I can't really tell if the Curve will have a "messy" (read: complex) fold. It does look like the chain is inside the fold, though, so that should be a plus for commuters.

I prefer to see shipping product prior to making a full evaluation, though.


Direct drives are rather inefficient, and generally aren't worth the performance penalties. IMO belt drives are a better option; they still aren't as good as a chain, but are much cleaner and work better than direct drives. They are probably more user-serviceable as well.

I wonder if you could be more specific about the potential problems you see with the Curl chainline?



tcs

Wa-huh?

In all the folded pictures of the Curl the chain is on the outside of the fold.

Likewise the "Curve".

CHECK OUT THIS LINK
https://www.mobile01.com/topicdetail.php?f=341&t=581893&p=44

There it is again, that small chainwheel.



Interestingly, the chain also looks like a small-pitch! That could imply a tiny cog at the back to try and make up for the tiny chainwheel. Not sure how small a cog is possible - 13T would seem the minimum...

So it does look like the big chainwheel had some very serious/impossible issues... and hence I still think there is a planetary stepup in the BB of the pic in the first post.

[edit]This one does seem to be an earlier version though... there are quite a few more differences, indicating a less refined version. So maybe the chainline issue has been solved...

It looks fine in that pic, I admit... but perhaps the chainring had to be very far outboard to clear the chain stay stuff when folded? Speculation, I admit, but the existence of 3 separate sources showing a tiny chainwheel does indicate that this is an issue.

You're thinking of Schlumpf.

ECB

Looks like they also lost the forward-folding saddle feature on going to that version.

ECB

No I think this is an early version, before the one posted at the start of the thread - it lacks a strengthening member at the rear pivot, and the elastomer does not sit convenient on a fixed point. Plus the small-pitch chain is a major weakness for replacement.

I believe it is a clever idea to have a smaller chain ring to save weight and reduce grease usage. It also attracts less dirt.

From another thread, here is a pic of the Curl from the 2009 Taipei show:



And.... small chainring! (can be deduced from the chain's run)

when I had had a bit too much of the old Makers Mark on Sat'day nite, I developed this huge fantasy riff, whereby the curl prototypes that we are just having tantalised in front of us are in fact a huge red-herring, and what dahon will announce will a complete and utterly novel paradigm buster, not call the curl even... in my imagination, the dahon coil. Dream on ?

too bad still doesn't show how it looked unfolded. wonder why dahon hasn't shown any unfolded pix of this bike yet?

Looks like a nice bike to me. Especially if it has front suspension. I wonder how prices will be now, given that shipping costs have fallen down to nearly zero?

This was posted on the Dahon message board...

I'm guessing Dahon must have won the award for "Best Speculative Concept". It appears the Curl is not anywhere near ready to be unCurled.

at least Dahon prob. won't take as long to release the Curl, as (Xootr)Swift has for their latest rendition.. or has it been bout the same amount of years?

There is quite a bit more detail in the rather dark image :

photoshop - brings out the inside of frame small chain ring:

what pedals are these?

this is another pic via the Tapei show thread, don't think it has been posted here before.

Than is a thin fold.

I have mentioned before about the folding shape of Birdies,mezzo and bromptoms being too think to fit a very small car boot,(nissian Micra), and that I have found thiner longer folded bikes like the Diblasi,Giatex and Dawooe fit better. Very interesting, but will it get to market.