+1
.

Diode....
I am not sure about the testrides being solely done by people who have a vested interest. There have been bikes to ride at the worldwide intro party/happening last Summer. Not everybody was invited purely out of having a vested interest. There were bloggers, importers, magazin dudes, and and and ... a pretty eclectic mix of people... a few hardcore sceptics as well ...
Dealer camp had bikes to testride as well, not all of them were Tern Dealers of course.
Than at Interbike Outdoor demo everyone ( dealers, competitors, press ) could ride the bikes ..... not everybody with a vested interest in the brand took a bike for a spin....
There are some bikes floating around and mainly used for press people to ride...
You are right that no bikes are in consumers hands at this time in the US... there should be bikes in Europe/Malasya and maybe other countries for sale as we speak....
than folks like Jur for example had the opportunity to ride one.... and and and ... I bet that Samo has ridden one or two as well..
In any case back to the OP
as You all know I keep myself out of VS threads for a good reason...

it used to be very easy , when one could say that a Brommie was double the price ... salespeople are usually lazy ( I consider myself in sales .... lol ) and always take the way of least effort to compare. 50 % off is an easy way of course. But in all reality it was more to the story all along. Brommies are great for the folks who invested in them and all power to them. Dahons are great for the components they have, they usually ride nicer , brakes are much better, lighter and and and ... Tern will be a bike you want to have if frame stiffness, replaceable/serviceable hinges, an even better ride ...
in the end a testride will be determining what bike, the availability is a major point, the dealer support, if you can get stuff when you travelling, if you want to mod the bike , and and and ..lots of room for every brand of folding bike out there to find exactly the one which YOU like best.

thor

Of course if you buy a Tikit none of this hand-wringing will matter

7 years riding folding bikes here. All boils downt o the following:

Dahon (20" bikes) will ride better and feel more "performance oriented" than Brompton, but will not fold neatly AND becomes a nightmare to travel if you plan on assembling/disassembling the bike several times on the same trip.

Brompton will ride OK, but you will not keep up with roadies, and will not feel aggressive while riding, but will effortlessly fold into a nice little classy package, allowing unlimited adventures without using a tool.

The best? Well, if you need a folding bike to have inside your car and plan on riding a lot, Dahon.

If you plan on riding 10-15 miles EVERYWHERE and want your bike with you as your best friend, Brompton.

Good luck on your final decision.

"If you plan on riding 10-15 miles EVERYWHERE and want your bike with you as your best friend, Brompton."

That pretty well sums up how I made my choice. Frankly, I couldn't stand the Dahons I tried. I liked a couple of Birdys (Pocket 8 stands out) but I wanted the best fold and a good ride and after testing a Brompton in hilly El Segundo, CA that's what I bought. It's always in my rig ready to go. Not long ago I did a 20+ mile ride on the Boise Greenbelt and it was just fine. I ride for fun and exercise and the Brompton gives me loads of each. Adding a B-17 saddle, Ergon grips, and using the stock tires and it was plenty fast and comfy for *my* needs.

if, and only if, bromptons are made in china, then maybe, and just maybe, the price will be like 400-500 dollars....

How come Montague doesn't get into the discussion? I have a Prius, and it folds very well to fit into the back without limits. It's a full size bike and there are many positives over the others listed. It doesn't travel as well if you are taking the bus or train, but not everyone needs to meet those qualifications. Just wondering.

I say this, because I found a good deal on a brompton and bought it (amost a brand new bike, a 2010 M3L), and tho it is a work of art in my eyes, it doesn't compare to the Montague in purpose for me.

Just the 26" wheel on Montague is bigger than a folded Brompton.

When it comes to riding the thing I tend to view my Brompton as more of a prototype than a finished product, much to my frustration.

Debates about cost of manufacture, ride quality, and parts availability aside; Bromptons are very good value in pure financial terms. They depreciate very little, and sell easily on the used market. In this sense, they are some of the best value bikes on the market.

Of course, this has absolutely no relevance on if you'd enjoy the bike relative to other brands, but at least you won't take a major hit if hate it and want to rid of it.

1st the issue is not innovation enough , then if there is innovation ,
then the issue of being the continuing prototype is raised .

some people just have to have an issue..

I find myself trying to figure out if I could build my own threadless forks and lower stem such as to escape the dreaded bendy-handlebar syndrome. I wish I could. I'd stick some V brake bosses on whilst I was at it.

I need a Ternton. I suppose that should be Bromptern.

Perhaps there could be a rigid structure made , but a weight penalty in doing so..

always a balancing act.. perhaps as I don't pull on the bars , while I ride
There seems to not be a flex concern..

different from Both, seen on their website,
BTO Bike Friday's Folding stem for their 20" wheel bikes.. is mostly aluminum ,
once QR lever is opened It has a spring catch pin for safety,
a sliding up of a sleeved section,
then the fold over can take place.. quite a clever bit
they dont make it , it comes from a Taiwan company
1" quill, fixes inside a 1.125" threaded fork .
on top there is a height adjustment, then a Threadless stem clamps on that tube.

BF has thru threaded lock nuts on their headsets,
then an extra piece above the HS
clamps on & adds more strength..


Home machine shop would be a handy thing .. in the best of all possible worlds..

"Just the 26" wheel on Montague is bigger than a folded Brompton. "....

True, ....but not by much. One thing to compare here is weight. My Montague is the XO model (now the X90), and it feels lighter than my brompton (not sure what the exact specs are on the brompton, but it feels very heavy for a small bike), and anywhere that is common place to store a bicycle, even though the Montague does not fold quite as small as the brompton, I can put either bike without problems. (EX: Closet, car trunk, garage, living room corner).

I like both bikes, but everytime I go for a ride, it seems I always grab the Montague. And every thread I read about folders, Montague isn't mentioned as much as some of the others....but it should be IMO. It really is a great bike.

I had a dahon curve d3 for almost 4 years, and now i'm a proud owner of a brompton s2l. Both 16" cause the main use is commuting by train. Daily total distance of 12km.

So if a 16" fits your use (small fold, no long touring distances) and you are willing to spend some extra money, go with the brompton. The s type doesn't flex, the 2speed picks up speed really easy and quick. I like the brompton clamps much better, cause the dahon clamps failed at the end, don't see that happen with the simple bromton design.
A larger folder could be better, depending on your use

Perennially overlooked is the Ron Paul of folding bike companies: Riese und Muller. The Birdy (18" wheels) and Frog (16") are solid performers with smaller, but more fanatical followings than Tern/Dahon.

Bromptons make you more attractive than Dahons. I have both, and its a fact. Of course, my wife prefers it I ride the Dahon.

Yes

I have brompton downtube nova and dahon and bike friday

Brompton still my fav with nova close second

Brompton brakes new ones are first class. Got brass fittings lie high end components

all three can be fast if you peddle fast enough. q is are you willing to put in the effort or just roll along. both options are perfectly ok.

I own a dahon speed tr 2011 model fully loaded purchased for about $1900 3 year ago. It's strong, heavy (about 15 kgs) indestructible in fact, incredible gearing. The weight is important but a little overrated as a consideration. I'm 72 kgs and about 178 cm. If one is 95 kgs then it's the weight of another two Dahons he's got to carry along. So why quibble about an 11, 12, 13 or even 15 kgs bike? It matters but your overall body weight and strength, health and well being is more important? I think so.

I also own a Dahon Vitesse converted from an electric bike. It's just a basic folding bike, not that flash but goes along well. Cost me $180 second hand and is kept at my office in Thailand.

Point I'm making is Dahon's aren't all Dahon's. Some are pretty crappy and some good. Same probably goes for Tern's though haven't owned one. Verge X10, light and fast then some bulkier heavier models. The Tern does look heavy.

Originally wasn't much of a rap for Brommies. Read many posts. Some swear by the Brommie and some can't see what all the fuss is about. Recently test rode the M6L at our local Velo store in Carlton Melbourne and for $2300+ you can own one. Glorious engineering and a lot of fun. I tried hopping a few gutters, haring off down the bike track and really I felt it was as fast as my Dahon Speed TR and not as bulky. The Fold is exceptionally better on the Brompton. The Brompton's general appearance is much better! Much sexier and much more satisfying aesthetically and that's important to me. I would love to own one! My plan is to purchase the M6L or M6R when next in London.

Good luck with whatever one you choose.

Nailed it Gringo. Spot on.

has anyone ever owned a Tern Verge P18 2013 model? Any opinions?

I recently bought a Tern Verge x30h. 500km in (and 2 flights without extra charges) I couldn't be happier with it. Test riding was the key to my decision. My Internet research convinced me I wanted a brompton for the elegance of the fold and ease of transport. I tried a 2 speed demo at one dealer but wasn't sure.

I eventually wound up at Dumoulin Cycles in Montreal who had a 6 speed brompton demonstrator ready to go and had the Dahon Vector x27h and the Tern Verge x30h. I spent a good deal of time with the knowledgeable staff and outlined my needs. I have a 2013 Kona Jake as my daily rider which I love and not looking to change. What I was looking for was something I could travel with in an airline legal suitcase on business trips to continue to excercise while on the road. I was able to test ride the brompton immediately ( and they had lots in stock to buy!). The fold was excellent but the ride felt cramped to me and the 6 speeds was limiting. It was a nice bike and if I was looking for a commuter bike to take on a train regularly, is would be it. Dumoulin then tuned up the Dahon and I rode that. Much more what I was after for riding. Fast and good handling. Plenty of range of gears, vee brakes were OK. The fold was nowhere near as elegant or compact as the brompton but good for putting in a car and could be disassembled for flying. Then the Tern was ready to ride and I took that one out. It's vey much like the Dahon but with better brakes, more robust clamps and to be honest a flashier paint job. So I picked the most expensive bike I rode and have not looked back.

I also bought the Tern flight suit and mail ordered a hard shell Samsonite suitcase for traveling. Riding the different bikes really made a difference to me (and was one thing that put me off Bike Friday). All 3 were quality products and one would be right for someone. The Tern was the one that fit me best.

I have both a Montague and a Dahon. I love both bikes but the Dahon gets a lot more use. Having to remove the front tire to fold the Montague is a big pain in the neck while commuting. I think the Montague is the perfect bike to keep in the trunk (I don't even take the tire off to fold the Montague and put it in the trunk of my '06 Jetta). I also find the ride geometry of the Dahon to be more comfortable for my particular body type.

Regarding the Brompton- I take my bike on the commuter rail and I often see Dahon and Brompton owners here in Boston at North Station. They all look pretty happy with their bikes, FWIW

Here's one difference between a Montague and a 20" or smaller folder: unfolded, I can fit a smaller bike across the floor of the backseat in a subcompact car. And in most cars, even sedans with the back seats down, a full size bike can be threaded into them, especially if the front wheel is off. Don't get me wrong, I like Montagues and someday I will inevitably have one, preferably the SS/FG Boston version, just that for my life and lifestyle right now, I just don't have a legit need for a bike halfway between a small-wheeled folder (Birdy) and a full size bike (Geekhouse Woodville custom).

I take C&J bus line from Portsmouth NH to Newburyport MA with my Birdy. Saw one guy one time with a Dahon and we chatted, mutually admiring the other's bike. I've also taken it into Boston (South Station bus terminal) a few times. I have no need for a fold as small as a Brompton, so the used Birdy I got suits me well. If I hadn't got the Birdy, I probably would have been just as happy with a Dahon. The Birdy, I bought used from Bruce Metras at a decent price; the Dahons I was looking at would be around the same money (cheaper now that they are distributed by QBP and I work in a shop...), so price on top of purpose kept me from considering a Brompton, even though I am a total sucker for cult bikes.

I would go Brompton, two reasons, one, they are extremely well built and should last a lifetime, two, they hold their value. over and above that it is subjective, I love the way Bromptons looks and ride, i tried a few in the past and nothing compares.