I just received my bike and there's some "click" sound when I spin the rear wheel. Is this the free wheel problem that you guys mentioned in previous post?

Hi Atom; I was so determined to thank you for posting these images I actually waded thru the formidible registration process. At least I didn't have to provide the blood of a virgin too!
I've been eyeing this bike,..liking folders,..I use a Schwinn Loop 7 to tow my little raft, after getting off our local river..it's true. Will post that later. Any case wanted one for my daughter,...she's got several nice bikes,..road and mountain but these folders are so convenient and fun/ goofy I decided she would probably like it. (The Boulder Co. crowd) It was this or the Citizen Miani same price range,..your pix and review did it for me. An interesting sidelight is that they look like toys,... so dibbling in and out of traffic/ to sidewalk wrong way down alleys folks just think,..oh look at that special needs person,..on his clown bike!! With all the don't buy cheap stuff debate I almost didn't till I actually saw the pix,..thinking come on what do you expect for $200! Much thanx,..I'll report her set up procedures and encourage her to read the manual! You made good points,..thanx!

Hope she likes it. I still love mine.

I don't think so; it sounds like it is the freewheel functioning normally.

I have been lurking Bike Forums here for awhile just for random information. Just joined BF and so, this would be my first virginal post :lol: This Genesis topic is fun & most informative. It reminds me about the very vintage/old VW Beetles and their passionate owners (I was one of them) doing all manner of mods & tweaks to their basically affordable VW (at that time).

I'm just a leisure rider, long time owner of a very vintage trek tourer and an semi-vintage hard rock mtb. Looking for folder as back-up, only very short/quick rides (to store, post office, errands, etc) and to carry in my old truck. So far, my interest is narrowing between Citizen Gotham 7 and maybe Origami's upcoming new Crane 8. Price affordability is primary consideration with some reasonable quality in the folder. I am a capable DIY & no problem doing a little mechanical type work on bikes.

Appreciate Atombikes & other members too, sharing their ongoing Genesis journey! So far, minimal mention about the Genesis's seat post? Specifically its length. I am assuming the Genesis owners here are under 6 feet tall!? ;) I'm not really big either, just about 5' 10". A few members that commented earlier & briefly about the seatpost, it seems the Genesis seat post is just minimally-barely long enough?? I emailed Citizen about the dimensions of their seat posts ... the diameter & length and they could not tell me and said to phone them. If possible, could anyone tell me what is the diameter of the Genesis seatpost? Also the total length? (from the center of seat rail clamps to end of seatpost). I would prefer seatposts that have a little extra for height adjustment. Someone mentioned that Thor USA sells some Dahon accessories, including a longer seatpost upgrade. There specs say 640mm long (25 inches) and has diameter of 33.9mm (1.33 inches). Does the Genesis seatpost have same diameter?

Again, this is a great topic and Bike Forums in general, is an encyclopedic wealth of knowledge! :thumb:

Seatpost is about 545mm long and 33.9mm dia. Yes, a little short if you're 6 ft or more.

great thread... I just moved to RI from cocoa beach, and am transitioning from a fat bike and beach riding to city streets and not much storage. folding bikes are just the ticket! just pulled the plug on a genesis and will do these mods! I love it!

If the Front Derailleur add-on could be accomplished & working, that sure would be big positive hurdle to overcome, not only for the bargain bottom priced Genesis but for most other more expensive folder bikes of this size & similar styles that do not, offer front derailleur & double chainring set-ups.

Not sure if I will get Genesis yet, or look to other slightly higher priced brands that may not require as much upgrade fixes. The regular full size bikes I've owned, I have always had at least two to three chainrings up front. Obvious, more gearing selection and especially for the hilly landscapes in my area. Even if I were to do short commutes or quick errands, I would still encounter some road upslopes. With the limited gearing of folders, I would likely at times need to stand on the pedals to negotiate up some of the inclines. Hmmmm .... if I get 'folder', I might also add foot straps to pedals.

This is the only link so far, that I found which goes into some detail about front derailleur add-on to a folder bike. He says it was very difficult. however he also comments, "It took me many hours to get it working satisfactorily, as installing the FD is new to me too, thus I was learning as I went along!"

Hands On Bike: Journey of the Boardwalk: Part 16 - Front Derailleur for the Dahon Boardwalk TT

I have installed, adjusted & tuned front derailleurs on regular size bikes. It may take a little time to tweak it just right, but I would not rate it as high difficulty.

P.S. Ahhh ... since he has never installed front derailleurs before ... okay ... it would maybe be somewhat difficult for him!

Have any you conidered a Sram dual drive hub to give you 27 gears rather than going for more chain rings and fitting a front derailier? It would mean getting the hub built into a rim. I did this with my Mezzo folding bike and I am very happy with the results.

Absolutely a great way to go, except it's not cheap. It will give you better gear range as well as better spacing between gears (if you want it).

I am not as familiar with internal gearing hubs. That sure would be a more sophisticated option getting more gearing! Ahh ... I just looked ... those internal hubs are somewhat pricey. Also got to add cost of new wheel build. I'm just thinking keep it simple (in the beginning!) and at somewhat affordable budget. I can deal with the basics of front & rear derailleurs and maybe doing hacks :D To me, this does not seem complicated, adding front derailleur to a folder and getting it to work to control inner chainring. Of course, I will not know until I acquire an actual 20" folder bike! Just have to be sure the design of folder bike frame near the vertical seat tube just behind the chainring/bottom bracket area, has enough space to attach a FD bracket on the vertical tube, or even a home made custom FD bracket.

I got one for $160 and have swapped out the bolt-on-hub-axles for some QR axles I had laying around. I also put External Bearing 175mm cranks on the thing so the cranks can come off when I put this thing in a suitcase. When I put the front hub axle as QR, I reduced it down to 72mm spacing by using the old solid axle and the retaining clips without the hub and tightening the nuts until the fork was 55mm between the tips. When I took the axle off, it came out to about 74mm spaced, but YMMV. I also plan to put QR fenders on the thing ($16ish online) and a pump inside the seat tube. The hardcase suitcase I will transform into a trailer for it as well, and will post pics of all of it when I'm done...

Kudos on a very useful, informative thread. My wife and I were strongly considering Dahon C7a for travel bikes, are now heavily favoring the Genesis.

The subject of airline travel (domestic US) is an important one for us. We recently rode the Dahon CTa and D7 at a LBS, clerk assured us that the Dahon travel bag was suitable for airline transport, I now know that it is larger than the 62" threshold, making it oversized, subject to a $75 - $200 fee on US carriers. When considering some type of suitcase, other container: it is obvious that it must accept the 20" diameter wheel, images do not suggest your full 26" length is required. If you were able to design the ideal container (proper fit, minimal disassembly), what would you consider to the the optimal size?

Would you be kind enough to elaborate for a noob, with limited tools? What is involved to replace:
1. Bolt-on-hub-axles with QR? Am I better off with something like Home | Axle Release
2. External Bearing 175mm cranks, single 52t chainring (FD is a bit overkill for me)
Would you be kind enough to recommend cost effective examples?

Would't most of mods described in this thread void the warranty?

Glad this thread is helpful. The 26" suitcase is about the smallest you could go. The 26" is a lot smaller than a 29".

I didn't get a warranty. In my mind, the only value of the warranty is on the frame, but the frame has a lifetime warranty, and none of the mods I made affect the frame.

Rather than replace the flat bar, has anyone played around with bar ends?

I would recommend your suggestion instead of using the bullhorns I added. Reason: the bullhorns complicate the fold, and those rubbery clamp-on bar ends seem optimal. If I were to do it again, I would simply add the clamp on bar ends.

Placed an order for 2 bikes today, starting to order components and accessories, ran in to a snag.

Plan is to take the bikes as checked baggage, do not want to deal with an extra suitcase. After reading numerous articles online of people successfully using soft-sided carriers and even plastic bags, I have convinced myself that the risk of using a soft side bag is minimal, worth taking. The issue is that the quoted folded dimensions of 29"L x 26"W x 15"H do not fit ANY of the 20" bags found on eBay or Amazon - including the standard Dahon bag. As the bike is irregular in shape, I was wondering if it might fit in something like this http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/folding-bike-carry-bag/69078.

Not shown in any of the online articles is the use of packing film Office Depot Brand Stretch Wrap Film 5 x 1000 Roll Clear by Office Depot & OfficeMax - appears like a practical solution to me.

Thoughts?

The dimensions of your bike are not out of the ordinary. Our bags will fit bikes up to 34 X 26 x 15, and we use metal connectors and have a padded shoulder strap. Standard Carry Bag

Thank you, Paul. Just placed an order for 2 bags.

Thank you. Please let me know how you like them.

I strong considered a Dahon C7a for >$400, went with the Genesis as it too would require more than $200 in upgrades - seat, higher pressure tires, rear rack, larger chain ring, longer cranks. The only mechanical component I plan to upgrade immediately is the shifter, new Shimano rapid shifter was less than $10 shipped on eBay. Another major consideration is theft - a brand like Dahon is much more of a target than what appears to be just another big box entry level bicycle. Should the Genesis disappear, replacing it will be MUCH less painful. Time will tell if the bottom of the line mechanical components will serve my needs, replacements are cheap (~$20 each), readily available, I expect to ride it a fraction of the ~1500 miles per year on my primary road bike.

So our bikes arrived, along with some of the additional accessories ordered online, I am starting to put things together.

I scoured forums, eBay and Amazon for a rack, believe that I came up with a winner - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00L3JLO7A. Rugged, well constructed, reasonably priced, and most important - FLEXIBLE configuration. It just so happens that one set of the frame clamps were not included with the rack, but they are not necessary for 20" frames, as the adjustable rear supports can be screwed directly to the tapped holes in the frame.

Forum rules unfortunately prevent me from posting images.

can anyone tell me how this bike isn't a counterfeit/knockoff/fake?

http://genbikes.com/images/0001675132008-lg.jpg

http://www.foldingcyclist.com/Dahon-...lding-bike.jpg