Tim Bennet
Well-Known Member
- Location
- S of Kendal
Dahon Cadenza 'Solo' Folder, SingleSpeed / Fixed.
Excellent Condition. (Complete with bag, instructions and original allen key tool).
This bike was bought when regularly working away from home and needed something to ride in the evenings. The idea was for something that could be stored out of sight in the boot of the car in hotel carparks. Unfortunately that contract didn't last long and after only a couple of trips out, it has stayed unused under the desk in the office for four years or so.
It is the 'Solo' model with a rear flip / flop hub, but has only been used on the road as a single speed. However, the frame has all the fittings for it to be set up as a derailleur bike or hubgear (eccentric bottom bracket adjustment!), plus mudguard / rack eyes, etc.
When checking the bike over to sell a couple of weeks ago, I noticed a hairline crack in the front V-Brake mount weld. It has probably been then since new, but to be 100% certain, the front V-Brake mounts have been removed and a brand new wheel with Avid BB5 disk brake has been fitted.
Price: £325 plus P&P. Between Lancaster and Kendal.
* * * * * *
Name: Dahon Cadenza Solo (09)
Original Price: £538
Frame Number: D809726973
Colour: White
Size: M (almost sure - bought for someone who is 5’8” / 5’9” (175cm) tall).
Brakes: Rear: Kinetix SpeedStop V-brake
Brakes: Front: Avid BB5 cable disk brake
Cassette: 16 tooth sprocket
Cranks: Sugino XD cold-forged 6061 cranks, 44T (71.5 inch gear)
BB: Square taper with adjustable, eccentric mount for chain tensioning.
Fork: Dahon SlipStream Puro U7 aluminium with double butted tubing.
Frame: OA Series 7005 aluminium with patented LockJaw hinges and a replaceable derailleur hanger. Integrated head tube
Handlebar: Kinetic Pro TT alloy, bullhorn 44cm c-c, 25.0 clamp zone
Rear Hub: Kinetix Track Flip/Flop Hub
Front Hub: Shimano M525 Disk
Tyres: Continental Sport Contact (26x1.3)
Saddle: Marin (old, but comfortable) plus an almost new WTB Volt Race saddle.
Seatpost: BioLogic Zorin with integral seatpost pump, 27.2mm
Stem: Dahon F.I.T with patented ATS technology. 6061-T6 aluminium
Weight: 14kg
Bottom Bracket Height: 28cm (to centre of BB).
Head Angle: 72.5°
Chainstays: 44cm
Seat Tube: 35.5cm (c-c)
Standover Height: 68cm
Top Tube: 55cm
Wheelbase: 110cm
* * * * * * *
Review - By Neil Pedoe, Cycling Plus July 28, 2009
The Cadenza Solo is a folding bike that combines ‘proper’ sized wheels with an almost invisible folding mechanism and ultra-low-maintenance setup to produce a fun and fast ride
• Frame & fork: A solid frame with a virtually invisible fold mechanism (9/10)
• Handling: Difficult to fault – great balance for carving through town (8/10)
• Equipment: Being a single speed there’s not much of it, but everything works perfectly. The pump inside the seatpost is a great idea – every commuter bike should have one (8/10)
• Wheels: Mountain-bike sized 26in wheels are a great call on a folding bike – great ride quality and handling (8/10)
Dahon continue to dominate the folding bike market with a vast and varied range of bikes that come in every size of wheel and for every type of riding. The Cadenza range is made up of three flat-barred 26in wheel models, all with the same cleverly folding frame design but with different equipment depending on what they are intended for.
A the top of the range, the sleek-looking road Cadenza combines a compact double chainset, disc brakes, high pressure, low profile Continental slicks and flat bars for a fast city street machine.
The Cadenza 8 swaps the road gears for more robust and maintenance-free Alfine hub gears and much fatter tyres; while the Cadenza Solo – tested here – goes for one-geared purity, as low-maintenance as you can go, and a modicum of bling in terms of the red anodised hubs and a novel bar and brake lever hood setup.
As all three models share the same frame, which comes with all the right fixing points for disc or V-brakes, mudguards, rack, cable runs, a rear mech hanger... This is a versatile frame!
The Solo’s distinctive bars aren’t just for looks – the cow horn shape lets you ride with your head high so you can keep an eye on road dangers around you, and the fact that the STI style hoods position the levers themselves under the bar means that you can use as many of your fingers for stopping as you feel necessary. It’s a much more powerful and convenient braking solution than, say, braking from the top of the brake hoods on a conventional drop bar setup.
This commanding position goes well with the rest of the ride too which, though no lightweight, is agile, planted and great for carving through busy city streets.
The 26in wheels spin up easily, and whether you’ve opted to keep the rear wheel flipped to its singlespeed side with freewheel, or flopped it round to the fixed side so that the back wheel is kept in perfect unity with your legs, acceleration is good.
The use of an eccentric bottom bracket makes for easy chain tensioning, while still letting you drop the rear wheel out for puncture repairs – something which is made even easier by the clever seatpost and seat, which doubles as an effective track pump.
Even if it didn’t fold, the Solo would be a fun, fast and stylish fixie. But add in the near invisible double ‘lockjaw’ joints – one on the top tube and one on the down tube – and you open up a whole new world of multi-modal travel for you and your bike.
Only needing half a turn with an Allen key to unlock each hinge, the fold takes just a few seconds to complete and is easily quick enough for the train platform, bus queue or the boot of your car.
A magnet and plate by the front and rear axles means the folded bike stays folded too. The resulting package is not as compact as a Brompton, or even a smaller-wheeled Dahon, and the bars do stick out a bit but it’s easily good enough for any of the above travel situations.
An even more compact fold is not much more bother either, thanks to the clever headset and steerer cover that lets you loosen one bolt, then slide off the stem and bars without the fork dropping out of the frame.
The only small niggle was that the paint at the lockjaw hinges was starting to chip – though perhaps this was expected because a small bottle of white paint comes in the box with the bike.
Advert also on CTC forum.
Excellent Condition. (Complete with bag, instructions and original allen key tool).
This bike was bought when regularly working away from home and needed something to ride in the evenings. The idea was for something that could be stored out of sight in the boot of the car in hotel carparks. Unfortunately that contract didn't last long and after only a couple of trips out, it has stayed unused under the desk in the office for four years or so.
It is the 'Solo' model with a rear flip / flop hub, but has only been used on the road as a single speed. However, the frame has all the fittings for it to be set up as a derailleur bike or hubgear (eccentric bottom bracket adjustment!), plus mudguard / rack eyes, etc.
When checking the bike over to sell a couple of weeks ago, I noticed a hairline crack in the front V-Brake mount weld. It has probably been then since new, but to be 100% certain, the front V-Brake mounts have been removed and a brand new wheel with Avid BB5 disk brake has been fitted.
Price: £325 plus P&P. Between Lancaster and Kendal.
* * * * * *
Name: Dahon Cadenza Solo (09)
Original Price: £538
Frame Number: D809726973
Colour: White
Size: M (almost sure - bought for someone who is 5’8” / 5’9” (175cm) tall).
Brakes: Rear: Kinetix SpeedStop V-brake
Brakes: Front: Avid BB5 cable disk brake
Cassette: 16 tooth sprocket
Cranks: Sugino XD cold-forged 6061 cranks, 44T (71.5 inch gear)
BB: Square taper with adjustable, eccentric mount for chain tensioning.
Fork: Dahon SlipStream Puro U7 aluminium with double butted tubing.
Frame: OA Series 7005 aluminium with patented LockJaw hinges and a replaceable derailleur hanger. Integrated head tube
Handlebar: Kinetic Pro TT alloy, bullhorn 44cm c-c, 25.0 clamp zone
Rear Hub: Kinetix Track Flip/Flop Hub
Front Hub: Shimano M525 Disk
Tyres: Continental Sport Contact (26x1.3)
Saddle: Marin (old, but comfortable) plus an almost new WTB Volt Race saddle.
Seatpost: BioLogic Zorin with integral seatpost pump, 27.2mm
Stem: Dahon F.I.T with patented ATS technology. 6061-T6 aluminium
Weight: 14kg
Bottom Bracket Height: 28cm (to centre of BB).
Head Angle: 72.5°
Chainstays: 44cm
Seat Tube: 35.5cm (c-c)
Standover Height: 68cm
Top Tube: 55cm
Wheelbase: 110cm
* * * * * * *
Review - By Neil Pedoe, Cycling Plus July 28, 2009
The Cadenza Solo is a folding bike that combines ‘proper’ sized wheels with an almost invisible folding mechanism and ultra-low-maintenance setup to produce a fun and fast ride
• Frame & fork: A solid frame with a virtually invisible fold mechanism (9/10)
• Handling: Difficult to fault – great balance for carving through town (8/10)
• Equipment: Being a single speed there’s not much of it, but everything works perfectly. The pump inside the seatpost is a great idea – every commuter bike should have one (8/10)
• Wheels: Mountain-bike sized 26in wheels are a great call on a folding bike – great ride quality and handling (8/10)
Dahon continue to dominate the folding bike market with a vast and varied range of bikes that come in every size of wheel and for every type of riding. The Cadenza range is made up of three flat-barred 26in wheel models, all with the same cleverly folding frame design but with different equipment depending on what they are intended for.
A the top of the range, the sleek-looking road Cadenza combines a compact double chainset, disc brakes, high pressure, low profile Continental slicks and flat bars for a fast city street machine.
The Cadenza 8 swaps the road gears for more robust and maintenance-free Alfine hub gears and much fatter tyres; while the Cadenza Solo – tested here – goes for one-geared purity, as low-maintenance as you can go, and a modicum of bling in terms of the red anodised hubs and a novel bar and brake lever hood setup.
As all three models share the same frame, which comes with all the right fixing points for disc or V-brakes, mudguards, rack, cable runs, a rear mech hanger... This is a versatile frame!
The Solo’s distinctive bars aren’t just for looks – the cow horn shape lets you ride with your head high so you can keep an eye on road dangers around you, and the fact that the STI style hoods position the levers themselves under the bar means that you can use as many of your fingers for stopping as you feel necessary. It’s a much more powerful and convenient braking solution than, say, braking from the top of the brake hoods on a conventional drop bar setup.
This commanding position goes well with the rest of the ride too which, though no lightweight, is agile, planted and great for carving through busy city streets.
The 26in wheels spin up easily, and whether you’ve opted to keep the rear wheel flipped to its singlespeed side with freewheel, or flopped it round to the fixed side so that the back wheel is kept in perfect unity with your legs, acceleration is good.
The use of an eccentric bottom bracket makes for easy chain tensioning, while still letting you drop the rear wheel out for puncture repairs – something which is made even easier by the clever seatpost and seat, which doubles as an effective track pump.
Even if it didn’t fold, the Solo would be a fun, fast and stylish fixie. But add in the near invisible double ‘lockjaw’ joints – one on the top tube and one on the down tube – and you open up a whole new world of multi-modal travel for you and your bike.
Only needing half a turn with an Allen key to unlock each hinge, the fold takes just a few seconds to complete and is easily quick enough for the train platform, bus queue or the boot of your car.
A magnet and plate by the front and rear axles means the folded bike stays folded too. The resulting package is not as compact as a Brompton, or even a smaller-wheeled Dahon, and the bars do stick out a bit but it’s easily good enough for any of the above travel situations.
An even more compact fold is not much more bother either, thanks to the clever headset and steerer cover that lets you loosen one bolt, then slide off the stem and bars without the fork dropping out of the frame.
The only small niggle was that the paint at the lockjaw hinges was starting to chip – though perhaps this was expected because a small bottle of white paint comes in the box with the bike.
Advert also on CTC forum.
