If you missed it, here's our introduction video for these 2 bikes ua-cam.com/video/eMxwRSUwRoM/v-deo.html We're having a blast learning more about folding bikes and test riding these super fun bikes :)
We have two 20" Terns. Great for city riding and flat touring. Both pack into largest sized suitcases that can be checked when flying. Have enjoyed seeing Seoul, Hanoi, Hoi An, and Saigon/HCMC with both.
The bus that goes to Tokyo is so intriguing! In my imagination, there's something magical about riding on a never-ending bus through the night (although I'm sure it would get old quickly). As for the bikes, it's got to be the Boardwalk. So classy
Did the travel thing to Japan with 16" and 20" folding bikes. I did use 32" luggage to transport the bikes, but it took some disassembling just to get the bikes to fit in. I intended to cover as much distance in the city on the bike rather than walking, and speed was never considered (not a hardcore bicyclist). Hope to travel back to Japan again once the pandemic levels off.
My GF and I bought 20" Dahon bikes for light touring here in Vietnam. You definitely need to take them for a test ride on some hills/mountains. I strongly suspect that the current 6/7 speed drivetrain is not sufficient, especially if you are thinking of adding racks and panniers. Unfortunately, I think you may also find that upgrading to 10 speed (or 2x9/10) is a project. I am not a mechanic, but I think you will need to replace the rear hub, cassette, derailer, and shifter. Also, there are limitations on the maximum cog size because you can't use a long cage derailer with 20" wheels, which means it is challenging to get a low enough gearing for riding anything steep. I'm not sure if you can fit a front derailer on those bikes, but a 2x9 may be the best solution. Good luck! I look forward to seeing you on your future adventures.
Thanks for all of your tips! We're still new to folding bikes and learning about their limitations. We'll have to be careful when considering upgrades. For our local riding so far we only feel a little under geared for flats and downhills, but it might be tough on a climb with loaded bags. We're gonna have to try doing some light touring and experiment with some different setups. BTW, we can't wait until we're able to start doing some bike touring in Vietnam :)
Dahon formerly sold a suitcase (called 'Airporter' suitcase) for certain models of their folding bikes. I travelled to the Philippines from Canada with my Dahon Speed D7 (20 inch wheels) and the check-in was done in Toronto with no complaints which is interesting since the suitcase exceeded the amount of linear inches (adding the linear inches of length, width, height) allowed and extra charges would usually be applied with the larger suitcase but they didn't say anything. It looked small enough I guess for them to not notice. I was lucky in that trip but might not be so lucky in other trips. The bike was folded the usual way and it fit snugly in the suitcase. Didn't need to take off the wheels even.
I think in the fight between portability and comfort, the 16 inch wheels come out on top when travelling. You’ll really feel the difference when taking the 20s on public transport. They feel nicer to ride, and they’re great if you’re just storing them in a small home or putting them in a car, but otherwise I don’t think they’re the best choice. I ordered the extended seatpost with my Brompton and it feels good with the middle bar option. I’m about the same height as you. But unfortunately I don’t have any experience with the standard post to compare them. And I don’t know if Royale have exactly the same length options or not.
@@TwoWheelCruise I think travelling with them folded on trains and buses Etc will be an interesting part of the feedback on the Brompton clone versus the Dahon.
I like both bikes, love the red because it stands out but I also love the black because it looks sporty and manly lol, the saddle on the red bike is much better or it looks more premium, the important thing here is to put them through the ringer, all bikes feel great when new, let’s find out how durable they are, I looked them up and they are priced well, great review…..I think my boss would probably allow me to bring one of these inside the office once folded 🧐
Drivers being aggressive "if you're wearing a cycling kit/riding a road bike" No, I live in Hawaii, and drivers (not all drivers) still heckle/come too close/or cut me off just to slow down and make a turn in front of me regardless of if I'm wearing a cycling kit/riding my road bike. I would be riding on a commuter bike and wearing regular clothes and still get treated all the same. People who heckle me are often the younger generation I'd say between the ages of 18-26 usually male fraternity group types. The folks that drive too close to the curve/bike lane are usually between the age group of 30-60+ for various reasons such as poor eyesight or just being preoccupied with putting on makeup/being on the phone, and not having Bluetooth in their car while making a call/ or worst of all messing with their phone (Instagram/Twitter/etc). The people that speed up to overtake me and make an immediate turn are often people associated with the Hotel business (Hilton/Marriot/etc). I say this because they all have a bumper sticker on their car that serves as a parking placard within the Hilton building. They must be in such a hurry to go home...
I think a big part is culture. If people are used to riding bikes, they'll be respectful to other cyclists. But sadly in the US, most people don't ride so they can't emphasize and de-humanize riders. Even though the roads are a lot narrower here, I feel a lot safer riding here compared to roads in the US.
These are great on flat roads , I used one in san francisco for about a 2 weeks. I was using it for semi steep hills -it was great for about a week n half . I had to switch back to my road bike due it being difficult for hill climbs
@@daveadriffield7296 I bought it for a trip from USA to Thailand...right after I bought it the airline changed the baggage requirements to include a solid bicycle box and a $150 fee each way...after seeing the roads and how people drive on the island of Phuket, Thailand I'm glad I never took it...I later rented a bicycle in Siem Reap, Cambodia for a week, total cost $5, and that was scary too... Just received my 7th bicycle, a Priority 600, which I should assemble today.....
I have a 2013 Dahon Vitesse D7, which is similar to the Hit you reviewed. It now sports a 2x10 drivetrain, thanks to LitePro's front derailleur adapter, but top end gearing is a little shorter due to the 50T big ring (stock is 52T). You can sustain 37 km/h in the 50x12 top gear at 90 rpm, and the 34x30 lowest gear makes for very easy (albeit slow) climbing. Shimano's Alivio Trekking BR-T4000 V-brakes are a good upgrade for these bikes as well. I usually run Schwalbe Marathon Racer tires on it but you'll want the Big Apple model for maximum cush.
I agree with you about cars being more aggressive towards road bike riders compared to folding bike riders or riders that are wearing normal clothes...I experienced it firsthand.
Hello Cruise and Thuong. I've seen videos of people using bags bought at IKEA for folding bikes at least for Brompton. Benotto makes dedicated ones and I guess Amazon is a another option. You gotta start working on your upper body strength if you plan on carrying them around 💪
been watching your videos. This video does it. Subscribed. I have a Dahon Mariners D8. I can't justify a brompton especially with those tiny wheels. Our Dahon is an aluminum bike which we do not use to pull heavy load. We also have a schwinn (steel) which we use to pull heavy load. We live in the US, the Bike Fridays are great options for US riders. I'd talked to many who own both Bike Fridays and Bromptons, almost all say they prefer the bike friday for its ability to ride. You can't go as fast on the Dahon as compared to a regular size bike. But you can on a Bike Fridays. There aren't a lot of downside for the Bike Fridays so we've been saving up for those (the Bike Fridays are designed to tour and they fit in suitcases in as little as 20 - 30 mins), I'd seen it done. I believe the Dahon can fit into suitcases, I'd be curious to see what your decision end up being for bike touring. I'd hate the idea of bringing the 16" wheel bikes ... perhaps the Brompton would be the only one that could be considered for bike touring but I really don't think you'd like touring on the brompton (many riders eventually get the Bike Fridays after touring on their bromptons. Bromptons have proprietary parts, so if anything wears or break while touring, it's just more painful to find parts. Bike Fridays have no proprietary parts, and easier to fix while on tour. Also much better ride quality). I believe the Dahons should do okay touring. Not many tour with them but I don't see why not. I suspect you'll like the steel frame for bike touring.
Thanks for the sub! We've been having a lot of fun learning about and testing different folding bikes. We really prefer the 20" wheels over 16", but international transport seems a bit more difficult. We've heard a lot of good things about Bike Friday, but it's out of our budget (especially for 2 of them). We'll hopefully continue learning and be able to make a good decision before we leave for our trip, but yeah we definitely want to avoid proprietary parts.
@Two Wheel Cruise Hey, oh I know about the budgeting part! It was a long self-discovery-journey for me to finally make that call! :) I honestly think the Dahon would do okay for air travel. You might have to invest in a few "packaging items" to protect the bike, and especially those derailleur. And then you'll still have to figure out how to get from the airport to your accommodation (and/or just biking around). aka ... what do you do with your luggages? Bike Friday sells the samsonite hard cases that also convert into trailers to pull behind your bikes. They are called their "travel cases" and because these are samsonite hard-case luggages, they come at a premium. Just the suitcase alone is selling at USD$200 on Amazon (that's a discount price). So Bike Friday isn't making a huge premium on these travel cases. I heard they pull okay. The feedback are, for international bike touring, there really aren't a lot of "great" options as far as being able to utilize the suitcases that allow for bikes to be packed in there, and then somehow "transformer" them into bicycle trailers quite seamlessly and sturdily. So these travel cases are still preferred. I imagine they do not pull as "nicely" as a Burley child trailer (which we have). I believe there are other companies that sell similar setup as these travel trailers, perhaps for less? I haven't searched but for us, we don't need a travel trailer (yet). No plan on touring anytime soon. I'd be following your journey and seeing how the bikes work out for your application (whichever bike you end up bringing, that is). I believe the Dahon do not have proprietary parts as well.
Maybe you should also look at Tern, which is founded by Dahon's founders wife and son. Anyways if you want to find third party upgrade parts for Dahon look into companies in Taiwan and Hong Kong, there's alot of ungrade parts available. The most common first upgrades are the BB and the pedals
Moulton designed first popular 20" bikes for racing, better tire pressure and wind numbers, but rubber tech caught up so big wheels could reliably hold same high pressure.
I have a folding bike size 20 from Korea it's a surplus bike. I bought that bike because I couldn't afford to buy a brand new but overall review it was very fast, when i have a flat tire I just call a taxi put it in a trunk because it was small and foldable. And good for daily use. And I bring 3 tshirts and a towel because its very hot here in the Philippines. Anyway I love your bike and the other one looks like a Brompton.
I prefer the backroads too, but not many great routes into the city without traffic unfortunately other than the river path which goes a long way around.
I like broadwalk better because of the design and shifter. But i still prefer minivelo if i need compact bike. I hope you can visit flamebike store before leaving Japan. Can't wait to watch more of your video after you finish up your work contract.
Both of yours have the ability to mount a front rack and/or basket via the mounting plate on the headtube... that way it doesn't move with the bars. I have two older Dahons, the '06 Boardwalk 7 speed chromoly and an '07 Mu P8, which is 7006 Aluminum. I like my Boardwalk more. While it has ome less gear, it's already outfitted with fenders and rear rack. I did have to bolt an angle brace to keep panniers out of the wheel. Didn't feel like upgrading to their Ultimate rear rack.
The thing that I like about folding bike is that it is small, like a mini-velo. The only time I fold my bike is when I'm flying. Other than that, I never fold it since it so small already. 20" wheels is only way to go, anything smaller is uncomfortable. All 20" wheel folding bike will fit in a 30" suitcase, but you need to take it apart. Just google on how people does it. For me, I just brought a big plastic container and put it in there.
Yeah, we haven't folded these much so far. We tried fitting it in our suitcase, but no dice. Gonna have to try and get a bigger size one that will hopefully fit.
I like the boardwalk better :-) Both bike should definately fit into a bigger suitcase. You might have to take it a bit more apart than just folding it. I bought a Tern Link when in Sigapore and bought a suitcase at some Chinese suitcase dealer on a market. I had to take the wheels off and the rear fender but it did fit inside and was protected by bubble wrap. Even a klickfix basket fit. Finding the right position for the basket took me a while, though. It is good, if you have the time, to DIY a spacer for the suitcase out of some plumbing plastic pipes. If the suitcase ends up in a large pile of suitcases being at the bottowm the bike or parts of it have to take the load and might break or bend. If you put one or more pipe-spacers (some kind of plasitc plates under and above the bike and one ore more plastic pipes in between somehow attachted to the plates so that the cannot change position) right through the bike frame and parts, the bike is well protected. It just takes a bit more effort than to just fold the bike. You have to watch that the maximum size of a suitcase allowed without extra charges. Most of the time they don't check especially if it looks like a normal suitcase. But if they do they will charge you. So check the size maximum first - it is the sum out of hight, length and width of the suitcase. The standard Brompton hard case does not fit these requirements at most airlines and is way to heavy. The weight limit is another thing to consider. Although a hard case suitcase protects better a softer suitcase with DIY spacers is often lighter. So suitcase plus bike leaves you with aproximate another 5 kg for other things to stuff in (depending of the weight of the bike and suitcase of course). Finding the right suitcase is the hard part. Good luck :-)
Thanks for the tips! We've been researching more into this recently and hopefully we'll be able to find a good suitcase soon. Unfortunately it's not clear which airlines we'll be using yet, so we may get overcharged, but we have plenty of clothes we'll want to cram into the suitcase for extra protection haha
Hi there, I m interested in two folding bikes: Raleigh classic and Dahon Boardwalk: does anyone know if they are sold in Europe as well? I don’t seem to find them anywhere. Can you help me? Thanks!!
I'd like to see if you can wheel it around when folded, instead of having to carry it. The Bromie type does this really well. Something to show please!
@@TwoWheelCruise Hmmm, thank you, I'll look it up. Maybe someone on UA-cam has even tested. I owned a Boardwalk years ago and it was a real test lugging it up and down stairs in the London tube. Did quite a bit of riding on it and twice broke spokes in the rear wheel (75kg me, well within the specs). Ultimately it was stolen. Life moves on and I may buy a fold up again.
It would have been interesting to see how the bikes perform up a 8 to 10% grade. However, your trip in the vid looked fairly flat for the most part. For touring, Dahon formerly sold a model called a 'Speed TR'. I think the model is discontinued. You might probably get a used one online if you shop around. It has around 30 speeds since it has a internal 3 speed hub on the rear and 8 gears on the rear cassette so 8x3 = 24 speeds. More gears are possible if it has 2 gears in the front.
For now, Dahon's bikes are amazing, especially Dahon's folding bikes, it's comfortable to ride. For lovers of bicycles, Dahon's folding bikes are really good and comfortable.
I think I might be sold on a Dahon so I can zip on a train and bike around (I really want to bike around Fuji Kawaguchiko). Now wonder if I can interest my fiancee in grabbing two of them...
I remember my first bike bought it for my exercise It was normal looking 26inch to be specificbut foldable version the only reason i bought foldable cuz i had no storage space but the thing i learned them folded bikes can't take dally abuse specially when you pay a lot money there are cheap ones but still its your hard earned money doesn't matter what it will still be my first lol😊 Btw i sold it😢 so yeah
37 degree weather with high humidity. Me: Dripping, wet mess, knocking back energy drinks & bars, looking like I'm lost in the jungle. Thuong: Wears a dress. Looks elegant. HOW??
Upgrading the wheels on the HIT won’t be as easy. The rear hub spacing is 126mm vice 130mm that the Boardwalk has. I have a Biceco (Dahon brand) with a 126mm rear spacing. I didn’t check it and purchased a set of Litepro wheels to upgrade. The wheels didn’t fit as the hub is 130mm and cannot be spaced down to 126mm.
Sorry to hear about that and thanks for pointing that out! That's too bad, we really want to get a set that is compatible with each other so we'll be more careful with that moving forward.
The Boardwalk is a classic. Has been around in one shape or form since the 90s. And riding steel just feels different doesn’t it? The road feel is different. Anyone who hasn’t ridden steel bikes, I strongly suggest you do.
Maybe best way would be rent bike or buy bike in destination. Traveling with folding bike becomes expensive with extra bags or you have to leave most clothes behind.
If you missed it, here's our introduction video for these 2 bikes ua-cam.com/video/eMxwRSUwRoM/v-deo.html
We're having a blast learning more about folding bikes and test riding these super fun bikes :)
We have two 20" Terns. Great for city riding and flat touring. Both pack into largest sized suitcases that can be checked when flying. Have enjoyed seeing Seoul, Hanoi, Hoi An, and Saigon/HCMC with both.
Great to hear that it worked for you! We need to find a bigger suitcase to fit these haha
The bus that goes to Tokyo is so intriguing! In my imagination, there's something magical about riding on a never-ending bus through the night (although I'm sure it would get old quickly). As for the bikes, it's got to be the Boardwalk. So classy
The 6 hour bus ride to Tokyo isn't a lot of fun for me 😅
looking forward for your dahon adventure story / episodes very soon..!! watching from Taiwan!!
Thanks! 😁
Did the travel thing to Japan with 16" and 20" folding bikes. I did use 32" luggage to transport the bikes, but it took some disassembling just to get the bikes to fit in. I intended to cover as much distance in the city on the bike rather than walking, and speed was never considered (not a hardcore bicyclist). Hope to travel back to Japan again once the pandemic levels off.
Hope you can make it back soon!
My GF and I bought 20" Dahon bikes for light touring here in Vietnam. You definitely need to take them for a test ride on some hills/mountains. I strongly suspect that the current 6/7 speed drivetrain is not sufficient, especially if you are thinking of adding racks and panniers. Unfortunately, I think you may also find that upgrading to 10 speed (or 2x9/10) is a project. I am not a mechanic, but I think you will need to replace the rear hub, cassette, derailer, and shifter. Also, there are limitations on the maximum cog size because you can't use a long cage derailer with 20" wheels, which means it is challenging to get a low enough gearing for riding anything steep. I'm not sure if you can fit a front derailer on those bikes, but a 2x9 may be the best solution. Good luck! I look forward to seeing you on your future adventures.
Thanks for all of your tips! We're still new to folding bikes and learning about their limitations. We'll have to be careful when considering upgrades. For our local riding so far we only feel a little under geared for flats and downhills, but it might be tough on a climb with loaded bags. We're gonna have to try doing some light touring and experiment with some different setups.
BTW, we can't wait until we're able to start doing some bike touring in Vietnam :)
I've upgraded my Dahon Boardwalk to a 2x10 set up with 53 39 tooth chainring and it can climb up most of the slopes =)
I have a twenty inch wheel on a bike Friday with deore XT group and 27 speeds. It is great for long distance but a good 15 minutes to assemble.
Dahon formerly sold a suitcase (called 'Airporter' suitcase) for certain models of their folding bikes. I travelled to the Philippines from Canada with my Dahon Speed D7 (20 inch wheels) and the check-in was done in Toronto with no complaints which is interesting since the suitcase exceeded the amount of linear inches (adding the linear inches of length, width, height) allowed and extra charges would usually be applied with the larger suitcase but they didn't say anything. It looked small enough I guess for them to not notice. I was lucky in that trip but might not be so lucky in other trips. The bike was folded the usual way and it fit snugly in the suitcase. Didn't need to take off the wheels even.
Boardwalk all the way for me. Not only are the colors better, but i agree that the trigger shifter is worth the extra cost.
Definitely worth it
I think in the fight between portability and comfort, the 16 inch wheels come out on top when travelling. You’ll really feel the difference when taking the 20s on public transport. They feel nicer to ride, and they’re great if you’re just storing them in a small home or putting them in a car, but otherwise I don’t think they’re the best choice.
I ordered the extended seatpost with my Brompton and it feels good with the middle bar option. I’m about the same height as you. But unfortunately I don’t have any experience with the standard post to compare them. And I don’t know if Royale have exactly the same length options or not.
Thanks! I'll have to order an extended seatpost to truly compare
@@TwoWheelCruise I think travelling with them folded on trains and buses Etc will be an interesting part of the feedback on the Brompton clone versus the Dahon.
Great video, keep up the good work. You two are feeling like family.👍
Thanks! :)
Love the boardwalk! Quite impressive
I like both bikes, love the red because it stands out but I also love the black because it looks sporty and manly lol, the saddle on the red bike is much better or it looks more premium, the important thing here is to put them through the ringer, all bikes feel great when new, let’s find out how durable they are, I looked them up and they are priced well, great review…..I think my boss would probably allow me to bring one of these inside the office once folded 🧐
Yes, the saddle is much better on the red one, but they both have their unique looks and hopefully your boss would let you bring one in haha
dude, your vlogs, gives joy and relaxation to one's heart, Keep the great work
Glad you like them!
Drivers being aggressive "if you're wearing a cycling kit/riding a road bike"
No, I live in Hawaii, and drivers (not all drivers) still heckle/come too close/or cut me off just to slow down and make a turn in front of me regardless of if I'm wearing a cycling kit/riding my road bike. I would be riding on a commuter bike and wearing regular clothes and still get treated all the same.
People who heckle me are often the younger generation I'd say between the ages of 18-26 usually male fraternity group types.
The folks that drive too close to the curve/bike lane are usually between the age group of 30-60+ for various reasons such as poor eyesight or just being preoccupied with putting on makeup/being on the phone, and not having Bluetooth in their car while making a call/ or worst of all messing with their phone (Instagram/Twitter/etc).
The people that speed up to overtake me and make an immediate turn are often people associated with the Hotel business (Hilton/Marriot/etc). I say this because they all have a bumper sticker on their car that serves as a parking placard within the Hilton building. They must be in such a hurry to go home...
I think a big part is culture. If people are used to riding bikes, they'll be respectful to other cyclists. But sadly in the US, most people don't ride so they can't emphasize and de-humanize riders. Even though the roads are a lot narrower here, I feel a lot safer riding here compared to roads in the US.
These are great on flat roads , I used one in san francisco for about a 2 weeks. I was using it for semi steep hills -it was great for about a week n half . I had to switch back to my road bike due it being difficult for hill climbs
San Francisco hills sound tough on most any bikes haha
I recently got dahon vibe D7 I am in Australia and it comes with the rear cargo rack. It is an awesome bike candy apple red. So fast and light weight.
I bought a Dahon Speed 7 about 3 years ago and I've never opened the box... thanks for the video
Give that bike some love. 😅
That's a bit silly and a waste of money.
@@daveadriffield7296 I bought it for a trip from USA to Thailand...right after
I bought it the airline changed the baggage requirements to include a solid bicycle box and a $150 fee each way...after seeing the roads and how people drive on the island of Phuket, Thailand I'm glad I never took it...I later rented a bicycle in Siem Reap, Cambodia for a week, total cost $5, and that was scary too... Just received my 7th bicycle, a Priority 600, which I should assemble today.....
enjoying the new cam
Thanks Mark! It's a lot simpler to use too, which is nice 😁
I am keen to see how you mount your camera(s). Thanks
I have a 2013 Dahon Vitesse D7, which is similar to the Hit you reviewed. It now sports a 2x10 drivetrain, thanks to LitePro's front derailleur adapter, but top end gearing is a little shorter due to the 50T big ring (stock is 52T). You can sustain 37 km/h in the 50x12 top gear at 90 rpm, and the 34x30 lowest gear makes for very easy (albeit slow) climbing. Shimano's Alivio Trekking BR-T4000 V-brakes are a good upgrade for these bikes as well.
I usually run Schwalbe Marathon Racer tires on it but you'll want the Big Apple model for maximum cush.
Thanks for the tips! I bet these bikes can hit some nice speeds with some bigger gears.
I agree with you about cars being more aggressive towards road bike riders compared to folding bike riders or riders that are wearing normal clothes...I experienced it firsthand.
They both seem to handle really well. Just buzzing along like your on a full size.
It handles just as good surprisingly
Hello Cruise and Thuong. I've seen videos of people using bags bought at IKEA for folding bikes at least for Brompton. Benotto makes dedicated ones and I guess Amazon is a another option.
You gotta start working on your upper body strength if you plan on carrying them around 💪
Sadly these don't fold down quite as small with the larger wheel size. But yes, we need to start getting in better shape before we leave haha.
Hi, do you think that it is possible to fix training wheels on these foldies?
have you tried the "CMPCT" model from "M5" brand name ? it would be nice to have a review on that folding bike.
been watching your videos. This video does it. Subscribed. I have a Dahon Mariners D8. I can't justify a brompton especially with those tiny wheels. Our Dahon is an aluminum bike which we do not use to pull heavy load. We also have a schwinn (steel) which we use to pull heavy load. We live in the US, the Bike Fridays are great options for US riders. I'd talked to many who own both Bike Fridays and Bromptons, almost all say they prefer the bike friday for its ability to ride. You can't go as fast on the Dahon as compared to a regular size bike. But you can on a Bike Fridays. There aren't a lot of downside for the Bike Fridays so we've been saving up for those (the Bike Fridays are designed to tour and they fit in suitcases in as little as 20 - 30 mins), I'd seen it done. I believe the Dahon can fit into suitcases, I'd be curious to see what your decision end up being for bike touring. I'd hate the idea of bringing the 16" wheel bikes ... perhaps the Brompton would be the only one that could be considered for bike touring but I really don't think you'd like touring on the brompton (many riders eventually get the Bike Fridays after touring on their bromptons. Bromptons have proprietary parts, so if anything wears or break while touring, it's just more painful to find parts. Bike Fridays have no proprietary parts, and easier to fix while on tour. Also much better ride quality). I believe the Dahons should do okay touring. Not many tour with them but I don't see why not. I suspect you'll like the steel frame for bike touring.
Thanks for the sub! We've been having a lot of fun learning about and testing different folding bikes. We really prefer the 20" wheels over 16", but international transport seems a bit more difficult. We've heard a lot of good things about Bike Friday, but it's out of our budget (especially for 2 of them). We'll hopefully continue learning and be able to make a good decision before we leave for our trip, but yeah we definitely want to avoid proprietary parts.
@Two Wheel Cruise Hey, oh I know about the budgeting part! It was a long self-discovery-journey for me to finally make that call! :) I honestly think the Dahon would do okay for air travel. You might have to invest in a few "packaging items" to protect the bike, and especially those derailleur. And then you'll still have to figure out how to get from the airport to your accommodation (and/or just biking around). aka ... what do you do with your luggages? Bike Friday sells the samsonite hard cases that also convert into trailers to pull behind your bikes. They are called their "travel cases" and because these are samsonite hard-case luggages, they come at a premium. Just the suitcase alone is selling at USD$200 on Amazon (that's a discount price). So Bike Friday isn't making a huge premium on these travel cases. I heard they pull okay. The feedback are, for international bike touring, there really aren't a lot of "great" options as far as being able to utilize the suitcases that allow for bikes to be packed in there, and then somehow "transformer" them into bicycle trailers quite seamlessly and sturdily. So these travel cases are still preferred. I imagine they do not pull as "nicely" as a Burley child trailer (which we have). I believe there are other companies that sell similar setup as these travel trailers, perhaps for less? I haven't searched but for us, we don't need a travel trailer (yet). No plan on touring anytime soon. I'd be following your journey and seeing how the bikes work out for your application (whichever bike you end up bringing, that is). I believe the Dahon do not have proprietary parts as well.
Maybe you should also look at Tern, which is founded by Dahon's founders wife and son. Anyways if you want to find third party upgrade parts for Dahon look into companies in Taiwan and Hong Kong, there's alot of ungrade parts available. The most common first upgrades are the BB and the pedals
I love my Tern.
Thanks for the tip! We want to try out some other models as well.
@@TwoWheelCruise tern also had a few 1x11 and 2x11 folders but they are more expensive yet kinda lighter
Seems you can add another bigger basket in the back with quick release for shopping days.👍
Yep, lots of possibilities :)
Right, like so he can use that Vincita quick release trunk bag.... unless that bag was just a loaner for review.
Moulton designed first popular 20" bikes for racing, better tire pressure and wind numbers, but rubber tech caught up so big wheels could reliably hold same high pressure.
Those look pretty cool!
16:25 Damn, a Toyota Supra in its natural habitat (Japan, that is). Cheers Cruise!
Always some nice cars around here
I have a folding bike size 20 from Korea it's a surplus bike. I bought that bike because I couldn't afford to buy a brand new but overall review it was very fast, when i have a flat tire I just call a taxi put it in a trunk because it was small and foldable. And good for daily use. And I bring 3 tshirts and a towel because its very hot here in the Philippines.
Anyway I love your bike and the other one looks like a Brompton.
Being able to take a taxi home when necessary is a nice bonus haha 😅
Yep indeed haha....
it would be interesting to see a speedometer while you are riding. how slow are they comparing to similar full size bikes?
The next video will have strava ride data. I think they're about as fast as a normal city hybrid bike
Bikes look great for the city but navigating that main street was raising my stress levels, much preferred that quieter neighborhood route :)
I prefer the backroads too, but not many great routes into the city without traffic unfortunately other than the river path which goes a long way around.
I like broadwalk better because of the design and shifter. But i still prefer minivelo if i need compact bike. I hope you can visit flamebike store before leaving Japan. Can't wait to watch more of your video after you finish up your work contract.
We'll try to film more bikeshop videos before we leave.
In the Philippines, there are groups that use folding bikes to go as far as 100 km and even more
Nice!
Both of yours have the ability to mount a front rack and/or basket via the mounting plate on the headtube... that way it doesn't move with the bars. I have two older Dahons, the '06 Boardwalk 7 speed chromoly and an '07 Mu P8, which is 7006 Aluminum. I like my Boardwalk more. While it has ome less gear, it's already outfitted with fenders and rear rack. I did have to bolt an angle brace to keep panniers out of the wheel. Didn't feel like upgrading to their Ultimate rear rack.
We are curious about the front rack and rear rack options. Probably will start with the front
Cool men happy ride
My brother just picked up 2 for $50 each at a yard sale. Score
You’ll definitely like the wider tires. I have the Schwalbe Big Apple tires and they are great.
That will likely be one of our first upgrades :)
You got sent the bikes for free? You're allowed to keep them?
The thing that I like about folding bike is that it is small, like a mini-velo. The only time I fold my bike is when I'm flying. Other than that, I never fold it since it so small already. 20" wheels is only way to go, anything smaller is uncomfortable. All 20" wheel folding bike will fit in a 30" suitcase, but you need to take it apart. Just google on how people does it. For me, I just brought a big plastic container and put it in there.
Yeah, we haven't folded these much so far. We tried fitting it in our suitcase, but no dice. Gonna have to try and get a bigger size one that will hopefully fit.
I am sold on these bikes after watching this video. I hope the boardwalk is available in the US.
We're really liking the Boardwalk, it's a shame it doesn't seem to be sold in the US
I like the boardwalk better :-)
Both bike should definately fit into a bigger suitcase. You might have to take it a bit more apart than just folding it. I bought a Tern Link when in Sigapore and bought a suitcase at some Chinese suitcase dealer on a market. I had to take the wheels off and the rear fender but it did fit inside and was protected by bubble wrap. Even a klickfix basket fit. Finding the right position for the basket took me a while, though.
It is good, if you have the time, to DIY a spacer for the suitcase out of some plumbing plastic pipes. If the suitcase ends up in a large pile of suitcases being at the bottowm the bike or parts of it have to take the load and might break or bend. If you put one or more pipe-spacers (some kind of plasitc plates under and above the bike and one ore more plastic pipes in between somehow attachted to the plates so that the cannot change position) right through the bike frame and parts, the bike is well protected. It just takes a bit more effort than to just fold the bike.
You have to watch that the maximum size of a suitcase allowed without extra charges. Most of the time they don't check especially if it looks like a normal suitcase. But if they do they will charge you. So check the size maximum first - it is the sum out of hight, length and width of the suitcase. The standard Brompton hard case does not fit these requirements at most airlines and is way to heavy.
The weight limit is another thing to consider. Although a hard case suitcase protects better a softer suitcase with DIY spacers is often lighter. So suitcase plus bike leaves you with aproximate another 5 kg for other things to stuff in (depending of the weight of the bike and suitcase of course).
Finding the right suitcase is the hard part. Good luck :-)
Thanks for the tips! We've been researching more into this recently and hopefully we'll be able to find a good suitcase soon. Unfortunately it's not clear which airlines we'll be using yet, so we may get overcharged, but we have plenty of clothes we'll want to cram into the suitcase for extra protection haha
London could learn a lot from Japan about continuous bike lanes on busy roads. The red bike looks more vintage. Steel is real.
I think some American cities too can learn from this
Thuong has such a high cadence. Makes mine look like a snail hichichic
Good to see she's improving her gear masher habits
Hi there, I m interested in two folding bikes: Raleigh classic and Dahon Boardwalk: does anyone know if they are sold in Europe as well? I don’t seem to find them anywhere. Can you help me? Thanks!!
Really like DAHON bikes...lots of surplus folding bikes being sold here in the Philippines...but needs replacement of some parts
I'd like to see if you can wheel it around when folded, instead of having to carry it. The Bromie type does this really well. Something to show please!
You need an accessory to do it smoothly
@@TwoWheelCruise Hmmm, thank you, I'll look it up. Maybe someone on UA-cam has even tested. I owned a Boardwalk years ago and it was a real test lugging it up and down stairs in the London tube. Did quite a bit of riding on it and twice broke spokes in the rear wheel (75kg me, well within the specs).
Ultimately it was stolen. Life moves on and I may buy a fold up again.
I may have to get one of those
They're a lot of fun
It would have been interesting to see how the bikes perform up a 8 to 10% grade. However, your trip in the vid looked fairly flat for the most part. For touring, Dahon formerly sold a model called a 'Speed TR'. I think the model is discontinued. You might probably get a used one online if you shop around. It has around 30 speeds since it has a internal 3 speed hub on the rear and 8 gears on the rear cassette so 8x3 = 24 speeds. More gears are possible if it has 2 gears in the front.
Have you named your red bike?
Last time I named it akachan
Do you like it?
Like the name, but we haven't made any decisions yet.
For now, Dahon's bikes are amazing, especially Dahon's folding bikes, it's comfortable to ride. For lovers of bicycles, Dahon's folding bikes are really good and comfortable.
We've been really impressed with how comfy they are
I think I might be sold on a Dahon so I can zip on a train and bike around (I really want to bike around Fuji Kawaguchiko). Now wonder if I can interest my fiancee in grabbing two of them...
Dahon regardless of the model as long as the GLO text in the frame is nice. Most parts are aluminum
Drivers being more aggressive to road cyclists in road bikes with full gear compared to foldies on the road - YES in my experience here in Singapore!
Sad truth.
It's amazing
If the black came with the other shifter then yes, it would be perfect.
Would be nice 😅
I remember my first bike bought it for my exercise
It was normal looking 26inch to be specificbut foldable version the only reason i bought foldable cuz i had no storage space but the thing i learned them folded bikes can't take dally abuse specially when you pay a lot money there are cheap ones but still its your hard earned money doesn't matter what it will still be my first lol😊
Btw i sold it😢 so yeah
We'll be riding these a lot to test out the durability. That's no good if the bike doesn't hold up after a while.
@@TwoWheelCruise no i believe it can handle clean rides on smooth roads u know can't wait for your video
37 degree weather with high humidity.
Me: Dripping, wet mess, knocking back energy drinks & bars, looking like I'm lost in the jungle.
Thuong: Wears a dress. Looks elegant.
HOW??
She's from Vietnam, that's like daily life there haha 😎
upgrade for Dahon are litepro parts from taiwan.
Thanks for the info!
@@TwoWheelCruise no worries..litepro applies to most folding bikes. take care the two of you
Upgrading the wheels on the HIT won’t be as easy. The rear hub spacing is 126mm vice 130mm that the Boardwalk has. I have a Biceco (Dahon brand) with a 126mm rear spacing. I didn’t check it and purchased a set of Litepro wheels to upgrade. The wheels didn’t fit as the hub is 130mm and cannot be spaced down to 126mm.
Sorry to hear about that and thanks for pointing that out! That's too bad, we really want to get a set that is compatible with each other so we'll be more careful with that moving forward.
@@TwoWheelCruise It’s all good, I’m a retired bike mechanic so I do collect parts. I’ll keep the wheels for any folding bike projects I come up with.
I'm surprised the pedestrians just standing there in the cycling lane. I thought people would be more considerate in Japan.
Yeah, most people here are oblivious to them, but it's also bad design
Yea grip shifters are difficult to use when your hands get sweaty
Exactly
But I feel like thumbie and trigger shifters mess up the fold... unless I'm just overthinking it.
Easily fits in suitcase or travel bag.
Those little bumps on the corners of the street are to let the blind know when their coming to a cross walk.
I'm fine with those bumps, I was talking more about the big drop from the elevated sidewalk to the main road. Could be smoother.
Why are there giraffe statues out in front of the Toyota dealership at 20:49 ?
I'm not sure why, but there are a few like this. Some other dealerships actually use the name "Kirin" or giraffe in the name.
16:48 i felt fear
Sadly this is an everyday occurrence here in Japan
The Boardwalk is a classic. Has been around in one shape or form since the 90s. And riding steel just feels different doesn’t it? The road feel is different. Anyone who hasn’t ridden steel bikes, I strongly suggest you do.
Great look and rides great.
Goodday！
Goodday!
In the Philippines, any bike on the road is gonna get harassed by cars.
Maybe best way would be rent bike or buy bike in destination. Traveling with folding bike becomes expensive with extra bags or you have to leave most clothes behind.
Yeah, we're considering that option too
Hiring bikes really expensive
Overpriced junk with no disc breaks. Better value for less.
Why don't we see you (guy) riding? I'm a guy so it's not very informative