The King is dead, long live the King! my bike got stolen, and I got a "new" one...
10-16-19, 06:07 PM
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The King is dead, long live the King! my bike got stolen, and I got a "new" one...
I'm working out in the NYC area, and was staying at a hotel in Newark, I had my 1985 Dahon Folding bike with me, and the work truck got broken into and all sorts of my tools and my bike were stolen...
That was last friday night, the following sunday I bought a total time machine bike off CL, almost identical to the bike that got stolen but 4 years newer and in MINT condition, really, it had been ridden maybe 50 miles its whole life? It still has the original tires on it and they aren't even dry cracked, at all. It's spent it whole life in the Dahon storage bag.
I had the old one for 18 years or so, bummed it got stolen, but this new one is so crazily new that I've moved on past the loss of the old one.
couple pics, Here it is on the highest natural point of manhattan,
and leaned up against the back of the work truck when I bought it
I bought the bike in Brooklyn on Sunday mid day then rode it 55 miles, was a beautiful day for a ride! I've been dealing with a nasty cold and a broken toe for a bit over a month now so regardless of "new bike day" it was great to get out on a ride :-) Strava even claims I had it up to 42 MPH, I was intentionally bombing one hill as fast as I could and hd 3rd gear totally spun out, and I may have actually broken 40 as these come geared a bit on the tall side. My old one had steel rims, this one is new enough to Aluminum rims, nice upgrade for sure, the brake shoes were hard as rocks and didn't slow the bike at all really so I replace those and now it just needs me to ride it around more :-)
That was last friday night, the following sunday I bought a total time machine bike off CL, almost identical to the bike that got stolen but 4 years newer and in MINT condition, really, it had been ridden maybe 50 miles its whole life? It still has the original tires on it and they aren't even dry cracked, at all. It's spent it whole life in the Dahon storage bag.
I had the old one for 18 years or so, bummed it got stolen, but this new one is so crazily new that I've moved on past the loss of the old one.
couple pics, Here it is on the highest natural point of manhattan,
and leaned up against the back of the work truck when I bought it
I bought the bike in Brooklyn on Sunday mid day then rode it 55 miles, was a beautiful day for a ride! I've been dealing with a nasty cold and a broken toe for a bit over a month now so regardless of "new bike day" it was great to get out on a ride :-) Strava even claims I had it up to 42 MPH, I was intentionally bombing one hill as fast as I could and hd 3rd gear totally spun out, and I may have actually broken 40 as these come geared a bit on the tall side. My old one had steel rims, this one is new enough to Aluminum rims, nice upgrade for sure, the brake shoes were hard as rocks and didn't slow the bike at all really so I replace those and now it just needs me to ride it around more :-)
Last edited by jackbombay; 10-16-19 at 06:11 PM.
10-16-19, 06:14 PM
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Congrats. Looks like it would be fun to ride.
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10-16-19, 06:17 PM
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Thanks for sharing!
Sorry to hear about your loss.... stoked for your gain!
I am a huge fan of ridiculous small wheeled folding bikes. I have a Birdy, a Raleigh RSW-16, and a Xootr Swift and I've been wondering for ages if these classic Dahons are rideable for long distances. Great to know!! I guess one in my future will fall into the n+1 category... grin
Beautiful bike by the way... congrats!
Sorry to hear about your loss.... stoked for your gain!
I am a huge fan of ridiculous small wheeled folding bikes. I have a Birdy, a Raleigh RSW-16, and a Xootr Swift and I've been wondering for ages if these classic Dahons are rideable for long distances. Great to know!! I guess one in my future will fall into the n+1 category... grin
Beautiful bike by the way... congrats!
10-16-19, 06:22 PM
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Thanks for sharing!
Sorry to hear about your loss.... stoked for your gain!
I am a huge fan of ridiculous small wheeled folding bikes. I have a Birdy, a Raleigh RSW-16, and a Xootr Swift and I've been wondering for ages if these classic Dahons are rideable for long distances. Great to know!! I guess one in my future will fall into the n+1 category... grin
Beautiful bike by the way... congrats!
Sorry to hear about your loss.... stoked for your gain!
I am a huge fan of ridiculous small wheeled folding bikes. I have a Birdy, a Raleigh RSW-16, and a Xootr Swift and I've been wondering for ages if these classic Dahons are rideable for long distances. Great to know!! I guess one in my future will fall into the n+1 category... grin
Beautiful bike by the way... congrats!
The small wheels do really give the bike a grwst feel.
Earlier this summer I was contemplating buying a newer folder with bigger wheels, but couldn't stomach the thought of my Dahon becoming the #2 folding steed... Then it got stolen, and I was looking at newer folders on CL, and somehow decided I couldn't live without "the bike" I'd had all along...
10-16-19, 06:26 PM
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It gets a lot of thumbs up and smiles from people! It does have a Sturmey Archer hub, and AW 3 speed, I will always love the AW, sometimes I'm not stoked on the large gaps between gears, but I actually like the big gaps much of the time :-)
10-16-19, 06:32 PM
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The good, the bad and the ugly bike scum. This story has it all!
really glad for a livable ending. Now... if they only get your old one back.
really glad for a livable ending. Now... if they only get your old one back.
10-19-19, 05:53 PM
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Well, I bought some "half SPD" pedals for my "new" folder, and only when I went to install them did I realize the current pedals have 1/2" spindles, sigh, I can use the pedals on another build, but I still want/need some proper pedals for this folding bike. There are adapters available, but that moves the pedals out at least a half inch... I have a machinist friend that may be able to turn these down and rethread them, hmmm...
I did ride another 50 miles on the bike today, and just like last time, I was wearing flip flops...
I did ride another 50 miles on the bike today, and just like last time, I was wearing flip flops...
10-19-19, 05:55 PM
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Sometimes things just work out. 
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A race bike in any era is a highly personal choice that at its "best" balances the requirements of fit, weight, handling, durability and cost tempered by the willingness to toss it and oneself down the pavement at considerable speed. ~Bandera
A race bike in any era is a highly personal choice that at its "best" balances the requirements of fit, weight, handling, durability and cost tempered by the willingness to toss it and oneself down the pavement at considerable speed. ~Bandera
10-20-19, 02:52 AM
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That's a cool story for a bike upgrade. It's almost like you traded in your old bike for a newer model. Hope the new one treats you as good as the old one did.
50 miles on a Dahon in flip-flops is an epic ride.
50 miles on a Dahon in flip-flops is an epic ride.
10-20-19, 05:42 AM
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I am glad this story had a positive ending. since I didn't know what I was clicking into. Great find and definitely an ideal NYC commuter bike. My brother has a Dahon that he uses for that purpose sometimes and he appreciates its utility. I must say that yours is much prettier though!
