saltavenger

Hello,

I was hoping for some advice picking out a folding bike.

I'm 5'1" 140lbs and on a serious budget

The bike will be getting a max. use of 5 days a week in good weather about 3 miles round trip (to/from a train station for work). Unfortunately, the area is very industrial a lot of trucks pass through, and as a result the roads are pretty bad. There are also a few small hills, but nothing out of control. The area I live in, however, does have some more serious hills. I have a nicer bike that I use for long distances and hilly areas.

I haven't had a ton of luck w/ craigslist. I'm looking for a bike $300 or under (not including shipping).

The options I've whittled it down to are the downtube nova ($299) and the dahon boardwalk ($269) if I buy a brand new bike. Someone on craigslist is also listing a dahon D7 for $300. They said the condition is like brand new, but the picture is pretty grainy. It is last year's model. I'm only weary about this because I'm not a super experienced biker when it comes to doing my own repairs or what to look for in a bike. And I'm nervous about getting ripped off.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thank you

vmaniqui

is this the D7 you are talking about ? https://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/bik/2393068837.html

it looks good and if it is really in a like new condition then the price of $300 is a bargain. see if you can haggle some more. go and check it out. that way you'll know if 20 inch wheel is a better fit for you. there are also 16 inch wheel bikes like dahon curve and curve sl. best way is to try the bike.

saltavenger

yeah it is

I'm aware that's a bargain haha, I am just afraid it's falling apart and I won't know somehow.

vmaniqui

shouldn't be since it was bought last year (if it really was). and from the picture the bike looks ok and clean. the things you need to check are:
1) make sure that there is no issue folding and unfolding the bike (should be smooth when you fold/unfold it). meaning there is no resistance on the frame latch.
2) make sure that the gears shifts fluidly.
3) check the handlepost folding/unfolding systems.
4) check the tires, make sure it's not blown out.
5) check the brakes.
and last is to ride it yourself so that you can check if the bike fits you ok. make sure that you are the first on the list otherwise it will be gone so fast especially if the price is right. but then again try to haggle with the price.

vmaniqui

check this out also. for $150 this is a steal....https://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/bik/2386593941.html

saltavenger

thanks for the checklist!

I KNOW, I saw that one last week-- emailed them about 5 hours after they posted but got no reply back unfortunately.

vmaniqui

try again. that is such a deal...

saltavenger

oof, it looks like I was beat out on the D7. Someone from a neighboring town is already on the way to his house, and I'm at home with no hopes of beating them there lol. He said he'd call me if it falls through with the other person. So it looks like I'm back to Downtube vs Dahon Boardwalk.

DVC45

Here's another deal.
https://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/bik/2386141793.html

Not as light as the DT and Dahon's, but has collector value.

saltavenger

Thanks for the suggestion, b/c i'm going to use it primarily for daily commuting (and I'm admittedly not the strongest individual in the world) I would prefer something light as possible.

Dynocoaster 

How about a Mini Velo includes shipping https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/mercier/nano.htm

saltavenger

I don't believe the mini vela folds? The subway system here requires that the bike folds for me to bring it on the train during rush hour commute.

vmaniqui

that's how craiglist works - you need to be fast if something interest you. that's ok, all you need to do is be patient and you'll find a good deal.

check out https://www.thorusa.com/dahon/current/ecoc6.htm. or call him as he might give you a special deal.

thor is a member of this forum and he has helped a lot of us. he's a great person and his customer service is just awesome....

brakemeister

ahemm.... blush
eco 6 for bikeforum member 342 shipped....
thor

saltavenger

thanks for the tip guys

kamtsa

At this point, people typically post a picture of the new bike ;-)

saltavenger

Haha I haven't chosen it yet. So there is no new bike to post. I haven't yet placed the phone call, I believe thor is referring to someone who is not me. I'm hoping to wait a week or two until after I have paid my rent.

vmaniqui

you might want to check thor....

brakemeister

no i refer to you... you are on bikeforum arnt you ? lol

this is a mistake ..... i am thinkin curve sl ...lol i have many many more ecos

there are only 4 left .....i took the 5th one for myself :-)
thor

saltavenger

I finally figured out that you meant the price was 342 (after calling haha). I assumed you meant member #342.

Officially ordered, I figured the Dahon was a better option then the downtube when it comes to repairs since I know my local bike shop has them.

Thanks so much for your help!

I'll post pictures once I get it per the request

vmaniqui

Congrats and welcome to the club. did you order from thor ? which one ? thor's customer service is topnotch so you did yourself a favor on that part. post pictures as soon as you have it.

saltavenger

I went w/ the eco 6 since it was only $10 more including shipping then the downtube nova. I really didn't want a single speed, and I think the dahon will be easier on me to get fixed if something breaks. And yes, I did order from thor... it was the best price I found outside of craigslist. Will definitely post pictures

vmaniqui

Awesome. thor is a respected forum member and a great person to deal with. it is definitely (IMHO) better than downtube. cheers...

saltavenger

The Bike came in the mail today
Took it out for a test spin, so far so good
A little heavy to carry between transfers, but fortunately none of that for work!

here are some unboxing pictures:
https://gallery.me.com/aareskog#10012...or=black&sel=0

and this is one of it in action on the train:

folder fanatic

Just like it's predecessor model the Piccolo On the Los Angeles Metro's own Subway a while back: