There is more to the world of folding bicycles than Dahon, but it’s hard to learn more about Neobike, Flamingo (Grace Gallant), and other Taiwanese folding bicycles other than what’s on their websites. Neobike is under new ownership and appears to be reinventing itself. Neobike has an 8.8 kg, ISO 406 wheel, “Lynx” folder that could give the Dahon Mu SL some serious competition … but where can one buy a Lynx? Flamingo (branded as Merc) has had a very good reception in the UK to their ISO 349 wheeled folder that has both a folding maintube and a hinged rear triangle … much like a well known, but heavy and underbraked, British folder.
Truant, I have looked pretty thoroughly around Taipei, and have not found a folder specialist store as one might find in the US, Japan, Singapore, and EU. If you go to a Giant store (Giant seems to be able to limit most of its retailers to selling only Giant), you may see a few Giant folders. The best concentration of stores that sell some folders I’ve found was along Jinguao Rd. south of Xinyi. There are four stores over a distance of 400 mtrs on Jianguo. David Bicycle Co. (102 Xinyi Road, aka “102 Bicycle Shop”) is the reference point. Exit the Da’an MRT station (Mucha line, only one exit) and turn left to head west on Xinyi. Walk about ten minutes west on Xinyi to David Bicycle Shop on your left. It’s on the SE corner of Xinyi Rd and Jianguo S. Rd. Start with with David’s (a Giant shop, Giant aren’t known for folders) then head south to the other 3 stores. There’s even an inline skate store with a clerk who knows absolutely nothing about skating but, from visual inspection, alot about cosmetics.
Dahon exports 99% of its folders. I’ve ridden many Dahon bikes, and bought one for my wife. I have three folders and one separable myself. Depending on your riding profile, Dahon may have a bike you like. No Dahon folds very small, e.g., as small as a Brompton or Flamingo BP. Dahon doesn’t have models in the stratosphere, like KHS and Bike Friday, but it does some standouts, like the Speed TR touring folder and the Mu SL (world’s lightest folder, but it rides like a skateboard).
Dahon is the largest folder company in the world, yet Dahon bikes are rare in Taiwan; you’ll see 20 cheap PRC folders for every Dahon, and scores of regular bikes for every folder.
You can take folders on the train with you, can’t you? That is, on the same train as you’re a passenger on and not as freight. It might be worth it for me to get one if you can.
The only limiting rule about bicycles on trains that I know about is that bicycles are only allowed on the red, green, and gold lines of the Taipei MRT, no bikes during evening rush hour, and certain stations can’t be used to embark or disembark with a bicycle… but I bet you could do it with a folder in a bike bag on any line and station (haven’t tried), since the rules are focused on non-folding bikes. There are more rules, but the “bikes are permitted only at these stations” rule is the major one.
I haven’t found any rule about bikes on TRA… but on the faster TRA trains, e.g.,C.K., it would be a very difficult to get a full sized bike through the boarding doors and into a car. It would be a nightmare to deal with a bike when students pack every square inch of a cabin, as in reserved cars (a real chabudo stunt). Folding bikes, though … are a different story:
Avoiding rush hours (student and otherwise), I had no problem taking a folder from Dajia to Ershuei (and back) on a C.K. Ershuei has a very nice bikepath. One of the pleasures of Taiwan is taking a bike on the narrow gauge (“forest”) railways, getting off to ride at various stations.
Haven’t tried the THSR with a bike.
cfimages… a bicycle is a great tool for a photographer. Buy a “quick release beam rack” (mounts on the seatpost) and “trunk” (mounts on the beam rack) to stow your photo gear on the bike. Keep the camera you’re shooting with in a handlebar bag.
I have the Dahon Speed TR, and it is a wonderful bike. I’ve been with it on the MRT in its bag (which slings across the shoulder) and no one batted an eye as you can’t see what is in the bag. Even if you could, it is not an overly large bag. I imagine I could easily carry it on the HSR or regular trains as well.
Some friends did a bike trip across the South Cross Island Hwy a few weeks ago and they were able to carry their mountain bikes on the train by taking off the wheels and putting the bike into bags.
MM, do you have the new El Bolso bag? It is much better than the earlier Dahon bag. I can even get my rebuilt Dahon Cadenza, with ISO 700 wheels, in my El Bolso.
Among folder enthusiasts, the Mu SL is a legend for being light and fast, and also having a harsh ride. The Kinetix front “suspension” hub also goes bad with mileage, and doesn’t do much anyway. Although the lightest folder around, the Mu SL lacks the gearing for overall fastest top speed.
Unless you have tried the all new SQ saddles that we’re selling at ALan’s. They’re altogether a new concept in saddle engineering. They are designed to relieve pressure from the cough, cough, vital components of the anatomy and instead concentrate pressure on sit bones only. I have been riding one for a couple of months now, and even though it’s the thinner race type, it’s much better than my Brooks was. We’ve been selling hundreds of the damn things.
We’ve had a couple of 'Go Bike’s in the shop recently and requests for Dahons have been in, but we’re waiting to take delivery as usual.
It’s interesting that AWOL likes the Halfway though. From the bikes I’ve seen and been on so far, I don’t see much need for anything more than a Halfway in a folding bike, and it’s a fraction of the cost of most of the brands I see many of you guys have been mentioning. The Dahons I have seen have been nothing more to write home about than a Halfway and the same goes for all the exotic brands we have sold through the shop. I guess some people just like collecting expensive things and riding heavy full suspension 40,000nt bikes that simply aren’t as value for money as a 8,800nt Giant. If it tickles anyone to know though the 7 speed Halfway is as I said 8,800 in Taiwan and I see many advertised at 25,000nt (exchange) in the U.K.
I checked out those Giant Halfways last week and they are really nice for the price. I’m seriously considering one of those. Well, actually, 2 of them.
There is a bit of a range in the halfways tho, and I think they go up to about 13k or more for one with suspension
