Kspeed888

I thought I was the luckiest man on Earth when I found a like new Dahon Mu Uno with belt drive for $500 at my area CL. And when I met up with the seller I pretty much threw the money at him and rode off with the bike. Very quickly after I took off, I realized something is wrong. The bike is geared so low! I had a Speed Uno before and it wasn't gear as low. I figured 451 wheels would make it faster bike. Does anyone have a 2017 Mu Uno that have similar experience? I have thought about maybe upgrading the rear sprocket to a smaller one. Or should I just put it back on CL all together.

BruceMetras

Your stock gear inch ratio is right around 50 G/I with 451 wheels .. that's a bit low for a lot of single speed applications.. I was in your boat in 2009 with a brand new Mu Uno.. You have a few options if you like the bike otherwise.. that Dahon belt drivetrain uses 8mm pitch belt/sprockets (as opposed to current Gates Belt Drive products) ... you can get on a a belt /sprocket calculator, measure your hub to crank distance, plug the numbers in, and see if there is a belt/cog combination that will fit your bike.. belts are easy to come by, sprockets not so much ..

I modified mine with a SRAM Automatix Here .. that is an easy mod .. build, or have someone build a wheel with the Automatix and use the exact same belt/sprocket/cog you have now.. gear inch would then be 50/69 .. on my bike, I also converted to belt drive using inexpensive 8mm pitch components.. Much like I did Here

The easiest and least costly mod would be to ditch the belt and run a chain drivetrain .. you could then fine tune the single speed to get closer to 60 G/I which would probably be more satisfying .

Joe Remi

I had a Speed Uno that felt geared too high. I'm much happier with my Uno Belt that is good enough for shortish flat rides, but can still climb some of the hills around here. Sure, it's too undergeared for fast riding, but I have multigear and electric bikes for speed. The Uno Belt is designed to pop out of car or bus and get you around town a bit..that's what I use mine for.

Kspeed888

Thanks for you help! I looked at all the options. I'm going to switch back to chain drive for now and see how I like the bike. I took off both sprockets off last night and man they were heavy! I live in NYC so it's mostly flat. Still this is the most disappointing Dahon bike I've ever purchased.

linberl

I'm thinking about getting a speed uno for my adult son. He rides a Jamis 700c 50 miles a day for exercise, but I know he'd appreciate a bike he could ride to work (less than 3 miles) or take into a movie instead of risking bike theft of his Jamis. You said it felt geared too high. My son averages 20mph+, he's a "masher", and is 30 y/o. Do you think he would find it geared too high or too low for primarily flat rides? He doesn't take very good care of his stuff so I think this bike is simple enough he won't destroy it; he doesn't enjoy working on bikes so he pays for all the work on his Jamis (unless he can talk me into it). A belt drive would be even less trouble but they are more expensive and this is a "nice to have" not a need so I don't want to spend a lot. Thanks for the advice...

Joe Remi

That's a tough call, Linberl. I would normally think a 57” gear for a strong rider would be enough for a 3 mile blast to work, but if he's really averaging 20+ mph for 50 miles EVERY DAY..well, I've never known a person outside pro racing to ride like that. I'm thinking about selling my Uno Belt and it's in your area, but I expect he would laugh at such a low gear ;-)

linberl

Is it something that can be changed? I'm guessing he would not ride the folder in his bike clothes, more like work clothes and such, so maybe he wouldn't want to turn into a a sweaty ball of ick ;-). He stops by sometimes when he is out riding, and he is just dripping!!! Gross, lol. He dropped a bunch of weight cycling once I got him into it, and now he's addicted. Every night after work and all day on the weekends. Helps with work stress too I think. If your Uno is a single speed/belt drive, once you decide if you're going to sell, let me know your price.....I can talk with him about it. If he's riding to meet up with people or work, he can't ride hard enough to get disgusting.
The nice thing about the belt drive is I won't have to remind him to lube the chain; he's just hopeless mechanically because he has such low interest in tinkering. Missed that gene, I guess, lol.

Joe Remi

I sent a PM about selling.
No, it wouldn't be simple to change the gearing without going to a chain. This model uses the new lower-cost belt system offered to OEMs so cheaper bikes can be made with belt drive. I suspect the lowish gearing is a result of the kit mostly being spec'd on big-wheel commuter bikes.