Waw..mine should have use v brake also.heartache wo drill here n there.

do remember the frame wont accept any fd unless u custom made it under the seatclamp. my friend build the bike with sram dual drive hub and it gets enough gearing to conquer any road. weight?dont ask, the hub itself already heavy!

I think you should get the same bike for your fiance as well. The XDS FA16 is a good choice. The picture here, is a retired teacher who has been riding hers since 2013 and she's still riding it. Only problem is after you improve on your stamina and skills, the gear ratio is not high enough when you want to go faster. Reason is, on 7 speeds, the smallest cog on the rear is 14 teeths and when ride fast, you will be free wheeling. It's good enough for commuting though. The one in the picture has been modified by me to 8 speed with 11/32T cassette at the rear for better long distance riding.

The folded size is small enough to actually fit into the IKEA Dimpa bag as you can see in the pictures. The Bromptons also is about the size but the Bromptons' wheel are an inch bigger in diameter.

But if after 1 ride and found cycling is stupid… cheap bike and expensive bike are all junk bike... Yes, this happens most of the time.
Throw away a 500buck bike, you loose 500
Sell away an expensive bike you loose 500 too + the hassle of selling…