Dahon releases too many folding bikes?

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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