Dahon sizing question
 

I'm about 6'4", can I fit on a Dahon? I know it can be adjusted but can it be enough to fit a tall guy?

its a personal thing ... they are folks much taller even who love theirs and also a couple smaller who are on their wits end with adjustment possibilities ....

If you ride leisurely with more bend in the knees , relaxed and without wanting to break any speed records, it should be quite alright. If you however want a"custom just for you $5000 custom built one off race bikes geometry" it might actually not work at all. I understand bike friday has a large model.
But in any case if you are not sure you should invest some time for a testride

thor

What is your inseam? Which line of Dahon are you checking out?

You might:

142 - 193 cm (4'8"- 6'4") Max Rider Weight: 105 kg (230 lb)

(Speed/Vitesse frame)

Test one.

It definitely depends on your inseam, or more specifically, seat height you need to be comfortable (or fast ), as Thor points out.

I'm 6'3" (shrunk from my younger days 6'4") but have a long inseam of 36" and like a seat to pedal distance of 39".

Our previous Dahon Boardwalk D7's were close, but a bit shorter. My venerable Dahon S1 is comfortable, but also noticeably shorter than my custom Bike Friday. That's even with the bit taller Dahon specific ThudBuster seat and seat post.

Regarding stock Bike Fridays: I have a Pocket 8 - their most basic bike - it is the Large frame and meets my size needs perfectly and could be adjusted for some several inches taller than me, in my opinion. Basically, feels as good as my custom NWT.

Lou

Lou, I dont understand why you need 39" if your inseam si 36"

Im tall as you (6'4" and 36 inseam) and looking for a dahon (i cant afford to a bikefriday) and cant realize wich would be better.

thanks for your reply

I also am 6'4" and have ridden two sizes of Dahon's for hundreds of miles. Yes it can be adjusted but don't be surprised if people think you are part of the circus clown act...
Richard

marulo, you need a little more than your inseam length between the pedal and saddle so you can still stretch your legs out when you're pedaling on your fore foot. I'm 6'5", and I find myself wishing for another half inch of seatpost on my Dahon, but as Thor said, if I'm not pushing it, it feels just fine, and one way to get a little more apparent legroom is to pedal on your arches or nearly on your heels.

I'm "guessing at the 36" inseam, as it's not easy to accurately measure it. However, it's easy to accurately measure the 'seat to pedal' distance (with pedal in down position) along the angle of the seat post. BOTH my Fridays are set up this way and are very comfortable - one has a regular seat post and the other a Thud-Buster. Maybe my size 13 feet have something to do with it, too.

Yes, the Fridays were expensive, and the wife did choke when I ordered the first set. When we were younger we never would have had two such expensive bikes, let alone two sets (we had Schwinn Varsities back then), however, as a retiree I only have so many years to spend my money so I intend to enjoy myself - within bounds.

Don't get me wrong, our Dahon Boardwalk D7's were nice bikes, but my Fridays fit me better, IMO. Check with Thor (Thor USA - a Dahon Dlr) who frequents this forum. He may have a slightly taller seat post available.

Lou

May I ask which Dahon models you've ridden? I'm 6'5 and I did a test ride at a bike show, i.e. two short rounds on an indoor course, on an MEC Origami (which appears to be mostly identical with the Mu XL Sport and is made by Dahon). My impression was that the saddle height was not the issue, but more the distance to the handlebars. I'm used to a more stretched out position and this felt too upright to me. I'm sure it will be okay for short rides around town (which will be the primary purpose of this bike), but I'm wondering how comfortable it will be on longer distances. Maybe putting bullhorn or drop handlebars on the bike would help, but I guess that'll be detrimental to the folding.
Harald.