Stop it Kamtsa, or we will get another company approved lecture from Pacificyclist.

I thought this was about the infringement suit, Hon v Hon, and Hon.

wonder what court that will take place in?

United States District Court Central District Of California, case 2:11-cv-05835, the Honorable Otis D. Wright II.

All documents are available on Pacer https://ecf.cacd.uscourts.gov

Thor,

I had the old XTR Rapid Rise on my GT full suspension then (which had the same problems Vik was describing) and the almost new. Almost new non Rapid Rise XTR derailleur work a heck a lot better on my BMC MTB. Rapid rise definitely need a lot of finesse to adjust it and maintain it. Got frustrated staying on only a few gears after gotten mud on the West Coast. Hated it.

I always thought shifting is a dérailleur issue, not a frame maker problem right?

Ahahhah! Here I am!

Kamsta,

Get the facts straight.

It's simple. The USA market is not affected by the Dahon vs Tern. Only the market outside of the USA is somewhat affected depending on the region where Dahon Global (Josh Hon) was distributing their Dahon bikes to. Dahon is now mending or have resolved most distribution channel issues. In the meantime, the dahonbikes rep channels are still active and serving their dealers. So not sure where your conspiracy theories are coming from?

Pacificcycle, what parts of my postings do you dispute? Please try to be specific.

I think the general public once they get wind of lawsuits and family haggling, will be skittish horses and bolt-avoiding the issue for now. I look at simply moving beyond the need for one or the other. While I do look at both Dahon & Tern bicycles as an interesting topic for discussion purposes, I already moved way beyond the need for either. The lady has made her mind up. I already solved the problem of folding bikes usage in my own life. And the 2 winners are.....neither. Only the ones that really and actually work well over an long period of time, offered actual easy-to-locate replaceable proprietary parts offline, and came up to my tests, demands, and expectations survived last year's Fall, 2010 culling.

My former Dahons disappeared out of my life then just like the old dahon.com website will do very soon for everyone else.

Buying a Dahon, by the informed, seems to have always carried a concern about availability of parts for future repairs, this concern is now much magnified by recent events, and must be causing the company loss of sales at the present time. One way round this would be to do as Mercedes Benz did some years back, and as Bristol Cars have always done, to guarantee the availability of spare parts for older models. You may not like the price, but at least you can get the part and keep your machine on the road. People like to think of their bike as sustainable transport, something that will remain useable for their life time only requiring cheap and quick repair / maintenance. For non folding bikes the only non-standard part is usually the frame it's self, a part you can reasonably expect not to wear out, everything else is off the shelf. Folders should be much the same, except that in their case the frame / stem is subject to wear and tear, and will need some attention/spare parts over time. Everything else should be available in parts bins across the world, albeit some high value parts bins.

So there was no family split of Dahon vs. Tern? Sorry I obviously haven't kept up to speed on the drama?

Thanks for the tip Thor. I'm not sure I want to spend the $$$ for that adapter and a MTB derailleur which will be crazy low to the ground on that bike. I'm okay riding it SS for now as I use it only when I need to lock a bike outside in questionable areas. It's my expendable bike! I'm thinking of converting my Bike Friday NWT to an 8 spd derailleur and if I do that I'll have a spare 20" IGH wheel that will go on the Speed D7...I can give it back to my GF once I get the shifting sorted. My long term goal is to get her a PINK Bike Friday Tikit, but since the D7 is paid for and a Tikit is over $1K we might as well use the D7 as much as we can. Since it fits her it's a decent bike for her - aside from the fold.

I believe that the point is that Tern is not a company although that is of lesser importance in this question. What is important to have in mind is that there is (atleast) two different companies behind the bikes: One company makes Dahon bikes the other makes Tern bikes. What the company names are doesn't matter since that is another question. If you want you can proplematize it alot more but I don't think it is necessary in this thread.

I looked at Dahons. I bought a Brompton. Tern is not available yet but there are other choices (like Bike Friday, and a gazillion others).

Regarding Dahons, parts are now readily available through a reliable stockist here in the UK. Good service too.

BTW, where's the OP?

Hi Thor -

Sure coulda used your adapter when I attempted to upgrade my first folder, a Boardwalk D7. The Neos was beyond irritating(who would make a derailleur that can't be adjusted while installed?), especially when wedded to the low spec mushy twist grip. Had kludged a hanger, but soon gave up due to running into brick walls with every step of the upgrade process. A seemingly common problem with low end bikes, as the upgrade path becomes more expensive than a new higher spec bike. My second folder was a Speed P8, which was fun to tinker with.

Ya know, this aint helping our cause...do like the beer holder tho.

Actually, the non-standard part on a non-folding bike is the least known, which is the replaceable derailleur hanger. This part breaks more commonly with mountain bikers due to accidents and crashes. If you have a look at https://www.derailleurhanger.com, you will see a lot of different kinds of hangers for different bikes. Thankfully, there are companies like this that sell parts that many big well known bike makers refuse to carry and hold in stock as spares.

Secondly, frame design changes quite a bit throughout the years. If you have a mountain bike of the 80s and early 90s era, your frame broke and you get a new replacement. The new frame may need a new style bottom bracket which your old square taper may not fit or work properly. Plus your 63 to 80mm suspension fork with a 1" stem will not work with a 100mm or more suspension corrected frame geometry and an oversized head tube either. You will be forced to upgrade. In fact, this is how our consumer industry operates.

While North American states have consumer laws that mandate companies provide warranty and roughly a 7 years part supply, most people rarely take advantage of it. Look at your latest HDTV -- how many people actually fix them when they break down. How many people are now employed as TV repair men? The majority of cyclists who own bikes usually end up leaving the bike in storage or got sold before any major parts break down. Those who are happy with their Dahon do not come here to the forum and express gratitude. They are too busy riding! Few of those who aren't seemed to find the forum as an easy anonymous way to vent their frustration.

The disagreement between both Hons are not new. Apple did the same with Steve Jobs in the late eighties and he went on to establish NeXT computer and then Pixar. Then he came back bringing his ideas, which was always right all along. I suppose, Josh Hon is like Steve Jobs. He has a different vision than his dad. Is this a divorce or a split. I think it is a difference of opinion really. Dad is afraid son may take Dahon into a different direction, thus further alienating Dahon's existing customer base. Son does not think Dahon will maintain its market dominance if it is left sailing the same course.

There are a lot of B.S and hearsay in the bike business anyhow, it's not even funny. LOL Find the right bike and then ride it. Enjoy it.

Was this a sponsored ride? Are these riders Tern owners? I wasn't aware that Tern was already available in some parts of the world.

You are so right on. One additional option I was exploring before the culling occurred was having an machine shop and an machinist make the new proprietary parts for the frame, seatpost, stem, & handlebars using the originals as guides even if damaged. I thought that this would be way too expensive and trouble for a way under $500. US dollars bikes each one cost. So I chose & pursued the other option of complete elimination.

Up to the present. Unless the economy snaps back to it's wasteful pre-downturn levels, the ability to fix most anything (bikes and even televisions) will return for the masses of people. The same goes for bicycles. The throwaway bikes is now becoming a thing of the past. All you have to do is look at the holding bay for the bikes waiting to be repaired at your favorite bike shop. It is becoming very crowded especially with pre-Far East made ones. For my own business, I have been getting more requests for fixing clothing and alterations now too these last few years.

Not only alienating the customer base, but confusing them too. A mixed up divided customer base is not a happy-and paying-one to be sure. And they just might find more calmer waters (and bikes they can fix and relate to) somewhere else. There is no Dahon Vs. Tern. It's more like Dahon/Tern (even if not together) vs. everyone else who now lays claim to the former customer base. Both Dahon/Tern becomes the losers and sorrier for it. And the people's butts/bums are sitting pretty on another's make's folding bikes.

You want hearsay, misinformation, and BS? Try the camera business...and most of it is funny. I've been fixing them for close to 30 years, and the internet has become my best business partner.

For the Dahon vs Tern I found the court documents to be very useful. When people submit declarations under penalty of perjury they tend to be more careful with the details.

confused that I become

The Tern faction could clear the confusion in a second by releasing the Dahon.com domain.

Well I've got to say that's a first. Generally bike shopping research involves looking and specs and reviews. I don't think I've ever seen a suggestion to read court documents as part of the process of deciding if a bike is right for you...

My interest in folding bikes goes beyond what next bike to buy ;-)