How about 8 speeds on the Mini and 3 speeds on the Curve.

Thanks everyone. I edited message #46 to include your suggestions.

MequonJim: Another item to list as a "Pro" for the Curve (at least the D3) is the tire pump in the seat.

The reason why I didn't list it is that the people who own these bikes have made it clear that they benefit from some sort of suspension. Whether that is a suspension seatpost or a seat with built in springs like the Brooks Champion Flyer. I was thinking that the tire pump in the seat post would be ditched by most owners. Perhaps I am wrong.

Yes, it is being ditched by most owners.

I'm leaning towards the Curve D3. Here is what I think I should order:

1. Dahon Curve D3 $360 shipped www.sunrisecyclery.com

2. Thudbuster LT 27.2mm XL $137 shipped. www.thudbuster.com

3. Dahon telescoping seat post (accepts 27.2mm) $30.50 shipped www.thorusa.com

It brings me a bit over budget, but the Thudbuster should be able to be used on other bikes in the future, as it is a standard size.

MequonJim et all: Help me out here. Can you recap why you'd buy the Thudbuster and the Telescoping Seat Post? To protect your butt because the Curve's ride is less forgiving than my mountain bike or due to rider height? I'm 5'9" @ 160 lbs.

I suppose I could order them later.

FYI we will begin selling adjustable height stems for the mini in 7-10 days. Cost will be about $49.

Thanks,
Yan

I thought the same about the color until it arrived - it's hard to capture the subtle, irridescent quality of the color. Far from being a garish Miami lime green, it's a very soft and sophisticated pearly tone. People comment on it all the time - even when it's folded up at my house.

MequonJim,

Consider ordering everything from Thor and see if he can give you a discount. Maybe you can save some money on shipping. That's what I did.

+1

Totally agree. It's really quite cute.

I'm also curious about your decision (I'm not questioning it, just trying to understand your rationale). The Thudbuster and seatpost adds a 45% premium to the original price of the Curve, and makes the Curve $200 more than the Mini, which has a suspension.

What is it about the Curve that makes you willing to pay such a premium over the Mini?

Thanks,

Hmmmm. Now I have to pause and think. That was one of the major reasons I was passing on the Downtube Mini. Hmmmmm.

Hi dcoli--I sent you a reply, but your account email is blocked, so make sure to include a return address. My uni is my username, pm124 if you want to email directly.

I would put in a vote for buying Dahons from J Gaerlan. Though he charges retail, he unpacks the bike and trues the wheels for you before repacking and shipping. If the spoke tension is terrible, he'll send it back to Dahon. You can have your LBS true the wheel for you, but it will cost more than you will save on your internet deal. I bought my used Birdy from him and was very happy with the service. And my wheels are still true after 1000 km of NYC potholes. Thor is a major dealer here on the forum, so maybe he does something similar.

Another consideration is that you should use a reputable dealer like Thor or Gaerlan simply because some of the discount dealers might not take the bike back if there is something wrong. Sunrise is right down the street from Brands Cycle and Fitness, which offers similar prices to Sunrise, but wouldn't take my defective Dahon back. I don't know anything about Sunrise in particular.

Obviously, Yan is more than reputable. He'll even take the bike back just because you don't like the color, so long as you do so within 30 days.

My reason was for increased ride quality. I do have a less expensive alternative for myself which is not as good as the Thudbuster. That is, buy the Telescoping Seat Post, plus a cheap shim for my low quality suspension seat post, which is a 26.8mm Kalloy UNO U.L. System.

However, now I see in the Dahon Curve D3 thread that you tried the Sunrise Cyclery deal and it is out of stock until May. In addition, Yan opened up the adjustable handlebar height solution for the Downtube Mini in 7-10 days.

Now I'm back to being uncertain.

One of the things was handlebar height adjustability. Another was dealing with essentially a start up business versus an established one. I also got turned off on Downtube by the constant drilling in to people about how they should disassemble their bike (if they can) and lube it up immediately (in the Downtube threads). However, there were never any instructions (or photos) on how to do so. Taking the bike to a local bike shop for quality control would probably exceed my original budget.

I could buy the Downtube Mini and adjustable height stem for around $481 shipped and possibly do the mechanical stuff myself with instructions.

Or I could buy the Dahon Curve D3 for $399 shipped plus the Telescoping Seat Post for $30.50 shipped and get a shim for my suspension seat post. This would probably be for a total of about $450 or so.

It is a tough call.

I will, thanks for the tip.

I couldn't find the Curve D3 at http://www.gaerlan.com/ Are you sure that he sells it?

Also, on Thor's site: http://www.thorusa.com/dahon/warranty.htm There is an extra fee to get the bike adjusted.

I wonder how out of whack these things come from Dahon?

I would definitely double check any stores return policy for defective merchandise before ordering. Often you get what you pay for. I did find low prices at both www.brandscycle.com and www.bikesarecool.com on the Curve D3, although I can't say whether either store will stand behind what they sell.

J Gaerlan's doesn't sell the Curve. I just called them and he talked poorly about the 16" wheels saying that he doesn't recommend that short of a wheelbase.

I guess that's what you get in Cali. Alls it has to do if fit in your car trunk. They never have to worry about crowded urban commuter rail.

Thank though.

Thudbuster is $115 shipped from PricePoint: http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/136...=16&zmap=13667

If you do get one, make sure it fits beforehand. You need to think about length and width. Also, it will interfere with folding if not thought out right. So, be careful.

Sorry about the Gaerlan advice not working out. He sure was an advocate of the Birdy, which has 355 wheels on it (right between the Curve's 305s and 20" 406s)

Guys-
I bought my Dahon Speed D6 from brandscycle and have nothing but positive stuff to say about them. I got a great deal on the '06 model ($290 all in, which included tax and shipping). It arrived the next day after ordering and although it was missing one screw for the seat post quick lock, they were very good in contacting Dahon and having them ship and entire new locking mechanism (as an extra) free of charge. Since it was pre-assembled by Brandscycle and then re-packed before being shipped to me, I took the bike immediately to a local bike shop so they could check it out and they said that everything was in order (everything aligned and calibrated properly etc.) . I couldn't be happier with the bike and the service, both from Dahon and Brandscycle.
Hope this helps.

I don't expect any problems.