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.
