blog@BumsOnTheSaddle.com

Fun Sustainable Transport

Dahon recently entered the Indian market with some quality folding bicycles.

Check out the Dahon range on the BOTS site

Dahon shipped over a Vitesse D7 for a BOTS Review and we have been riding it all over town to understand if namma bikers should get their bums on these saddles !

First Impression

The bike comes in a compact box and the first bike was ready to go in less than 5 minutes (a typical MTB takes about 20 – 25 minutes of setup time)
Very Intuitive – Open the box. Unfold the frame. Straighten the handlebars. Adjust the seat height. Ride.

The bike is a beauty to behold – one of the main reasons why it took us over 5 minutes to setup the first one.

The Ride

A 2 minute ride is guaranteed to dispel your initial doubts about the ride quality of the suspiciously small frame with uber-small wheels. The giddy acceleration and the stable ride makes you forget that you are riding a folding bicycle!

The very upright posture and the low frame design makes the ride very comfortable, maneuverable and stable. The steering is responsive and is ideal for navigating the city and beating traffic (think of a small car compared to a SUV).

The bike took gravel and bad roads pretty well. It was nimble enough to switch into footpath mode (very useful in traffic clogged cities). Need to be careful while jumping off the footpath – the small wheels and the low centre of gravity give it different riding characteristics compared to a MTB.

The gearing on the bike makes it feel like a full-size bicycle. Which means we didn’t have to pedal any harder or faster. The magic of special oversized chainrings and smaller rear cogs.

The Suntour derailleurs had crisp shifting with gear ratios that seem sufficient for a rolling ride thru Bangalore. The powerful V brakes instill a lot of confidence in bumper to bumper traffic.

An interesting excerpt from the Dahon site
Are smaller wheels slower than large wheels?
Yes and no. All test conditions being equal, a small wheel has a slightly higher rolling resistance than a larger wheel. But rolling resistance is only one element of “speed.” Small wheels have several important performance advantages compared to larger wheels. First, small wheels accelerate faster due to a lower moment of inertia. Second, small wheels are more aerodynamic than larger wheels. Third, small wheels are lighter than larger wheels. In fact the world speed record for a bicycle ridden in an upright position was set twenty years ago on a bike with 18” wheels.

I was able to hit 40kmph on a stretch with a slight downslope. Not bad at all !

Advantage of the Dahon

• A stable and comfortable ride
• The whole family can use this bike
• The quality of the components and the overall build lend to very low maintenance (apparently)
• The upright posture removes excessive tension in the neck and shoulder areas
• The bike weighs less than 12kgs. Comparatively lighter than the other hybrid/MTBs in the market
• The bike intuitively and quickly folds up into a neat small package
• The 20” wheel bikes are good for distances up to a century
• The low frame design makes getting on and off the bike very easy
• Can be easily kept in the boot of the car or carried in public transport if required

When is the Dahon not for me

If you are looking at one bike which will be your long distance workhorse (or a good trail bike) AND a commute bike – look at some other bike.

While this bike is fast and has good gear ratios, it can get a bit frustrating at times when you want to stand up and churn thru the gears.

Basically if you like to combine training with your commute, get a full-size hybrid bike for youself.

Bike Fit

An aerodynamic fit is fine if you need to go fast – a commute or a quick ride down the street does not typically require you to break the sound barrier.

The Vitesse puts your body in a naturally comfortable upright position, with your head high and your neck and shoulders relaxed – perfect to enjoy all the local sights and smells.

According to the Dahon site, the 20” model would fit riders between 4’10” upto 6’4”. A combination of the handle height, saddle height and the fore aft position of the saddle are used to get a comfortable fit.

The adjustable handle-post gives you the capability for different riding positions. As in the pictures above, lowering the handle-post achieves a more “sporty” position if required.

Vinesse D7 advantage over the Eco 3

The Eco 3 is a fantastic folder and a very good entry level choice.

Why the Vitesse over the Eco3 ?

• Better Gear inches (a very interesting concept)
• A bit lighter
• Frame material upgrade to sonus tubing – lighter, stronger
• Better steering with an upgrade on the handle post and handle bar
• Sealed hubs – flawless rolling, again and again and again …
• Better cable housing – super smooth shifting and braking
• And a ton of upgrade on components – Headset, Handle bar grips, Saddle, Brakes, etc

All small upgrades, but overall contribute towards your daily ride for sure.

Final take on the bike

It’s not for racing and it’s not meant to be ridden on trails – it’s designed to be relatively light and compact and is a fantastic urban commute bike. A very good bike to have around and perfect if you live in a flat (or have limited storage space).

Riding this around town drew a ton of eyeballs – the combination of class, weirdness and the fact that you have an crazy looking adult with a helmet on a kiddie looking bicycle WILL make people stare.

Especially when you are faster than most of the traffic around you !

Accessories

Fenders

• Vitesse D7 – Rs 1050
• Eco 3: Silver Mudguard – Rs 850

Rack

• Vitesse D7 – Rs 900
• Eco 3 – Rs 750

Interesting Dahon Technology details

We love the phenomenal amount of quiet sophistication that is packed into these simple beautiful machines. Over 25 years of design and engineering and countless patents has culminated in a fantastic product

• frame tech
• components tech

Vitesse D7 gallery on Flickr

credit to Chinnian for these fantastic images