Well actually to be more accurate the last time I checked, I looked for possible dealers in the Western part of the country. None here in the Southern California area except the usual Dahon, Tern, Brompton, and the popular folders in demand that make up our local market. Or order online or mail order-not an option for me at least as I always test ride bikes plus if you experience any major problems with the bike......major potential extra headaches & trouble ahead. I don't live out in the backwater boonies so I don't see the point of ordering major appliances or purchases online for myself anyway.

See? Just like me. Except he travels a great deal and can probably swing close by to the above NYC & Washington DC dealers if interested.

The Mezzo wheel base is probably about the same as the Jifo. But the large rake adds enough cockpit space to make it feel simular to a full size bike. Wonder if something similar could be used on the jifo.

Is the Mezzo the same as the Ori M9?

I wouldn't change the Jifo 16 layout. The short wheelbase isn't as bad as you might think ride wise which surprised me first. :)

Has anyone purchased a Jifo yet? I believe the Mezzo and Ori are the same.

nope the Mezzo will be different .... the latch is much bigger ...not available yet.
I have a jifo ....
and sold a couple as well...

Earlier question wa if you can pull it... not really as the crankarm will not be able to rotate.... the tires are fine they wont rub the frame, one can push it pretty easy, as long as u get the brakelevers not hitting the spokes ...

thor

I think Brompton came out with a fast fold commuter. This is not a Brompton killer but more like a Strida killer! On second thought, the Strida never really caught on. LOL! The price of the bike is comparable to Strida and not Brompton when you think about it. I hope Dahon now takes this design and applies it to their 20' inch folders.

Another 'Brompton killer' thread!

The term 'killer'usually relates to a potential product that might knock one of the top models out of existence over the short to medium-term. In a way it's a compliment to Brompton that people predict so many 'killers' are coming. They are now doubling their factory space and no doubt output will probably follow suit given the excess orders & backlogs they have experienced.. It is not the bike for everyone and people are entitled to their opinion if it's negative. However, from a business perspective the views on Brompton are somewhat flawed. Bromptons don't just sell because of the 'Cycle to Work' tax scheme in the UK or because they are associated with some mythical reputation for being British. Only a small proportion can be attributed to the economic subsidy for some UK employees or a psychographic segment (mainly Asia) attributed to some attitude that 'Made in GB' makes it special & high status by default.

Te majority of their production (Approx 75%) is exported overseas. The UK market is already penetrated but with stable growth. And any predictions they are not succeeding in the US are contradicted by this article below:

http://www.themanufacturer.com/artic...-into-america/

Therefore, it is going to take a hell of a bike to 'kill' Brompton off. I've seen a man 6 feet 8" tall cycling one through Hyde Park. The market and diversity of people who go for the Brompton does the talking. One can debate Brompton's flaws as a bike and strategy forever but the market says it is working. Dahon make more bikes across the range but none of their 16" models are Brompton killers and that includes the possibility of the Curl eventually being released, never mind the Jifo or Curve.

Strida has a 3 speed out now so it's a bit more versatile and it's easier to roll around on the wheels instead of carrying the entire thing. because of that it worked great in rush hour in the subways compared to other folders. Only problem for it being a strida killer is that people looking for stridas want something sooo weird and out of the ordinary which is why they ended up with that bike. The Jifo looks to "normal" for a folding style, they would never go for it. :)

Oh and stridas have a pretty big following in asian countries, they love the weird design. In north america it doesn't exist and i might see one every two years! mostly with very tiny distribution points and support.

I have had the privilege of riding the original prototype. Like the Brommie you need to get used to the steering feel but it is a very effective bike. It is amazing how it will be a big hit in one culture and not seen in another. Doesn't surprise me it would work in Asia but not in the US.

I assume you're talking about the STRIDA. It has pretty "funky" steering, IMO, relative to Bromptons and tikits. Although, like most things, one can adjust to it quickly.

Note I still recommend the STRIDA for various things.

The Strida is a cracking bike. Let only the ignorant make jokes about it being a clown/circus bike.

I first saw a Jifo on Youtube months ago. It looked different and very small. As a single speed with sixteen inch wheels I thought it could be a good tool for short trips. I looked on the Dahon site and didn't find it. Eventually through searching I learned about the split between Dahon and Dahonbikes. Oooooh there must be a story there. Anyway, when I saw the retail price I just said no way.

When I saw the Jifo I thought it would be a good inexpensive alternative to some of Dahon's more expensive folders. You know, single speed, very small wheels, and a coaster brake. The price shocked me. I was thinking it would be a $399 machine. Man was I wrong. Maybe when I've got some disposable money I'll buy one. For now I'm just too poor.

Saw Jifo and the EEZZ prototype at Eurobike a few days ago,

not really impressed. Both single speed, rear hub spacing looks tiny so don't see there being much possibilities there.

While looks small folded, it can't be as small as the Brompton given that there is considerable offset from the wheels.

Pricing on the inferior Jifo is similar to older no-frills Brompton pricing, so no advantage here. Weight is better for Dahon.

This isn't a Brompton killer. I'm not sure who'd go out on a limb for it given pricing and Brompton's product reputation.

Well, it's been close to 6 months now and I have not seen one Jifo on the streets of New York City. You only see the best sellers like Speed, Vitesse and Boardwalk on the streets but not that bike. I don't get why the price is three times that of the boardwalk? Incredible.

My guess would be that the price is so high because of a combination of licensing fees, mold costs, and loss of economies of scale. The design wasn't developed in house, instead was either purchased whole-hog or is being licensed. While the Boardwalk uses the same hinge as other bikes in the Dahon range, the Jifo uses unique hinges, rear "seat-stay", rear hub, etc, which necessitates investment in molds and until they can get those items into other bikes, will not benefit from economies of scale. It also has more parts in general as well as parts that are more expensive such as a telescoping seatpost vs the Boardwalk's static seatpost. These may explain the higher cost, but whether they justify the existence of the bike is another question.

I saw my first Jifo @ the LBS the other day. In general I was impressed: light; fast, small fold; solid latches; handsome. I especially liked the nifty quick release pedals, which come in and out quicker than I can fold my pedals and make the folded bike's form factor smaller as well.

Not to beat a dead horse, but as a single speed with no practical way to upgrade*, the Jifo is not really a mainstream folder but more of a niche within a niche bike. Dahon knows this and for whatever reason this is the bike they wanted to build. I'm hoping they'll expand this folding concept to more useful, general purpose machines.



*Yes, Thor, I understand the bike rides great. Got it. That's different than gearing. No matter how great the Jifo rides, it's still just got one gear.

For the record, the Jifo is actually narrower folded:
Brompton: 23" x 22.2" x 10.6"
Dahon Jifo: 23.9" × 23.4" x 10.0"

Sometimes its quite hard to measure as Birdies, mezzos for instance are parralagrams.

and I agree ...... A 3 speed Jifo... Eeze would get my full 120 % applause, I am the first who is critical about all the shortcomings of that bike, as I mentioning them earlier posts..... besides the yuck green color the first one had, lol.
But........ maybe we are asking to much at times, the folks who own Jifos and the peeps I let ride on one are all big smiles ....
go figure ...lol
thor

How did you measure these?

it seems the jifo cannot be sold at MSRP. i live in the city too, and i have never seen one on the street. the only one i've seen sell was on ebay for 500 and change. that's probably the very top end of what the bike is worth to a cyclist. i think the dahon dove is a much better compact lightweight folder. dahon apparently did not see a market for this bike in europe or the US, so its only available in asia. additionally, if folks are really smitten with the jifo for some reason, they should probably buy the original, the bipod mint:
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=279091

I personally like Dahon version compared to bipod. If we zoom the hinge for steering post, Dahon looks sturdier.

Brompton front wheel folded covers the drivetrain, to keep grease off stuff its put in..

As time passes, the title of this thread looks more and more ridiculous.

has this bike become vaporware again? I don't think I saw it available in any store online and in person..... ever! for anything to even have a chance to challenge the other party you have to be able be in stock :).