You mean the chain ring 'bengkok' right. That can be align with a adjustable spanner (the bigger the better). Crank 'bengkok' means very heavy impact already

yes sifu, the worn part is actually chain ring.

My FGC 1609 arrive safely, as usual, cable tension need to tune, hinge need to tighten and etc. get a small scratch on RD but other than that is fine. I found out that my FGC need to tighten the hinge to a level of tightness, when can only lock with palm(relatively hard to lock for,especially for ladies), only doesnt squeak when climb long hills.

Which shipping company u dealing with?

Any comments/reviews on the Travelo FS-S 20speed touring bike?

Riding a Dahon Speed P8 currently.

It's basically a Tern Verge frame (could be the same or even a lookalike) with full Litepro components and Shimano Deore mountain bike components. It model is actually the 10 speed based and if you want 20, they add in the front derailleur and extra chain ring. I don't know how they describe it as touring bike but that's not impossible to do it with the Travelo. I do know a fact hat Litepro components are usually made for weight weenies , although good , they can never stand the harshness of touring. The Deore is a proven component for touring though, it's rugged. Can't expect it to not be as it is made for mountain biking

I rather get the Lite Pro components (touring friendly ie. front/back rack) or the Biologics and get the Shimano roadbike crank and slap tougher chain rings and choose the cassette which should be 11/36T for touring and mod it on the Speed P8. One thing the Travelo can't beat the Speed P8 is the frame which is chromoly and this is the wonder metal for touring.

If the reason is ANOTHER bike for touring while keeping the former as a ride around bike, I rather get another sportier model, maybe like a real Tern Verge and mod the Dahon as a tourer. Come to Taiping, there's still a place where you can slap in the SRAM dual drive ,3 gear rear hubs and convert your Dahon into the Dahon tourer 24 speed. Only RM1200 for the conversion.

Thanks for the write up! Much appreciated.

I biked from Pittsburgh to DC and 8 speed works for that trip. Still thinking about upgrading the speed. I'll think about it for a bit more. No plans to really tour now. Maybe short trips like Osaka to Kyoto, etc and Busan to Seoul. I think current set up works for trips like these.

How long will the conversion take? Just in case I decided to go ahead and I'll have to make the trip.

I don't think travelo is a good idea for touring. i own tern p24h i really like the tough bike. an internal gear is really nice to have, you have to tune it nicely. in return i can use 44t front chain ring which i like.
keep your dahon, it is a good bike well made as well, you just need to upgrade it.

by the way, travelo frame is most likely a copy of dahon, OEM, i got first hand experience with these frame, the QC and folding mechanism is not as sturdy as say Tern. I ordered fnhon from taobao end up i have to reassemble to ensure things are in order. one thing i discovered is the frame latch screw is tad too short causing the thread to strip off. I ordered parts to replace it.

Frame is a very important part of your bike, i would say the most important, so choose a good frame.

A day probably. In case you are interested here's the shop name card. Shop's location GPS 4°49'19.0"N 100°42'30.6"E. I think he still have 2 sets left from an order of 10 sets from Taiwan. Maybe you can negotiate lower, like free labor charges

Very true

One thing I did find out is...........most important is frame geometry that suits your body. This is something we cannot control sadly, because bike shops here have no 7 day return policy like they do. Also, many riders buys because the bike looks nice to them (including myself ). Only then later when I ride them, nothing seems to be right. Like the Giant I had, supposed to be lighter and nicer although the fold is terrible, but I don't fold often so it did not matter. Even putting in better and proven group set didn't improve the riding. But from experience................ I have to say this.

It is the bike's frame geometry. If it is right, it is RIGHT I say this because I started with Exitway mtb. Bought that because of the XT components. To buy separately, Fox's fork, XT grouppo is already the price of Exitway complete! So, to start off, I got that and ride. I then changed to Santa Cruz Chameleon paying 2K for a used frame. Moved all the components over and I now have a 8K mtb. Then it hits me.........the ride was no better than the Exitway, but subconciously I wanted a branded one so I ignore it. Then I got hold of a used Giant full sus and it was wonderful. The geometry was good for me. It was only RM650 for the frame but it was really fun to ride. Sold off the Santa Cruz frame and had money to spare.

So, when I went back to folding bikes, I stayed loyal to Giant and got the Expressway. No matter how I mod or improve the components, I did not get the feel of the Dahon Speed that I rode formerly. So, I decided to go back to Dahon and got myself the Bickerton Junction frame. I have no components left because to get rid of the Giant Expressway, I had to sell off everything or no go!

Then came Desastar's Birdy frame............ Now I am giving that a try. So, my Dahon frame is for sale. Hard to sell just the frame though, so I am making it into an 8 speed basic unit to sell. Any takers?

Point is........................ geometry is really important for ride comfort. There's a lot of difference between a well researched bike brand and normal brands. Look carefully, brands like Dahons, Terns and the like and even Birdy for that matter. It's expensive but the components really sucks! BUT for normal brands, the frame OK-lah but the components are great! But for newbies, they generally go for this. Many won't know the difference until they actually ride on one and by that I mean really rides like 30 km to 50 km on a weekend. So, more experienced riders will appreciate frame geometry. Maybe the Birdy might not suit me, who knows yah !

i second your comment. i got giant expressway thinking they are big boys when it comes to bike, sold it off at massive loss RM650.
now i only stick with Dahon or Tern for folding.
But deep down in my heart i still want brompton.
any idea where to get?

pedalspot je la.... the new black edition lacquer damn tempting......

I have a Brompton rider friends, fact is I know many, many, many Brompton riders but this one I meant, he has 3 Bromptons and ALL of them are pre-loved unit. Even after paying RM1000 for transporting it to Malaysia, it is still cheaper, averaging about 4K for each. He still browse through eBay , Craiglist etc. So far , most of his bikes looks fine. Now here's the funny part, he also got a classic Dahon DA and started refurbishing it and after riding it, he seems to ride the Dahon more. I asked why? He said the bike seems to ride nicer.

In fact, I am actually looking for Bromptons which are alsready 'koyak' . I want to refurbish them actually but hard to find here as most local 'B' riders treat their 'B' like their precious. "My precious, My precious".

Hey, I had one of these Speed TR before. Ride like a big bike. Sold it to a lady and it was converted to a mid drive electric. Interesting.

Christmas holidays have just started and I have a new project 😬
It won’t be too fancy, it will get the 10s shimano 105s from my old road bike.




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Geometry is king. I will never trade my BMX with any high price bike. Period. If I am paid to change my BMX, I will make sure the new bike has identical geometry as my BMX. Nevermind about the components… janji give me 450% range will do. 7 speed oso nevermind.

Ideally take measurements from your most comfortable bike and try and replicate them on your new bike. Easier said than done at times for foldies. Most are one size fits all, so only thing you can adjust is the seat, maybe the handlebar stem.
Only Bike Friday is made to measure, but that is the case if you buy new. So far I found the Moulton and Birdy having very long reach. The Moulton, I had to both shorten the stem and use zero setback seatpost. The Birdy I had to reverse the setback seatpost to bring myself slightly forward. This is probably why Birdy has so many different style of handlebar posts. Funny enough none of these bike gave me a back ache even before these adjustments. On the other hand my Surly touring bike gave me a back ache until I lifted the stem a little even though the reach was identical to the other bikes.
The type of saddle used will also affect how you set up the bike. I find a Brooks B17 saddle is more suited to a more upright style of riding, so may not suit a more agressive style, etc etc.

I've had three bikes with the Sram dual drive and I have to say I love the setup. Adds a bit of weight but the shifting is quick and responsive, sometimes you merely have to use the hub gears in stop start riding. You can play around with different chainring size and cassette to achieve the overall ratios to suit you, ie overall higher or lower gears, all 27 of them!

Ass pain means you didn't ride enuf la. Don't blame the saddle...
Now that I "broke-in" my rear end, any saddles are same.

This post has been edited by KenC: Dec 22 2017, 01:29 PM

Imho, Foldies are most flexible when in comes to bike fitting. All you need is just alittle imagination. Let form follow function…