whitecat

Just to say hi to all, I have jumped on the folding bandwagon by getting myself a Dahon Jack D7. It's great to be able to just take it out, unfold it and start riding like any regular bike. It feels nice, nimble and fast, yet strong frame. I am at the higher range of weight at 224 pounds, but I reckon it will hold up for a few years of use. First things to add were full fenders, a little bit of cutting involved but nothing too bad, and next on the list are the brakes, I am leaning towards Avid Single Digits 7 with Speed Dial levers. Current stock brakes do not stop very well. So thats it for now, just wanted to say hi. And oh, if anyone has a Jack, feel free to add in your opinion / review, whatever you got

I was on the fence about getting a smaller folder with 20" wheels, but this one was on a too good discount to miss! Tried it, liked it, and so I got it. Maybe in the future there will be new wheels in the mix and 8 speed cassette, but for now that will stay stock.

badmother

Congrats and welcome to the fold!

I do not know the bike or the brakes you have but just wanted to remind you that sometimes new brakepads and/or new wires/housing can make a huge difference on the brakes stoppingpower.

tds101 

Have you considered KoolStop brake pads? I have them on 2 of my bikes, and they work amazingly well, even when wet.

https://www.google.com/search?q=kool...obile&ie=UTF-8

whitecat

@badmother; Thank you for your welcome. I know all of that makes a difference, but I was riding SD7's before on another bike and I know how it is supposed to work, and believe me, this is not it, not by a long shot. There stock brakes feel like they actually bite a second or two after pressure is applied, then they tend to block the wheels abruptly, no modulation at all. If I press on the brake levers even so slightly less, the it takes 2 to 3 seconds for them to engage, and then they very slowly bring the bike to a stop.

@tds101; Actually, KoolStop pads will be going on with the new braking setup. I am torn between dual compound MTB brake shoes or triple compound HS 500 Tectonic pads. All from KoolStop, ofc. Nothing less will suffice. I am a tad bit of perfectionist

bhkyte

Sounds like cable friction issues. Very common on the longer cables runs on folding bike.
Oil the inner cables. Replace any kinked cables.
A most upgrade on most folders is to teflon linned inner cables. Kool stops are great but they will not unstick stuck brakes.
The other thing worth considering are checking the cable terminals for failure and the cable routing. Espically around the bends and noodles.

whitecat

Good point. Didnt think of that. New teflon cables will be thrown into the mix when new brakes come on the bike. Thank you for your input.

For now the pads have been replaced with new dual compound run of the mill pads and brakes are much better modulated, now they are actually passable. Its a long way from what they will be, and what they need to be, but now at least it will stop somewhat quickly when I need it to.

It is a real great bike, I have been for a spin and it rides beautifully, so fluid and nimble. I did not hear does anybody else rides one?

whitecat

The more I ride this bike, the more I like it. Only thing is, the stem seems a bit loose any clicks occasionally. When going over potholes and such. Anybody have any insight on that? Its a quick release stem.

bhkyte

Its an allen key stem isnt it.
Does it have the androes stem stem extender or a QR added stem. They dont usually fold on a jack afaik.

ThorUSA

Its a funky stem design, pretty cool u can take the aheadset stem off without loosening the steerer tube .... maybe a little grease inbetween the sleeve and the steerer tube will eliminate clicks ?

whitecat

@bhkyte; I think it is the quick release stem. It can be folded by releasing levers that look like the qr on the wheels. What is an androes stem?

@ThorUSA; Do you happen to have a picture of exactly what needs regreasing? I do not want to put grease where it should not go.

ThorUSA

sorry don't have a pic. just call me and I will explain
thanks thor

bhkyte

Dahon or tern andros stem extender extends reach by 6 inches by being attached to a short bar instead of the handlebars and conecting it to the handlebars proper. Its QR and not bad. Google it.

1nterceptor

Post some photos when you get a chance.

Bought a new Dahon Espresso back in 2008. Similar to yours; difference is the Espresso
had 2 more rings and a front derailleur. It was nice and the seatpost pump came in handy
a few times. Only problem was that the rear wheel needed truing after awhile; I weight
around 200 lbs. I realized after a year that I needed a smaller bike for the train and going
on trips. So I ended up selling it to a co-worker; he still enjoys the bike up to now.

tds101 

Nice bike the espresso is,...

https://youtu.be/0IYIfpM31cw

whitecat

A bit slow to respond, work got me

@ThorUSA; sorry a bit too expensive to call to the USA from this side of the pond.

@bhkyte; took a look at the video, and I have the andros stem, but not the extender, now it is clear.

@1nterceptor; I will post some pics when the time allows. A bit busy at the moment but I still troughly enjoy riding the bike

@tds101; damn, that frame sure takes a beating and keeps on working! Nice video

Still on the hunt for new brakes, never enough time to sort it all out...

ajfudge

Hi @whitecat. Did you consider converting your V-brakes to disc brakes? I have the Dahon Jack D24. I'm assuming that our bikes have almost the same specs. I discovered that the rear hub is 130mm, which is incovenient given that most rear disc hubs are 135mm.

rhenning

AJFUDGE you are trying to help on a 4+ year old post so I am not sure it will help at this point. Roger