Price Paid:  $220.00 at Camping World

Favorite Ride:
Dahon boardwalk 6

Summary:
I bought 2 Dahon boardwalk 6 speed bikes for me and my wife 5 years ago. They fit my motorhome trunk perfectly when folded.
Unfolding the bike is very easy, and the ride is very smooth.

Strengths:
As above.

Weaknesses:
The seat is uncomfortable and caused tingling at my bottom after less than 1 mile drive. I have to move my bottom constantly. The second weakness of this bike is the wheel spikes start breaking off one by one after 3 year ownership. I only used it 1 or 2 weeks per year. I never buy these bike again.

Similar Products Used:
I recently bought a Yeah folding bike, this seems more durable than the Dahon, but it takes more force to fold and unfold it, and it is heavier than the Dahon.

Price Paid:  $199.00 at Kozy in Chicago

Favorite Ride:
Dahon Boardwalk

Summary:
I love it. It is perfect for Chicago because there are few hills. Now that I have the seat ajusted properly and keep the chain oiled, I can go as fast as I need. It is easy to store and with the bag easy to take anywhere I need to go. I can meet friends who have cars and just jump in to the car putting the bike in the trunk. I can get on a bus or a train and no one knows that I have a bike. I have taken it into resturants with out any problem. I love it.

Strengths:
Fun to ride and easy to store.

Weaknesses:
I wish the seat was more comfortable.

Price Paid:  $0.00 at LBS

Favorite Ride:
Anything within riding distance

Bike Setup:
currently: New road cranks, Fixed gear drivetrain 53x18 gearing with a bmx chain and halflink to achieve chain tension; front brake only, Vetta seat and xtra large seatbag with clip on light. Removed the rear rack for now but kept the fenders. Do-it-meself camoflage paint.

Summary:
AFTER THE NEW WEARS OFF: The follow up:



Most reviews are written shortly after getting a new product, and mine was no exception. Here then is a follow up, intended to show what to expect of a Dahon after several years...

First, you will want to install real road cranks. This will enable you to run a bigger and speedier chainring. You will also find that swapping out the rear shifter helps immensely.

I did all of these and more and ride quality improved greatly.

You will also find that the magnetic catch works loose and falls off so you will use a toe clip strap to secure the bike when folded.

I did all of the above, then took it a step further by converting the bike to fixed gear.

Strengths:
folds up, is made of steel, can go on the train, tiny wheels=sharp handling, the stock gear cluster is easy enuff for any hill and the small wheels mean that even converted to a 53x18 fixed gear I can still get up any hill. The bike also does nto cost a lot.

Weaknesses:
Magnetic catch fell off -- twice, the handlebar is still not adjustible, and vertical dropouts are a pain when building it into a fixed gear

Similar Products Used:
I have since tried a cheapo folder I found discarded but still prefer the Dahon

Price Paid:  $300.00

Favorite Ride:
many bikes, favs are the Dahon 6 spd folder, and 2001 Trek xo1 along with my fixed gear Panasonic

Bike Setup:
Stock fenders and rear rack. SPD clipless pedals, planet bike LED lights front and rear [removable] and small pouch on rear rack. Lightweight Aluminum bar ends. I left all the original reflectors on it except the front one and removed the headtube badge.

[Pics of my bike available at www.angelfire.com/mech/thelonerider/index.html ]

Summary:
Since beginning to work in Newark i have had less time to ride, mostly only on weekends or one or two nights a week. I wanted to bike to work but the train wouldn't let me bring a regular bike on board, so often i rode an old 3-speed I had to the train station. but this still left me with a several mile walk in Newark and less time to really ride.

One day I found a good deal on a Dahon, their basic six spd model. Britihs racing green [or as close to it as you get on a bike]. It was awesome! I've noticed some squeak in the handlebar stem but then I'm about 180lbs and the roads in Newark aren't the best. But the bike is great. Folds in about 20 seconds and easily carried on board a train. 20 inch wheels are not too tiny [unlike those 16-inchers you sometimes see] and the bike comes with a sturdy rack and fenders. The v-brakes have great stopping power and the street tires provide less rolling resistinace than knobby's but still get traction as they have some tread. I fitted mine with SPD clipless pedals and removable front and rear lights and it's been great! Had to use bar ends tho as the handlebar position isn't adjustable.

Strengths:
Cool green color. Strudy steel frame.
Folds quickly, relatively inexpensive, comes with everything but lights and clipless pedals.

Weaknesses:
Handlebar position is too high, higher than seat. for those used to riding road bikes this takes getting used to and though some bar ends [mtb style] will correct it i wish the stem height was adjustible. also, taller handlebar stem seems to put unecessarily greater stresses on the folding joint at the base of the handlebar stem.

Similar Products Used:
None, my first folder!

Price Paid:  $250.00 at Internet store

Favorite Ride:
Paved bicycle paths and around town.

Bike Setup:
Setup is very easy and fast. After some practice, folding and unfolding becomes a "no brainer". People enjoy watching.

Summary:
Customer service rates as a priority item for me. I initially purchased a pair of Dahon's, for their utilitarian qualities such as: portibility, construction, appearance, and usefulness. When the bikes arrived, I was dismayed to find that some damage occurred in transit to one of them.... namely, some paint chipping and a damaged frame latch. I emailed Dahon immediately and asked for details as to how I may purchase some touchup paint and a new frame latch. I have just received word that Dahon has sent these items at, what appears, no cost. So, right off the bat, high marks are in order for Dahon customer service.

Strengths:
The bike is well engineered and built. After some practice, it really can be unfolded -or- folded in the timeframe that Dahon claims. After a bit of initial user tuning, the brakes and shifters functioned well and consistently. Dahon recommends that this initial setup be performed by a qualified technician. I have been personally tuning my own bikes for years, so I felt comfortable in doing it myself. I encountered no problems.

The Dahon is a practical, fun, and a very useful vehicle for jaunts to the store, office, or for just plain enjoyment.

My wife, who is somewhat uncomfortable with her full sized bike, absolutely loves her Dahon. We can easily fit both of our bikes into an intermediate size car trunk and zip away to explore.

This bike will catch peoples attention and is a real conversation starter. We're having a ball with them!

Weaknesses:
Touchup paint would be appreciated, if packaged with the bike.

Similar Products Used:
We've used full sized touring bikes, sprinting bikes, and mountain bikes. The Dahon is our first "folding" bike.