BobbyG

Bought a 2007 Dahon Boardwalk a coupla weeks ago.
Viva La Contortionista!

I knew the original straight bars would be an issue for my hands.
Count Me As One of the Converted

My other bikes are now all drop-bars and I ride on the hoods. My challenge would be to get that same hand position on the Boardwalk and still allow it to fold. I've seen photos from others who have added drop-bars and it seems they can fold the bike with the bars on the outside of the fold. Others use the quick release stem to detatch the bars and then insert the stem into the fold with the bars resting on, or clasping the fold. But I still wanted that original foldability. I tried a couple of pairs of bar ends I had from when I added them to my straight-bar mountain bike, but it was too wide and bulky to fold.

So I went with "bull bars"...you know, those cut down drop-bars flipped upside down. They give you the same hand position as riding on the hoods. I took the Boardwalk to the bike co-op and found a small, very narrow used bar for $5...yes five dollars. I tried it out and it folded with room to spare!

I was hoping the original grip-shifter (twister) would mount, but it wouldn't clear the bend in the bar. So I went with a 7-speed indexed thumb shifter (also $5 used at the co-op).

I know there are brake levers that are made to mount into the ends of bull-bars, but I tried sliding the original brake levers towards the bar ends, and they work with the hand position...and it still folds...just. A little careful adjusting is needed, but it's not too much.

You can see from the photos the saddle and bar placements are now very close to that on my main bike...which is also nearly identical to my old road bike and my drop-bar mountain bike.

I also wanted to share a photo of the bungee cords on my back rack. I bike commuted for 28 years until last December, and I had worked out my own system for carrying my back pack on a rack by running bungees from the seatpost to the end of the rear rack using a couple of D-clips on the backpack as a quick-release latch.


As it turns out, when the Boardwalk is folded the left two bungees can be easily hooked around the handlebar stem to help add extra security to the original magnetic clasp.

Still to go...a front fender, and "taller" gearing.

Juan el Boricua

That's one well-done job, and congratulations on being able to dial in the cockpit and sitting position as your other bikes; looks almost spot on!

Nyah

Good job on the application.

I just want to add that there is a way to fold drop-bars without them being on the outside. It involves either twisting the seatpost or, pulling the seatpost out temporarily before folding to the inside, then replacing it after the fold. Both ways can give a pretty compact fold.


The only way to know if it works is to try it. Combinations of certain handlebar heights plus certain rear racks will be troublesome.

BobbyG

THanks for the tip...I will check it out at some point. At $5 a handle bar at the co-op, I can afford to experiment.