royalflash

The new folder I ordered for my daughter arrived at the LBS this week. It is the Dahon Sweet Pea. It looks quite cute.



It was originally designed for Japanese women but makes a good childrens bike.

I am not sure the quality is as good as on my Impulse D6. Somehow the main hinge doesn´t feel quite as solid and the handlebar clamp doesn´t feel that convincing but it has all worked as advertised up to now.

The frame design is quite interesting.

Guest

What are the height restrictions with the folder?

Koffee

James H Haury

You fit it Koffee i think it is for people 4.'5" to 5 '6" . Gearing is only 48 gear inches.

royalflash

Any higher gearing would be difficult for my daughter (she is 9 years old) - she had difficulty going up hills as it is. I took her out for her first ride on the bike paths today.

Guest

It looks like a nice, inexpensive bike. I may try to get that bike later on in the summer.... I just want a tiny folder I can tool around town.

Koffee

royalflash

The Piccolo D3 may be a better buy for you Koffee. It is 60 dollars more but you get 3 gears (48 gear inches would be quite low for you). It also has a Chromoly frame (not aluminium)

Another thing is that it will surely be easier to get replacement parts for the V brakes on the Piccolo than for the rear "band brake" on the Sweet Pea.

There is not much difference in folded size and the Piccolo has slightly larger wheels (so the ride will be better). I also have the feeling that it will be easier to get tyres for the 16 inch wheels on the Piccolo.

Overall I would say that Piccolo would be the more practical bike for an adult even if the Sweet Pea is cute as a bug.

Guest

Yeah. Maybe if I get one, I can ask them to put the same design as the sweet pea.

Koffe

James H Haury

If you want to add cute accessories etc check https://www.bikepartsusa.com They have many neat parts and accessories .Another alternative is to have a sign place do some stickers for you. I have a 14 inch folder and i used it yesterday to ride 10.8 miles on the willow springs bicycle path it took me a little over an hour using 55 psi tires pumped up hard .This included breaks to allow for lack of suspension and the hard saddle and carrying it over tracks.I baby it since once i ruin the rims it will be next to impossible to get replacements.Ditto for good tires.If i wanted a cute single i would take (I have singles but being a male, mine look tough not cute) a classic 3 off of e bay and remove the rear wheel and replace it with a 16 inch bmx wheel add a track cog and some some cutesy acessories etc maybe change out the rear hoop for alloy( lace it onto the bmx hub .the 16 inch bmx wheel fits the classic 3 perfectly)What you do is up to you. I think a classic 3 is a good base.There is a really nice classic 3 on e bay right now but the seller is asking 345 dollars last time I checked which is way too much, it is absolutely cherry though.There a lot of classic three's out there available.

Guest

Thanks for the info, James. I'll check into it at some point, although I don't buy bikes off ebay. I did once, and that was a bad, bad scene. Bike fit was way off!

Koffee

James H Haury

if you decide on a sweet pea after all check carefully to make sure gearing can be upgraded ,if you wish to do so.I have had way too much experience changing gearing.Please feel free to pick my brain .I think the sweet pea should be an easy fix on gearing with a larger front chainring up front or a track cog on the rear or both.I changed the gearing on my roll n fold 14 inch wheel bike this year.I am average height so bike fit is easy for me ,I can see where you might have problems.It is too bad there is not a roll n fold lying around still in a box awaiting your dicovery of it .i spent less than 200 dollars on it with all the modifications included.It was 53 dollars new in the box.

James H Haury

How many teeth are on the front chainring? How many teeth on the rear freewheel? Is the front chainring integral with the right crank or is it bolted on and able to be removed?

royalflash

38 teeth on the front 11 on the rear (as far as I can count)

it looks like the chain ring is separate from the crank but it is hard to be sure about the replacement possibilities without taking it apart





note the band brake- strange !?

James H Haury

Thanks.The front chainring does not look like it can be changed without removing the whole thing.i wish i could have gotten an 11t cog for a bike i had about 3 years ago it would have made a big difference.A 44T chainring would give 56 gear inches with the 11t cog .It does not look like there is room for it though.