mike alanko

Got my first folder - a white D7 - today.

WOOOOOOOO!



Thanks everyone @ Urbane, you did me right.

Switched out the pads for some Kool Stops straight away.

Looking for a great headlight, tail-light, a box for the rear rack.

What kind of tires do you love on your folder? I'm beside myself. I love this bike.

Dynocoaster 

Congrats but post some pictures

dschwarz

I'm setting up my D7 for the Monday AM commute now. I'm using my lockblocks flashlight holder + Romisen LED flashlight on the front. I've jury-rigged a Planet Bike Superflash to one of the seat rails for my rear light -- there's no way to use fit the stock Planet Bike seatpost clamp on the huge Dahon seatpost. I'm going to move over my Wald 585 Rear Rack Basket from my Downtube to the Dahon. It'll fit right on the rack with zipties.

I'm running the stock tires (Kendas, I think), but then I have only had the bike for 2 weeks. The tires are not great but they roll.

14R 

It seems that white is the new black: White folders are faster than any other color!

mike alanko

I DO love the colour. I was saying "another" of these since in the span of 3hrs waiting for the bike to be built I saw about 15 of them, with stickers identifying them to have been sold at the same shop, in about a 3 block radius. (!) They're the biggest Dahon dealer in Toronto, apparently.

I must say the new Kool Stops are a huge improvement over the stock pads. I will get you guys some pertinent photos when things get more interesting - right now it looks pretty much like the catalog shows.

I'm very interested to get some great tires for this little stallion, as I'm used to 27" tubulars @ 140psi.... I do need puncture protection (ala Schwalbe) since there seems to be a lot of glass on T.O. streets.

Lighting and luggage are also paramount as this is to be my daily commuter, trips 5kms to and from work, plus twice weekly subway / bus treks further north with gear.

Are there any bolt-on dynamos you folks can recommend?

vik 

I have a pea green Speed D7 - from Urbane coincidentally and thought it was the nicest D7 colour until my friend got a white one...damn they look sweet in white!...

GeorgePaul

I suggest looking at rechargeable LED lighting systems, such as those from Light & Motion.

mike alanko

A pic, since every thread needs one.

Just like this, but a little brighter I think, and a little dirty:

mike alanko

Has anyone attached one of these to a Dahon Arclite rack?

vmaniqui

+1. i used to have the Cateye 3 LED headlight but decided to get a Light and Motion Stella 120. and it is so bright. it's like a car headlight. much better than those 3-5 LEDs headlights.

vmaniqui

nope. this will not work for us. we want the real pictures.....

operator

I hope it was built correctly. I've built more dahon d7's correctly more than anyone else on the face of the planet. At that particular shop before I quit.

mike alanko

Good to have your ear then!

What should I look for to see if it was indeed built properly? This is obviously not a "normal" bike to build - a very young gentleman put it together, but that's not to say he was necessarily inexperienced.

So far it seems to be performing very well, no obvious issues other than the occasional mild squeak from the steering post hinge - but only when riding harder than I probably should.

I did remove all the fender bolts and anti-seize them before re-installation. Lubed the hinges with Fluid Film brand oil, added some M5 bolts in the empty holes for rust-protection (bottle cage, rear dropouts, inner holes of braze-ons @ the top of the seatstays) ...

I've put probably 250kms on her so far. I need to pick up a computer soon to keep better track of my mileage. But first I had to invest in a light, this one:



And next will be a Brooks Conquest, probably, or another Swallow.



Made my first two treks on public transit with the bike, what a joy! Nobody tripping over me today!

mike alanko

Update:

Got a 2010 model Ortlieb Trunk Bag mounted, looks like it was made for the bike. I can't find a pic anywhere on the net, maybe I got a pre-release one? Fits lunch, hat and gloves, etc - good daypack size for sure.

Toronto weather is getting chilly and has been wet but the Speed is holding it's own.

Since I washed it a few times too many and got water in behind the front brake brackets I noticed a small amount of rust trailing out. No problem - used some waxy "Red Grease" spray to fill the cavities, no rust trails since.

Using BoeSheild spray on the chain, got a KMC master link but haven't installed it yet.

Have put 10k on the bike daily for commuting plus probably another 30k weekly for shopping and fun.

Had to adjust my handlepost hinge for the first time yesterday. Used some Loctite #243 and let it sit for 18hrs now, haven't rode it yet.

Inspired a 48 year old co-worker to buy the identical bike, he's commuting from 20kms away!

Lalato

We still won't be satisfied until we see a pic of the actual bike.

mike alanko

Ok, pictures!

fongpi

How long is your commute to work everyday? How are thing working out so far? Any tips for riding on rainy days?

mike alanko

I'm really enjoying this bike. My commute is only 4.6kms, but I ride much more. I do all shopping and errands with the Dahon, groceries in a backpack even 10kms away. I made this trek yesterday for ingredients for Beef Bourguignon, it was 40 mins there (downhill) and an hour return - in a blizzard! I have only used public transit twice since buying this bike, because on those days I had to carry more than I could safely strap to the rack.

I added a wireless computer a few days ago and today bought a pair of Schwalbe Marathon Plus (1.35" wide).

fongpi, rain is just water. It hasn't really bothered me too much yet. Snow and ice are a different story - gradual steering, braking and acceleration are necessary, and any leaning you do has to be adjusted for available grip. It helps to skid the rear tire a few times to get a feel for it, and if you're worried, lower the seat for easier foot-planting. Being ready to put a foot or two on the ground at any time is necessary in some conditions. Bumps in the pavement are best avoided, as are snowdrifts - but slush is not a real worry. Most of it can be just plowed through with ease.

fongpi

Thanks for the great tips!