kayakindude

Nope not the same, wider gear range (think it has a 53t chain ring), cassette with 11t, better tires and derailleur. Either way you can't go wrong.

bargainguy

Thor's garage sale D7 is indeed the Speed D7 (street). Can't tell if that's a current or older model, but $369 shipped is a good price. I believe these are around $430 normally, and since it was only used for a photo shoot, probably no wear to speak of.

Is it the same as the Vybe D7? Nope, that's this model:

Dahon Vibe C 7 A

Note that the Speed D7 has a rear rack, the Vybe doesn't. That may or may not make a difference to you.

Could you get a discount on the Vybe shipped? Doubtful, but you can always ask.

Keep in mind the garage sale Thor bikes are one-of-a-kind deals, it's not like he has 30 more in stock at the same price. So if you're on the fence, someone else might grab that D7 before you, especially now that it's been mentioned in this thread.

Bonzo Banana

The point is a freewheel hub would quickly get the rear axle bent or snapped using such a bike off road. It's not that hard with a few potholes or dropping off a kerb to do the same with a normal bike especially when it lacks suspension and the rider is still sitting in the saddle when he/she hits the bump. Once freewheels were the only derailleur drivetrain type and there was a wide range of quality levels for freewheels now its purely entry level its not the same as the past.

Bonzo Banana

There is no issue with having nutted axles with regard bike quality. You basically have a more secure wheel which is less easy to steal vs slightly more hassle removing wheels to fix a puncture. As for strength in theory the solid axle should be stronger but I think generally solid axles are cheaper lower grade steel vs hardened steel for the quick release hollow axles. Solid axles have a tendency to bend when abused where as quick release axles have a tendency to snap because of their hardened state. Again this is down to quality of the axle though. BMX bikes can have hardened chromoly solid axles and are pretty indestructible. Freehubs are extremely unlikely to bend axles due to the placement of the bearings close to the chainstay dropouts. Most of the rider's weight is on the rear wheel. I wouldn't view this a reason not to choose the Urbano. Yes quick releases probably cost a little more to fit to a bike I'm sure but I'd rather that money was spent elsewhere on the bike in more important areas.

FolderBeholder

I'm wondering if we're discussing the space shuttle here, or an inexpensive bicycle?
Whether or not someone purchases a $300, $400, $500 or even $1000+ dollar bicycle, there WILL always be design compromises, component weaknesses, and maintenance points to deal with when used for it's intended purpose. Thats the nature of all machines. Make an informed decision YES, but advising (especially at this price-point) that you can eliminate all potential failure/maintenance/replacement opportunities on anything is missing the point.

bargainguy

Lower rpm/cadence = more knee strain.

In cycling, knees are happiest at high rpm/cadence and low pressure/effort on the pedals. Spinning as opposed to mashing. This is why pro riders are turning a really high cadence, not a low one, otherwise they'd kill their knees.

The reason most folks avoid a higher cadence is not because of the coordination involved, but because a higher cadence requires more cardio output than lower. This is somewhat counterintuitive. I get folks all the time who say they leave their 10 speed bike in the highest gear no matter what the terrain, thinking they're getting the best workout there. Your best workout from a cardio perspective is spinning, not mashing, so strive for higher cadence and you get cardio plus being nice to your knees in the process.

I strive to keep my cadence somewhere between 80 and 90 on every bike I own, and use the gearing to keep me in that sweet spot. So no, pedaling slower doesn't work for me. I need gears, especially lower ones.

ThorUSA

yup correct for me as well
:-)

Bonzo Banana

I don't think anyone made that point though surely. Advising people to maximise the value of their purchase to get the best bike they can for their money is not stating no maintenance is required and components will need replacing in time. I don't think we should lose focus and somehow state all bikes at the same price point are broadly similar that certainly isn't true. Many products have complicated logistics, high marketing expenses and simply come from companies that work to and desire higher profit margins. $300 can purchase a bike that under a different brand could be double that amount or more. Here in the UK I've seen bikes for £300 that look great quality and bikes for £800 that are unacceptable quality for me using lower end components in places than the £300 bike. That's paying £500 more to get an inferior product. Yes generally paying more gets a better product but you cannot assume that you have to look at the detail of the product.

Bonzo Banana

I don't think its one or the other. I find low cadence, high resistance builds muscles and high cadence, low resistance gets the heart pumping and a mixture is ideal. If I approach a hill I tend to attack it fast on the flat with a high gear, drop to a mid gear to start the hill with high resistance and then hit the granny gear for long hills. Other times if I'm not wanting to get sweaty etc I would keep to the granny gear for the whole hill for a more leisurely ride. However if you are wanting to get the maximum lifespan out of your bike and its components then treating it as carefully as possible would be high cadence, low resistance. I've worn out the high gearing of cassettes due to my heavy use of the fastest gear whenever possible and the extra pressure on the bike when you are using brute strength in your legs is surely going to shorten its lifespan. If I was riding a bike known to be weak I would certainly go for high cadence.