Winfried

Check German or British web sites, as those two countries are big markets for Dahon.

Here's one of them, where the bike is scheduled to be available in Feb/Mar ("Dieses Rad ist voraussichtlich Verfügbar im Feb / März 2015"):

Dahon Dahon Curl 16 Zoll Faltrad Neuheit Februar 2015 - FaltradXXS.de

radityajoko

i understand many arguments people debating here over the pedal and folding design, but look at those ridiculous fork. Come on Dahon, you guys have a beautiful Slipstream fork, and you put that kind of fork on a 1000 dollar bike?

the clinch and EEZZ on the other hand, is very interesting. given a very nice ride on the Silvertip, i would give clinch a try

redbiro

They say they wont have it until june-july ;seems to be available nowhere in Europe at the moment!

Dahon.Steve

I'm not upset with the pedal or folding design at all. What I don't understand is this bike offers nothing different than the Curve 3 speed selling at about half the price. Any place you can bring the Curl you can take the Curve.

Personally, I would not spend $1,200 USD on this bike and I'd wait at least 3 years to see if Dahon decides to keep this model. Better yet, buy a Jetstream 8 speed with that kind of money and don't look back.

radityajoko

i agree, i have a curve d3 and it is a nice bike. some people compare them to brompton, but i would not. it's different.
but the curl just not "Dahon"-ish in my opinion, it is something else. why they did not try to refine EEZZ or curve (since they share the same curvy frame) and stick with it? to proof that this frame is good looking, even tern still adopt the curved frame, albeit with a little twist

Winfried

Dahon doesn't have a coherent range of bikes. They all look different. Tern makes more sense.

Indeed, considering how convenient its folding is, Dahon should improve the EEZZ by 1) adding a 3-6 speed IGH and 2) folding pedals. That would make the EEZZ a good and cheaper alternative to Brompton.

radityajoko

see? thats a better looking bike than curl

Winfried

For one thing, they shouldn't have soldered a rear-rack, and instead, provide a way to bolt a bag on the frame in the front instead like they do on other Dahon bikes.

More weight in the front is better, especially on a folder with small wheels, and the bike looks better.

tds101 

What's the measurements on the eezz's rear dropout? If it's wide enough I'd customize it with a 3-11 speed igh.

Winfried

Tech / Support Topics - Dahon Forum

keyven

I don't get the negative reaction to the Curl.

On one hand most people agree Brompton still makes the best fold after more than two decades. On the other hand, some people are resistant to anyone but Brompton making a bike with this widely-agreed-upon "best fold".

I think of it as the "Brompton-like fold" should be a category unto itself, like a car could be a sedan or hatchback and so on.

What if people cried foul had Toyota and Honda and Peugeot and Ford all made automobiles with "a car body configuration with a rear door that swings upward to provide access to a cargo area"? (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatchback).

Or produced cars in a three-box configuration with A, B & C-pillars and principal volumes articulated in separate compartments for engine, passenger and cargo. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedan_(automobile))

At least automobile manufacturers are sensible enough to know a good thing when they see one. They learned lessons from proven designs and improved upon them, instead of throwing millions of dollars and thousands of man-hours at unique and exciting, yet ultimately less efficient, designs.

Given that Brompton's copyright protection has expired, it's perfectly legitimate for companies like Dahon to assess the viability of incorporating the design into their product line. Brompton's inability to evolve nimbly may be exactly the loophole that Dahon needs to grab a chunk of market share.

I definitely wouldn't want Dahon to stop innovating on their other products, but maybe their experiment could prove beneficial for cycling in general. If the Curl becomes sufficiently cheap in the future (fingers crossed), it could trigger a new wave of multi-modal commuting.

And that would be good for all cyclists.

Winfried

+1.

Besides, Brompton is far from perfect:

• so-so brakes, especially in the rain
• too much flex
• derailleur stops working when riding in the rain/mud, so the rider is stuck on one sprocket
• a light, six-speed IGH with well spaced speeds would be a better alternative to the clunky 2x3 solution

radityajoko

that was my only hope. When it goes beyond 1000 USD in one of the website, it has lost its appeal to me somehow. I doubt it would go cheaper.

Winfried

Mac vs. PC until Windows 95 came out…

radityajoko

Yep

Azreal911

Oh! oh! I got a good one:

Nintendo vs Sega until Playstation came out!

Dahon.Steve

You keep repeating the same thread over and over again.

1. Brompton is doomed because they don't want to innovate and their patent expired.
2. Dahon should and will copy the Brompton design and bankrupt Brompton.
3. The price of the cheap Dahon copy will make it affordable once again.

This is never going to happen. Dahon's prices have increased each year and they have too much pride in copying Brompton. Dahon builds quality bikes and selling a cheap Brompton copy is beneath them. Furthermore, to construct a high quality Brompton that's better than what comes out of the UK will never be affordable.

Quite frankly, if someone did make a cheap copy of the Brompton and was selling it for $339.00, I would not be interested in buying one. All the "bling" in owning one would be gone as it would be no better than buying a Schwinn Loop.

keyven

Wait doomed? What are you talking about?

What is it about a CAPITALIST system that you don't understand? That it rewards people/companies that choose to take risks and constantly innovate? Brompton has chosen to take it slow, so maybe it's up to the rest to do something about that.

Your attitude has an elitism that I wouldn't care to emulate. There's nothing wrong with an expensive, reliable Brompton with all the bells and whistles, just as there's nothing wrong with the existence of a luxury BMW. Patek Philippe and Vachyron Constantin aren't crying because the market is saturated with Casios and Swatches. Heck, with some smart marketing, Brompton could RAISE their prices and further distance themselves from the mediocre copies. Win-win?

This is about more than your own pride - it's about pricing everyone into the world's most practical folding bike and hopefully making a dent in this car-crazy world.

Human_Amplifier

This ^

bhkyte

quote "Quite frankly, if someone did make a cheap copy of the Brompton and was selling it for $339.00, I would not be interested in buying one. All the "bling" in owning one would be gone as it would be no Brompton could RAISE their prices and further distance themselves from the mediocre copies. Win-win?
than buying a Schwinn Loop..........."

"Brompton could RAISE their prices and further distance themselves from the mediocre copies. Win-win?..........."

Frankly, what a load of nonsense. There is little point in countering this type of fanzine. I recommend broarding your perspectives lol.

dezzie

Available in the UK now - 2015 Dahon Curl i3 Folding Bike Only £865.00

HGR3inOK

FWIW, the Fudge website says "Pre Order for June delivery".

-HANK RYAN-
Norman, Oklahoma USA

dezzie

Yes sorry for my premature infatuation, I saw that after I posted, least you see the price and specs on it so all is not lost!

radityajoko

this thread is gone cold for months yet the curl is still unheard.

well.......

tcs

We've had another thread with more info & talk-talk since, but yeah, still no Curl.