I'm looking to buy a new bike for commuting in London and it looks like it's going to have to be a folding one, for storage and train reasons. I'm looking for advice! 😉 I've been doing a bit of research, talking to bike-friends and stuff and around the £250 mark seems about right. I've found a Dahon Vitesse D5 07 online for £280 - got hub gears which I guess is good? I can't see myself going under 20" for the wheels. Alternatively, an old post in this group mentioned a Raleigh Boardwalk Lite is a re-badged Dahon which is currently on eBay for the right price, though no hub gears...
I'm looking to buy a new bike for commuting in London and it looks like it's going to have to be a folding one, for storage and train reasons. I'm looking for advice! 😉 I've been doing a bit of research, talking to bike-friends and stuff and around the £250 mark seems about right. I've found a Dahon Vitesse D5 07 online for £280 - got hub gears which I guess is good? I can't see myself going under 20" for the wheels. Alternatively, an old post in this group mentioned a Raleigh Boardwalk Lite is a re-badged Dahon which is currently on eBay for the right price, though no hub gears...
If you are commuting and using the train in London then really there is only one answer - Brompton - although I realise that is about twice the budget you are looking at. You might be able to get one second hand for £50-100 above your current mark.
Why the Brompton - you just need to look at folding bikes in London to see how they dominate all other brands. That's because if you want to go on the train, especially a crowded commuter train nothing is like it for being able to tuck into spare spaces. Dahons are fine bikes but they just don't fold and fit with trains anywhere near as well.
-- Tony
"The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place" George Bernard Shaw
If you are commuting and using the train in London then really there is only one answer - Brompton - although I realise that is about twice the budget you are looking at. You might be able to get one second hand for £50-100 above your current mark.
Why the Brompton - you just need to look at folding bikes in London to see how they dominate all other brands. That's because if you want to go on the train, especially a crowded commuter train nothing is like it for being able to tuck into spare spaces. Dahons are fine bikes but they just don't fold and fit with trains anywhere near as well.
-- Its a stunningly good piece of kit for the price. We ve got his and hers. Hers was almost brand new bought it advertised in "folder"-£200. Mine is an old 5 gear version-£150-I ve got a Shimano 7 speed hub for it which I am always intending to fit. Taken mine on trains planes buses. Make sure you get it with its cover-its great for bus drivers they dont twig its a bike-same goes for rush hour trains. I thought the 18 inch wheels would be a bit small. An 8 mile descent through various tunnels to my favourite winter stop-Valle Gran Rey Gomera-Canaries-proved its a serious machine. Had to stop to cool the front rim tho. It comes complete with lights and folding pedals. Magic. Tam
Try to stretch your budget to a Brompton. More expensive, but worth every penny.
"Adam" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... Hi All,
I'm looking to buy a new bike for commuting in London and it looks like it's going to have to be a folding one, for storage and train reasons. I'm looking for advice! 😉 I've been doing a bit of research, talking to bike-friends and stuff and around the £250 mark seems about right. I've found a Dahon Vitesse D5 07 online for £280 - got hub gears which I guess is good? I can't see myself going under 20" for the wheels. Alternatively, an old post in this group mentioned a Raleigh Boardwalk Lite is a re-badged Dahon which is currently on eBay for the right price, though no hub gears...
P.S. I'm used to riding a road bike (Dawes Horizon) & like the "low down" stance - I guess that's not possible to get on a folder?
It is, but you'd need to spend more money and accept some compromises. The Birdy Speed will easily allow you to set up a 'low down' stance and is said to be a very decent bike to ride - but at £1300. Various Moultons will give you a nice low slouch position but for even more money, and though they separate to pack small they don't really fold. The Airnimal Chameleon Ultima is a fairly serious fast road bike - but it doesn't fold small, and costs over £2,000.
I'm looking to buy a new bike for commuting in London and it looks like it's going to have to be a folding one, for storage and train reasons. I'm looking for advice! 😉 I've been doing a bit of research, talking to bike-friends and stuff and around the =A3250 mark seems about right. I've found a Dahon Vitesse D5 07 online for =A3280 - got hub gears which I guess is good? I can't see myself going under 20" for the wheels. Alternatively, an old post in this group mentioned a Raleigh Boardwalk Lite is a re-badged Dahon which is currently on eBay for the right price, though no hub gears...
On the subject of eBay folders in that sort of price range, does anyone have any opinion on Downtube bikes? (Especially the 8speed Sturmey version, not that there is one listed at the moment.) (I'm not commuting by train to London, for which I'm fairly sure a Brompton would be a better answer too.)
"Tony Raven" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... In article <[email hidden]>, tpsc12248 @blueyonder.co.uk says...
Quoted message said:
Mine is an old 5 gear version-£150-I ve got a Shimano 7 speed hub for it which I am always intending to fit.
It won't fit without cold resetting the rear triangle and either grinding or crimping out of the way bits of the chain stay
Damn I have been looking forwaed to fiddling with that. When you say resetting the rear triangle does that mean that when the hub is in postion the rear forks will be splayed with all the attendant issues of the Shimano axle moving. Tam
I'm looking to buy a new bike for commuting in London and it looks like it's going to have to be a folding one, for storage and train reasons. I'm looking for advice! 😉 I've been doing a bit of research, talking to bike-friends and stuff and around the £250 mark seems about right. I've found a Dahon Vitesse D5 07 online for £280 - got hub gears which I guess is good? I can't see myself going under 20" for the wheels. Alternatively, an old post in this group mentioned a Raleigh Boardwalk Lite is a re-badged Dahon which is currently on eBay for the right price, though no hub gears...
Damn I have been looking forwaed to fiddling with that. When you say resetting the rear triangle does that mean that when the hub is in postion the rear forks will be splayed with all the attendant issues of the Shimano axle moving.
The Shimano hub is too wide to fit between the 110mm OLN dropouts of the Brompton so the rear triangle will need to be spread to fit it and the dropouts realigned. Something a bike shop can do for a steel triangle but not for the titanium one. The other problem then is the minimum cog size that the Shimano hub will accept will probably interfere with the chain stay which needs either grinding or crimping out of the way so it doesn't hit. People have done it but its not a simple job. The easy way is to talk to Steve Parry to get a custom rear triangle that will fit Shimano or Rohloff rear hubs. An acquaintance has one of his 14 speed Rohloff Bromptons.
-- Tony
"The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place" George Bernard Shaw
I'm looking to buy a new bike for commuting in London and it looks like it's going to have to be a folding one, for storage and train reasons. I'm looking for advice! 😉 I've been doing a bit of research, talking to bike-friends and stuff and around the £250 mark seems about right. I've found a Dahon Vitesse D5 07 online for £280 - got hub gears which I guess is good? I can't see myself going under 20" for the wheels. Alternatively, an old post in this group mentioned a Raleigh Boardwalk Lite is a re-badged Dahon which is currently on eBay for the right price, though no hub gears...
If you are commuting and using the train in London then really there is only one answer - Brompton
Sorry, I should have been more specific. I won't be using the train every day, I'll just need to take it on a train occasionally - and not a packed rush-hour one 🙂
I'm looking to buy a new bike for commuting in London and it looks like it's going to have to be a folding one, for storage and train reasons. I'm looking for advice! 😉 I've been doing a bit of research, talking to bike-friends and stuff and around the £250 mark seems about right. I've found a Dahon Vitesse D5 07 online for £280 - got hub gears which I guess is good? I can't see myself going under 20" for the wheels. Alternatively, an old post in this group mentioned a Raleigh Boardwalk Lite is a re-badged Dahon which is currently on eBay for the right price, though no hub gears...
If you are commuting and using the train in London then really there is only one answer - Brompton
Sorry, I should have been more specific. I won't be using the train every day, I'll just need to take it on a train occasionally - and not a packed rush-hour one 🙂
Adam
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you might not need a folder then? assuming thats why you want a folder? i have managed to heave my about town bike on and off trains, as long as the trains have space which if it's out of rush hour they should be, then a full sized bike might be a better choice?
Damn I have been looking forwaed to fiddling with that. When you say resetting the rear triangle does that mean that when the hub is in postion the rear forks will be splayed with all the attendant issues of the Shimano axle moving.
The Shimano hub is too wide to fit between the 110mm OLN dropouts of the Brompton so the rear triangle will need to be spread to fit it and the dropouts realigned. Something a bike shop can do for a steel triangle but not for the titanium one. The other problem then is the minimum cog size that the Shimano hub will accept will probably interfere with the chain stay which needs either grinding or crimping out of the way so it doesn't hit. People have done it but its not a simple job. The easy way is to talk to Steve Parry to get a custom rear triangle that will fit Shimano or Rohloff rear hubs. An acquaintance has one of his 14 speed Rohloff Bromptons.
--
Thanks I ll get my bike jig out from under the vast pile of junk in the garage. Tam
I'm looking to buy a new bike for commuting in London and it looks like it's going to have to be a folding one, for storage and train reasons. I'm looking for advice! 😉 I've been doing a bit of research, talking to bike-friends and stuff and around the =A3250 mark seems about=
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
right. I've found a Dahon Vitesse D5 07 online for =A3280 - got hub gears which I guess is good? I can't see myself going under 20" for the wheels. Alternatively, an old post in this group mentioned a Raleigh Boardwalk Lite is a re-badged Dahon which is currently on eBay for the right price, though no hub gears...
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
If you are commuting and using the train in London then really there is only one answer - Brompton
Quoted message said:
Sorry, I should have been more specific. I won't be using the train every day, I'll just need to take it on a train occasionally - and not a packed rush-hour one 🙂
Now is a good time to buy as everyone seems to be clearing out the 2007 Dahons in anticipation of the 2008 models. The Raleigh Boardwalk Lite is an excellent folder for the money, but it is not as compact or easy to fold as a Brompton, or a 16" Dahon like the Curve. The Raleigh does have more gears though and would probably be better over bumps... 🙂
> I'm looking to buy a new bike for commuting in London and it looks > like it's going to have to be a folding one, for storage and train > reasons. I'm looking for advice! 😉 I've been doing a bit of research, > talking to bike-friends and stuff and around the =A3250 mark seems about= > right. I've found a Dahon Vitesse D5 07 online for =A3280 - got hub > gears which I guess is good? I can't see myself going under 20" for > the wheels. Alternatively, an old post in this group mentioned a > Raleigh Boardwalk Lite is a re-badged Dahon which is currently on eBay > for the right price, though no hub gears... If you are commuting and using the train in London then really there is only one answer - Brompton
Sorry, I should have been more specific. I won't be using the train every day, I'll just need to take it on a train occasionally - and not a packed rush-hour one 🙂
Now is a good time to buy as everyone seems to be clearing out the 2007 Dahons in anticipation of the 2008 models. The Raleigh Boardwalk Lite is an excellent folder for the money, but it is not as compact or easy to fold as a Brompton, or a 16" Dahon like the Curve. The Raleigh does have more gears though and would probably be better over bumps... 🙂
I've also just noticed that Dahon do full-sized folding bikes - are they going to be more stable/better than a 20" one? (I could probably just about get away with that size in my flat, and presumably it still counts as a "folder" for the sake of the train conductor...)
He will if "train" includes tubes and trams and buses.
Note also that folding must be done, but if you respect the convenience of others, there is no need to do more than the first flip on the trains and trams. IME.
-- Charles Brompton P6R-Plus; CarryFreedom -YL, in Motspur Park LCC; CTC.
This is the guy I got my Jetstream from. He's Chinese and seems good enough to me. Was happy for me to throughly check the bike over before parting with my cash. I met him at his house and he didn't seem to be hiding anything. Looks like he gets them directly from China. He doesn't seem to know much about the bikes so the, 6 gears, bit could be a mistake. I'm happy with my bike (even had the brakes on the correct side) but you will have to know how to assemble it and adjust it as it comes just as it left the factory. Normally this assembly is done by the LBS.
