gswallow

The only 2 question marks for me on the Cadenza 08 are:

1. the change to the lockjaw fold (rather than the Visegrip) - how much longer does this take?
2. The weight increase with the Alfine hub.

In terms of on train space - clearly a Brompton/20" is smaller but in practical terms it doesn't make much odds. I just stick mine in the doorwell and go and take my seat. People can get on and off the train easily enough without me having to move the bike around. The Dahon 26 inchers do enough to get past the ticket inspectors and guards. Once on the train its just a matter of accepting the usual negative comments of your fellow travellers.

alhedges

Be sure to try a Brompton, too; they are so popular among multimodal commuters for a reason (several actually). These reasons may not, in the end, matter to you, but I think you owe it to yourself to check them out. (It's hard, for example to really understand how small and tight the B. fold is without having seen one in person.)

mulleady

I get grief on First Great Western to and from Paddington GSwallow with my 20" as I have to leave it in the doorwell too. Very interesting. Having said It's only been a handful of times since August 2007 but a couple of times i got annoyed back. I know it's not worth it and either ignore them or say 'take it up with the train operator not cyclists'.

FGW run their trains from mainly Oxford and Reading into Paddington so if the carriages are short or the slightest delay, the carriages get packed at the most unpredictable times. What I never understand is why passengers pick on folding cyclists who have the consideration to use a less obtrusive bike that folds. No worse than large luggage or a folded kid's pushchair/buggy. If they don't like overcrowding then complain to the oeprator. Some London commuters are so hostile and so thick. Mind you they are like that to non-cylcing commuters and I never understand why people won't move down carriages and all want to stand in the doorwells Then again I meet many who are also very nice and enthusiastic about folding bikes.

Klaw

We have same problem in NYC... subway noobs who jam the doorways, while there's tons of free space in the aisle, and refuse to move into the train... so everyone gets angry, but it's only because they're used to car driving and not public transportation. A folding bike just is another metal obstruction they can vent anger on rather than grasp the reality of the situation but density of standing room and density of people is usually directly proportional.

tulip

I used to have a Dahon Matrix, but I found that it was pretty cumbersome on the subway when I lived in DC. It folds in half, but it's still big and still very heavy. It took me a long time to get myself a 20" Bike Friday, but I'm very pleased with it now. If I still lived in a city with a subway, I'd be tempted to get a Tikit.

cs4mps

I will be commuting from Peterborough to Kings Cross, my work hours are 8-4 so I will probably be travelling from about 6:20am ish in the morning and on the way home at about 4:30pm, so I don't think it will be too busy. Anyone else on here also journey into London at about the same time? Do you find the trains are empty enough to get a folding bike on without too much fuss? I'm hoping that's the case, and if so i'll probably go for a 26" wheeler. I won't be getting the tube so that won't be a problem, and I have quite a bit of room behind my desk so even if it didn't fit underneath that wouldn't be a problem.

I'm also not too bothered about the weight of the bike, as I won't be carrying it much (only onto the train and into the building where I work). As long as it's manageable to carry it for a couple of minutes at a time then that's fine.

I have to make a decision by Friday as that's when we have to decide on our benefits package at my firm, and that includes me deciding the amount of cash I want to put towards a voucher to use for the Ride2Work scheme. I would prefer a 26" wheeled one, but want to make sure that it will be practical for me. As I said I'll be travelling at fairly early times so hope that a larger bike won't get in the way too much.

Also, does anyone have any suggestions for accessories that I will need to get, considering that I will (hopefully) be cycling all year round?

Thanks.
Chris

mulleady

Hi Chris,
I'd have to say based on your personal preferences the Dahon Cadenza 08 wins hands down the with the Shimano hub gears,disc breaks and excellent Schwalbe Big Apple tyres that are very puncture resistant . I wouldn't settle for anything else given your preferences.

You won't have problems leaving it in the doorwells of the trains and it qualifies as a folding bike. Obviously I'd go for
Good quality cycle helmet with airflow vents
Reflective slip on you can put on over any coat or jacket. Makes a huge difference to visibility.
Nice wireless or wired bike computer, always useful and fun.
Cateye front light and any good rear light with longer battery life (in both cases)
Maybe a nice pannier set for the rear rack? Maybe not needed if you use a good travel rucksack?
Waterproof jacket if you don'thave one and leggings. Lots of TK Maxx skiwear and all weather stuff is much better value than some of the cycliing gear which I think is overpriced
If Cadenza doesn't come with mudguards as standard make sure to either get them thrown in or as an extra
right handlebar mirror that is compact and doesn't impact fold?

Best of luck with your purchase you won't look back! Folding is the future............................

cs4mps

Thanks again for your quick reply. If I go for the Cadenza 08 (£579.99 at Evans) plus the extra bits you listed, I have done a rough estimate going by the prices on the Evans site and reckon it will come to about £750 total. This is without any rainwear, but since I can get up to £1000 would anything on here be worth getting?

https://www.evanscycles.com/dept.jsp?dept_id=1015

I've seen other posts where people say that they don't bother with rainwear because they tend to get wet anyway and also tend to get very sweaty. I plan to leave my work clothes in the office, so will change and shower when I get here anyway.

Thanks.
Chris

mulleady

Hi Chris,

I guess anything else you might get tempted with in the bike shop. If you itend to ever cycle on unlit roads or trails at night then it might be worth investing in a high end rechargeable light that goes on the front and illuminates the route well ahead of you not just for warning traffic and pedestrians like basic lights do. Otherwise the rest will be down to the temptation when in the bike shop.

I'd have to vehemently diasagree that one wouldn't get wet in the UK cycling. However a trip to TK Maxx for a lighter weatherproof jacket and light water proof bottoms would be much better value. That's what I did. Aldi and Lidl also do occasional runs of cyclewear that are very good value for money.

cs4mps

Since I have a couple of hundred spare to spend without costing me anything, wouldn't anything at Evans do the job? I've just had a look and I could get a jacket, trousers and overshoes for about £130, they look/sound OK to me.

https://www.evanscycles.com/dept.jsp?dept_id=1015

Cheers.
Chris

Ya Tu Sabes

I just want to add my voice to the defenders of Dahon. I have an '07 Dahon Jack, which is my everyday bike. My work takes me all around my region, so sometimes I can just ride three miles, but other times I must ride to the train station (5 miles) then travel 60 miles by train, then ride a few more miles at the other end. The Jack has served this purpose admirably. While it's true that the Jack is not so small that it fits seamlessly in a crowded subway car, it is just fine for regional and commuter trains, and if I'm going to a pub or a store, I just lock it up outside.

The quality of the Dahon has been, on the whole, quite good, especially for the price (as Klaw noted). I was disappointed that it did not come with a cartride bottom bracket (I eventually put one in) and the stock pedals were nothing fancy (replaced those too), but those are little things, and frankly, I change pedals and handlebars compulsively and repeatedly on all my bikes. The shifting has been good through six months of wet and snowy winter riding, the brakes have required minimal adjustment (although I just replaced the rear pads), and the folding mechanism has never given me a problem (it creaks a little bit when I first take it out in sub-zero temperatures, but that's all).

I can't speak to the relative ride comfort of a 26" folder and smaller-wheeled folders because most of the smaller-wheeled ones in my price range can't accommodate my height (6'5"). I can say that I have found the Jack plenty comfortable for longer rides. Just this past weekend, I rode my Dahon 24 miles to a neighboring city so I could catch a train to New York so I could do an organized 42-mile ride the following day. Of course, I wasn't exactly breaking any land speed records, but I covered 24 miles in just over two hours (would have been just under if I hadn't gotten lost) without excessive effort, and that was with my rack loaded with a bag for my weekend trip.

Also, the matte black finish does look really cool.

cs4mps

Thanks.

I've ordered my £1000 voucher from work so should have that in the next 2 weeks.

I'm still a little torn between choosing a 26" wheeled bike or a smaller one (probably 20"), although i'm still leaning towards the larger one, probably Cadenza 8 08. When I move house I will only be getting on a commuter train very early in the morning (just after 6am) and early on the way back home (about 4:30pm) so I hope that it won't be too busy and a larger wheeled bike won't cause any issues.

Cheers.
Chris

cs4mps

Hi,

I've now got my £1000 Evans voucher and so I want to get my gear soon. I have another question to try and help me decide between a 26" or 20".

I had a look on YouTube and there are a couple of videos showing how to fold a 26" Dahon (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNl2G...eature=related for example). My question is: with a 26" do you need to remove the pedals as well when folding it up? If so then it sounds like that could be a bit of a pain, especially if I was in a hurry to jump on the train.

Thanks again for any feedback.

Chris

snafu21

Sir might find a bicycle pump useful, tire levers and a spare tube....



I have a D7 20". The only thing I added was Big Apple tyres and a gel saddle. I love that bike to bits. Whatever you get, get the one you want that fits. Ask for a test ride.

cs4mps

Thanks snafu. I'm going to pop into Evans this week so will check them out then.

I think with any extra cash I have left after all the essentials I'll get some supplies (as you said, a pump, couple of spare inner tubes etc.). If I don't use the whole £1000 then I can't get the remainder of the cash back so may as well spend it all...

Cheers.
Chris

snafu21

You're welcome. Don 't forget to schlep along to the Hyde Park Folding Bike thing on Sunday if you can. Her Majesty the Queen is sure to be there (it's a Royal Park) and will probably want a go on your new bike. Details in the events sticky.. Have lots of fun on the new scoot.

cs4mps

I'm afraid i'd have to tell Her Majesty (politely of course), NO! Get away from my new set of wheels, ahem, your Royal Highness.