Dahon Speed TR (2006 model) Review

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Dahon Speed TR (2006 model) Review

Written by Eric Mathurin

Thursday, 22 November 2007

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Dahon Speed TR (2006 model) Review
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Summary

The Dahon Speed TR taking a break from climbing a mountain range.

The Dahon Speed TR is an excellent bicycle for light, overseas or local touring. It functions at its best with only two panniers (on the rear rack) since front panniers make steering more difficult at slow speed (such as ascents) and hang very close to the ground. The complex nature of the folding mechanisms could pose problems, especially if subjected to rough cycling. The bicycle doesn’t fold down to an overly compact size, but does fold suitably small enough to fit in a closet or take on an airplane without incurring additional fees. Changing rear flats requires the use of a wrench (the internal hub makes the bicycle too wide for QR skewers) but with practice this is simple enough to do. The Cane Creek Thudbuster (standard on the 2006 model) does an amazing job of absorbing the bumps that 20” wheel are less able to do. However, the hands and arms will have to take a lot of the shock from the front wheel. Comfort, handling and gearing is surprisingly close to a full-sized bicycle with the exception of the steering which is very responsive in comparison.

The Verdict

The Dahon Speed TR is an excellent touring bicycle for light, overseas or local touring. For overseas, expedition use I would opt for the mountain bike options and bullet-proofness of the Bike Friday Llama.

Full Review

I wanted to put off writing a review of this bicycle until I’d actually had a chance to use it for a tour. As it turns out, I was able to put it through a grueling road test in West Africa (Cameroon) for two weeks, fully loaded with four panniers. I should note that the bicycle was used on long (long) ascents and descents as well as on dirt roads that were deeply rutted, gravel, as well as completely washed out in mud. As such, I feel content in that I put it through just about every kind of road condition possible. Here are some of my findings:

Folding

Folding the bicycle takes 30-60 seconds. The mechanisms are quite simple to use, but because of the size of the bicycle it can be awkward to do. Overall, it’s not nearly as convenient to fold for everyday use as (for example) a Brompton is. But for occasional (i.e. weekend rides) use folding the bicycle isn’t too much of a hardship.

It seems, too, that the mechanism is more complex than on bicycles such as Bike Friday and Brompton, and thus more difficult to fix if something goes wrong. This point was made clear during the Cameroon tour when the handlebar post started to give way a little and shake. We folded the post to find that the screws inside has loosened and needed to be adjusted. It was a very tricky thing to do, and we never did eliminate the slight shakiness of the closure. At the end the tour we found that the post would no longer fold at all. We tried everything to get it down but because the parts are complex it wasn’t possible to undo the hinge in order to fully release it. We eventually resorted to brute force and broke it open, snapping off the lever in the process. (No bike shops in Douala, especially on a Sunday, and certainly none that would have been able to help with a folding bicycle.) The Dahon warranty is for 5 years on the folding mechanism so I am hopeful this can be fixed without hassle. However, the issue does give me pause for taking the bicycle to such a remote area in the future.

Packing

Packed up snugly in its suitcase.

I purchased the Dahon Airporter so that I could travel with it. To get the bicycle into the case it turns out that the handlebars have to be removed from the post. I used Velcro to strap them around the post after removing them. Both racks were able to stay on, and I put a bungee cord around the two racks when the bicycle was folded — this helped greatly in keeping the bicycle from shifting at its pivot point and keeping it safe in the case. For such a big case I was a bit surprised that the extra work was needed in taking the bars off; because of this step, there was the additional nuisance of taking off one of the handlebar bag clamps.

Folded and pre-packed: note the handbars secured to the post and the bungee cord. (And pimped up BMX tire.)

The main reason the extra work involved for packing is disappointing is because the case is so huge that it would have been useful to store the bicycle in the case at home when not in use. However, with the extra work involved in assembling / reassembling this isn’t a viable option. I was also surprised at how soft the sides of the case are but was pleased that the bicycle seemed to survive airline baggage handlers at both legs of the trip intact. You will also need to keep in mind that the bicycle and case together weigh close to 50 pounds – if you stuff it with other items it will be well past airline weight regulations (as well as size).

Uphill

Twenty-inch tires actually make climbing easier. The gearing is surprisingly low, and the internal hub makes shifting on a hill seamless. However, for long ascensions with four loaded panniers I feel the Dahon could use even lower gearing: when crawling uphill with front panniers the steering becomes unruly to handle: because the speed of travel is so slow, if you turn the front wheel too much to either side the weight of the panniers will quickly pull that small, responsive wheel full in that direction and it becomes a lot more effort to constantly correct.

Downhill

I felt very safe going down vast, steep stretches of downhill on the Dahon. It has better or equal rolling resistance as any of the other full-sized bicycles on our tour. The brakes were quite effective in slowing / stopping the bicycle when required.

Dirt / Mud / Bad Roads

One of the less-good roads. (That's actually a Bike Friday NWT being manhandled around the washout in this picture.)

There’s a label on the handlebar post that says the bicycle should not be used off-road. Technically, I never left a road. But some of the roads we did use were quite awful. I should note though that our tour leader was using a Bike Friday New World Tourist with bald tires, so my Dahon wasn’t the only folder being used on the trip. Bumpy roads are, quite frankly, where the Dahon Speed TR fares the worst. The 20” wheels don’t absorb shock nearly as well as full-sized tires. The Cane Creek Thudbuster that came with my model did a fantastic job of absorbing impact from the rear, but my hands and arms took quite a lot of jolting from the front wheel. So much so, in fact, that my forearms were in great pain by the end of the day. I also had to go a lot (lot) slower in the gravel and mud and rocks than the mountain bikes.

In the washouts, my brakes and rims became quickly gummed up with mud and grass to the point where my wheels wouldn’t turn. No one else seemed to have this problem as badly as I did. Fenders would have been very helpful, but they would have needed to be of the variety that give a couple of inches of space above the wheel and I don’t believe that this model can accept such fenders.

The final issue is that the rear derailleur and front panniers hang scant inches from the ground: this makes going into ruts and through mud a much more trying affair since it’s very easy to catch the panniers on rocks, drag through mud, or rub against the side of deep ruts. It would definitely be better if the front rack was slightly taller and higher off the ground.

Tires

The wide, Big Apple Schwalbe tires performed very well on pavement. The sidewall of my rear wheel eventually gave way – probably shredded by a rock, or perhaps weakened by the dried clay on the sides. Fortunately we were able to replace the rear wheel with a 20” BMX bicycle tire. The availability of replacement 20” tires was an initial concern but because of the ease of finding a replacement (albeit not an ideal one) in a village market my concerns have since been mitigated.

Gears and Chain

Despite all the bumping and grinding the chain never left the bicycle. In fact, shifting remained quite easy and kept adjusted except after the two days of mud. During that time the bottom 3 gears would grind, although the internal hub remained functioning flawlessly. However, after a thorough cleaning of the bicycle and oiling of the chain the bicycle worked perfectly as though new.

Comfort and Handling

I find the handling of the Dahon Speed TR to be quite stable and very similar to the handling of a regular bicycle. While the front steering is more responsive/shaky, it’s very easy to become used to. The comfort is very good, too, except I find the handlebars a bit too close to the seat because of my (6’1”) height. I have to continually change my hand positions as I ride (the most comfortable is wrapping my hands on the bars on each side of the neck) so that it doesn’t cause pain.

Other Comments

The Dahon definitely needs a place for a second bottle cage – perhaps on the seatpost, handlebar post, or on the underside of the bicycle
I was very pleased that that I could fit a Plesher Double-Legged kickstand on this bicycle.
I also own a Brompton 6-speed. Just putting that out there. Because this isn't the only folding bicycle I've ever ridden.
For what it's worth, I think the 2007 model is a step in the wrong direction: I would much rather have the Thudbuster than the seat post-pump, and I'd really rather not have the front wheel dynamo and lights — I see them as additional, complicated pieces that might break and add weight. (This is supposed to a touring bike—not a commuting bike.)

March 2008 Update: I'd like to note that the repairs to the handlebar's folding mechanism were carried out by my local bicycle shop without issue or cost on warranty.

January 2009 Update: I took the bicycle out again for a two-week trip in Togo and Benin in December. The roads weren't as punishing as Cameroon, but still about 30% of them were dirt and sand. The Dahon Airporter is looking pretty badly beaten after two trips—one of the wheels is mashed in—but the bicycle itself arrived intact.

The Dahon performed without issue, although I blew out my front tire going downhill on a paved road for no apparent reason. The sidewall gave in, just like it did on my rear tire last trip. I'm now a little suspicious about these Big Apple tires—I think they came from a bad batch as I found someone else online who also experienced sidewall degradation. I would contemplate the Marathon Plus HS 348 as my next tire for their puncture resistance. I have also come to the conclusion that the front rack is not really useful: steering and clearance is poor with front panniers, and the rack gets in the way of removing the front wheel. The only benefit that I can see it might protect the wheel during transport!

The folding aspect of the bicycle came in quite handy while packing it inside a bus for one leg of the trip, and also putting it in a rowboat for another leg. Overall I was very happy with the Dahon's performance on this trip.

July 2009 Update: Recently bought the new rack for my Dahon. It's a bit taller and longer. The initial rack really was too small -- I kept having to kick my panniers back because it allowed for little clearance between my heels and the bags (and that was using relatively small panniers!). It hurt my heart a bit to spend another hundred bucks for the new rack (especially since I can't use the old one on anything so it's destined for the dump) but this upgrade is well worth it.

Readers have left 7 comments.

No.7 Mr

I just paid a deposit on a Speed TR and am collecting tomorrow. I had tried three other Dahon foldable models ( the Mu P24, the Speed P7 and another 8 gear I forget the model name). The difference in the ride was UNBELIEVABLe and I am so glad decided not to skimp on the extra money to go for one of the other models. The Speed TR was simply in another class and rode like a "normal" bike.

Guest (Unregistered) • 2010-05-23 09:08:06

No.6 Low Countries and Ireland

The story of the trips to Africa told me some of what I needed to know. I'm considering a Speed TR to use as a touring bike in the Low Countries and Ireland. I have had two folders already but both were low end ones with 3 speed hub gears (one cwas a Dahon). I now feel that the Speed TR is well worth consideration & I may buy one.

Wilfred Drabble (Unregistered) • 2009-06-18 23:52:15

No.5 Very useful review

Very useful review, mainly because made me less prone towards the buying of a Dahon Speed TR.

Guest (Unregistered) • 2009-01-07 17:33:45

No.4 Re: These little bikes are fast

Seems he wasn't too happy about this because when I started my uphill climb of about 1km (12% gradient, about 15km/h), he pedalled ferociously and actually overtook me on my MTB.

— Sooth

Thanks for your comments! You never know, though -- some people have very different techniques for tackling climbs. On a tour I usually hang back but tackle the hills with gusto, passing others and then hanging back again.

Eric Mathurin (Super Administrator) • 2008-09-22 07:52:25

No.3 These little bikes are fast

Last night, I passed one on my way back from office on a flat road. He was hogging the middle of the lane and I gave him a little ring when I passed him. Seems he wasn't too happy about this because when I started my uphill climb of about 1km (12% gradient, about 15km/h), he pedalled ferociously and actually overtook me on my MTB. I was pretty surprised at the speed although he was wobbling quite a bit, perhaps due to the steering problems the author mentioned and his ferocious pedalling. I used to think these funny bikes weren't really useful but I've changed my mind after last night. I'll probably get one if I ever live too far away to cycle from office and need to take public transport.

Sooth (Unregistered) • 2008-09-22 03:31:20

No.2 mr

Here i am with the 2008 model and having spent the last week testing it out on the isle of wight feel that the above comments are still generally relevant. The option to transfer the seat to a thudbuster is there but does that effect the weight one wonders? I have taken off mudguards and wonder if the front rack is essential but other than that I am very pleased with the overall experience....and the fact that I paid the 2007 price! Hoping to use it to discover Italy soon.....

bev willis (Unregistered) • 2008-08-30 12:42:02

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