Fold-up Bikes: Dahon, Dawes, or other?

uvox

(Apologies if fold-up bike is the wrong term - folding?)

Looking for fold-up/folding bike for city riding only. I've see some Dawes and Dahon models. Dealer is recommending Dahon Mu P8.

I've been out of the cycling activity for a while, and Dahon is new to me (I had Dawes when I was younger and was impressed). Any thoughts on Dahon reliability, service, build quality? Is Dahon new to Ireland's streets?

Thoughts on the Mu P8? Any experiences shared...

Timmyboy

I'd go with the Dahon.

My understanding that Dahon is a Taiwanese brand which has made a point of focusing on folding and small bikes. It appears to me that this is it's speciality.

I'm not sure if you mean to be using a folding bike as your daily bike and using it in ways that makes it appropriate that the bike should be folding but I might recommend that you assess your proposed journeys before going folding as there are certain losses that a folding bike iherently posesses that are not present on a non-folding bike of similar cost/quality balance.

There are other brands not just Dawes and Dahon (which both start with D). Isn't there a famous Brithis Built folding bike that starts with B? Is it Bromley if I think correctly?

And wasn't there a Moulton folding also?

And many other makes.

1. Validate that folding is really really what you need, else go non-folding
2. If you are needing of folding then I'd take a view of the Dahon web-site and see what you might find there.

Cheers.

Tonyandthewhale

Brompton are worth a look too as they're supposed to be very well built. Probably very expensive.

Dahon focus mostly on folding bike and are probably the biggest players in the market and would certainly be of better quality than the halfords or ebay specials - style folders. Having said that they're still more delicate than normal bikes (as is to be expected I suppose).

Dawes were always well known for touring bikes but otherwise I've found them under-whelming.

Holyboy

Dahon are aweful!!!!
Their bikes just don't work, I have worked on hundreds of them, badly designed and badly put together.
If you can afford it, go for a Brompton, that will set you back about a thousand minimum, but will last a life time and is THE best folding bike that has ever been made, if that's too much then the Giant halfway is a great compromise, half the price and they work really well.
Dahon moved their distribution from Fishers to Zyro just over a year ago in the UK and now have pulled out of Zyro for some reason!!!
I don't know what their plan is but they have always been terrible for spare parts.
Can you tell I don't like them yet?;)

penexpers

Get a Brompton. They are the best folding bikes by quite some distance.

wireit2me

Dahon - strong, reliable and quick. Clocked 65km/h on my speed pro tt, gear ratio top notch, 120 km cycle in wicklow - easy as pie. BIke is pure joy to ride. As for parts no hassle everything avail from across the Irish sea - with free shipping in some cases.
This is my second folder and one of the best bikes I have owned to date.

Oyama (sell from about 200 euro) - if you wanna go that route!

tomasrojo

I got a fairly basic Brompton for about €850 from Cycleways in Dublin. It would have been less, but I got the longer seatpost, a Brooks saddle and front-mounting luggage.

Excellent bike. Fast, stable fold and a good ride -- surprisingly good, given all the compromises.