Simpler, Lighter, Faster, Stronger – R&A, Dahon
Dahon folding bikes have been the absolute leader in modern transport technologies. From their signature designs to the specially tested and selected materials that they use to create each new model bike, there is a consistent quality, superiority and finesse that only a Dahon bike can possess.
The world is baying for health, for compact solutions to overcrowding and that sought after ‘green’ lifestyle that says you care about your environment. Dahon has perfected the ride, style and ease of folding bike technology.
The Dahon team believes that limiting their design inspiration would have severely damaged any new innovative design they had attempted to make. This is why when looking at something like the wheel, one of the oldest and most treasured inventions to date; a fresh approach was needed for an ever changing world.
The insight that the team gets from exploring every aspect of design often leads them to improvements or breakthroughs in biking technology. As if their track record was not enough over the past 25 years, they also have a rule stating that their designs should improve steadily by 15% each year.
Dahon prides themselves on making the best folding bikes that are built to last in today’s consumable, disposable world. Better materials mean a stronger, longer lasting ride. You won’t find rust on a Dahon bike. Masters of the portable bike, Dahon never forgets to make the bike strong enough to carry you and light enough to be carried.
Their exclusive technology is backed by lifetime guarantees. The frame on your bike as well as every piece involved in the folding process is covered by their policy. The research and development team plunge themselves into hours of work to create the most well made bike for the best possible price.
This is because Dahon, as a company, wants to help you and the environment you’re in. The more people who can afford a Dahon folding bike the better the world becomes. Each year this amazing company patents over twenty five new innovations in the folding bike industry.
Some of these nuggets of brilliance include fusion technology, V-Clamp technology and DFS folding technology. All of these design features work to bring you what you can buy today. Models like the popular Curve SL, the elite Tournado and the mountain climbing Flo.
The materials used to make these eco friendly rides are legendary. Double butted 7005 aluminum is the same kind of aluminum they use in space. This material is then specially sculpted which hardens the aluminum even further. This A grade material is used in conjunction with chromoly steel and sonus tubing to perfect the folding bikes unique smooth ride.
With a light frame, a strong design and specially selected components the Dahon folding bike technology is wholly unrivalled on the urban or rural scene. Safety, assembly and quality control sees these bikes to their final stages. All that is left to do now is enjoy the comfort, reliability and convenience that comes with owning any original Dahon folding bike.
It's Official! Dahon has released an impressive line up of folding bike models for 2009.
Good news first or bad news?
Bad...? Alright, lets get it over with quick and get to the good stuff! Many people will be sad to hear that the Speed Pro, Speed TR and CADENZA 8 will be discontinued in the UK.
Now how about the good stuff, Dahon has announced that for 2009 that they'll have a range of 38 folding bikes total with 4 new models, the affordable Mμ Uno, the stylish Mμ EX, a new Vitesse P18 and a slick looking Cadenza Solo with disk brakes.
Those with plenty of cash to spend can roll in the new year with Dahon's lightest folding bike to date the Mμ XXV but if you're a little strapped for cash then check out the more affordable Mμ Uno.
It's a simple single speed folding bike with no visable cables and a hidden Zorin PostPump, Did I mention that it will only set you back €449 Euros or about $657 US Dollars and still looks great.
Targeting the high end rider the stylish Mμ EX should roll in and outa stores quicker than you can say "Twenty speeds!" Yup that's right the Mμ EX harnesses the shifting power of the SRAM Red drive train coupled to one of Dahon's lightest frames. Light and fast this folder is a total dream to ride and would make the perfect Christmas present for some lucky bastard. Expect to pay about €1,999 Euros or $2,924 US Dollars.
Click to view a larger image of the Mμ EX
And of course Dahon hasn't let us down as they have also added a few nice extras to all the bikes such as cleaner cable routing, better stem height and adjustment for folding, grease ports on hinges, better handle bar catches and some sweet looking glow in the dark graphics.
“With some of the highest prices ever for gasoline, people are flocking to public transportation and seeking alternate forms of transportation in greater numbers than ever,” stated Joshua Hon, Dahon vice president.
This is part of the reason why Dahon's sales are growing by an average of 20-30 percent, per year.
What's your dream Christmas present...?
Please Comment Below, Thanks
Brompton have just announced the co-development with Sturmey Archer of a new wide-range 3 speed hub which will be exclusive to the Brompton range for the foreseeable future. This will combine with the existing 2 speed derailleur as a dual drive system to provide a wide range 6 speed system option on new Bromptons for 2009. This will mean an increased gear range of 33-95" compared to the range of 40-80" on the existing 6 speed system.
While this is undoubtedly an improved option for people buying new Bromptons and improvements are always welcome, it is hardly earthshaking enough to tempt most existing Brompton owners to want to go out and upgrade to the new wide-range system. Many Brompton owners including myself love their bike but there is a strong consensus that the dual gear shifters are cumbersome and ugly. Apart from that the question has been raised time and time again as to why Brompton refuse to consider 8 speed hub systems such as the Shimano Nexus and Sturmey Archer as an 'al la carte' option when choosing customised features. These hub systems offer an even wider range in many cases and a much better single shifter.
Brompton bikes have improved through incremental product innovation over the last few years. Another example is the the Titanium option to make the Brompton lighter. However this offers a hefty £440 premium on the core price and very marginal weight savings as it is still mainly a steel frame combined with some titanium parts.
Offering a sub 9kg Brompton with gearing and also an 8 speed hub option would not only appeal to a certain sector of customers but there are plenty of existing owners who would be quite willing to upgrade their bikes. The question we would like to raise is; Brompton you make great folding bikes but why are you always so ultra-conservative when it comes to product development and adding new features?
What are your thoughts... Please leave a comment.
Click to Browse Brompton Folding Bikes
Weighing in at only 8.05 kg (17.71 lbs) w/o pedals puts the Dahon MU XXV in the number one spot for the "lightest folding bike" award. Dahon launched this limited edition beauty at Eurobike and says that only 250 will be handmade to celebrate Dahon's 25th Anniversary.
So what's this lightweight made of?
Puro M7 magnesium is used for the frame which Dahon says is 30% lighter than aluminum and has a similar resistance to corrosion. The rest of the frame is kitted out with stylish custom parts from Shimano, Syntace, FSA, Kinetix, Kore and will roll out on Schwalbe whitewalls.
Backing up the stunning look of the bike is a stylish white K-Force light crankset by FSA which runs smooth and quiet on ceramic bearings and on the other end a 10 speed Shimano Dura Ace completes the drive train. For added protection it also has an extra corrosion resistant coating.
The acclaimed lightest folding bike will fold into a tidy 36x64x81 cm package but will leave a somewhat larger dent in your savings as quality ain't cheap so expect to pay a retail price of €2500 in Europe and if you're from the US or the UK then you'll just have to wait on the prices to be released. Keep an eye out for this slim sexy ride around January.
Check out the specs on this bike here http://www.dahon.com/us/muxxv.htm
A lot of people find folding bikes relatively expensive compared to normal bikes. Of course folding is an added feature and requires more component parts and manufacturing costs than a non-folding frame. In return a folding bike offers numerous advantages for urban commuting, stowing away and overall flexibility in ones lifestyle.
In the UK the more expensive folders such as the Brompton, higher-end Dahons, Bike Friday and Birdy come into range under a special tax-saving government scheme. The purpose of the scheme is to encourage more people to commute to work on a bicycle and to sign up participating employers in the process. Once an employer has registered and allocated dedicated budgets to the scheme it is then possible for employees to apply for special finance.
Under the scheme an employee can apply for up to a £1000 voucher to purchase a bike and accessories and use it at a participating bike shop. A lot of employers use the Cycle Scheme intermediary at www.cyclescheme.co.uk. The voucher sum is them redeemed at the bike shop and normally repaid over 12-18 monthly installments on salary payroll. The employee then receives tax relief up to their highest rate. This can be as high as 40% for a higher rate tax payer. If the employer is also a private sector business the bike purchase is also exempt form 17.5% VAT (sales tax) . At the end of the load period the bike is still theoretically owned by the employer as if it were leased. To avoid a further taxable benefit and transfer ownership, the employee normally pays a nominal buy-out of between 5-10% of the purchase price. Overall this still represents substantial savings of up to around 50% on the purchase price and the equivalent of a on12-18 month interest free loan.
The implications for folding bikes? Higher quality ones do not come cheaply and this type of scheme puts many makes and models within the reach of commuters all over the UK. This is how I purchased my £800 Brompton in raw lacquer and additional accessories such as a front luggage system and Brompton bag. This would have represented a large chunk out of my normal monthly cash-flow otherwise. The advantages of a good quality folding bike are obvious and it has become very affordable as long as the scheme lasts. Long may it continue,
Dahon will be showing their new range of Dahon bikes to UK dealers at Hyde Park in the next week or so. Rumour has it that:
- The new 16" wheel folder called the Dahon Curl will be unveiled. Apparently the new Curl will come with an 8 speed hub and fold even smaller than the Brompton. The Curl will replace the current 2008 Curve SL model. After almost 2 decades, we may finally see a genuine rival in the super compact folding class for the Brompton. As good as Bromptons ar they have steadfastly refused to adapt any of the current range of 8 speed hubs. If the Dahon Curl can combine a smaller footprint and an 8 speed hub system and remain under 10kg like its predecessor, Dahon may have an all-time bestseller on their hands.
-The Dahon Speed Pro TT will be discontinued and replaced by a new performance bicycle. This is a surprise to many because it has been an excellent seller over the last few years.However its replacement is likely to occupy the same niche in performance road cycling for folding bikes and be more lightweight. Given that the 2008 Speed pro TT model is over 10kg this might actually be a welcome development. It would also be nice to see the equivalent of the Speed Pro in colours other than yellow. While this colour scheme appealed to some consumers, others found the yellow all too flash for their liking. If Dahon do make the Speed Pro's successor more lightweight, it would be a shame to see the excellent 24 speed SRAM Dual Drive hub and derailleur combination scrapped. This not only provided an excellent gearing range for the Speed Pro, but it allowed commuters to utilise the hub gear shifter in the stop-start nature of the urban commuting environment. It will also be interesting to see if Dahon retain the 2008 feature of dropped racing bars which proved very popular with roadies who like speed. Whatever the case, the current Speed Pro TT will remain a Dahon classic.
Dahon are the world's leading folding bike manufacturer. Since the first Dahon folder was released in 1982 around the same time as the Brompton, Dahon have sold over 2 million bikes. The company has grown from strength to strength with the global renaissance of bikes and the increasing popularity of folders in particular. Dahon sold 638,000 units during the two year period in 2006-2007 and experienced a sizeable 36% growth in demand year on year during the same period.
What is unique about Dahon is their dedication to focusing only on the manufacture of folding bikes of all wheel sizes. Whilst nobody can question Dahon's commitment to developing a wide variety of bikes fit for all budgets and purposes, is the range not too comprehensive? As soon as one model establishes itself on the market it is often replaced by a completely new model name and specification. Take for example the excellent Helios P8 and Helios SL from 2004. The high-end Helios SL weighed only 7.6kg which easily made it the lightest folder in the world a the time. Why would Dahon supersede such a forward thinking model with the Dahon Mu SL weighing in at 8.7kg? The Mu SL is an excellent bike in its own right but the Helios appeared to be an excellent base to build product refinements on year by year.
Another example of this argument is that Dahon are strong on developing variations based on the traditional fold but have been slow on innovating the fold itself. Despite the very capable Dahon Curve range, it has never really threatened Brompton in terms of being the definition 16" wheel folder. Enter the Bike Friday Tikit with its rapid speed fold that can be wheeled along very easily. Rather than supersede the Tikit, Bike Friday have focused on making incremental improvements to the core model that they developed in 2007. Pacific Cycles have also been at the frontier of new folding mechanisms with the Carryme and the soon to be released larger wheeled IF mode bicycle.
This could be about to change with rumours of a patent application for a Brompton rival called the Dahon Curl. Certainly its a wonderful brand name and the rumoured prototype picture below would represent a significant departure in Dahon's traditional folding design.
If the rumoured prototype above is a genuine one, it would appear to be a refinement of the current Curve range. Whatever the case, it is time to see something more challenging from Dahon and at the same time consolidating their core range of folding bikes. At times it is mind biggling trying to differentiate between some Dahon models and also mystifying why some really promising models such as the Helios SL were discontinued.
What are your thoughts on this?... Comment below.
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"Glow Rider" Folding Bike By PUMA
Do you have trouble finding your bike at night? If so you either need to eat more carrots or check out this wicked glow in the dark folding bike made by PUMA and a Danish company called Biomega.
The bike sports the slightly cheesy name of "The Glow Rider" and comes in buttermilk and deep orange, throughout the day the special paint will soak up the suns rays that is assuming you've been smart enough to leave it outside and when night falls the buttermilk will glow green while the orange glows golden orange.
But these bikes don't just look pretty in the dark they also have a special anti-theft feature where a wire in the downtube must stay intact for the bike to function so if a would be thief breaks the locking mechanism then you will be carrying your new ride home as long as the thief didn't already do the same!
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Also try the Best Folding Bike store online.
The Best Folding Bike For Thom
Thom Yorke from Radiohead is seen cruising on his black Brompton. Brompton folding bikes are one of the most popular brand of folding bikes in the UK, Netherlands and Japan.
Thom became a spokesperson for Friends of the Earth in 2005 and does his part in reducing carbon emissions, way to go Mr Yorke!
When famous people endorse you then you know you've got the best folding bike... well in the UK at least 
