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Dahon Curl i3 Monday's edition

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Dahon Curl i3 Monday's edition

Old 09-20-17, 02:46 AM
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Dahon Curl i3 Monday's edition

As suggested by tcs at another thread I'd like to ask here for some details of the new Curl i3.
Thanks to the brilliant pictures at Thor's page and kind help of the German "Faltradforum" members there are some things clear already, like the cable routing. As you can see below is the routing of both (shifting and brake) cables pretty different to that of the two smaller pics.
At the right side the switching cable is touching the teeth of the chainwheel - it will get caught between chain and teeth sooner or later.
The brake cable at the left side does interfere with the crank, too, because the frame eyelet is at the right side and can not be used to guide the brake hose as scheduled.

The improper cable routing was caused partially by using a different, mirrored caliper (to that of Thor's Curl and many others) and using the wrong route (respectively wrong cable tie fixing point) for the shifting cable.

Detail:
At Thor's Curl (fifth image) one can see a writing at the caliper "Tektro R357" - there is no writing at our caliper and it is mirrored (cable attachment at the left side and not right).
https://www.thorusa.com/dahon/current/curlpics.htm

Question:
Can anybody please tell me where to order exactly these Tektro R357 calipers?







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Old 09-20-17, 02:49 AM
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Next thing is the odd chain line of the slack strand.
From this perspective one can see that the chain line of the tight strand (red) is straight, but not that of the slack strand (green) - here's the chain bent inwards by the chain tensioner.
The second pic shows the nuts of the roller axles, these should be much more upwards (close to the red chain line) - if the line would be straight.

I've never noticed that at other bikes and wonder if that is normal on a Curl?



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Old 09-20-17, 03:12 AM
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I can see that on the frame, a cylinder has been welded for cable to pass through. Perhaps the cable assembly was done by local distributor in Germany? Teething problems due to new product?
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Old 09-20-17, 03:53 AM
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Originally Posted by dahoneezz
Perhaps the cable assembly was done by local distributor in Germany?

I do not think that distributors do any assembling.


For the next one I have to apologize and explain first that I'm a Strida guy and not familiar with Dahon - possibly I've missed something and somebody is able to enlighten me...

I was told (for example by the German Dahon dealer) that it is intention (= aim, mind) to use just one small and three bigger wheels (rollers) at the carrier.
But sorry - it does not stand really good on 3 plus one different sized roller - that must wiggle!
So it is intended to have a wiggly standing bike...I see...

(I'm NOT talking here about the pretty high tendency of the Curl to fall over the drive/steering side but I
ll get back to that later.)

Can anybody please tell me one logical reason to use just one smaller wheel?

Moreover that - there are pics over the web of Curls with four rollers of identical size, just check above or below.



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Old 09-20-17, 04:15 AM
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Considering all the issues, I'd think it might be a preproduction model. All these little problems would make me regret my purchase almost instantly. Hopefully @ThorUSA can answer your questions when he he has a bit of free time.
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Old 09-20-17, 05:17 AM
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Don't like the way the small wheels on the rack are positioned, the height of them basically. High at the saddle end and low at the end of the bike. Not ideal for fastening a load. It looks more a style choice than practical.

I'm sure most of these issues will be resolved as feedback goes back to the factory. It's never wise to be an early adopter which has the end consumer ending up being part of the quality and design improvement phase.

The bike looks overpriced and a bit poor quality now but I'm sure in a year or so any teething problems will be overlooked.
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Old 09-20-17, 06:33 AM
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I noticed that the seatpost clamp has a safety lock. That is something different. Also it doesn't have a clamp. How does it work?

Also the top tube to seatpost cylinder holder thingy and rectangular back tube with slot thingy ... the welds are ground smooth. In order to do the seat clamp, they poke a hole through the top tube.

I have no idea why one wheel is smaller.

Last edited by dahoneezz; 09-20-17 at 08:55 AM.
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Old 09-20-17, 09:41 AM
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Originally Posted by tds101
Considering all the issues, I'd think it might be a preproduction model...

Members of faltradforum suspected that too and details like that below may in fact look like evidence;
just at least I do not think so because it was delivered in the original box which was obviously labelled correct.

Washer below frame locking mechanism, but just at one side...I see...
Is that "adjustment" or just lousy assembling (as like the cables)?



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Old 09-20-17, 09:43 AM
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Originally Posted by dahoneezz
Also it doesn't have a clamp. How does it work?
It has a clamp, it must be hidden somewhere inside of the frame I believe.
There's nothing visible from the outside, so sorry, but I can't tell yet.
All I know is that the safety lock doesn't work properly (stuck in upper position as below shown).
But according to German forum members is that just a minor Dahon-typical issue and easy to fix.

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Old 09-20-17, 09:52 AM
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You need to get this bike to a shop that knows what they're doing. It's not ready for the road, and certainly not ready to be reviewed on a cycling forum.
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Old 09-20-17, 10:35 AM
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Originally Posted by Joe Remi
You need to get this bike to a shop that knows what they're doing. It's not ready for the road, and certainly not ready to be reviewed on a cycling forum.
Well, this is what Dahon delivers to end users. As far as I know this bike was bought from an official dahon dealer who got it from the official German distributor who has the same postal address as Dahon.eu. Can't imagine something more official. Certainly a bike bought this way IS ready to be reviewed on a cycling forum.

If a bike that is bought through the official channels is not ready for purpose this is an important lesson to know. This means customers buying Dahons over the internet are at risk and have to take the bike to a shop for maintenance before riding the consequence is that this will add cost and therefor the bike is more expensive than the price paid upfront. And it shows very clearly that Dahon seems to have a problem with quality control if not with constructing and manufacturing bicycles. And a problem with their dealership and with their distribution as well. Not good.

I thinks we would agree that this level of quality is totally inacceptable, the more for a bike that costs 1000 € and is supposed to cost something like 1500 €.
It is astonishing that this is the result of years and years trying to clone the Brompton - this is not a bike that has been build in a shed within a week from spare parts by a hobbyist - it is a bike that has been built by the world's biggest folding bike company after years of reasearch and fiddllng around and prototyping an it is sold at a premium price and advertized by Dahon as far better alternative to the Brompton in every aspect and a premium model, showing the knowlege and experience of the brand for their 35th birthday. At least this bike looks more like a cheap copy, bulit by people who have no idea what they are doing. It should put Dahon at shame. The more after all the swanky advertizing.

It would be very interesting to compare the bike with other Curls that have been officially sold or delivered to end-users. It was not sold as "prototype" or "second choice" though it looks like one. I'm interested to see if this bike is an exception or the normal level delivered.
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Old 09-20-17, 10:37 AM
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Originally Posted by Joe Remi
... and certainly not ready to be reviewed on a cycling forum.
...you're so funny!


If it is not ready (for whatever) please tell me why it has been sold by an official Dahon dealer?
Even the online dealer who sold it has an advertising at his page:
"Auspacken-Losfahren-Service" which means "Unwrap-hit the road-service".
I mean that is a clear statement, isn't it?

And btw, at least for me the above does sound like I have to wait for being allowed to review something - that is certainly out of question.
Nobody can advice me to review something or not as long as I bought the product officially - and that's exactly what I did.

Do not sell that .... if it is not ready. Definitely not my problem.

Please note that I do not claim that all Curls (out of the box) are like this one.
But what I'm showing here is what I've got from Dahon.
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Old 09-20-17, 10:55 AM
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Let's take these one at a time and I'll see if I can help. Your Curl was definitely built with the 'wrong' rear brake. There was a cryptic comment on the Kickstarter page that shipment of ~half the bikes was delayed by shortage of a 'critical' component. I can't help but wonder if that was the unusual 'left-handed' brake caliper. I'd take this up with your dealer and/or Dahon.eu.

Last edited by tcs; 09-20-17 at 11:33 AM.
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Old 09-20-17, 10:58 AM
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Originally Posted by Blackstrida_A_
Members of faltradforum suspected that too and details like that below may in fact look like evidence;
just at least I do not think so because it was delivered in the original box which was obviously labelled correct.

Washer below frame locking mechanism, but just at one side...I see...
Is that "adjustment" or just lousy assembling (as like the cables)?

That washer looks like a shim. Probably the flat plate was welded a bif off plane. But then you look at the gap on the left side seems to be more. Maybe if you add washer to the left it will be ok, but then, maybe the triangular thingy points to the right too much to fit.

The paint has started to chip? Oh well.
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Old 09-20-17, 11:03 AM
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Chainline: your pictures are at an angle and it's hard to tell the extent of the misalignment. I wonder if your Curl's 'derailleur hanger' is slightly bent. It shouldn't be (I mean, come on, it's a brand new bike!), but I've ridden several old bikes with this issue and it didn't seem to hurt anything (the Brompton's two-speed chainslack mechanism misaligns the chain purposely as a function of how it works.)

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Old 09-20-17, 11:12 AM
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The wheels on the rack: simple schoolboy geometry - three points determine a plane. The Curl's folded & half folded center of gravity is within the triangle of the full diameter, roller bearing wheels.

There was a lengthy thread recently about the Brompton's propensity for falling over - little outrigger wheels are offered aftermarket to combat this. Well, when folded these bikes are relatively tall compared to their width. Back to schoolboy geometry.

When these bikes are folded, the rear section does not flip a full 180°. The Brompton handles this by leaving the rear rack with its in-line wheels at a sloping angle when the bike is deployed. The deployed Curl has a horizontal rack with raised and lowered wheels. This improved Curl rack wheel geometry is one of the very few things a Brompton fan boy once complimented!

Last edited by tcs; 09-20-17 at 11:44 AM.
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Old 09-20-17, 11:13 AM
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The internal seatposts clamp is far from an innovation - that feature has been used on a number of custom or 'aerodynamic' road bikes over the years.
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Old 09-20-17, 11:16 AM
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The washer under the hardtail - appalling jackleg assembly quality. The washers go under the nyloc nuts on the other side.

hardtail.jpg
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Old 09-20-17, 11:23 AM
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On your folded picture in the other thread, you had the handlepost lowered too far for best folding. There is supposed to be a red dot and an explanatory decal:

optimum handlepost height for folding.jpg

This will put the handlebars just below the front axle nut and help compact the fold. It also helps corral the somewhat floppy cables (necessary for an adjustable height handlebar) when folded.

curl on right.jpg
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Old 09-20-17, 11:25 AM
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Also, you left the saddle post inside the seat post when you showed the bike folded. Does your Curl have the saddle post holster on the left fork leg?

saddlepost holster.jpg

Holstering the saddle post makes the folded package a lot smaller.

curl on left.jpg

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Old 09-20-17, 11:29 AM
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Anyway, so sorry you're having these frustrations. I've had my Kickstarter Curl for about a month now & really like it.

curl.jpg

Last edited by tcs; 09-20-17 at 12:50 PM.
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Old 09-20-17, 11:53 AM
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Dear tcs, thanks very much for taking so much time.
Please, there is absolutely no need to be sorry and I'm surely not frustrated.
This for several reasons, one of them is that the bike does not belong to myself - I am just in the position of the interested watcher in this case.
I'll get back to all your advice later in detail - just one sentence blew me away; you wrote:

I've had my Kickstarter Curl for about a month now...

sooo...may I guess that yours is different from ours here?
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Old 09-20-17, 12:12 PM
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Originally Posted by Blackstrida_A_
...may I guess that yours is different from ours here?
Well, my Curl i3 seems to have been put together with care using the correct parts!

I see I also have a different saddle than you have. My Curl has a Selle Royal 'Royal Gel Freeway' that is not Dahon branded.
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Old 09-20-17, 12:12 PM
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Originally Posted by Blackstrida_A_
...you're so funny!


If it is not ready (for whatever) please tell me why it has been sold by an official Dahon dealer?
Even the online dealer who sold it has an advertising at his page:
"Auspacken-Losfahren-Service" which means "Unwrap-hit the road-service".
I mean that is a clear statement, isn't it?

And btw, at least for me the above does sound like I have to wait for being allowed to review something - that is certainly out of question.
Nobody can advice me to review something or not as long as I bought the product officially - and that's exactly what I did.

Do not sell that .... if it is not ready. Definitely not my problem.

Please note that I do not claim that all Curls (out of the box) are like this one.
But what I'm showing here is what I've got from Dahon.
I'm not implying you can't review your bike. My point - which I thought was clear but maybe not - is that whoever sold you this Curl doesn't know what they're doing. If it was supposed to be adjusted and ready straight from Dahon to box, then Dahon screwed up. Somebody sold you a bike that's not ready for riding and reviewing.
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Old 09-20-17, 12:45 PM
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I'm sorry,...but it definitely sounds like a preproduction model.
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