Compare the 2 pictures here. Both are 24 inch folding bikes. One is Tern and the other a Dahon. Dahon still retains the vector type frame tube while the Eclipse uses the the Tern Link type tubes. The Tern Verge ( a higher end model from Tern) still retains the Vector tubes on their Tern Verge but the IOS still uses it. Actually the Verge is a former Dahon Vector. The price of the Tern is much much higher than a Dahon.

I suggest you go Kimbell Jaya in Cheras Perdana as he has stock of the Dahon IOS there. As for gearings, you can ask Jimmy to add or mod any nbumber of gears you want on the Dahon IOS and the price is still lesser than the Tern Eclipse (standard specs ). Since you are using for touring, I suggest you mod your gears to Shimano SLX components. Just change the drivetrain components. A 10 speed cassette, chain, SLX RD and shifters will improve the performance immensely. Hope this helps.

')+Oct 17 2015, 10:57 PM-->I think you can. I can do it in a Kancil. Fold it as usual and then take off the back parcel top of the Myvi ( I am not sure if this is possible though! ). Then release the back seat latch but you don't have to fold it in. The passenger have to sit a bit upright, that's all. The folded bike should be able to sit upright at the back now.

I also have many trials with saddles and till now still have not really get a fitting one. I did not try Brooks (though many have advised me to) but I just never liked Brooks. I tried the Fizik Gobi once and just 5 kilometers into riding, my butt ached and it spoils the whole ride. I did a lot of long distance rides in SR Ariel. It's OK but it still hurts after 100 km. But it is still the best for me though. I have even tried Trian Enduro by Morgaw. Incidently I saw the video clip about it and Kimbell Jaya have stocks of it, so I got a set and tried it. Cost more than a Brooks too but still hurts. It is now on my wife's MTB and she says it's good. Initially the first 2 rides, it was painful but after a few rides after that, she says it fits her perfectly. So, I guess you need to break in as well, not the saddle have to break in.

Till now, I practically sticks to my Selle Royal Ariel (out of production as well now). It's the widest and also fairly light. A compromise between two criteria, comfort and light. I come to discover also price doesn't mean a thing in the selection of saddles. Before I transferred the SR Ariel onto my MTB, I was using a cheapo and it fits me nicely. But I have since sold off my Dash and took back the SR Ariel and put it on my MTB. SO, in MTB I don't have to sit on it all the time anyway, we usually stand on the pedal when going downhill, so, it should be OK.

Just for info, here's something about Morgaw saddles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvN1_ja8_Og

PS/ Oh yeah! First criteria in selection is measure the width of your pelvic bone. Take a piece of paper (fairly large piece) and place it on your bed. Sit on the paper. There will be 2 indentation on the paper. Measure the distance between the deepest depression on the paper and that's the width you need to look for on a saddle. SR makes many wide saddles and many also are UGLY ! Some even have gel and absorbers but they are heavy and ugly. That's why I settled for Ariel. It the lightest and widest in terms of compromise.

This post has been edited by etigge: Oct 20 2015, 12:18 AM

Be careful of getting 'hernia' when trying to carry the 'Hummer'. Still many newbies buys it, if it is OK to you, by all means. It's cheaper. I think that's the main criteria. If the shape appeals to you, the Montague Paratrooper is definitely much better although many users still sells it off later when they prefer lighter bikes to carry around. A normal 26 incher foldie can fit into a car boot or the back seat. You should try looking at Dahon Expresso though or better still the Dahon Cadenza.

Usually those who opts for 26 inch bikes, usually goes straight for fix bikes. Afterall, if the wheels are taken off (both front and back), they still can fit into the back seat of a car. Heck, I can carry 2 mountain bikes with 2 riders on my car. All 4 wheels and stuffs at the boot and the 2 frames in the back seat. No worries of folding mechanisms and you get better components for a sub 1K bike.

My final say is, " Peng yeh , mou hou yeh ". Translated it means, " There are no cheap good bikes ". If you are serious, spend a little bit more. A used Montague Paratrooper is now about 2K plus if you keep a lookout in BBS. Even a 5 year old Montague is better than a new Hummer. Happy riding

It quite relaxing riding with a bar end holders, especially on uphill riding ( as uphill riding needs us to put our body weight forward to maximize the front wheel grip ) and with bar ends it makes the position comfortable. It also relieve aches and numbness of the palms on longer rides. I don't know about banning but it does poses a danger when you fall off the bike with a possibility of your chest banging onto the bar ends. I experience it once when I did mountain biking in the 2000s and have never installed one anymore since then. Not even when I ride foldies, eventhough they can be comfortable.

It quite relaxing riding with a bar end holders, especially on uphill riding ( as uphill riding needs us to put our body weight forward to maximize the front wheel grip ) and with bar ends it makes the position comfortable. It also relieve aches and numbness of the palms on longer rides. I don't know about banning but it does poses a danger when you fall off the bike with a possibility of your chest banging onto the bar ends. I experience it once when I did mountain biking in the 2000s and have never installed one anymore since then. Not even when I ride foldies, eventhough they can be comfortable.

Another way to mod is to use the latest hex key skewers. Many are going this path as quick release skewers are not that really reliable. Instead of the QR, the skewers are tighten by using 5mm allen key. You can tighten as far as you want so this eliminates the smaller/larger lobes of the QR. Safer too. Try to find this, then measure to the length and retread. Don't buy titanium though as it is hard to retread, a normal chromo will do already. And if the hex nut is loosed, you can still open using 3mm spanner.

You only have to carry a 5mm allen key but then most riders have a set of compact tool on us when we ride anyway.

Look good! I never considered the Hummer as a mountain bike. Here's the comparison !



If that's your intention, I still suggest you go for cheaper mountain bikes like Trinx or a Raleigh. At least it is a mountain bike. A hummer is neither here nor there! Too flimsy to be a mountain bike and too heavy for road use. There are too many moving parts for that quality. Even the forks will get stuck after a while. Only advantage is the folding capability which is not really that great either, the folding mechanism is not strong. At least with the Trinx, you get a better drivetrain, rather than the chinese freewheel hubs which is hard to calibrate. Better still, the Raleigh, you can get 24 proper Shimano speed. Since you are not going offroad, the Trinx hybrid is the best for you. Comes with Shimano Claris roadbike gears.

If going over 1K is not worthwhile for you, I suggest you go for the 20 inch foldies. It is enough for you to get your exercise around the flats and taman. Believe me. Many newbies have the impression that the smaller the bike, the harder to ride which is not true. Actually smaller bikes rides uphill easier due to smaller wheels but slower. Penang even have a Jab group which has 12 inch wheels and they ride up to the Balik Pulau hills easily.

Quote, " I don't want to spend too much just in case I become lazy. " Unquote.

From here I can deduct that you WILL become lazy after you ride the Hummer. Hahahaaaa! It's heavy and the tires are wide! Usually we mountain bikers prefers lighter bikes, more crucial to us as the resistance on riding offroad is too great.

Still it's my humble opinion. The choice is always yours.

That's because the smallest (Smaller means more revolutions to one crank from the front, ie. 52/14 = 3.7 turns of the rear wheels.) The 7 speed starts from 14 cogs to 28 cogs maximum. The normal smallest cogs for an 8,9 and 10 speed are 11 cogs. So that's 3 steps higher gear higher than your D7. The cheapest way that I can see here is like this ;

Presume that it is an 11T at the rear, that means 52/11 = 4.7 turns. Take this as a bench level. Let's say now, we change the front chain ring to 58 teeths. This is 58/14 = 4.14 turns. That is still lower than the bench mark! In this case, for your D7, you need to change the whole crank/chainring as they are one piece! This option is expensive and still doesn't reach your objective.

OK, another solution. I saw a freewheel cog (the type that 7 speeders use ) the other day, in Joo Ngan Son, an 8 speed one that starts from 11T to 30T. For this you just change the freewheel hub ( presuming it is still there, else you need to order ) and also another 8 speed shifter. The existing RD should be able to handle another step up. Here , your high gear goes up 3 notches and lower gear another notch.

Alternatively, change the wheelset for about 400 bucks. Get a better wheelset with sealed bearings and use the common cassette with the free wheel on the hub. For this, I am sure you will go for the max 10 speed or at least 9 speed, I mean mean why stick to 8 speed , right? Here you need to change the RD and the shifter in addition to the wheelset.

If you are already riding the way you describe, I would rather go for the third option, though expensive, it's the ultimate need. Sealed bearing hubs makes a lot of difference in ride performance, so it is worthwhile. First option you have to spend quite a lot too as a cheap crank will set you 150 bucks but the 58 teeth or 60 teeth chainring will be expensive. So, not worthwhile! If you don't want to spend on wheelset, then option 2 suits you.

I saw an 8 speed freewheel sold in BBS but it still starts from 13T and this does not fit your criteria. Usually riders have problems on the lower gears but yours is on the higher gears.
http://bicyclebuysell.com/item/300708/sunr...el-free-pos-w-m

I don't think they brought in the Trink KA2627 but I am not sure but Cronus has got one. Here ,
http://bicyclebuysell.com/item/321564/cron...oy-folding-bike

Anf then there's this Java which I think is the Trinx KA2627. Look at both of them carefully, looks the same.
http://bicyclebuysell.com/item/282920/java...ot-folding-bike

Better still, visit Kimbell Jaya. He has stock of the Java and also many Hummers there. Go feel it there and the answer will be easier for you to judge first hand. Also many, many other foldies there as well.

Any LBS can do the mods but the problem is getting the freewheel cogs , 7 speed or 8 speed. The one I saw was in Joo Ngan Son in Bandar Uptown and I think it is a used one but I am not sure. It's 8 speed. I think the cogs are not readily available, especially the 11T ones. Like H2D said, order from Taobao first. If you can get 7 speed, you don't need new shifters as well too.

As much as the technology limits. For now it is 33 gears. Just how much is one willing to fork out.

Many foldies have done that from Kuala Kubu Baru to the clock tower in Fraser's Hill. That's where the main action is, from KKB > Sungai Chilling > GAP Junction > Fraser's Hill. Riding at the peak is quite limited and most of the roads there are hilly too. Make sure your brakes are A-OK

2 years ago, an OCBC staff brought a Hummer to me to calibrate it's gear, saying that he had sent to a few shops already and it was still not shifting smoothly. I, of course started to calibrate and after half an hour or so, I still can't get it to shift crisply. Then I took out the wheelset and found out that it uses a China made freewheel cogs. Taking a chance, I rummage through my stuffs and found an original Shimano ones that I took out from my old Dahons. Sure enough, the shifting was smooth after that. That's the difference.

If there are no difference, nobody will want to buy Dura Ace cassettes right, when a Tiagra is also 10 speed and with the same cogs spec. A Dura Ace cassettes is almost 1 K compared to a Tiagra which is only 100 bucks. There has to be a difference in shifting. Even when I used the Shimano 105, there are difference when I change cassettes from 105 to Ultegra. It's the precision tolerance of the cogs and also the metal used. I am sure many don't realize that when we change chains, it is also better to change the cassette as well. Sometimes the wear of both components are link and if a new chain is installed without the cassette changed, the sharpness of the cogs which was grinded with the old chain might wear off the new chain faster.

Whatever quality or speed, the freewheel always loses in shifting performance. This is because the freewheel has a little play and this makes the cluster of gears sways from side to side. Try and see your bike, spin the rear wheel and look from the rear. You will notice the cogs are swaying a bit. That's why, it doesn't go more than 8 speed as the tolerances for 8,9, 10 and 11 are too small to accommodate the sway. In fact 8 speed are also hard to calibrate smoothly but off course if you don't mind a bit coarse shifting it is OK. That's why I still say, moving to hub freewheel ( freewheel is the mechanism that allows your legs to stay on the cranks without following the rear wheel rotation, that's why a fixie don't have a free wheel, when you coast your legs follow the rotation of the cranks ) is way more advantageous. It is an advancement of the gearing technology. The freewheel mechanism is moved from the cassette to the hubs.

The best freewheel cassettes I have encountered was made by Epoch. I think you can order online. Sunrace makes them too. The one I saw in Joo Ngan Son is a Sunrace.

Don't go for the C7s, if it is a C7a, it would be better. The steel frame of the C7s is a bit heavy. The best option in your case is the Boardwalk. The Tern with the same specs but cost more is of no advantage. So, scrap that also. Does the Route comes in Akibo colours also? I know Boardwalk has the Akibo but Route ???

If your 9 'yo' is going to ride it, just make sure he/she won't just ride and leave outside somewhere to buy something or get something. When that happens, you will notice the bike will be gone in 60 seconds. A few years ago, not many people know that there are expensive foldies also and very in-demand. Now everybody knows that and robbers who used to target roadbikes are also targetting foldies nowadays. A forummer here lost his Dahon when someone broke into his car. In fact he told me, he lost the whole set, helmet, bike and even jersey.

Why do you need a rear rack bag? It doesn't really fit a lot of stuffs. Anyway, those made by Ibera is quite good, cheaper than Topeaks but off course Topeak is better but you need to get their racks also. Any other brands , might be cheaper but they really look awful. Depending on what you really want to carry, the Topeak Mondo can actually store your usual tools, wallet, handphone and some food. And it is only a saddle bag. Regardless of all mentioned, I think the best is still the Hyper dry bag.

As many foldies knows, the seat post is quite long. Depending on how long you extend the seat post when riding, one can actually get a 5 liter Hyperdry bag ( any brands will do ). Lock the opening clips onto your saddle rails and then get those elastic bands to hold the bag to the seat post. Works better than the rear rack and bag. One major disadvantage of the rear rack and bag is, when you park your bike on the stand, they will fall easily because the rear is heavy. Another advantage of using Hyperdry or many other brands now, they are really waterproof so don't have to stop to cover with rain cover when it rains.

I used most before, rear rack and secure a backpack, Topeak Mondo, Topeak rear rack and bag and even a pannier bag. In the end still the Hyperdry bag mounted to the saddle rails and secured to the seat post is the best and also most balanced.

This post has been edited by etigge: Oct 26 2015, 07:43 PM

Yup, like this here. You need to choose the size according to your seatpost length. How big the space can accommodate without the bag touching the rear wheels. See the strap at the top. Clip the strap under the saddle rails and then the bag will be hanging and then get 2 elastic bands from Daiso and wrap the bag tightly to the seeat post. Nice, waterproof and neat.

No. safety first. Your saddle height must be correct. The bags comes in many sizes. it starts from 3 liters onwards till 30 liters. Mine was just a mere 4 liters only but as we always ride as a pair, that's 8 liters with a front handlebar bag, so that was enough for us husband and wife to do overnight trips. Higher riders has more advantage, they can accommodate even till 10 liter bags under their saddle. There's another way though, you can use those elastic bands to secure the bags higher up like the photo.

Latest from Trinx !

Just got back from Kimbell Jaya and it seems Trinx is catching up real fast on the needs of folding bikes. Here below is a similar frame to Tern Verge and even comes with 18 speed and hollowtech cranks. Even the rims are high profile with 451 tires. Best thing is, the price is just slightly above 2K.



Good for those who dream of a Tern Verge P18 but cannot afford the 6K price. This is only a fraction of the price with Shimano Sora drivetrain. On the way to Kimbell Jaya already, only 5 units!