tudorowen1

I have just bought a Mint T9 folding bike. The information that comes with the bike says it is made in Dongguan Chuangyu Technology Ltd..Hengli Park,Dongguan 52300 China..

The frame looks so much like a Fnhon Gust ,almost identical in fact that I wonder can any Fnhon owners tell me where their Fnhon's were made?
Thanks..

tds101 

Post pictures so people won't need to do a search to answer your question... It makes it a lot easier to help you out.

tudorowen1

I want to know where Fnhon Gusts are made,,Why do I need a photograph..?

Juan el Boricua

Because of this ...

Ron Damon

A cursory inspection of the few, distant images of the Mint T9 on the web reveals clear visual clues suggesting that it is not built on a FnHon Gust 16" frameset.

Many manufacturers have tried to emulate the Gust 16" look to cash in and ride on the success and popularity of that bike, and entice buyers who want their bike to look like a Gust 16", but can't afford or are unwilling/unable to build one themselves. Our fellow forum member's Mint is apparently one such example. The Or!gam! L0tus and the Element Troy are others.

Happy to provide details so long as clear, detailed, high resolution images of the bike in question are provided. No pix, no play.

tudorowen1

Ron Damon

Not the greatest composition, lighting or detail in those images, but they suffice to confirm the following differences to the FnHon Gust 16". Unlike the Mint, the Gust has:

1. an FD hanger and cable guide on the seat tube,
2. no dimple on the chain-stay near the bottom bracket shell,
3. a brand badge that is physically debossed, recessed in the material,
4. a fork with only one, rather than two holes right above the dropout,
5. The chain stay bridge on this disc brake Mint resembles that of the rim-brake Gust, not that of the Disc brake Gust.

FD hanger and no dimple on chainstay





Debossed like a boss 💪🏽 with excellent paint finish and weld quality




Gust 20": debossed AND painted a separate color 🔥

​​​​​I speculate about other possible differences which cannot be conclusively determined from the images:

• the disc brake mounts are different.
• the Mint fork uses a star nut rather than a bolt and washer. The neck on the Mint handlepost looks quite tall, taller than standard.
• The Gust frameset is lighter.
• Overall the paint finish and weld quality is superior on the Gust.
• The inner surface of the hinge on the Mint is unpainted, raw metal.

This speculation is based on the known differences between the Gust and its imitators here in Indonesia. Happy to be corrected, though.

There are good reasons why, despite the slew of Gust imitators selling complete bikes, the FnHon framesets have been a success and continue to sell. One is that they provide a blank canvas on which to build, specc and customize a bike exactly as one wants it, avoiding the myriad bum or mediocre stock parts that usually come on complete bikes. Two is the high quality of the frames, quality so far unmatched by the imitators. The FnHon Gust 16" is not without its quirks and flaws, but build quality is not among them. In that regard and at their price, FnHon framesets leave nothing to desire. I say this based on nine (9) pieces across six different models/types having passed through my hands since 2017, and a tenth piece now purchased and on its way to me.

To answer the original thread question, no, the Mint and Fnhon Gust 16" are not the same.

tudorowen1

Thank you for your thoughts and time answering my question.

Bleu

wow, don't dispute you saying they're different, but in your own photos there are clearly faulty welds on the Fnhon frame

tds101 

tcs

I went to fnhon.com (English). I'm not sure that web page has been updated since 2015.