If you have someone in Japan, why don't you ask him to dismantle the whole bike to bare bone and repack. The problem is not the weight as it is only 12kgs but the volumetric dimension of the box.

It can be reassemble here.

The carton is also quite heavy! The folded bike is 35cm x 79cm x 88cm so my guess is the box is around 45cm x 89cm x 98cm , presume we add 5 cm to every side. That's about the size of a small 16 inch thick table top! The new 2015 Dahon Dash marketed in Malaysia is a bit lighter too as they have switch back to caliper brakes instead of the disc brakes. Consider buying one and then upgrade to 20 speed, could be cheaper. Do you want to try out the ride of a 20 speed Dash before comitting? I can let you ride mine.

The new Dahon Dash 2015 specs are not very good and the price RRP is RM2998 which is way higher than last time. It uses Microshift RDs so the RD can just switch and the shifters can just be added onto the bull horn. The bullhorn that my wife's Performer is a Zipp replica(carbon fiber) and it cost me RM260 and the bar tape another RM100. Roadbike components are really expensive. The shifters are ven more expensive, a 10 speed Tiagra is almost RM400 , Shimano 105 RM600 and the Ultegra RM800 to sometimes RM1000 depending on the seller.

That's why many new riders don't understand why I am selling mine for RM4000 but has since went down to RM3500. Some even taunt me telling me that if he adds RM1700 for the 105 groupset + new bike RM3000 it is only RM4700 compared to an old Dash for RM3500. But he did not add in the superior and lighter rims, the Schwalbes, the Fizik bar grips, SR saddles, the QR pedals which might add up to another RM1000.

The cheapest 10 speed roadie components are the Shimano Tiagras and the SRAM Apex in which the Apex is priced higher but lower performance.

Sorry that I said that but there were a few others. I can guess which of the discussion is you and it's really no matter but there are some that I just didn't reply at all. Again, sorry if I said anything wrong.

Anyway, I hope to take the two bikes to Kimbell Jaya and let Jimmy sell it off. Probably easier to sell because of the credit card facilities. I can offset it with my other bike purchases there. Anyone interested can view and try the bikes at Kimbell Jaya.

This post has been edited by etigge: Jan 28 2015, 03:27 PM

Yeah, maybe so, I am thinking of breaking it all down and sell part by part. See how first.

I have joined a group of Penang riders and we were to ride Teluk Bahang to Balik Pulau and one of us can't fit into the car. We were in Georgetown then. So, he has to ride to the bus station near the jetty and then take a bus right up to Teluk Bahang. It was a Sunday then and he also took the bus back to Georgetown. So, it is allowed, at least on weekends, also without any covers!

I have a pair of Maxxis DTH 20 inch with 60 to 70 percent tread. It's a 1.75 width. If you want to have it , PM me, I can let you have it for a steal! I changed because I did a lot of long distance riding and want something with less rolling resistance, hence the Schwalbe Marathon Supreme. I did some off roading in FRIM too with the Maxxis and it's OK.

Since you ae already near Kajang, why don't you visit Kimbell Jaya near the 11th mile Saga toll. Left turn to Bdr Tun Hussein Onn and on the right. Jimmy (the owner) stocks almost all folding bikes, even MIT which folds like Brompton and also Txed (another small fold). Also there are many Dahons and Terns there and off course other brands like Java which can get 16 speed for less than 1K now. Also I can recommend the cheapest Dahon now which is only 800 bucks. Just visit the shop and talk to Jimmy.

I am sure the Montague Paratrooper (the original ones lah!) can support your weight. I am 100kg and have been riding Dahon Speed P8 with no problems at all ( even went bouncing around off road in estates around Sitiawan for 22 km) , so I guess plus the safety factor, it should be able to handle your weight. Why do you carry a 15kg bag?

This post has been edited by etigge: Feb 20 2015, 02:16 PM

Usually tarak! If ada also, it's those returned ones but they do touch up a bit. Moreover, nice models usually one or two units only. So, lining up on Friday morning is a must if you want. The last of the Dahons by them has been lelong off at the end of last year. Now they only import Terns.

FNhon is a parallel manufacturing product of Dahon. Most of the models are the same. I assembled one unit 16 inch for a lady rider and she can ride from Kampar to Sitiawan and back with 22 kilometers offroad in a plantation. The bike performed wonderfully. Go ahead and rest assured of the quality. You actually can use all Dahon parts on it. In fact I still have a brand new Dahon Dove frame if anyone is interested but it's only single speed.

Depending on your need and requirement, custom building is not cheap! The 16 inch that I assembled cost over 3K BUT she was really satisfied with the bike because it is only 9 kgs. Also it folded very compactly, so compact that it was about the same size as a B when folded. In fact the frame after conversion and shipping is not cheap either. In fact the picture you posted is the same frame as the one I assembled.



This post has been edited by etigge: Mar 6 2015, 01:01 AM

Reason on why touring bikes uses square taper is simple. Square taper is available anywhere , even in small kampong bikeshop or any bike shop for that matter. Touring means, you travel everywhere with your bike, like those 'mat sallehs' you see riding with big panniers on the road. If they were to use hollow tech or octal link etc, the parts are hard to source in small towns. Also those common cone bearings bottom bracket uses square tapered spindles , so although quality is not good, at least it will help you to replace temporarily. They also just started to use disc brakes on touring bikes which many tourers don't want to. They still want to stick to V-brakes as they are also easy to source. And if you use hydraulic disc brake systems, stick with Shimano, Tektro or another brand (can't recall which brand) which uses mineral oil while others still uses dot oil. This is because in emergency, you can fill the reservoir with cooking oil to operate the brake.

Usually it is good to train till you can cruise averagely at 18 km/h to 20km/h on a 20 inch foldie. That's the usual speed when we ride long distance (above 50 km) but if the route we are riding is less than that (like 30 km) , me and wife usually ride at 23 km/h to 28 km/h. This is off course on flat terrain with not much headwind lah! even at this cruising speed my gear ratio is at 52T in front and 14 rear. So the cadence is as proportianate to it. Any ratio higher than that, it will tire me out easily.

Off course, it will be faster with a mini velo as the tires are usually narrower and with 451 wheelset. We have hit 56 km/h zooming down from Genting Peras and the max we did on a 20 inch foldie is 48 km/h. Me and wife's 20 inch foldies has the handlebar shorten by one inch on each side so the handling is not so twitchy!


P/S . I use a Garmin GPS while my wife uses the Cateye cyclo meter and the readings runs with a slight difference but not much. So, the readings are quite accurate provided you set it up correctly.

This post has been edited by etigge: Mar 11 2015, 11:56 PM

The Garmin is via satellite only. Usually 5 to 6 are tracked so, elevation and speed is quite accurate. Cateye is via the sensor but still the cheaper version has no minute settings only on general 16 inch, 20 inch, 22 inch etc settings. The more expensive ones you can set the settings to the exact diameter.

Yes the Garmin can but I actually use the Garmin for route planning. I map my routes, check the topography on Google map or Map My Ride, then download it onto the Garmin and then follow the route. That's my main aim for the Garmin. As for speed, as long as I can guess the ETA is fine with me, no necessity for accuracy. Cadence and heart beat monitors also I don't use it. Only mapping usage.

If you are a stickler for helmets, better browse BBS and then set up appointment and check it out. Most bike shops don't stock a lot, first , they are bulky and takes a lot of space, second, too many models, brands and colors, not to mention brands. So, usually they just stock a few brands only. Not much accessories to mention anyway, saddle bags, pumps, tools, inner tubes, tires, most decent bike shops have it. You can browse a few bike shops to complete your setup. Usually for foldies, must have is ,
01) saddle bag to store a) spare tube b) bike tool c) tire levers d) your wallet and phone
02) tire pump
03) bottle cage and water bottle
04) helmet
05) gloves

That's about it for normal rides.

Nope ! A few incidents already.

From what I heard. twice already, a Nissan Vannette stopped and a few guys with machete came down and robbed them of their bikes and handphones. Somebody is tipping them on the value of the roadbikes! Last I heard from a fellow rider, make sure you wear underpants even when you are wearing padded shorts in Kesas. They now want your riding attires as well, especially those with matching pants. Hahahaaaa! But I don't ride on highways, so I am not affected.

You can try Kimbell Jaya. So far I noted they are still the cheapest. You can check other shops first and then finally visit them and compare. You can find their FB page and get the location.