thugpipe

https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=221352798970

I don't know where this bike came from, I saw this bike on their site and found a couple of images from a trade show but dahon usa told me they had never offered it to the public. It is very cool and I can't afford it right now, It is a dahon Dash P18 with disc brakes!!!!! and it is in the USA!!!!!

smallwheeler

why is this so appealing to you? disc brakes? 1200usd puts you in the bike friday (pre-owned) price range.

Still Pedaling

Feel free to buy it. I'm not even remotely interested.

thugpipe

I own a silvertip now and am quite fond of the bike but I have always wanted a diamond frame mini velo with disc brakes. I searched for options I could get here in the states of which I found none until I found this bike on the dahon usa site only to be told that it did not really exist and so I gave up. I eventually ended up finding my Origin8 bully which is actually a better bike for me, you may have read my thread about that bike. I guess finding this bike which is very unique and of which I think there are very few, just got me excited so I thought I would share it with others, that's it!

I have my bikes I don't need options and we could list better options from now until the end of time but it is really just preference. I really like the diamond frame design of the Dahon midtown mini series bikes, I'm not so much into low mono frame bikes with mile long steerer tubes and seatposts great as some may be.

good for you. I stated from the start I am not buying the bike but somebody who, for reasons I can't imagine, might have views that do not align with your own.

smallwheeler

the silvertip looks like a very cool bike.

a couple of years ago i had a dahon cadenza that incorporates the same hinge mechanism (or "technology" as dahon likes to call it) as the mini velo range of dahon bikes. personally, i think that hinge design is superior for stiffness and reliability to dahons mono-frame hinge mechs. sweet ride.

i wonder if it would make sense to explore the possibility of retro-fitting the silvertip with disc brake mounts?

the "dash" appears to be identical to the silvertip except for the disc brake mounts..

smallwheeler

hmm... also, here is a review of the p18.

although, as the writer states in caveat, he could have gotten a lemon, i definitely would feel some considerable reservations about dropping 1200 bucks on a bike that is essentially the same as the one i already have (the silvertip) just because the new one has a cool paint scheme and discs brakes (which the writer of the review specifically mentions as an issue).

edit: don't forget to read the comments at the bottom:

"Final note on the Dahon. I surrender. This bike is hopeless. It is an expensive disaster and the rider will probably derive more joy and less issues with a flying pigeon.

I ended up writing it off."

fietsbob

just because a bike has disc brakes , it does not necessarily have fitted good ones ..

and they clean and adjust themselves via Magic .


BTW you dont add disc brake mounts , if they are already there you May utilize them.

smallwheeler

is that your way of saying disc brake conversion kits are garbage? if so, i will defer to your extensive knowledge, but that suggestion on my part was a side-issue.

fietsbob

Personally, I only have bikes with disc brakes as an intentional part of the frame design
in the 1st place .
my 2 of them have both V and Disc mounts .. (others rim brake only)

the 2nd purchase being built up with Disc Brakes ..
eliminated my consideration of retrofitting / replacing , the Magura HS33 rim brakes
on my Koga WTR, which have been fine for 5 years.

you can take your own risks with kludges, like that, if you wish.

Never have been asked by anyone , here, to order and install one .. (@ LBS gig)

so I have never held one in my hands ..

in theory the strut going Up to the V brake boss does transfer the braking force

to the frame .. the graphic says it slips over the hub .

Be my guest .. I won't buy it first just so you have someone else reviewing it
to convince you to buy it. there, you are on Your Own.

smallwheeler

interesting. thanks.
did you read the review i linked to? any thoughts on the criticisms offered by the reviewer?

fietsbob

see the sales site, no review ,, does show a strut only for bigger wheels 26"


FWIW Dont like Rim Brakes ? I suggest getting a S-A Drum brake - cassette hub
and building another wheel .. or one of their IGH Drum Models ..

25years ago I built a Drum Brake wheelset
(IGH or freewheel Hub was all the UK company made then)

and it has needed no service since .. removed the freewheel and replaced it when it wore teeth.

Old MTB .. all weather Braking .. the bike now is the wearer of the studded tires..

Disc Braked Bike friday is the rain bike ..

In a few years I've bought fresh disc pads and pulled the original ones out earlier
and de glazed them .

it is not so trouble free. service is fairly simple, but not so fit and forget.

smallwheeler

sorry, i was asking what you thought about this review of the actual bike in question, not about the disc brake conversion kit:

https://prstat.blogspot.com/2013/02/2...gn-review.html

incidentally, i agree about the drum brake and i am in the process of building one myself! drum brakes are sooo nice.

fietsbob

Ebay review ?

Shimano's roller brake is a combination .. some ways like a lever operated coaster brake .
because the brake parts are metal with grease , between them..

Sturmey is like cars used .. A steel drum and 2 shoes of friction material that are dry .




that , as a screw down the last cog to hold the cassette on is uniglide type.. they too did that.

that should keep you amused with the wheel build on that project.

smallwheeler

well, i guess you're not interested in my reading that review, hehe. but, thanks for the info regarding brakes. i guess we could start a new thread about roller/drum brakes..

fietsbob

No real Opinion on your subjective opinion .. aka review..

What wrong with the rim brakes you have , it doesn't look like it gets out in the Nasty Weather .



[or you spotlessly clean stuff before getting out the camera..]

dynaryder

Sounds like most of his issues were from the shop's initial setup. As for the Neos + disc,I could see how that could be an issue;really don't see why this bike would need that derailleur. I'd be really surprised that Dahon mismatched the levers and calipers,though. I think the issue was low-end brakes with long,stop-less cable runs. When I swapped the hydros for BB7's on my Pt Reyes,I had to go with a continuous cable for the rear brake. Took some futzing to set up correctly,but I've also got SpeedDial levers which helped alot. My Novato came with a continuous cable for it's rear,but with cheaper levers and calipers. Was a real PITA to set up,but I got it right.

I wouldn't put any of those conversions on my bikes. Brakes are a critical component,they need to be done right.

thugpipe

well that review was interesting, I can't say if the reviewer was having issue with the bike or the bike shop but he or she definitely didn't do their own work. maybe he got a lemon or maybe this version of the bike is crap, all I know is my Dahon Silvertip which is almost the same bike is a great little bike. Granted my silvertip did cost about half what this guy wants and I replaced the headset, the brakes, the shifters, and a bunch of other parts and like any other bike I had to spend some time setting it up but mine weights 20lbs. and is a joy to ride.

I asked the ebay seller where he got this bike and he said he bought it in germany so I guess they sell it there because you can't get it here in the states.

smallwheeler

well, i hope you have successfully talked yourself out of buying the p18. but, if you still intend to buy it, you'll have to sell the silvertip to me to help offset that 1200....

thugpipe

yea I was never going to be able to buy the Dash, my Bully build broke the bank(like that alliteration?), I can't sell the Silvertip we've been through too much together and I have it just the way I want it now!


besides you know how hard these bikes are to find now!

I used to wish this bike had disc brakes but now that I have the bully I am very comfortable with the set up of this one. it has become my travel and path train rush hour bike.

smallwheeler

yeah, it's awesome. you never needed that p18 anyway..

thugpipe

Actually that last image was kinda old this is what my Silvertip looks like at present. I love those maxxis hookworm tires the bike feels so much faster with them on!!!

smallwheeler

yes. the hookworms are awesome tires. on the the heavy side, but super grippy and rugged. not to mention the fact that they look super-cool.

thugpipe

Yep, my bike gained roughly 2lbs over the kojaks and at 90+psi they are far from comfort tires but going through a turn at twice the speed is fun fun fun!!! I swear the hookworms make that bike roll MUCH faster too, I don't care what they say about the effects of contact patch size on rolling resistance.

chaadster

2lbs at the tires?? Yikes! I'll take a pass on that myself.

thugpipe

Worth every ounce!!!!! I am certainly no weight weenie, I also ride with 12lbs of chain+ulock and pounds of other crap. I think that unless you are racing a few pounds here and there makes little difference for a "casual" rider. Even with these tires the Silvertip weighs 24.3lbs which I think is pretty good.