View Poll Results: Which if these three is the most fun to ride?
Voters: 10. You may not vote on this poll
Which is more fun to ride? Choice of three
08-31-07, 09:36 AM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Outside Reading
Posts: 89
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Which is more fun to ride? Choice of three
Swift
Dahon Curve SL
Birdy City Premium or Touring
Assume all journeys of less than 10 miles, on road and cycle paths and mostly flat.
Dahon Curve SL
Birdy City Premium or Touring
Assume all journeys of less than 10 miles, on road and cycle paths and mostly flat.
08-31-07, 02:17 PM
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: MT, USA
Posts: 167
Bikes: Dahon Speed Pro
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
How many people have had a chance to ride all three?
They are also very different types of bikes.
Regardless, my Curve SL is very fun to ride.
They are also very different types of bikes.
Regardless, my Curve SL is very fun to ride.
08-31-07, 02:40 PM
#4
Part-time epistemologist
They are very different bikes and qualities that compose fun are hard to define.
08-31-07, 08:39 PM
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Albany, WA
Posts: 7,393
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 321 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 7 Times
in
6 Posts
Ooof, out of those I only have a Swift... so can't vote...
Today I installed Thudbusters on my wife's and my bikes, and we are just back from a training ride on a rail trail and are over the moon about the increased comfort and riding enjoyment.
I suspect the Birdy will have a similar effect having stiff roadworthy full suspension so I would have voted for it. The Swift is still the fastest. Sooooo difficult...
Perhaps you can ask forum member rickybails for his opinion, he has a Swift and perhaps he has used it on trains...?
Today I installed Thudbusters on my wife's and my bikes, and we are just back from a training ride on a rail trail and are over the moon about the increased comfort and riding enjoyment.
I suspect the Birdy will have a similar effect having stiff roadworthy full suspension so I would have voted for it. The Swift is still the fastest. Sooooo difficult...
Perhaps you can ask forum member rickybails for his opinion, he has a Swift and perhaps he has used it on trains...?
08-31-07, 11:11 PM
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Victoria BC Canada & La Quinta CA USA
Posts: 351
Bikes: Birdy Red 8 speed, Birdy Blue 21 Speed, Birdy Monocoque 24 Speed, 2002 Devinci Desperado, 1996 Rocky Mountain Hammer Race
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I test rode a Swift before buying my Birdy.
I liked riding both of them a lot. Both feel quick and I suspect that relative speed would depend on tires. The Birdy is very responsive and can be turned on a dime which I find very useful both in the city and on trails. The Birdy felt better on rough road surfaces.
I've not ridden a Curve. Based on its design, I would be surprised if it was as much fun as the other two but it looks neat and hopefully some people will respond who have ridden a curve and either the Birdy or the Swift.
David
I liked riding both of them a lot. Both feel quick and I suspect that relative speed would depend on tires. The Birdy is very responsive and can be turned on a dime which I find very useful both in the city and on trails. The Birdy felt better on rough road surfaces.
I've not ridden a Curve. Based on its design, I would be surprised if it was as much fun as the other two but it looks neat and hopefully some people will respond who have ridden a curve and either the Birdy or the Swift.
David
09-01-07, 12:33 PM
#7
Car free since 1995
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: NYC
Posts: 1,050
Bikes: M5 Carbon High Racer, Trek Emonda SL6
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 14 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 10 Times
in
6 Posts
I've owned both a Mu SL and a Birdy. There is no comparison. Unless you are riding on an icy smooth surface, the Birdy is faster and it is a *lot* more comfy. I think the theory is that the suspension reduces rolling resistance, thus overcoming any inefficiency associated with suspension. If you ride the Birdy correctly, the suspension inefficiency isn't an issue b/c the rear triangle is isolated and the front only seems to move if you hit uneven surface.
I did 70 miles on the Mu one day and sold it the next week; it was much harsher than a road bike.
Still, the Mu is a light, fun bike. If you are doing a 10 mile daily commute on smooth surfaces, it's great. It's also easier to learn how to fold than a Birdy. I just wouldn't do any serious riding on the Mu.
Incidentally, I'm running the big thick Greenspeed Scorchers now on 349 wheels (non-Kevlar). I got a flat on the inagural ride, and the Stelvios seem more svelt. It could be that the bike already has suspension, but I'm not sure that they live up to their lower rolling resistance hype. The contact patch is large and the tires make more noise. But if you need to run a thick tire (e.g., on a Brompton), they are great. No reports on wet surfaces yet.
I did 70 miles on the Mu one day and sold it the next week; it was much harsher than a road bike.
Still, the Mu is a light, fun bike. If you are doing a 10 mile daily commute on smooth surfaces, it's great. It's also easier to learn how to fold than a Birdy. I just wouldn't do any serious riding on the Mu.
Incidentally, I'm running the big thick Greenspeed Scorchers now on 349 wheels (non-Kevlar). I got a flat on the inagural ride, and the Stelvios seem more svelt. It could be that the bike already has suspension, but I'm not sure that they live up to their lower rolling resistance hype. The contact patch is large and the tires make more noise. But if you need to run a thick tire (e.g., on a Brompton), they are great. No reports on wet surfaces yet.
