Braiques

Hello,
New here, hopefully some amongst you may be able to suggest a frame for me.
My Dahon Speed Pro TT frame guttingly broke yesterday while riding. I think the catch may have not been fully down, and I may have been riding with it open at some point just prior and thus the additional stress caused the break (I think)?
Would anybody have a suggestion as to a fairly available frame to replace it with and keep it alive?
(EDIT: I'm in the UK, so to be able to successfully procure and get it to the UK if not already available here)
Are there any Speed Pro TT particularities that rule out any frames
I'm not good at maintenance so am likely to pay someone to do the build.

Thanks!

2_i 

Contact C.H. White for advice.

Braiques

Thanks good idea, I have bought spares from them before
Cheers

Ron Damon

If possible, please post an image of the fracture. It's good to have the images for future reference.

jfouellette

The better frame would make it possible to use the components from the Dahon. It’s also an opportunity to upgrade and get a better bike. The challenge may well be to find locally, just a frame.

A steel frame could maybe be repaired but aluminium I doubt.

More info here: https://handsonbike.blogspot.com/201...4-caliper.html

and of course. https://bikefriday.com/product/bike-...et-road-bikes/

Braiques

I will do so, I'll organise some snaps. thank you

Braiques

While reviving the Speed Pro seems unwasteful, I did not know about Bike Friday, and I think will have to start budgeting/saving, and at some point hopefully I can order as well if not instead. That is kind of a dream. Looks fantastic.
Thank you

joey buzzard

What kind of brakes did your Speed TT have? Were they disc or rim brakes? If it ran disc brakes you might consider the new Swift frame from Origami which the company owner says he's selling for US$460 (check out the Origami Swift thread). I'd check the spec for the fork and rear dropout spacing to see if it'll fit your old wheels though. Shipping it from U.S. to U.K. would also incur shipping and maybe customs fees on top. Nevertheless, might be worth considering, especially if you have trouble finding good frame and fork options more locally.

Ron Damon

Another option available depending on shipping to your location is the framesets made by FnHon and Litepro. The closest match to your broken frame in terms of geometry/shape and material is an FnHon Blast. And they sell for a lot less money than all other options. In my location, for reference, an Aluminium alloy FnHon Blast frameset can be bought new for about $200 and are available for both disc and rim brakes.


Al-alloy Blast

​​​​​FnHon also offers the chromoly Storm with a similar geometry/shape also for about the same money, and is available for both rim and disc brakes.


chromoly Storm

Here's an example of a Storm built by a forum member, and I myself am building one at the moment.


If you opt for an Origami Swift, make sure you that you are fine with its fold configuration.


Taken from the Origami Swift webpage

CliffordK

Bike Friday does ship to the UK. There was someone in the UK that bought one of their Haul-A-Day cargo bikes a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it.
I think they will sell bare frames, however, their complete bikes are also nice.
Unfortunately not cheap!!!

Joe Remi

I think you've realized it's time for a new bike. Those Speed Pros haven't been made in a long time, the other parts on it are probably pretty old. Time for new stuff!

jfouellette

Out with the old, in with the new😀

Braiques

[QUOTE=Ron Damon;22927402]Another option available depending on shipping to your location is the framesets made by FnHon and Litepro. The closest match to your broken frame in terms of geometry/shape and material is an FnHon Blast. And they sell for a lot less money than all other options. In my location, for reference, an Aluminium alloy FnHon Blast frameset can be bought new for about $200 and are available for both disc and rim brakes.


Thanks Ron,
All the suggestions by everyone are extremely helpful and informative,
the Fnhon frame suggestion strikes me as a great budget conscious option that should in theory get me riding again.
And the Bike Friday Pocket Rocket which I now covet, can perhaps wait till I get rich enough

Does anybody happen to know if Fnhon frames are distributed to UK already or regularly or through some indie operator or? Search-engining didn't reveal me an answer or a website I promise I'm not being (very) lazy!

Braiques

FWIW my frame that broke was the chromoly version.

I don't yet have 10 replies so I don't have permission to post the picture I've taken. As and when I get to 10 hopefully unspammy posts I will submit that

Cheers

2_i 

Chromoly frames can be fixed. It is the issue of finding a framebuilder who would be willing to undertake the project.

Braiques

Gotcha,
I will check a couple of places
Thank you

(3 more posts away from being able to submit my photo )

Joe Remi

[QUOTE=Braiques;22927906]I don't think FnHon would be easy (or cheap) to find in the UK. You should be able to find another new or used Dahon to replace the broken one, I don't think it's worth the trouble to look for frame-only and transfer the parts.

Braiques

[QUOTE=Joe Remi;22928199]Yeah you are quite likely right. Thank you. And 2 hours ago I tried looking and had the bizarrest modern digital era experience. Found a £400 one on Ebay, as you say, that's about what importing would end up being for a cheap frame anyway.
But I never use ebay, so for the first time I joined, so as to then send a message to the seller saying if they still have it end of month I will take it, then a few minutes later Ebay permanently suspended my new account. I called because now I feel kind of miffed and inconvenienced, and they confirmed that oh yeah we regularly permanently suspend new accounts that might endanger our community. For what reason? How could I endanger the community? Sorry what now? We can't tell you that because you might figure out how our security works (or some weird explanation like that).
Like wow. Here I am. Human being with an address, a bank account, never up to mischief, and, computer says no. Black Mirror is a documentary.
(I suspect it's coz I habitually use a vpn and it was active and ebay decides perhaps oh only darkweb mischiefmakers would behave that way?).
Anyway I do know you probably had little interest in that, it's just my bizarre and annoying anecdote of the day. If you don't use Ebay and want to use Ebay, be mindful of the manner in which you sign up, perhaps?
I don't use Facebok. I will keep an eye on gumtree where I've never had a problem.
Thanks again!

Braiques

I have enquired with vernon barker cycles (co uk) as to whether they might be able to repair. Hopefully the response is positive!

I'm not ruling out any of the other approaches.
Find a second hand equivalent and thus end up with spare parts.
Import a frame if necessary. On which point, does anyone have the relevant contact info for Fnhon or are they just business to business? Search-engining is not giving me anything.
When rich enough get a Bike Friday!

jfouellette

Hi, here is my example of a Fnhon I built. I ordered the frame from China and used some parts from my old Dahon Vitesse. I upgraded the wheel set, crank, brakes, cassette and derailleur. It was so good it was stolen five months later.

joey buzzard

Try this link:
https://m.es.aliexpress.com/i/400084...yAdapt=glo2esp

I googled it from Spain so the frame pictured is priced in €. I'm sure that it's priced in sterling somewhere on AliExpress though.

Braiques

Thanks peeps!

I have a ballparked quote from Vernon Barker cycles of in the region of £100 for the frame repair, assuming they find it isn't beyond repair. I will take it over to them in a few weeks as the relevant person is about to holiday.

AliExpress for an Fnhon frame looks a doable option, delivery is not actually extortionate, LitePro store's prices are extremely competitve, albeit only the disk brake option shows up when I search, hopefully if I message them they can reply pointing to rim brake option. I like the purple one! Very plummy!

If assembly is way beyond me I will more likely get a mechanic to assemble.

Would anyone know, is the frame for the Speed D7 or Speed TR measurably/geometrically any different to the Speed Pro TT frame? I can see some second hands going around, squinting at online photos they look the same thereabouts? My Pro TT seems to be much rarer whereas I can probably source a D7 fine.

So seems there's options, this thing will live on one way or another

Thanks!

Braiques

Here's the pic: 4130 Chromoly 2008 Dahon Speed Pro TT frame break

Milestone! allowed to post the photo now

2_i 

Did you send the shop your photo? To me it looks like more than GBP 100, if doable.

Braiques

Yes, the quote is in response to the photo and description