hi all,

AN UPDATE: finally done ( i think so) with the upgrades on my Dahon Speed TR.

here are the changes i made:
1) removed front and rear racks
2) changed flat handlebar to ritchey and trimmed 1 inch on both side
3) change the MKS EZY pedal to MKS FD-6
4) installed kojak tires
5) installed front kinetix pro wheel (removed the TR hub wheel)
6) installed Selle Italia seat (from previous bike)
7) installed TURNER aluminum cnc 33.9mm x 600mm seatpost (got it for $15)
8) removed ergon grips with bar end and installed ergon GP1-L grips.
9) i was able to fix the gap between the tires and fenders. had to fabricate my own fender wire support.

with all these changes, my dahon speed tr went from 30lbs to 20+/- lbs. (i still need to get an accurate scale). based on my arm lifting, this is now a VERY LIGHT Dahon Speed TR.

future upgrades:
1) i might put shimano FC5600 105 52T chainring and hallowtech bottom bracket.

My Dahon Speed TR when i first got it:
DSCF2512A..jpg

Speed TR after some adjustments/upgrades: as you will notice, there is a big gap between the tires and fenders. this is due to the change of tire from 20x2.0 to 20x1.35 (kojaks)
IMGP1009A..jpg

This is the NOW picture after all the changes/upgrades i did to my speed tr. 20+/- lbs baby.....
IMGP1367A..jpg

front wheel: upgraded to Dahon Kinetix Pro wheel. gone is the GAP between tire and fender.
IMGP1369A..jpg

rear tire: no more gap between the tire and fender after i fabricated my own wire support.
IMGP1370A..jpg

the ritchey handlebar (2 inches shorter than the normal dahon handlebar lenght.
IMGP1376A..jpg

Very nice!

What I want to know is what your opinion of the bike is now, following from your initial feeling that it was a mistaken purchase?

+1

Also, for someone who wants to keep their TR as a mainly touring bike, but doesn't like how slow it is (ie me) which of your mods would make most difference. Tires ?

+1 on this. Weight I am not even bothering... (between my ortlieb and +1 pannier of extra stuff...) it is like 25-30lbs extra weight I carry anyways... but any rolling resistance from tire, I've been wondering.

when i first got it, my initial reaction was - it was a wrong decision to buy this bike as this is so heavy (my no. 1 complain) not thinking that i can make it lighter. the reason i had my eyes set on the TR and Pro TT is it's SRAM dual drive (24/27 speed). since the Pro TT is way too expensive i decided to try and get the TR but was thinking that weight of 30lbs is not that much compare to my bike friday's weight of 25lbs. man, i was wrong. as soon as i lifted it it feels so heavy.

i had my true test ride with the bike ( with all its upgrades) just yesterday and i will say that I LIKE IT A LOT. shift good, handlepost is not too flexy as my bike friday, having a dual drive is really nice. the 24 speeds are all usable. kojak is fast and i like how it is air pumped almost to the max of 95psi. i like my tire hard and boucy. weight is so light and nice to lug around. I am loving it now. buying it was not a bad decision after all. plus i love working on the bike - changing anything or upgrading something.

yes. the tires. kojaks are fast compare to big apple 2.0. in fact i was thinking of getting the stelvio which is even narrower than the kojaks as i really want it to go faster but i heard a lot of negative reviews about the stelvio.

keeping it as a touring bike may not work for kojaks although i like it a lot as it is way faster than the big apple.

thanks ppg..

Narrower tires does not equal faster speed - especially for a small wheeled bike. The passive suspension offered by the Kojaks [assuming you pump them to allow for 3-5mm vertical drop when you are on bike] will reduce rolling resistance compared to a smaller volume tire at higher pressure.

The single best upgrade to make a bike faster is tire selection followed by tire pressure choice with the chosen tire.

Weight is entirely dependant on the bicycle's design for intended use. A touring bike will be heavier than a road design optimized for speed. Unless you are lifting and carrying the bike multiple times a day, the bike's static weight is not the primary deciding factor for a good riding experience. Any bike can feel "fast" if you run the right tire and gear it appropriately. Far better to get the tires, then figure out your riding style and natural cadence. You will only find this out by riding enough miles.

Then figure out if the gear spacing is working for you for your type of riding, your natural cadence and your terrain. Change the gearing to fit these variables appropriately. Once you do, the bike will feel live, responsive and an extension of your body in covering distance. That's when the fun *really* begins.

honestly i am not the type of person who wants shock absorber on my bike. i don't like big apple at all even if it will make my ride comfy. in fact i've been wanting to change the big apple on my Curve. i always pumped my tires higher pressure and love it that way. i like it when i can feel the tire runs over the pebbles. so yes for my new setup (kojaks vs big apple) on my TR i can say that i can feel it a little bit faster. since it's almost winter now i might go back and change it to a schwalbe 20x1.5. anyone has experience with kojaks for winter riding ? do i need to really change my tires to regular ones or this will suffice ?

How are you liking the new pedals? It's time for me to update mine and I'm interested in the FD-6.

It looks as though you have made some worthwhile mods to that bike. I’m not a Dahon fan anymore..... I do know how heavy the Speed TR is as standard.

As regards Kojaks, I love them... I first encountered them in May 2008 on a Dahon MU SL with 20” wheels. I have been using the 16” version on my Titanium Brompton since March 2009.... used most days in all weathers and on all types of roads / trails. Ran through glass plenty of times and it is only recently that I had my first ever puncture with these tyres and I think that is more down to the fact that they are getting a bit worn and a very small slither of glass managed to find its way through the race guard protection.

I have just bought another set but will see if I can get this winter out of the existing pair and then fit the new ones in the spring.

I have Stelvio’s fitted as standard to my Bridgestone Moulton but I think these are difficult to get now in (17”) so I bought 6 spare tyres just in case.....

.

it's not one of the best pedal out there. my TR has the MKS EZY pedal but to much hustle in taking it out and putting it back on so i decided to put the FD-6. all i can say is this is a nice and better upgrade than the standard pedal that dahon used and for the price it's a good investment.

i heard good reviews about this pedal:

https://cgi.ebay.com/2010-QR-Wellgo-B...#ht_3505wt_861

how do you like the Stelvio's ? i am also thinking of getting this.

To be honest I have not taken this bike out for some time..... from what I can recall they ride quite well.

if you want to use a hollowtech II double with the FD clamp from thor, buy a triple hollowtech II crankset.
The triple hollowtech II crankset sits the chainrings out further and you won't run into problems with the FD bottoming out on the frame. You, of course, can't use the granny ring, but you'll get a properly functioning double.

I've installed an ultegra triple to my dahon, and it works perfectly as a double with the FD adaptor from thor. A double fits, but the rings sit too inward for proper actuation.

can you send pics of your triple setup ?

here you are.
It's not perfect, but it still works quite well.

thanks. that's a nice setup. i should then be able to put my 105 (although double chainring) and my hollowtech.

no, not quite. You can try it if you want to, but a hollowtech II crankset has a shorter axle than a triple, and this makes it sit in closer to the frame. The 40mm seat tube interferes with the FD motion range and cannot go inward far enough and the FD will rub the chain when in the small ring.

The triple has a longer axle and spacers to allow it to sit out further from the frame.

So if you use a double, you will only be able to use one chainring at a time.

Was wondering where you got your Turner aluminum seatpost? Great price.

had a friend ordered it for me in china (taobao) and had someone brought it back home in california. i know with that price i could have bought at least 3 but at that time they only have red and gold color. now i have no contact with my friend in china as he moved to another city.

AN UPDATE with shimano 105 double crankset 53/39T...