I honestly think that a folding bike needs to be light enough for you to pick it up and load your car's trunk, light enough for you to climb a hill without walking pushing it AND light enough to fit, with extra gear, under the airline weight limits. If you are a high performance athlete you shouldn't be riding a folder. Since we are not a high performance athlete, 99% chances are that we can lose some weight anyways, making the bike-rider-combo pretty decent even if your bike is not the lightest.

In that picture, as in real life usage, there is nothing holding the two wheels together. DT provides a bungee cord to achieve that. Other manufacturers provide various clamping solutions. I don't know if there's a perfect answer for keeping them together.

If you fold the handlebars between the wheels and tie the wheels together, the fold is pretty darn small. I can't remember the size of the box that it shipped in, but it was surprisingly small. You can ask Yan from Downtube what the dimensions of the shipping box are. That will give you some verification of the optimal fold.

I have bought 5 DTs. I think they do have a quality control problem with BBs, but that's the only one I've seen. I wouldn't agree with leaving a perception with a new buyer that there is an endemic and random quality problem, because that's not my experience. The number of satisfied users on these forums far outweigh the dissatisfied ones. I don't question that individuals have come onto these forums complaining about problems, but you get that on a Bike Friday forum, too.

For the difference in price between DTs and other brands, I'm happy to take the 15 minutes to remove the BB shells and lube them, which is what I've done with all 5 of my purchases.

I don't know about Dahons since I don't own one. I prefer to buy bikes with non-proprietary parts and service design.

I like the idea of an internal hub instead of an external derailer. So the Capreo DT Mini is out of consideration for me personally. I find no pleasure in tuning up my bike's shifting.

I still feel undecided between the Mini and the Curve. I will try to make up my mind soon.

I really do appreciate everyones information they have shared.

I also really appreciate everyone's responses. I test-rode and bought a Curve today!

Holy Moly! :) That was fast!

I'm sure you'll be happy with the Curve. As far as I'm concerned both the Mini and Curve are great choices.

14R

Sorry but I can't see enough in the Downtube website's images that clearly show the derailer on the Capreo so I assumed it was the same setup as the 8speed Mini. I'm avaiding derailers entirely. I have bad luck with them on any bike. I'm always bending them on tree stumps or some bum will pass out leaning on my bike and offset the thing.

KISS - Keep it simple is my moto.

My only question is with the 8 speed Mini how often does one cycle through gears on even terrain and city biking? Do you use the gearing to go over bridges or to peddle against the wind? I'm in Chicago so its fairly flat but the wind, that's another story. Plus the train station is near the river and you have to climb up a 2 block gradual incline past the Sears Tower to get there.

14R: How about this for the Curve? In general, unless I'm mountain biking I'm a fairly lazy shifter and prefer to dial her in and go the distance.

Does the lowest gear on the Curve D3 seem low enough to climb most hills? Do you feel as though you want more than 3 gears?

Also, I found this picture of a folded DT Mini on the Downtube website:

http://www.downtube.com/images/Bikes...s/ND6W7928.JPG

Clearly the 10" dimension is the width of the bike. It is also nice to see it next to a folded 20" version to see the size difference.

Thanks! :) It was great getting advice from this thread! (And also insights from the many other threads I read.) It made deciding easy... and then today I loved the feel of the Curve when I test-rode it, AND I got an incredible price. I've had some challenges folding, but I'm working it out.

Holymoly: Can I ask what you paid for the Curve D3? I'm seeing them from simple Google searches at $359 and free shipping/no tax. My local shop is selling them for $439!

I'm a lazy shifter myself. Unless I'm trying to keep up with roadsters, I only use first and second gear.
I do not have a lot of hills here in Florida, But I think the Curve D3 gives me enough room for whatever I want to do, including riding as fast as 19mph with some road bikers.


14R

14R: Ya I was looking at the black and white of you and the bike and thinking to myself "self, I think that's a hill there in the background, probably the only one in Florida"

We have hills in Chicago too. They also call them highway overpasses.

Welcome Holymoly to this and other forums,

I think the Curve is a great bike to start getting involved with and owning folding bikes. I bought the 2006 Piccolo (predecessor to the Curve) a few months ago and I could not be happier. As for the folding part, it does take some getting used to, though I feel that it is the most important feature offered by this type of bike. For more ideas, photos, and information see my web sites below:

hey FF, please append your links in the previous post ... always looking for new links.

Well, any $200 bike will have quality control problems. I'm too much of a complainer. But after rebuilding the BB, headset, and wheels, there's still two hubs to go before everything is true and non-crunchy. I love the NS though, and it's been fun working on. It rides great, and has some parts that can only be found on more expensive bikes. It's true that the BB barely turned, but the major issue on mine was that the spokes creaked, which is a potential safety problem. The headset race was crooked, and the water bottle braze-ons were crooked, but these were more minor concerns. Probably, if one took apart many new bikes, similar problems would be uncovered. But, I see the bike more of either a light commuting bike with an adjustment investment or a potential gem for a fixer upper.

i got my strida 2.5 (at least i think thats what it is) about 15 minutes ago... i unpacked the box and took it out... initial impressions are:

1) i was surprised by how robust it looks and feels
2) somewhat disappointed by how big it is when it folds down (but in the greater scheme of things it would definately fit in the trunk of even the smallest car)
3) feels very comfortable... really comfortable, just sitting on it anyway

i have yet to ride it due to the tires being low and my current blood alcohol level

it cost me 250 shipped via ebay, i think it looks better than other folding bikes and its a definate attention getter... well worth the money, i would not spend the money on a new strida 5 (i heard some people saying they will be around 800 shipped) but you can get a strida 3 on ebay for less than 400 + shipping

its worth looking into

here is a pic of mine:
http://i10.ebayimg.com/04/i/000/91/31/d363_3.JPG

and the youtube video of a road test (vs. a sinclair a-bike): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVVgsQt1DK4

My LBS sells the D3 for $500 Canadian (around US$435 US) but, temporarily, had listed the price incorrectly on their website as $395 (around US$343.) They were very gracious about honouring the lower/incorrect price. I'd never dealt with them before, but now I always will.

Thanks, folder fanatic. I actually had a look at your websites a few days ago!

One thing I've discovered already is that folding works much better when I keep the handlebar post extended, so that when the bike is folded, the bars are below the magnets. It's a very 'newbie' discovery, but it feels good to figure out a few things, basic as they might be! :)

We need pictures!!

re:choosing folder
 

I am also trying to choose a folder for a short commute to work (2 miles each way). I have been looking at the Downtube site, but saw the Dahon made Yeah on Ebay. I am wanting a bike that is a usable bike, not junk, and not expensive. Possible?

Thanks.

Rob in Oregon

Here is my list of the positive and negative traits for both the Downtube Mini and Dahon Curve D3.

Downtube Mini 8 Speed:

+Granny gear for hill climbing & more speeds
+Easier to upgrade
+Built in suspension
+Includes carry bag

-Higher cost ($432 shipped)
-Possible bad parts (BBs) and/or bad lubrication
-Handlebar height not adjustable
-Tires not as nice

Dahon Curve D3 3 Speed:

+Lower cost ($360 shipped)
+Better tires
+Includes fenders and rack
+Handlebar height is adjustable
+Folds and/or stays folded better
+Mounting bracket for KlickFix bags & baskets on front
+Reflective strip around tires

-Needs odd size suspension seatpost (no suspension built in)
-Missing granny gear for hill climbing & less speeds
-More difficult to upgrade
-Carry bag not included

Did I miss anything? Did I get this correct?

It is tough to decide. They are close in pros and cons.

-Message edited to include feedback-

I've had a Dahon Helios for four years.Dahon has many models, a big range in price. Helios is an al. frame.
The components do it justice. I't very easy to master the folding and un-folding.Once you get the procedure down -pat,very fast and simple to deal with.i've read much of what's been written here. i've not much to adrees in the realm of gearing and comparisons. The only problem I've had with the bike itself is the chain ring got bent
(the wife has no patience). The bike is designed to be folded and quite easy to pack and carry IF you do it right
the chain-ring is indeed vulnerable. It's alot btter performing than one would suspect. I prefer it over some crappy cruiser or rental.That's why WE got it.It's MINE now though. The transition from my roadbikes to the Dahon is easier than I'd thought it would be. I't a blast to ride, I'll say; I feel "better" on it than most hybrids.
That's an oppinion.probably because it's so adjustable. I'd gone the bike-rack route for weekends at the shore
.THAT was WAY more problematic, a pain really, a theft risk as well.These folders will fit in your car easily.I won't
say much (don't know) about wheel size other than the manuverabilty is welcome when toolin' around resorts ,
metro areas. The small wheels in any case make average "hill climbing" an non-issue.By the way,i'd worried about the rear derailer when I first got it..I just don't see a problem with that AT ALL.

since the man remarked about "proprietary parts"..funny..I've located all of my componets within a few different places on the net..happenned to spot 'm findin' an $18.00 chain ring so...??...?? ..as far as folkes not liking thier folders..I don' know..50 years ain't a bad track record.

Pictures coming soon! The only unusual thing about it so far is my slipcover/bag. I went to Ikea to check out the Dimpa spare-tire bag that fits Bromptons. That bag was too small for my Curve, but I found something else that fit -- a big, orange (my favourite colour), sofa cushion cover. If I pull out the seatpost I can sit the bike in it and zip the cover completely closed around it. Or I can use it as a slipcover, leaving the zipper open at the bike bottom. I found the cover in Ikea's "as is" section, for $3! I don't need a bag with handles, just some camouflage, so I'm happy.

This is a tiny thing, but it's kind of neat... The Curve has a mounting bracket on the front for KlickFix bags and baskets. Another little detail I like is the reflective strip around the tires.