How would you guys rate the Down Tube-Mini? There's one for sale in new like condition that I might be able to get for around $350. I'm trying to swing a trade - so far I'm not getting anywhere.

Cheers
Wayne

Go for it! I have a 2008 model and really like it. DT is supposedly bringing the Mini back but I have not seen anything recently that confirms this.

The new mini's were supposed to arrive early in the summer, they have been very late due to a delay receiving Shimano Nexus 8 hubs. I will begin presales on the new bikes. I will have 8H with belt drives, mini with standard chain drive, and a very small number of mini's with belt drives.

Prices will be $120 less for all presales until we run out or the bikes arrive....then they will go back to retail.

Due to storage constraints it would be best for us to sell the bikes before they arrive ( so we don't have to warehouse them ). Once they arrive we will be forced to warehouse them, hence we will sell them for standard retail. This will be kind of a kickstarter style campaign without paying kickstarter's 8% fee, hence we are giving a bigger discount to buyers.

Thanks,
Yan

whoa a mini with a nexus 8 AND belt drive!?!? how much is this going to cost and please give us some updates as soon as you can!

I went over to look at the one that was for sale on Craigslist. The gears were all messed up. What's worse, they guy said they changed fine. Amazing what lies people will tell just to sell something. He was willing to take my mountain bike, bit I wasn't about to accept the trade based on the messed up gears and being lied to. That's the problem buying something used. But there are good buys out there if you can find them, but when it comes to folding bikes, there isn't much to choose from, especially where I live.

Yan, what are you planning on selling them for? It's been a long time waiting to get a folding bike for my wife, so I decided to sell my camera gear so I can purchase one for her. Let me know please. My wife liked the one we went to see. She said it felt very comfortable, except the gears were all messed up.

New mini's with Shimano 8sp nexus hub and chain drive will be $700. New mini with gates belt drive will be $800 ( very limited quantities )8H with front suspension Shimano 8sp nexus hub and gates belt drive is $800. Overall I expect to take $120 off the above prices for pre sale orders. Once the bikes arrive we will sell them for the above prices. I have prototypes of each bike and I will post pictures soon. I have been asked for specs and I am wary to list them. FYI I do not believe I have ever gotten a container with everything as specd. Some things are better and some worse....that's the way it goes. I will list approximate specs on the site within a week.

Also we are changing our brand name. For the next two years we will be Downtube & Bike1.com. Both names will be on the bikes. Starting in 2017 we will exclusively move to Bike1.com.

I've had many people ask me why the name Downtube....As if it is a plumbing company. I think bike1.com will be better long term.

Thanks
Yan

Gears all messed up isn't too descriptive.. did it have a Sturmey 8spd hub? .. did it have a derailleur? if this bike looked like new as you described, it was probably a simple adjustment.. I've got 2 IGH Downtube Minis with the SA hub in my extended family, and other than an occasional gear cable adjustment, they've been totally trouble free.. I still enjoy riding them when I visit.. great bikes!

Yes it did have a Sturmey Archer 8 speed hub. I was a little concerned that there might be something wrong with the gears inside the hub. While riding it, sometimes they changed, sometimes they didn't. The odd time a gear would snap in a short while after shifting. To replace one of these hubs is a lot of money, money I don't have. What do you think?

He said it was brand new, but you can tell that it isn't. Some minor scratches, but nothing to be so concerned about. Dirt around the hub where the shifter cable enters. It had an odd location. It wrapped around the bottom of the hub before entering the hub sideways. Sorry I'm not too descriptive. Usually the cable on an internal geared hub enters at the end through a connecting piece at the end of the nut that fastens the wheel to the frame. This one is totally different. I'd like to go back and get it, but I'm so concerned there might be some problems with the hub on the inside. Outside issues like a dirty or worn cable could effect shifting, but who's to know for sure unless someone of technical know how checks it out.

Did you adjust the gears?

No, I don't know anything about the hub to do that.

Put the shifter in 4th gear. Then align the yellow marks using the barrel adjuster.

Thanks
Yan

The shift cable to the hub does come from below .. dirt could make a difference.. adjustment could make a big difference .. you could make the sale contingent on taking it to a bike shop and have it cleaned/adjusted to make sure it does shift properly.. here's our friend Jur's bike ..

And a great BLOG ENTRY with doorstop mod..

That was a great blog.

I tried contacting the seller, but I haven't heard back from him. I stated in my e-mail that I'm providing a perfectly functioning mountain bike in exchange, and I feel that I should be receiving a bike from him that is equally functionable. I don't feel I should have to pay for servicing the bike considering what I'm giving him. Since I haven't heard from him it tells me that he's not interested, and maybe there are problems with the bike that he is aware of and don't want to deal with and just simply wants shod of it. I'll find something down the road for my wife.

Thanks for your help. Very much appreciated.

Cheers
Wayne