I'm quite new to folding bikes and i was looking for one to get to the nearby train station a few times per month. It is around 5 km, through a little town and one really wide open space of around 1 km.

My eyes did fall on the tern link uno, it has nice clean simple looks and contains little extra's that need maintenance, in addition the peddle breaking reminds me of the old days. On the other side i have the tern link d8, with the nice 8 speed thingy. Both have the same good price in my country, actually the d8 is 50 euro chearper.

When you remove all the extra's (excluding the 8 speed thingy) isn't the d8 just the uno when it comes to looks?

Is 8 speed really necessary when driving through really flat terrain and on good roads?

What do you think the basic uno or the sensible choice the d8?

Cheers for your thoughts!

I'd opt for the 8 speed. Especially if it has standard brakes. I am not a fan of drum brakes. Getting around Helena on a single speed would not be my choice. Very hilly. In your case you might be able to get away with a singlespeed but why? Wouldn't you rather have a bike equipped to handle various scenarios? Honestly, Single speeds are for trendys here who are more concerned about being seen than actually riding. I'm actually amazed they are still relevant. I thought they'd be a passing fancy to all but track riders. Who knew? My opinion only. :^) The riders I know have gears to match the terrain so they can get around more than just downtown. Just saying. Are you using it only on flatlands only or would this be an everything bike?

I usually have my Brompton set up as a single or two speed although I can also go with a 3 speed internal hub giving additional gears. For me the 2 speed set up is usually fine for most riding and it is fairly bullet proof. I am with hatrack71 on the brake thing and it seems both Dahon 1 speeds also have a coaster brake, which frequently seems to be upgraded to at least a front brake. I personally prefer steel hinges and you can get a steel Dahon for even less albeit a little heavier. 5 km rides on level ground should not make a few extra pounds significant. However, you may really enjoy riding your folder and want to use the bike more and more for other riding, in which case the versatility of some gears and stouter braking may be very nice. Fenders are also a good idea and you may want a bike that has them already. If you are not fond of bike tinkering you might do well to buy a bike that has everything you need already, although I must say that modding and tinkering with mine is a lot of fun for me.In my case the more I ride my Brompton the better I like it except in snowy/icy conditions in which a 700 C bike with studded snow tires is much safer. That Brompton is now my favorite.

Dahon Speed Uno or Speed P8. Both are steel, nice and strong. I own the P8, and the extra gearing comes in handy when I go traveling. You never know if the area you're visiting will be flat or hilly. Those gears can come in real handy. Even if I personally purchase a single speed version, it'd be upgraded to at LEAST a 3 speed internal geared hub.

Thanks guys for the interesting thoughts on the subject. I did go for the sensible choice, the d8, in the end. I'm quite excited!
I'm thinking of repainting (it is currently white) to bright red, just like the old dahon curve d3's: https://ep.yimg.com/ay/nycewheels/dah...ing-bike-5.jpg
Although i'm also thinking of baby blue.

But that's something for the spring/summmer ;-)

Ah, nycewheels,....