Let's See Your Folding Bike
- Thread starter Rockn Robin
- Start date
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- Tags
- folding bike
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anothersam
SMIDSMe
- Location
- Far East Sussex
I’d like to try that Xootr of yours.
This is my Dahon Presto Lite, featuring a “second seatpost” solution for using my preferred saddlebag while still being able to carry a u-lock.
The bodge worked fine, but I went back to just using a backpack with that bike.
Right after getting it 15yrs ago (the model is long since discontinued) I replaced the 3-speed hub with a simpler one from Brompton, and the crank and chainring with the largest that would comfortably fit.
Have since also had to replace the headtube after the hinge cracked,
and the quick release bolt clamping the bars in place after the original snapped, spilling me onto a busy London street.
avecReynolds531
Veteran
- Location
- Small Island
I know where that is, and what the previous 10 km through the forest from Bedoin are like: hellish difficult! The route up from Sault is a lot more relaxed. Congrats either way.
Last edited:
- Location
- The TerrorVortex
I rode up from Sault, as part of a ten day tour of Provence. I'll linky the write up I did once I'm not on a phone. Who knows when I'll get the chance to do something like that again?
12boy
Guru
- Location
- Casper WY USA
Hey, Another Sam...next time you are in Wyoming give me a shout..I will be happy to let you take it for a ride. I don't know where he lives, but there's a gent named Paul Braithwait in your country that has one. Most of the Swift riders, per Bikeforums Folding live in the US and some in Oz. There's a 157 page post on them in BF including a set on designing and buying Ti versions. There was also a builder in Oregon who built chromo ones to order. Swifts are probably as culty as Bromptons. Ain't the wonderful world of folders great?
anothersam
SMIDSMe
- Location
- Far East Sussex
I got rid of mine, once you have the luggage block, it’s really not needed unless you need the extra carrying capacity, which I don’t.
roley poley
Veteran
- Location
- leeds
the Brompton rack sack allows A fold but not THE fold look on ewetube 
Thought i'd give my Dahon Vitesse i7 an outing today. Changed a few things recently, removed rack, changed seat and added bar ends.
I also kept getting movement in the handlebar stem where it clamps halfway up. Luckily at my height, my handlebar height for riding, is the same as the height it needs for the fold, so i can do away with that adjustment in the fold. Thus i've added another clamp that can stay clamped permanently. Handlebar stem is now rock solid.
I also kept getting movement in the handlebar stem where it clamps halfway up. Luckily at my height, my handlebar height for riding, is the same as the height it needs for the fold, so i can do away with that adjustment in the fold. Thus i've added another clamp that can stay clamped permanently. Handlebar stem is now rock solid.
a.twiddler
Veteran
To add a couple more non Bromptons to the mix; a few years ago we thought a second hand folder each would be useful to take in the car to places where my wife felt comfortable cycling. In my case, I found a Viking Safari which has been a bit of a hidden gem. It was a 6 speeder initially. Having ridden it a fair bit (at that time I could commute the few miles to work) I was impressed with how well it went. I converted it to 7 speed with stuff from my bits box and found it surprisingly comfortable.
I thought that if this is how a relatively cheap folder goes, how much better would something like a Dahon or Tern be? I kept an eye out and eventually a Dahon Vitesse D7HG (I think that was the correct designation) came up with a Shimano Nexus hub gear. There had been no bids by the end of the auction so I put in a bid thinking, surely this will go for a high last minute price. It was not advertised as well as it might have been, and surprisingly I won it for the starting price.
It had not been used much, and initially I was almost afraid to use it in case I scratched it or got it dirty! The frame was very stiff and I was surprised that it was rather unforgiving on bad surfaces compared with the Viking. Also as Smudge has commented, the clamp on the handlebar stem was tricky to get its tension right, and I was worried that the bars would loosen unexpectedly, especially after folding/unfolding. Although it was a much better folder than the Viking, the Viking had a fixed length handlebar stem which made it more confidence inspiring in that department. Anyway, I decided to give them a few weeks fair trial with back to back commutes to work. The folding for me was not 100% critical, as I found that the Viking would fit in the car with the handlebars folded and seat pin removed, alongside my wife's bike. I did not need to fully fold it, though the Viking is small enough when completely folded to fit on a train as luggage. The Dahon is quicker and easier to fold, and probably just better thought out.
The Dahon had narrower tyres than the Viking, Schwalbe Marathon Racer 1.5 in so I experimented with tyre pressures with no real effect. I had a pair of Schwalbe Big Apples in the garage (20" X 2") so to level out the playing field I put those on the Dahon. They improved things but not by much. The hub gears were the best thing about the Dahon. It also had a nifty pump built into the seat pin.
On my 3 mile trip to work I had to travel down a long traffic free hill to river level, then up a short climb up the other side, then a more gradual climb for a mile or so. Then back the other way, downhill to the river then up a very steep short sharp hill and a long gradual climb for a mile and a half, after a twelve and a half hour night shift. Both bikes coped fine with this, but it was the Dahon that gave me numb hands. The Dahon felt a little cramped compared with the Viking, which allowed me to stretch out more, even though the wheelbases were virtually the same. I knew that one of them would have to go, but I was reluctant to make it the Dahon, as it was theoretically the "better" bike. Anyway, I resolved it by riding them both a decent (20 miles or so) distance over the same route on different days, first the Viking, then the Dahon.
So the Dahon went back to its original tyres and was sold to a buyer, who was very pleased with it, and the Viking is with me still. It was an interesting experience. And unusually, it didn't cost me anything, as the outgoings and incomings balanced out.
I thought that if this is how a relatively cheap folder goes, how much better would something like a Dahon or Tern be? I kept an eye out and eventually a Dahon Vitesse D7HG (I think that was the correct designation) came up with a Shimano Nexus hub gear. There had been no bids by the end of the auction so I put in a bid thinking, surely this will go for a high last minute price. It was not advertised as well as it might have been, and surprisingly I won it for the starting price.
It had not been used much, and initially I was almost afraid to use it in case I scratched it or got it dirty! The frame was very stiff and I was surprised that it was rather unforgiving on bad surfaces compared with the Viking. Also as Smudge has commented, the clamp on the handlebar stem was tricky to get its tension right, and I was worried that the bars would loosen unexpectedly, especially after folding/unfolding. Although it was a much better folder than the Viking, the Viking had a fixed length handlebar stem which made it more confidence inspiring in that department. Anyway, I decided to give them a few weeks fair trial with back to back commutes to work. The folding for me was not 100% critical, as I found that the Viking would fit in the car with the handlebars folded and seat pin removed, alongside my wife's bike. I did not need to fully fold it, though the Viking is small enough when completely folded to fit on a train as luggage. The Dahon is quicker and easier to fold, and probably just better thought out.
The Dahon had narrower tyres than the Viking, Schwalbe Marathon Racer 1.5 in so I experimented with tyre pressures with no real effect. I had a pair of Schwalbe Big Apples in the garage (20" X 2") so to level out the playing field I put those on the Dahon. They improved things but not by much. The hub gears were the best thing about the Dahon. It also had a nifty pump built into the seat pin.
On my 3 mile trip to work I had to travel down a long traffic free hill to river level, then up a short climb up the other side, then a more gradual climb for a mile or so. Then back the other way, downhill to the river then up a very steep short sharp hill and a long gradual climb for a mile and a half, after a twelve and a half hour night shift. Both bikes coped fine with this, but it was the Dahon that gave me numb hands. The Dahon felt a little cramped compared with the Viking, which allowed me to stretch out more, even though the wheelbases were virtually the same. I knew that one of them would have to go, but I was reluctant to make it the Dahon, as it was theoretically the "better" bike. Anyway, I resolved it by riding them both a decent (20 miles or so) distance over the same route on different days, first the Viking, then the Dahon.
So the Dahon went back to its original tyres and was sold to a buyer, who was very pleased with it, and the Viking is with me still. It was an interesting experience. And unusually, it didn't cost me anything, as the outgoings and incomings balanced out.
To set the upright stem lever clamp tight enough to produce little to no movement, i felt like i was going to break it. Hence why i added another clamp. It was really the only complaint i had about the bike. A fixed stem like on your Viking and the Bromptons is a better design, although it would possibly have height issues for me as i'm tall.
a.twiddler
Veteran
I think that this clamp is a weak point in the design. When I bought the bike the clamp was on back to front, so when you tightened it up it wasn't doing much. When I turned it round it was at least pinching the slotted part together but it doesn't seem to have been designed for mere human fingers. Small men or women would struggle to tighten it enough so it was safe to ride. I did a search and it seems the one piece handlebar stem is available as a spare for some models but I could get no meaningful idea how interchangeable they are. Also, the genuine Dahon part costs as much as I paid for the Viking!
As a curious random gift from the universe, the plastic saddle that came with the Viking was incredibly comfortable, so much so that I replaced the leather saddle on my tourer with one when I saw it on ebay. This leather saddle has been on most of my bikes since 1980 and has been fine until recently but I must be getting bonier as it has lost its charm. Middlemores of Coventry, a poor relation to Brookes? It served me well. Now sold. It's amazing what people will pay for an old leather saddle. One thing I do miss is the saddlbag bag loops. Perhaps I now need to stockpile on Viking saddles?
As a curious random gift from the universe, the plastic saddle that came with the Viking was incredibly comfortable, so much so that I replaced the leather saddle on my tourer with one when I saw it on ebay. This leather saddle has been on most of my bikes since 1980 and has been fine until recently but I must be getting bonier as it has lost its charm. Middlemores of Coventry, a poor relation to Brookes? It served me well. Now sold. It's amazing what people will pay for an old leather saddle. One thing I do miss is the saddlbag bag loops. Perhaps I now need to stockpile on Viking saddles?
Good evening and welcome, I really like the colour of the B75 👍🚲
