Here's one of the few Speed P8 which has been upgraded to 27 speed. There's is another one which I have sold off and this one that belongs to a very active biker which I have modded also. The same person who rode from KL to Penang and joined the CFAL ride. Look at the Alivio RD which is used on this bike and the triple chain ring. It is possible and if you are using road bike components, 3 x 10 speed is possible.

This Dahon Archer is similar to Dahon Speed P8. Maybe it's for JDM. It seems to have good components too and comes ready with an FD braze. Funny it doesn't weld a FD cable stop It's being imported by a curtain shop in Kota Kemuning and I don't know what's the price as this guy seems to fluctuate his price. Be prepared to bring the bike for tuning though as I know he is not really competent technically, that was last time lah! Now maybe he's good already. If it's cheaper than the Dahon Speed P8 in the local bike shops , then OK but if not might as well get from local shops as there's warranty.

Finally some good news. Bila? Bila?

http://www.baikbike.com/cyclists-might-get...icycles-on-lrt/

If it is chromoly ( the Archer is chromoly ) , it shouldn't be a problem. Problem with China in welding aluminum is the heat treatment needed for aluminum. The process is heating up the whole frame after welding to a certain temperature and then fast dipped into cold water to harden the metal. This is an expensive process so only bona fide brand manufacturers insist on doing this process. Many cheaper ones forego the process. Off course nowadays, carbon fibre molding is gaining more prominence as technology on it improves.

So, the chromoly Archer don't need this process and it is easier to weld, just like welding steel bikes. It should be safe. The folding mechanism seems Dahon like and it's patented so I guess it's from the original contracted factory. Usually the brands don't have their own factory, mostly contracted to other factories in China. That's why you have FnHon coming out in the market.

This post has been edited by etigge: Sep 8 2015, 02:24 PM

Singaporeans must be nuts! Look at the price of the latest MU from Dahon. A Dahon MU cost 2.5K here in Malaysia. Order a Rohloff internal gear for USD1272, OK it's heavy give it till USD1500 plus shipping lah! That's like RM7500 , our price if we do it on our own. In Singapore, that's like RM15,000 plus It's not hard to install anyway. For that price, you can even add a Gate's belt drive system and still have cash left.

http://www.amazon.com/Rohloff-Speedhub-Spe...r/dp/B001GSOPOC

PS/Looking at the picture, it is using belt drive. Look carefully.


This post has been edited by etigge: Sep 8 2015, 07:12 PM

No , it's just for information. I just have a Dash now and conventional 2 x 10 speed. That should be enough for me now as I ride off road more nowadays. I was just astonished by the price. Thanks for your kind offer.

Nope you cannot as the long cage of the rear derailleurs will hit the ground on the 40T or 42T setting. Maximum is only 34T at the rear. If you insist on single crank you can go for 11T/34T , some say 36T is possible and then change the front chain ring to 48T or 44T. Same ratio.

Front 44T , rear 34T , 20 inch wheels is 25.88 gear inches or 2.065 meters development per one turn of the crank.
Front 53T, rear 40T , 20 inch wheels is 26.50 gear inches or 2.115 meters development per turn.

If you see from above, the difference is quite small, only drawback is, you won't be able to pedal downhill and your maximum speed will be limited and you have no option. The advantage is on the low gears.

Also, I don't know which cassette you meant when you say 11T/42T. If it is 10 speed, means it is specially made by a few companies and one of them Praxis works and the cassetter is about 700 bucks each. It's not cheap. Other makers like Token and Aerozine are even more expensive. If you say the latest 11/40T cassette for MTBs will be the SRAMs and Shimanos 11 speed unit. This are even more expensive and specialized as you need to change the shifters, chain, cassette and RD. and these are only available in the top 2 levels, eg. Shimano XT and XTR. They don't come cheap either and so far I seen, they are sold in groupsets too.

I also anticipate the chain will be a problem as the chain stay of foldies are too short to accommodate. Usually those using the 1 X 11 or 1 X 10 speed in MTBs change their front chainring too. They change it smaller, sometimes only 28 tooth.

You can fold and carry it in actually. Better if it is a 16 inch foldie. Smaller and more compact. For a foldie, no matter how you lock it won't be safe.

Before you go get the Deore brakes, why don't you get your Vigor and ride first? Maybe it is enough for you for the mean time. The Shimano Deore brakes plus levers are 200 plus, I think. That was a year ago, God knows how much it is now. Looking at our currency, whatever parts will be expensive. Yeah, just plug and use

')+Sep 11 2015, 11:42 AM-->Do you understand the workings of a chain block? You know, when the car mechanic is taking out the engine from the car, they hang it on a chain mechanism. With light effort you can raise the heavy engine and lower it down as well. Same principle as the bicycle gearings.

If one turn from the front turns one turn at the back, that's 1 : 1 ratio. Usually the normal bike is 1 : 4 , meaning one turn of the pedal is 4 turns of the wheels behind. This is easy on a flat road.

What happens if you hit a slope and you can't seem to turn the pedals? That's where the gears comes in. We lower the gear, that is one turn from the pedal, turns only half the normal at the wheel. This makes pedalling easier but shorter distance. And if you go higher slopes, you lower your gear even more, making it one turn of the pedal and only one turn at the rear, making ratio 1 : 1 and this makes it even easier to pedal up the slope. So to summarize, the lesser the rear turns at one revolution of the pedals or cranks, we call it, the lower the gear and the easier it is to pedal. BUT if you use this setting on a flat road, the effort is so light that you will be free wheeling like a dog swimming.

For a road bike, the lowest gear is 1 : 1.39 ratio but in some instances, different cassette it goes to 1 : 1.3. This is the standard road bike crank lah! There's another type called compact crank which is smaller which makes the ratio go a little bit more lower.

For a mountain bike, the lowest gear is 1 : 0.6 and now with the latest 11 speed from the Shimano XT and XTR it goes even further down to 1 : 0.55. That's how low the mountain bike can go. The front crank's chainring is smaller than the rear.

Hope I answered it in the simplest way.

The country is getting really 'sick' already. Careful guys!

Please be careful everyone in Melawati!
By @aimo_fatso
"Earlier today around Jalan G-2, Taman Melawati. A lady was pushed off her bike and had her bike stolen by 4 motorcyclists. Ragut basikal pon boleh zaman skarang..."

Actually, it is a effective pump. Fast, especially for high volume tires like Big Apples BUT as you said , it is heavy, very heavy in fact. When I was riding in a group, almost 6 person has that pump so, I changed my seat post to a lighter one but later on I changed back to the Biologic. Why? Because those lighter seat post like GUB or Litepro can only take 75 kgs and I am almost 100 kgs. It squeaks! No choice for me, hihihi.

Dahon has stopped putting in the pump because they have ceased getting Biologic as their OEM manufacturers. Biologic sided Tern.

If you are interested in the concept, there are many pumps that are cyclindrical and can fit into a normal seatpost. You just need to get those PVC pipe fittings and modify it and hold the pump inside without dislodging and rattling inside the seat post. Most importantly, it doesn't drop out of the seat post when you ride as foldie's seat tube are hollow all the way down to the tarmac.

This video might give you an idea. Caution though ! Once cut, that's final, wrong length or not !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pg1BIh0FfH0

I think the Deore brakes are single piston. Both mine and wife's MTBs are using it. The only double piston brake calipers by Shimano is the Saint which are mainly used in downhill bikes. Double pistons means 4 pistons, two on each side. Once you take out the brake pads, you can see more clearly. Double pistons works such a way the the 2 smaller pistons will touch the rotors first before the 2 main pistons clamps in for better modulation.

How's the folding of the brake hydraulic hose? Better be cautious when you fold as the hose don't bend as much as the conventional cable type housing. Happy riding with your new possession. The Dahon Dash is a fine workhorse.

Inner tubes is one item that is not standardized. They marked the price in the event they need to provide services to change the tubes too so usually they charge RM15 regardless. If you know a LBS or familiarize with them, they can sell you for RM12 or even RM10 each. Also they depend on the brands and also the material it is made of, mainly butyl rubber or normal. Butyl rubber holds air longer than the usual but the usual is cheaper in price. Off course branding also makes them cheaper or more expensive. Maxxis and Schwalbe is more expensive because they are made thinner , hence lighter. Vee rubbers are actually very good inner tubes and cheap too but not many LBS stocks them. They are thicker and a tad heavier but they really hold air long.

Schwalbes sell inner tubes at RM29 What advantage over Maxxis which are sold at RM16, I can't see the difference except the valve cap is transparent.

Most welcome !

Means the Java FIT is fitted with a cheap disc brake mechanical calipers. When only one side moves, it means the piston on one side is pushing the rotors outwards , also bending the rotors. If it gets hot, the rotors may stay in that shape after cooling and then you have a warped rotor. If mechanical brakes are concerned, only the Avid gets my thumbs up. It's ball bearing assisted but the price per set, you can get a Shimano Deore set and even those 4 series Shimano hydraulic sets are better which is even more cheaper.

I have another fellow rider who use the Dash 2010 model (same as mine) and every time she folds, she crimps the gear cable , rendering it unusable. I don't understand it as she didn't let me see the bike. I don't know why, everytime I go see the new Dash, they look so small And this is the only size this shipment. Jimmy told me I was lucky to actually get an 'L' size Dash.

This post has been edited by etigge: Sep 17 2015, 12:10 PM

Our CNC foundries are not really fond of doing small jobs like this. There's a Malay guy, Zalee is his name. He is always around My Bike Shop in Bandar Utama. If you can locate him, maybe he can help you out. He used to dabble in model helicopters and have lots of contacts regarding powder coating, CNC stuffs and metal anodizing. Maybe he can help you.

Another option is to fabricate using nylon which can be sanded, cut and modelled using normal tools, even glued. I think it is not hard to actually fabricate. Take a picture of the actual component that has dropped off. You still have another sample right, either front or back. Only after looking , I can give an opinion.

PS/Looking at the enlarged picture, I don't think it is hard to make one. Maybe you can bring the sample to me and I can do it.

This post has been edited by etigge: Sep 17 2015, 06:27 PM

Surely not the whole block is lost, right? Just the small outermost block only. It should be easy to file the small piece and drill a hole. In fact if you look hard enough in Ace Hardware, at the screws section, there will be some aluminum parts that just need a small modification and filing to suit the contraption.

It seems the Avid BB5 brake pads are too small and don't work well in the rain. Darn dangerous too as a review said. It is also reviewed that the BB5s needs constant adjustments, sometimes twice on one ride. Most of the reviewers who are also users of the BB5s recommended that it is safer to change to hydraulics but off course in the case of foldies, this is a bit hard. The next best thing is to change the calipers to BB7s which has bigger brake pads ( sadly more expensive too but you don't change pads often ) and also in addition the BB7s can adjust both pads distance. Avid BB7s are the best mechanical disc brakes in the market now and BB5s as reviewed, said the Avids V-brakes stops even better.

Look at the size difference