Dahon Speed D7
11-01-06, 03:19 PM
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Dahon Speed D7
I recently purchased a Dahon Speed D7. Are there any problems that I should expect down the road? I often find debris and shards of metal in my brake pads. Although I remove the debris as soon as possible, the debris still scratches up my bike rims. I just bought a better quality brand of brake pads. Now, I need to smooth down the scratches. Any advice
11-01-06, 04:29 PM
#2
No Rocket Surgeon
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Corona and S. El Monte, CA
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Bikes: Cannondale D600, Dahon Speed T7
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Mr.JC, I've put a little over 500 miles on my Speed 7 since I bought it earlier this year. I have had no problems with the bike and I really enjoy it. I'm 230# and that's about the upper weight limit for the bike. I commute on it every day, so it gets real-world use regularly.
However, a couple of thing to watch out for:
1. The front rims on my Speed 7 were very poor quality, in my opinion. I've had them replaced twice due to a large lateral mismatch where the rims fit together. Put on the front brake and get a "thunk, thunk, thunk". Finally the shop where I bought the bike gave up trying to fix it and told me this was "normal". Having ridden bikes all my adult life, this was news to me. I'll be upgrading the rims soon.
This may be the cause of your metal sliver problem...the brakes are catching burrs from the rims. Check how well they fit up at the seam.
2. The front cones on ALL the replacement wheels mentioned above were far too tight. The bearings were binding. Check your cones and back them off if necessary.
But I'm not one to throw the baby out with the bathwater. I really like my Dahon! I couldn't ask for much more out of a commuter.
However, a couple of thing to watch out for:
1. The front rims on my Speed 7 were very poor quality, in my opinion. I've had them replaced twice due to a large lateral mismatch where the rims fit together. Put on the front brake and get a "thunk, thunk, thunk". Finally the shop where I bought the bike gave up trying to fix it and told me this was "normal". Having ridden bikes all my adult life, this was news to me. I'll be upgrading the rims soon.
This may be the cause of your metal sliver problem...the brakes are catching burrs from the rims. Check how well they fit up at the seam.
2. The front cones on ALL the replacement wheels mentioned above were far too tight. The bearings were binding. Check your cones and back them off if necessary.
But I'm not one to throw the baby out with the bathwater. I really like my Dahon! I couldn't ask for much more out of a commuter.
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11-01-06, 08:10 PM
#3
Professional Fuss-Budget
I put about 2000 miles on my Mariner D7 (basically the same as the Speed D7) until relegating it to "beater bike" duty. The components are rather mediocre quality, maybe the same as you'd get on a $250 bike.
Keep an eye out for:
• hinges getting loose, especially with lots of folding
• rear derailleur alignment
• wheel and spoke quality (notoriously bad, esp. on cheaper Dahons)
• don't pull back on the handlepost (the part may eventually fail)
As long as you do regular maintenance, keep it clean and don't push it too hard, it should ride fine for a long time.
Keep an eye out for:
• hinges getting loose, especially with lots of folding
• rear derailleur alignment
• wheel and spoke quality (notoriously bad, esp. on cheaper Dahons)
• don't pull back on the handlepost (the part may eventually fail)
As long as you do regular maintenance, keep it clean and don't push it too hard, it should ride fine for a long time.
