I recently purchased my first folding bike, as seen in my recent post in this forum. I cannot wait to take it out. In my search for a folding bike, I was offered two "vintage" Dahon's from a different Seller. These are purportedly collecting dust and un-used in years. Space is tight for me, but I hate to pass them up leaving them to an unknown fate. Does anyone know when these would date to? One is described by the Seller as "probably only good for parts". Are these models fairly common? thanks.

Well they are vintage Mariners, which I think are amazing bikes. Later than mine, which means changing things like the crank would be much easier. Still possibly stainless steel? A magnet would verify. I would grab them in a heartbeat anyway, one to ride and the other for parts.

I picked one vintage Marnier today. Needs some help; needs consumables, tires, cables, brake pads.

I believe its stainless steel; a magnate does not stick to the frame. serial number indicates it was made in 1997.

Congratulations, it looks awesome! Make sure you re-pack everything, particularly the headset. If it rides anything like mine you will be thrilled.

The only old Dahons worth having for their own sake are these stainless Mariners. Stainless steel bikes are a rarity in themselves, and those Mariners are probably the only folding ones out there. Present day Mariners are aluminium and not distinctive in any way any more.

Thanks for the response. I was searching for a more modern folding bike when I came upon the Seller of this Mariner. Something about the stainless told me I should just buy and figure it out later. With small money, i'll be able to get it out on the road.

Looks great. A Brooks B17 works well with these bikes because of the upright riding style if you’re looking to replace the saddle.