hi folks,
i would like to purchase a Dahon Dash P18 but i'm in Johor Bahru.
do you folks know of any shops in JB or S'pore that offer a good price?

This post has been edited by ora-ito: Jul 3 2012, 09:43 AM

guys,
i do not know which one to choose... between the two bikes...
Dahon Dash P18 vs Tern P9
price wise very close and differs by about rm100...

i like riding it fast... both seem to be fast foldies...

dash P18 has solid frame 7005 alloy
tern P9 has good hinges and portability

i don't really mind the size as i keep the bike in store room and my car should be no problem bringing these 2 bikes around...

pls help... thanks

yangman, thanks for your input...
well yesterday i was lucky enough to get a test drive for both models at the shop...
the shop sales lady was very good, she cycled with me around the neighborhood so i could make up my mind on which bike to buy

so below are my most honest review:
Dahon Dash P18:
- frame was solid and sturdy
- the andros stem didn't give me much confidence as it could slip when i exerted some force
- gear shifting on the microshifter thumb was a bit of a nuisance esp on the front gear Hi/Lo. my expectation was when i click the button it should automatically shift immediately to the Bigger/smaller gear but i had to click more than 1 time to get it to change
- gear shifting on the rear was ok but nothing great to rave about. my XDS foldie with Acera feels much better and more responsive to each click i pressed. plus the shifters (+) & (-) were both in front for the dash P18. i'm so used with my XDS shifters being one in front and back since it makes you more oriented whereby you don't get mixed up which button is for + and which is for - when seeing 2 buttons in front of you.
- ride wise, you will feel higher as the frame is larger compared to normal foldie design, handling was ok, no wobbles or wiggling

TERN Link P9:
- frame lock hinges were very good and sturdy therefore very solid connection.
- everything was felt as if it was connected in 1 piece. no squeaking. everything was tightly locked
- gear shifting on the SRAM grip shifters was very responsive. i accidently shifted 3 gears in one shot and it executed without any problem like a minigun "clank clank clank"
- folding and unfolding was quite a breeze and very easy since tern has large hinge handles for you to pull it
- ride wise, very steady and you feel bolted/grip to the ground. you would feel your hands>handle>wheel connected to the bike therefore its a very confident ride. saddle was very comfortable too

so now, the big decision, which one to get???
jeng jeng jeng....


why i took the TERN?
first of all, it was the superb ride feel and handling i experienced
second, gear shifting was better on the tern despite Dash P18 having 18speeds. for myself i would not need the Lo gear offered on the Dash P18 since my "engine" quite strong now. most of the time i was on Hi gear when tested the DashP18. even on the inclines i could manage being on Hi gear.
thrid, the ease of folding the bike, TERN is much easier and faster to fold. also is has less joint connections (main frame x1 joint + handle x1 clamp) comparing to DashP18 (main frame x2 joints + handle x2 clamps)

what i learnt?
well, on DashP18 the specs on paper surely standouts and beats the TERN in most areas. however theory always doesn't tie with practicality when hands-on... the DashP18 was more of a Honda Civic Type R and the Tern was more of a BMW 320. it was the ride, comfort and handling which made the difference... so guys, please do not look or judge based on paper and specs... you need to get out there and try the bikes yourself and see which you like most

thanks for reading and happy biking!

This post has been edited by ora-ito: Jul 10 2012, 08:38 AM

nope, from the Authorized dealer tern provided in JB...
https://www.facebook.com/pages/khass-machin...344395118922495

UGPM bro...
faster get and post some pics... then its time to ride together and form a Foldie group in JB

@HD2,
are those 2013 dahon models coming to town next year?

spotted another 2013 Dash P18... from samo's blog




This post has been edited by ora-ito: Aug 27 2012, 09:12 PM

u can get the raleigh UGO for RM680 after less...
this is the lowest i've heard... its quite a nice bike to own can you can later mod it
i would say its cheap & good...

just take note that the seatpost diameter is slightly bigger than normal foldies... being at 34.9mm compared to normal foldies at 33.9
other bikes which take 34.9 are Birdy foldies

other alternative models you can try, Dahon eco 7 (Rm1k), Tern C7 (Rm1.3k), Tern D8 (Rm1.8k)
Tern is good bcoz of their clamp mechanism and frame material is using good alloy compared to other cheaper bikes; thats why they are priced slightly more...

UGO is good to buy, play and then upgrade since its cheap

---

Added on August 30, 2012, 1:41 pmH2D, depends what kinda disc brake they will give... Mechanical brake or Hydraulic brake
mechanical ones are definitely cheaper, also the Hub for using a disc brake will also be wider to accommodate the disc. front fork might expand to 100mm compared to 74mm. for me i don't find much sense in using disc brakes on roads if they were so good, why all racing bikes still using caliper brakes?

BTW, i wanted to tell you i managed to buy a Dahon Silvertip (Black/Red) hehehe stay tune for the pics in couple of days

This post has been edited by ora-ito: Aug 30 2012, 01:42 PM

yes, from sg... 2nd hand from a young chap... most items upgraded too...
FSA KForce Carbon Bar
Avid Brake lever & Digit 7 Brake
Crank Bro Cobalt Grip
Token Headset
Concept Seatpost(Uncut)
Ultegra 6700 Crank
Sram X9 Shifters and RD
Shimano 105 Braze on FD
Hope QR Seatclamp

price wise, cheaper than a new P18.... but i bought without the wheelset
i like the silvertip color, black+red... the 2012 model a bit g@y color for me... white/blue

yes, i tested this version before.. the finishing is matte... not glossy...
i'm not a matte fan so thats why i got tern instead for almost the same price...

that stem not nice at all... i really hate it... i believed u read my review on it

This post has been edited by ora-ito: Aug 30 2012, 03:38 PM

some pics of my acquired Dahon Silver tip fully loaded:
will be changing my saddle to selle italia C2 this weekend... left it at my other house

This post has been edited by ora-ito: Aug 31 2012, 09:28 AM


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bro,
this bike is a single speed... upgrading it to 7/8/9/10speed is gonna cost you big time because you basically have to get new groupset (shifters, cassette, rear derailleur, front derailleur (optional), new wheelset)
all in all might come to about 600-1k depending which type of groupset u choose...

i not sure if 6 speeds exist today... i saw my 18year old bike have 6 speeds but nowadays the groupset components are catered for 7/8/9/10/11 speed

BLACK, anytime, any day
here's a pic with the Selle Italia C2 Gelflow saddle
very good match to the bike as it has black/red/carbon fiber



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good on ya... that is a good purchase! using tiagra components means the bike is at 9 or 10 speed?
what shifters are you using on the bike now?

can show some pics?
i'm interested coz i'm thinking of getting a tern/dahon C7 for my wife then upgrade it to 9/10 speeds

a bit pointless if still at 7 speed... if u gonna up from 7 to 8/9/10 need to change new hub/wheeset too
then only the cassettes will fit in... since u using Tiagra... shifters should pair with Shimano R440 these are trigger shifters for roadbike... last but not least, don't forget the chain too... u need to match according to the no. of cassettes behind

can but will be quite costly... some items needed from 7speed to 8/9/10/11
- new hub or wheelset
- 8/9/10/11 speed cassette
- 8/9/10/11 speed chain (must match with no. of speed with your cassette)
- shifters (must match with no. of speed with your cassette)
- Rear Derailleur (try to stick with same brand as your shifters brand. do not mix between japan [shimano] vs italian [campagnolo] brand they do not work together)


my suggestion is change your crankset (ultegra/105/tiagra) & bottom bracket (hollowtech2) & tires (kojak/durano)
u should feel some difference immediately and speed may increase (depends on number of teeth on chainring) and u would have shed about easily 500-700grams

quality = $$$
for wifey Raleigh UGO will do enough... best bang for buck!

neva tried oyama before but i have a XDS foldie A8, pretty decent and rides pretty well... body quality for most bikes u mentioned should be fine... the thing that separates between a good foldie is how their fold mechanism is designed

if they patented their fold mechanism, its gotta be very good and well proven.
example on Tern, Dahon (Lock-jaw), Brompton, etc

upgraded my Tern P9...
Litepro wheelset
Litepro quick release
Kojak Tires 20x1.35
Schwalbe AV6 inner tube
FSA Gossamer crankset 53T
Litepro Gold bolts (crankset)

This post has been edited by ora-ito: Sep 18 2012, 10:40 AM


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from CHINA hahaha
i added more pics in previous post...

crankset from UK (made in taiwan)

order from china, i got agent to liase logistics from china to singapore/msia...

use toabao better... more sellers, more competitive prices...
some are bike shop owners i believe
they also owe up to their reputation so they will deliver quality products