DaHon Curve D3

Tom Sherman °_° wrote:

- The bike is torsionally stiff enough that I can moderately "honk" on
it with my 0.6 Chalo mass without excessive flexure. LOTS of material in
the bottom bracket junction area. The seat post and steering riser are
adequately stiff considering their cantilevered length.

One of the top Dahon dealers in the U.S. explicitly warns against this.

"Folding bikes with extremely long stems are meant to be ridden sitting
down on steep climbs. We tell Dahon riders NOT to stand up on the bike
when attacking a hill as it puts too much stress and torque on the long
stem. This is true not only for Dahons, but all folding bike with the
long stem design."

SMS aka Steven M. Scharf wrote:
Tom Sherman °_° wrote:

- The bike is torsionally stiff enough that I can moderately "honk" on
it with my 0.6 Chalo mass without excessive flexure. LOTS of material
in the bottom bracket junction area. The seat post and steering riser
are adequately stiff considering their cantilevered length.

One of the top Dahon dealers in the U.S. explicitly warns against this.

"Folding bikes with extremely long stems are meant to be ridden sitting
down on steep climbs. We tell Dahon riders NOT to stand up on the bike
when attacking a hill as it puts too much stress and torque on the long
stem. This is true not only for Dahons, but all folding bike with the
long stem design."

Well, I do not pull hard on the handlebars [1] when standing the way
some upright riders do, which is why I used the qualifier "moderately".

The Owner's Manual does NOT warn against standing. The warning label on
the stem cautions against off-road riding, competition riding, doing
wheelies, but not standing.

[1] Must be the conditioning from all my 'bent riding.

--
Tom Sherman - 42.435731,-83.985007
I am a vehicular cyclist.

Tom Sherman wrote:

More cleverness from DaHon.

Photo set showing the built in pump:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/19704682@N08/sets/72157619381165474/.

I got a very similar pump for my first-wife-to-be back in the early
'90s. I probably got it for her because I wanted one for myself, but
couldn't get one long enough for my own bike. It had a chuck on the
front of the post just underneath the saddle, such that you plopped
the saddle on the ground and lowered the wheel onto it with the post
sticking up through the spokes. After affixing the chuck, you pumped
the handle like a floor pump.

It worked fine, but the one on your Dahon appears to be better thought
out.

Chalo

["Followup-To:" header set to rec.bicycles.misc.]
On 2009-06-07, Tom Sherman ?_? wrote:

John Thompson wrote:

How much did that set you back?

When the carrying bag is included, about $0.65K.

Not bad. Do you know if it can be flown as luggage on an airplane
without undue cost?

--

-John )

John Thompson wrote:
["Followup-To:" header set to rec.bicycles.misc.]
On 2009-06-07, Tom Sherman ?_? wrote:

John Thompson wrote:
How much did that set you back?

When the carrying bag is included, about $0.65K.

Not bad. Do you know if it can be flown as luggage on an airplane
without undue cost?

Well, the DaHon case is technically over-sized [1], but the Curve would
likely fit in a smaller case.

While the Curve would be a good bike for riding around in the evening
after meetings and similar use, it is NOT a touring bicycle (nor
intended to be one) due to limited cargo carrying options, weight
restrictions and riding position.

[1] http://www.dahon.com/us/accessories/luggage/airporter.htm.

--
Tom Sherman - 42.435731,-83.985007
I am a vehicular cyclist.

= SMS
I guess they're content to address 99% of the world's
population.

= Tom Sherman
Unlike some of the competing small folders which would NOT fit
many adult men:

http://www.breezerbikes.com/bike_det...ct&bi ke=itzy

=v= Certainly that model is small and for smaller people, but
Breezer makes an entire line of folding bikes, and MOST of them
are bigger than that. You're being unfair and very misleading.
_Jym_

= Tom Sherman
The bike is torsionally stiff enough that I can moderately
"honk" on it with my 0.6 Chalo mass without excessive
flexure.

= SMS
One of the top Dahon dealers in the U.S. explicitly warns
against this.

=v= For a Dahon, sure.

"Folding bikes with extremely long stems are meant to be
ridden sitting down on steep climbs. We tell Dahon riders NOT
to stand up on the bike when attacking a hill as it puts too
much stress and torque on the long stem. This is true not only
for Dahons, but all folding bike with the long stem design."

=v= This is nonsense. Well, to be fair it doesn't specify what
"the" long stem design means, so maybe that limits what "all"
folding bike[s] refers to. All I know is that it doesn't apply
to ALL folding bikes.

=v= Bike Friday's handlebar stems are made of sturdy chromoly
and can handle this technique, no problem. I've been doing
that for over a decade. Likewise for the steel Swift Folders.
(I've noticed that the aluminum "Xootr" Swifts have handlebar
stems similar to some I've seen on Dahons.)
_Jym_

Jym Dyer wrote:
= SMS
I guess they're content to address 99% of the world's
population.

= Tom Sherman
Unlike some of the competing small folders which would NOT fit
many adult men:

http://www.breezerbikes.com/bike_det...ct&bi ke=itzy

=v= Certainly that model is small and for smaller people, but
Breezer makes an entire line of folding bikes, and MOST of them
are bigger than that. You're being unfair and very misleading.
_Jym_

Does Breezer make a folder with either ISO 305-mm, 349-mm, 355-mm or
369-mm wheels that will fit a person with a 92-cm (36-inch) inseam?
DaHon does, which was my point.

--
Tom Sherman - 42.435731,-83.985007
I am a vehicular cyclist.

Tom Sherman °_° wrote:

Does Breezer make a folder with either ISO 305-mm, 349-mm, 355-mm or
369-mm wheels that will fit a person with a 92-cm (36-inch) inseam?
DaHon does, which was my point.


No.

Breezer sells a version of the Dahon Speed (Zig7 and Zag8) but they
don't, as of yet, sell a version of the Curve. REI does, and it's better
than the one sold under Dahon's own brand.