tcs

Uh, got announced?

127 photos on Dahon Folding Bikes Facebook. 14" (?), 16", 20" & 24" (?) models. Interesting & novel twist pedal fold. Various SS & IGH treatments. From afar: improved & simplified DiBlasi-type fold for compact storage. Looks like Dr. Hon had fun.

NuWaves.jpg

dahoneezz

Ok, thanks for the photo link. The bike folds big. So perhaps it will not be allowed in trains, buses etc., unless in storage compartment.

2_i 

I hope they get some orders. They should have a chance in communities that do not want scattered bikes around. In my area there are some apartment houses that offer loan bikes to their residents. Otherwise it is hard to compete against dockless shares.

WCycles

This is atrocious.

Bonzo Banana

I think Dahon really oversold these models. Don't seem game changers at all, just a novelty frame design and some storage lockers. They mainly showed the bikes being demonstrated by small Chinese women with the exception of the mountain bike. Are these products mainly designed for the Chinese market? Crimped dropouts, small Chinese women and small overall dimensions of the bikes seems more China focused.

I don't think Dahon stand much chance in China because of their prices. Often their bikes are getting on 10x that of domestic bikes and are often no better built or equipped. If by chance the Dahon frame design is successful surely every other Chinese bike manufacturer will bring out copycat versions almost immediately which Dahon won't even get close to competing with price wise.

Not only that but you get blatant copies of Dahon bikes or even Dahon branded bikes that have nothing to do with Dahon on various Chinese retail sites. Some of them just look like generic Chinese bikes with the Dahon brand slapped on and a big price hike.

Yet they don't seem viable for western markets like Europe or the US. Maybe it will become clear what their plans are for these models.

https://s.taobao.com/search?q=%E6%8A...180410&ie=utf8

Abu Mahendra

So where is the elusive 'Leslie' now?

tcs

I dunno. Seems like a pretty small transit footprint to me, e.g. Strida.

transit footprint.jpg

transit.jpg

tds101 

Kinda weird,...I actually like weird. And standing upright, it would be possible to use for my commute.

Bonzo Banana

Very nice professional video here;


Still don't get why chose these over more conventional folding bikes. No gears, don't fit under desks, harder to bag up. Fun looking bikes though but the folding seat and handlebar stems look much more complicated than conventional folding bikes and likely to be less strong even if the frame itself is stronger without a hinge. Just seems to have moved the problem elsewhere rather than solve any engineering issues.

It does look like in a way they are revisiting their original Dahon design and updating it. I can see many parallels. A design they abandoned really and went on to designing conventional folding bikes but now it looks like they are revisiting it in many ways.

dahoneezz

Somehow, I imagine that trains would have some three dimensional box, like at the airport where if it can fit inside this box, you can bring it on our trains. Also unlike Strida, the wheels are in your face, or if you're standing, at chest area. And since the bike is tall, you would have to hold it all the time in the train, else it will fall over. One hand hold bike, another hand grab railing overhead (when you're standing), no hand to scratch itch.

Ok so maybe you could bring it on a train.

dahoneezz

Perhaps dahonleslie is one of the small chinese woman in the video ...

Unless dahonleslie is a man.

Abu Mahendra

Seeing my rather intensive use of a Dahon and my posting images thereof, 'Leslie' PMed me a couple of months ago to ask whether I was interested in being a Dahon influencer. Since then 'Leslie' has been rather scarce. I've now toured in China on a Dahon. Taiwan is China, right? (wink, wink)

dahoneezz

Are you imputing that a tandem bike ride was done with dahonleslie when you were in "China"?


Leslie ... Leslie ...

WCycles

Hey guys, we already have enough of a problem growing an inclusive folding bike community. Do we need to make it hostile to women too?

tcs

dahon nuwave 16.jpg

GTizzy

Here's how I imagine Dahon Leslie reacting right now:

dahoneezz

Ow sheesh ... was I hostile to woman? I hope dahonleslie has a sense of humor. A bit of teasing thats all ... For all we know, dahonleslie could be a man ... then the joke is on me.

dahoneezz

Ha ha ... how apt.

Bonzo Banana

I thought that was the e-bike version.



However certainly not saying it isn't possible but what they have presented so far looks to be single speed but they can certainly get a a Shimano or SA geared hub in there I'm sure it just doesn't seem a design based around a cheaper derailleur setup. Also if the frame design has cost savings to manufacture then to blow it with additional costs on a geared hub seems counter-productive. Again though Dahon pricing to me seems non-competitive in the UK for example but in China their pricing is extremely un-competitive. Even the better quality Giant folding bikes seem to retail for much less than Dahon over there.

Some of the official models there seem like junk too. Like this one with low end suspension, unknown brand derailleur and generally super cheap components that seems to be heavily discounted in China but still retails 3x many similar bikes. The folding mechanism clamp looks horrible secured by a rotating plastic catch.

berlinonaut

Yes, if you like to get dirty and footprints of the tires in your face and on your clothes.

bike.gang.uk

News report

dahonleslie

Hi Guys, sorry for the late response, I am super busy recently.

Good jokes!! But I am a man, work in Dahon Shenzhen, Actually the video you are watching of the Nuwave bike was made by me

Really like to listen to your real opinions about our bikes. Thanks!

dahoneezz

badmother

I did not see any hostility in that comment but maybe it is too early in the day so my brain is a bit slow.. I would say it is more about the kind of jokes you find on this forum.

What I do find insulting is when crappy videos presenting folding bikes makes us (folding bike lovers) or our bikes look stupid: What you often find is they picked the prettyest girl they could find (make sure you pick one who has never touched a folding bike before) and give her exactely 30 seconds for you to explain what she should do, make sure the seatpost is at least 15 cm too short and then film her wobbeling along with a big smile (read stiff grin) on her face to convince us of how great this bike is and how good you would look on it. I find it insulting to the costumers, the bikes and to the model trying to do a job.

Sometimes the model is a guy. Remember a guy do not have to be pretty if he is "important" in some way, has got money or at least a nice suit. Watch the guy pull the bike out of the trunk, manage to unfold it (or this part is edited out) and then wobble down the road with the same super short seatpost. THAT is insulting. How stupid do they think we are? What sort of costumers are they looking for?

2_i 

I would not be this harsh. The share bikes need to be simple and rugged. Folding bikes are ubiquitous in China and practically everybody has used them at one point or another. However, for most they rarely get folded and like other bikes they are treated as a commodity with little interest from an average consumer, irrespectively of gender, in details of how they work. For the show the seatposts get adjusted to work in the show such as to have models rest against them. At these kind of events these might not even be the models, but employees, people from PR or wanna-be-model children of management.