vmaniqui

hi all,

FYI: Title should say (Curve D3) and not (Curve D2) sorry about that......

this is a repost from the Dahon forum. apparently you can do a wheelie on your dahon when folded. Posted by Kootenay Joe (thanks Joe)......Pardon for a repost but might be helpful to the dahon folder owner. if this is not called for since it is someone's else's post please accept my apology.....

POST FROM DAHON FORUM:
This week I found out - the hard way - that a Curve D3 can be easily wheeled while folded with the seatpost extended.

I went for a nice leisurely evening ride to the big park 8 miles away. Deep in the park I noticed how nice and comfortable those Big Apple Tires are. Positively bouncy...very bouncy...kinda squishy...flat tire...ahhhh!

No pump. I left my rackpack with it behind. No seatpost pump. I swapped it out for the suspension seatpost for this ride. No patch kit.

Sun going down, 1 mile of wooded trail and 8 miles of suburban road to home. Better start walking because I can cuss myself out and walk at the same time.

Got out to the roads. Pushed for a mile or so. Met 4 cyclists, none of whom had a patch kit or pump or the time to lend me one while I fixed the flat anyway (commuters going home).

Made it to the main highway, which has a bus route, but only hourly service. I have my bus pass. Only 7 miles home now. The rear wheel is "bouncing" badly as all that Big Apple rubber "flubs" around. Pushing is getting awkward.

At the first bus stop I fold the bike to wait for a bus, but I can tell that one won't be along for a while.

On a whim I extend the seatpost fully and try to push the folded bike. It works! A slight twist of the wrist ensure that the folded front wheel (which is not flat and rolls freely in both directions) is the rolling wheel.

I've heard a lot of people say you can't roll a folded Dahon bike. Well, they're wrong. I did two miles this way very easily.

Caught the bus and boarded with the folded bike (score one for a folder). Got to the main bus loop and saw a line of cabs. Flagged one and popped the folded bike in the trunk (score two for a folder). Made it home.

Definitely a learning experience. I learned/relearned:

1.) That pump-post is useful.
2.) Patch kits fit easily in pockets.
3.) Big Apples are comfortable, but puncture easily (my third puncture in one year).
4.) Don't ride any farther than you are prepared to walk without a pump and patchkit.
5.) Folding bikes are very versatile for multi-mode transport, even when you can't ride them.

I repaired the flat (sharp object puncture in tire center - no sign of the cause ) and this time I put a Mr. Tuffy tire liner (cut down from 26") into the back tire. The back tire is always the one that flats. A quick ride showed no difference in rolling feel that I could tell. I tested the folded "wheeling" trick again with an inflated rear tire. Still worked. You just need to angle the bike slightly to make it roll on the front wheel only. I'll be using this technique a lot in future.

Now how do I stop myself from doing this again? I want to use the suspension seatpost sometimes as those 16" wheels are a bit harsh even with Big Apples.

Pulled out the water-bottle braze-on mounted minipump that I carried in my rackpack. Why isn't this thing mounted on the water-bottle mount? Oh yeah, it interfered with the hinge. Well that long walk has convinced my I should put some thought into this. Longer bolts and some offset washers solve the hinge interference issue. Now I will always have a pump no matter which seatpost I choose.

What about a patch kit? I should always have one in my cycling jersey. Which I didn't wear on this ride.

A little duct tape and that handy little area behind the seat tube and the seatstay bridge now has a small patch kit and single thin tire iron (you only need one for Big Apples) fitted.

Sometimes we learn/gain more from our mistakes than at any other time.