16" vs 20" Dahon
 

Hello,

I am looking at purchasing a folding bike that I can ride 500 metres to the station, take a twenty minute train trip and then ride around 9km to uni.

I am very unfit, about 185cm and will probably void the warranty of any folding bike the moment I sit on it.

I would like to purchase a Brompton but cannot afford the A$1500-2000 price tag. I am therefore considering a Dahon Curve or Boardwalk. I am leaning towards the Curve, it looks nice and has good reviews. I have a few questions if anybody has experience with either or both of these bikes.

1) Taking into account my unfit state and the length of the ride, will the 20" Boardwalk be more suitable than the 16" Curve?

2) For carrying on the train, is there a noticeable difference between the folded size of the two bikes?

Thanks

It depends on how crowded your train is. The Curve does become a smaller package. 9km should be fine even for the Curve D3 model (3-speeds). Unless your route has some serious hills.

Both bikes are fine for your distance. The wheel size difference will not impact the ride much. Gearing might (if your Boardwalk is the D7 model). In the end, the fitness bit is something you have to work on, and riding often will help make that 9km a cakewalk eventually. Just ride slowly and you'll be fine. You may want to ride a shorter distance first, like half of the 9km, before tackling the full distance.

Hi,
did you consider the Merc? An aluminium frame brompton copy which is not bad and also can be upgraded with brompton parts for example you would need a telescopic seatpost at your hight.

Most of the reviews I have read on the Merc suggest that it's a rather cheap and nasty imitation. I think I'll go with the Curve. Cell bikes has them for sale at A$399 but they only have the blush, what a pain. Has anyone had any experience buying one online from America?

Also, I have seen a BioLogic suspension seat available for Dahon bikes, does anyone own this? Is it good?

Thanks

You'vr probably read the AtoB review of the Merc - search here, we have LOTS of very happy Merc owners. I would also recommend looking at the Downtube Mini.

lets ask the question : whats your weight ?
I would not plan to ride 4 miles plus every day without any kind of gearing ...
you plan to do any other iding with the bike?
where you from ?

Let us know and we can give you a better idea
thor

At A$399, I'd take the Curve. Seriously. What did you mean by "only have the blush"?
Give it a month or so, and like mrbrown says 9km will be a cakewalk.

FWIW I ride a Mu (20") regularly about 24km return trip, and I appreciate the longer wheelbase. IMO that's the biggest differentiator against Dahon's 16" models where you sit almost above the rear axle.

I have a merc - and have posted on it. It needs work, imho, to make it a good bike - but not a great deal at all. I am completely cack handed, but got done what I needed for £25 inc parts at my local bike shop, on top of the £342 inc shipping - but you could get a secondhand brompton for that. I am also heavy (210lb plus) and I had to adjust some things for my weight. It does really depend on your intended use and how big you are. But it is real fun having a folder - and its convenience means I use it to potter to shops etc rather than drive the car...

Wow! A$399 for a Curve is really cheap. A 2008 Curve D3 here is A$650 (S$850 or US$623).

Yeah I have been looking at those Curves for A$399. Blush is the girly pink one with flowers on it. For that money you can have it recoated and still come up winning. I don't know how it will fit you size-wise. Probably would be OK.

Forget about the Merc - you can't get them here. Freighting a complete bike here will be $300 or so. Once you factor that in the price aproaches that of a brommie.

Which city are you in? If in Melbourne, you can get a Dahon Speed TR on closeout for $1k - a very good buy.

Choice here in Oz is rather limited.

I'd recommend 20". It's not so much bigger to deal with when folded really but the ride is very different. My Dahon Speed D7 rides like a dream and doesn't falter/wobble when I hit the inevitable stone/twig/stuff as I zip along. Since owning it I rode my friends Brompton - 16" wheels and three times the price and to be honest it felt a bit shaky. The difference made me sure I'd readily buy another 20" but have to think long and hard about a 16". It just felt that bit too precarious for me.

Brakemeister, I weigh about 110kg, sometimes up to 115. The limit on the curve is 100. I figure after a few months of riding I'll be closer to the recommended weight.

Jur: I live in Perth. I used to live in Melbourne but moved here to do my PhD. I miss Melbourne. I want to ride from Perth station to UWA. It's mostly flat with one hill from the station to the river. I did wonder about recoating, is this easy to do?

Also, I keep seeing a Dahon Eco for sale in Australia but not anywhere else. Is this called something else internationally?

The Eco is a economy version Dahon looking a bit like the Mu. Not all Dahon models are offered for sale everywhere.

For recoating, you are looking at complete disassembly of the bike, and having the frame powdercoated (probably right over the existing coat). If you did the disassembly & re-assembly yourself, professional powdercoating should be less than $100 for a good job.

I have a 20" Dahon and a 16" Dahon Curve.

I think the difference in folded size is huge.
The 16" is much easier to deal with. It is also lighter
The ride is the same, depends mostly on tires and air pressure.

To me, a 16" seems to be a good compact folder size.
The 20" seems to be a compromise, cheaper to build, wheels still to small for safe mountain biking.
The extra weight of hinges on any folder means you won't win races.

The Asian name for Dahon Eco is Easy6+

I just ordered a Curve, the Dahom website says it only folds a couple of centimetres smaller but it just looks so much more compact. A$600 with interstate delivery. I now have to find some mudguards since they don't actually ship with the bike even though every picture on the Dahon website shows them fitted. I'm feeling very nervous, I haven't owned a bike since I was about twelve and haven't exercised for about eight years. Nine kilometres is seeming like a long way on those little wheels.

Don't worry about wheel size. I regularly commute 28km each way on my Mini. Plus I have toured with it. See sig.

I can help with mudguard. Later tonight.

SKS has fenders for Dahons. I got mine from Thorusa

Yeah, don't worry about the wheel size. It won't require you to ride any harder. And don't worry about the lack of fitness. It'll come with more riding. Most importantly, enjoy riding again. ;)

brainfart on my part.... whats the fender business, they come with fenders and carrier ( SL doesnt)
or do I see that wrong ?

thor

The picture always shows it with mudgaurds and a rack but the Dahon website lists SKS mudgaurds and an ArcLite rack as recommended accessories. There is certainly no mention of them in the specifications on any store website I have seen. I guess I'll find out in a couple of days.