with the water bottle. Thanks for the input.

1st Day round trip, The Dahon made me "work" more. Adjusted the saddle back a bit. Rotated the bar so my wrist are straight and the numbness was almost non existent. Not the upright position I like but it's manageable. I feel more of the road with the Mu. All the cracks, dips, and rises are more present. On the upside, people do slow down to check out the bike. Some even ask where to get one.

I strongly recommend going with the front luggage truss and the Kanga rack initially. See:

Racks and Mudguards

Add a rear rack and trunk bag if you need even more capacity.

-HANK RYAN-
Norman, Oklahoma USA

Update. Been riding the bike for a 2 weeks now. And the only downside I see is a that nuvinci hub. It needs more top end gearing. I matched cadence with a passing roadie who was "casually pedaling" and I was just being out paced. Granted that a road bike is purposed built for low rolling resistance and speed, but the distance traveled/crank rev is worth noting and the nuvinci is limited on the range department. I knew that from the beginning so it's no surprise. My main beef with the nuvinci is the twist grip shifter. I find myself accidentally shifting to a lower gear. So I have to move ensure that my right hand is no resting on the shifter.

I've ordered the Dahon ultimate carrier with stash bag. I put a universal rack as a temporary fix. It doesn't allow the folding magnets to work but again it's temporary. I've swapped to ergon gp2 grips. Had to get two sets one because the first pair didn't allow for the nuvinci shifter. The stubby bar ends makes a world of difference to me. Not only does it keep my hand off the twist shifter, but it feels more more comfortable.

Plan to do some more "upgrades", but for now, I'm satisfied.

maybe Thor or Hank or Bruce Metras might know but if it will fit, a Patterson FSA Metropolis upgrade might help.

wouldn't be cheap and the bottom bracket might not be compatible.

When I had my Xootr Swift I had a NuVinci hub. I hated the drag the hub produced, but it was as fast as a road bike (believe it or not). I hated the hubs disability to coast,...even going downhill.

Patterson uses a 28t chainring .. and with a 1.6 overdrive = 45t .. the MU360 should already have a 52t .. that said, the Dahon gear inch spec is way off .. from the official site, 32 to 93 g/i or 290% range.. the 360 is 360% range .. so if the bike has 52/18 gears, gear inch would be 27 to 97 on 406x1.75 tires..

If the OP simply wanted taller gearing, then easiest to change the chainring to maybe a 56 or better.. Schlumpf Speeddrive (1.65 overdrive) would work as you an can use a variety of chainrings in 110 BCD.. but that will be somewhat heavy and expensive on an already heavy bike.. if the bike is already geared at 97 g/i I'd probably work on increasing my cadence, as even at 100 rpm, you're doing almost 30mph and that's cooking on a situp bike..

Well I guess the bike is within spec. It does take me about 2 hours to do the my trip home. 16-18 miles depending on the route. I was getting about 10-15 min faster on the mtb at the same pace. So no big deal. I don't need to go faster, I was just giving my observations on my commute.