I was looking at unique folders that people try to put out and found this one, look familiar?

https://www.smartcog.co.jp/Products/mint.htm

I wonder if dahon got the idea from them or was it the other way around? The koma from the same site was also really cool, but things get rough when wheels become abike sized.

Wasn't there an earlier post, just after the Jifo was announced, saying it was a design/concept that Dahon had "bought in " ?

The egg, dinosaurs laid them .. just chickens didn't hatch out, then ..

Probably right for that, previous owner didn't really get that out to the masses and then dahon marketed it out there which no one knew existed till then.

The original had a cutesy 3 speed dérailleur/cassette. That'd make the Jifo more credible, would be a nice option on a Brompton also.

Is the Jifo available now, anywhere ?

This is the ONLY guy that sells them at the moment from what I know

https://www.thorusa.com/dahon/current/jifo.htm

and even he states you should call first! for such a ridiculed bike they sure aren't sitting on the shelves with dust on them.

even the original wasn't cheap after conversion it's around $830 USD

Check out the new Dahon Metro.

any link? I don't see anything at all on a search.

One thing I have learned, after living in Japan for 6 years, is that many small to mid-size Japanese companies have almost no interest in dealing with the hassle of reaching potential markets outside of Japan. Why exactly I don`t know - there is the language barrier of course, but I get the feeling it has more to do with a healthy fear of western lawyers.

There are so many companies producing high-quality, innovative products (Tyrell Bicycles for example) but for some reason they won`t make an attempt to branch out into foreign markets on their own.

https://www.taipeicycle.com.tw/en_US/...5A1BC303D05AF9

Original Jifo/Mint by Aezda in 2008
https://picasaweb.google.com/wizz042...91877033231346

Metro has been renamed EEZZ (no kidding)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dahonbikes/6817129124/