wernst

Hi All,

First, let us pay our respects to my beloved 2006 Dahon Mariner, bought used for $200 in 2010, upgraded with a Brooks saddle, Ergon Grips, Salmon brake pads, front rack and panniers, MKS pedals, and quite a few sets of Kojaks over about 14,000 commuting miles. She got through 2 daily trains through South-Central Los Angeles with nary problem, and last week was pinched just two months into a new daily train ride through Irvine CA when I wasn't looking. May she rest in peace, and may I be reprimanded for being inattentive when in a "nice part of town."

Anyway, looking for a replacement, and the Origami Crane 8 looks nice: lighter, same gear ratios but with 1 more cog, rack and fenders, a cool trailer/luggage option, more standard parts, and what looks like good customer support, for a couple hundred dollars less than a replacement Dahon Mariner.

I spoke with Paul today (nice guy) and got some techie questions answered, and I've searched through posts here about the Crane 8 and I don't see anything to be alarmed over.

Any reason not to pull the trigger? Any Crane 8 owners and riders want to check in with an update?

Thanks,
Warr

unionmanbirch

I bought a Crane 8 with the suitcase/trailer early this summer and have been happy with it. I added some old bar ends for more hand positions and switched to smaller chainring for climbing hills when touring. I rode it 50+ miles on back-to-back days with no issues. Shifting is good and the bike feels stable. The suitcase has a zipper closure and some water got in when it rained, so keep your gear in bags. The wheels on the trailer were pretty cheap and I will probably replace them with something sturdier before touring with it next year. For the money, i think it is a good buy. I had a Dahon Vybe before the Crane.

Here it is one night when I camped in a cemetery.

[IMG][/IMG]

HeatherS

I bought two Crane 8 travel bikes from Origami in the spring of 2017 and took them to Australia for an awesome road trip that included cycling in the towns we visited. The only issue I had was the tires popped instantly after making contact with the seeds on the ground. We replaced them with Aussie-suitable tires and inner tubes and were very please with them. We rode them often and then stored them for a couple of years and they were perfect when we used them again and have continued to be perfect for casual exploring. I have another bike I use for long distances so I don't know how they feel after many hours. Overall the quality is good for the cost and I would buy them again.

Pinigis 

The Crane 8 has been temporarily replaced by the Eagle model due to limited availability of some components. But, it’s nice to hear your review. Maybe we can find a more durable tire for the next production run.