I don't know about the Fitness Store option, unless it also includes making any necessary adjustments. You could ask them exactly what they do. There's very little actual assembly left to do on a Dahon folder as it comes from the factory, but there are things that could need to be tweaked. If you aren't comfortable with bike maintenance, it might be worth ordering through a local bike shop that will set up the bike for you. Most bike shops will set up the bike initially, and then do a tune-up after a couple of weeks for no extra charge. You could check the Dahon web page to see if there are any dealers near you. Most Dahon dealers can order any model, even if they don't have it in stock.

What exactly is the setup maintenance anyway? This has never been explained to me. The manufacturers instructions for this proceedure are not included in the box.

If its a matter of adjusting the shifting mechanism, aligning the wheels, and lubricating the chain and mobile parts then I deem this stuff to be in the category of self-maintenance.

As for "double boxing" I'm not sure what that means. The Curve comes in a pretty high impact box. The weak point of the box is that the shifting mechanism at the rear axel is very close to the box wall and could get damaged if the box is mishandled. That said, the mechanism is shielded by 2 plastic disguardable cover clips so you most likely won't have a problem.

I figured the money I saved buying mail order vs. from a bike shop was worth the risk. If I really had something I couldn't set up right I could always take it to a local shop for a standard $40 setup anyway.

My local bike shop was selling the Curve for $439 and I bought it from Brands for $359 so even with a $40 setup fee I still came out ahead. I also figured that if some bearings or something were totally mangled I'd order them from my bike store and install them myself.

I'll state that I have a house with a tool room and have worked as a mechanic when I was younger. I've owned many motorcycles over the years and performed all the services on those vehicles (both new HD & BMWs) so I'm not too afraid of a little bike.

That said, I would really like to know what this mythical "set up" really is. Sure I had to bust out a wrench and re-align the rear axel to get the shifting mechanism to work correctly but that's no sweat. The rest was lubrication and general inspection to make sure wheels spun, breaks worked, and stuff like that.

I'd agree that initial setup on a bike isn't rocket science, and should be do-able for a home mechanic. The problem is that the same things are not simple for all people. There are people on these forums who can build a bike up from a bare frame, and others who can just about change a flat tire. If someone considers himself a newbie, I'd always advise spending the extra money to go through a local shop. Doesn't mean he can't learn to do most of his own maintenance eventually.

Agreed, but if you have the will to save, an adjustable wrench and oil can you should be able to pull this off. I forgot to say that you have to screw on 1 pedal too. Don't forget that you are buying a folding bike so it fits nicely into a shipping box while 99.5% fully assembled.

360 USD!!! I jst went to a store in Portugal and yhey're asking me for 555 EUR for the curve D3 :mad: !!!! that's almost twice the price. It must be cheaper to order from the States and pay the VAT and the shipping

Ya we discussed this a bit. Seems like the Curve is overpriced outside of the US market.

Anybody here willing to send me a Curve D3 or DT mini (payment by Paypal)? Even with shipping I'd be far, far ahead of retail here in Oz.

I'd be happy to do that. I was going to order a Mini for myself on Tuesday also (Monday is a holiday here).

PM me and let's work out the details.

Yan won't ship the bike to Oz? Seems like he's willing to ship almost everywhere else in the world.

The mythical setup is one way to weasel out of the warranty, judging by what I have read about the hurdles Da Hon provide about honouring the warranty unless you buy from one of their dealers.

I did ask Yan for a quote recently, and he is willing; but a UPS quote scared me a bit. Came out not much less than the bike. Am looking to options other than UPS. Peter Reich sent me a Swift frame in a box that the Mini would fit in easily, for $72, USPS express, IIRC. The weight was obviously less in that case.

I'd first have a look at http://www.bikes.com.au/c/123770/1/dahon.html

I don't think you'd be saving much importing a Curve vs buying from MBC. A bit of a difference from the pricing at most (obviously greedy) shops!

The mythical setup is one way to weasel out of the warranty, judging by what I have read about the hurdles Da Hon provide about honouring the warranty unless you buy from one of their dealers.
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absolutely bogus ....... please email me directly and give me details
Thor

I had my first test ride on a Dahon at the weekend, a Curve SL. I was impressed by the lightness, but did not feel at all comfortable with the handlebar stem, it took forever to get it aligned after adjusting the height, and even then it felt very flimsy. The wheels, with Big Apple tyres, didn't seem to run very true, and the gear change was quite stiff and notchy. All in all a nice bike, but not sure how far I'd be comfortable riding it, and to be honest the London Uk price of 560 pounds was pretty steep. After that I went on to try the Pacific Reach, a very different kettle of fish, and a lot more fun for only 40 quid more.

What do you mean by "it took forever to get it aligned after adjusting the height"?

Curve SL and Pacific Reach = Apples and oranges.

I mean that it was very difficult to get the handlebars correctly aligned with the front wheel after adjusting the height of the handlebars. This was partly because I'm not used to doing this on a small wheeled bike, where you can't simply hold the wheel steady between your knees, and partly because the handlebar/stem joint mechanism, which again I wasn't used to, had a lot of play in it, and was not easy to set up correctly. Maybe it all comes good with practice, but it wasn't a good start.

Nothing a Sharpie felt pen won't cure once you own it. I've made tick marks for my seat post height and forward positioning this way.

That's what I do also, it works very well.

I assumed the new handleposts had a notch in them that made it so you didn't have to make side-to-side adjustments, but there still must be some play there still. I'm used to the older style (completely round) and some kind of mark is a must.

There was a grove in the handlebar stem, but no key in the post, so the stem rotatated freely. Probably I needed to use the micro scew to get a rough fit before trying to set the bars, but my feeling was that that the tolerances on the set up were far too large and however effective the clamp there is always going to be a tendency for the bars to rock in the post.

My bars don't rock in the post. I suggest Tightening the screw in the backside of the tensioner a 1/2 turn or more.

The only reason my bars might seem to rock in the post is that the handlebar stem is higher than most bikes and physics simply dictate that if you yank on it the metal will give a little.

IMO, this is something that any high stem will do. So like I said before, I don't try for wheelies unless they are minor and I'm more or less in control and I don't attempt mountain biking.

On my Curve, there are actually a couple of little bumps inside the handlepost which do catch that groove. They are much smaller than the groove, so the stem could rotate quite a bit, but not all the way. It wouldn't be possible to fit a stem without that groove.

Anyone here use the Biologic Suspension Seat Post on their Curve? I'm thinking about it and don't really want to drop the $140 for a Thudbuster. Does it mount on the stock seat post or do I need to buy something else? Is it easy to install? Does it make the seat sit higher than stock?

http://www.dahon.com/us/accessories/...suspension.htm

http://www.thorusa.com/dahon/accessories/seatpost.htm

To install that seat post, you would remove your stock seat post. Take the seat off the stock seat post. Attach the seat to the new seat post. Insert the seat post in to bike. You will probably need an allen type hex wrench.

You should also find out the length of the Biologic suspension seat post. If it is shorter than your stock seat post, folding will become a little tougher. Notice how nicely your bike rests on the bottom of your seat post when folded now. If that seat post were shorter, imagine what will happen.

The Dahon thudbuster seat post is shorter than the stock seat post. At least the slide in the tube section is shorter. This affected my fold.

I have used seatposts similar to the Biologic on other bikes and all I can say is that there is no comparison between that suspension technology and the suspension technology of the thudbuster. Thudbuster is in another league, and worth what they charge in my opinion.

Best of luck to you!

I wonder if ThorUSA can tell us the length of the Biologic suspension seatpost. :) I am thinking of getting one for my 20-inch DT IXNS. Thudbuster is actually too tall for me. I am quite short.

I just called Thor. He says the Biologic suspension seatpost is the same size as the stock seatpost in diameter and length. He says it replaces the stock post so essentially you loose the pump which in my case isn't that big a deal since I'm using it to commute in city so if I get a flat it isn't that long a walk to the office.

Oh and he has both black and silver.

So my next question is the bracket on the front frame of the Curve above the fork. Is Klick Fix the only mounting system that accepts this mount? I'm thinking of getting a front bag but I'd want it to double as a casual office bag and the Click Fix product (Allegra) is $125 and that's a lot to spend.

Anyone know any alternatives? I know the baskets are a possibility but I prefer an actual bag.

Update: Hum, seems like according to Dahon.com this mount only accepts KlickFix equipment. It sticks that no one really imports their entire line up as I'd like to get a map bag (even if it would be out of sight in that position). Also, they are hella expensivo.

http://www.klickfix.com/indexe.html