Dahon Qix vs Brompton

[e-rider]

I tried 3 Bromptons today - interesting to relate my experience to everything I've read during my research
First off, apart from the S handlebars, the other 2 bikes were nice to ride. The S-bars were much too low for a tall chap. The M bars felt pretty good

 

[StuartG]

Go home - you're drunk! My Dahon's been around a local co-op (it's still basically wheelchair tyres, after all) and the only reason it's not done the others is that I've not been to the Welsh mountains since getting it, I usually hire on holiday (less worry when travelling IMO) and the imperial centuries I've done have started near enough home that I've ridden my full-size bikes which have handlebars with more hand positions.

Aha but you can use a Brommie as an excellent wheeled trolley with the shopping basket perfectly placed? Can you do that with a Dahon or do you pull that ungainly fold with one hand and a basket/trolley with the other. Hopefully you may be one of the very few with a third hand to pick the stuff off the shelf!

I feel your pain at having to do imperial centuries near home. Funnily enough I feel no pain doing a 1000km or more on a Brommie. Is it me, or is it the design? Its unbeatable as hand luggage which does saves on hiring.

I have a rather nice proper bike too. But unlike you I don't always use it for the more challenging rides. I appreciate the choice. Why are you not choosing your Dahon?

 

[mjr]

Can you do that with a Dahon or do you pull that ungainly fold with one hand and a basket/trolley with the other. Hopefully you may be one of the very few with a third hand to pick the stuff off the shelf!

No, I leave the seatpost extended and use it to push the Dahon along. It stays put when I let go, so I can use the pushing hand to pick stuff off the shelf and put in the basket. Because a Dahon keeps the rubber side down even when folded, it's not wobbling about on tiny little rack-mounted wheels like some folding bikes I've seen.

I feel your pain at having to do imperial centuries near home.

Not a case of "having to" but it seemed to make sense to do the local ones first and I've yet to do Breckland or Peterborough loops from Lynn. So far: Norwich (once on hybrid, once on Dutchie), North Norfolk coast, Ely (aborted at 97 miles following a crash at 70) and Holland.

Funnily enough I feel no pain doing a 1000km or more on a Brommie. Is it me, or is it the design? Its unbeatable as hand luggage which does saves on hiring.

I feel no pain on the Dahon so far but I've never done that distance. I don't have a particular objection to hiring, rather than having to carry and store a bike all trip for a couple of days riding.

Why are you not choosing your Dahon?

The Dutchie is sooooooo comfortable, the Falcon's quite fun and fast, while the Dahon has enough custom parts that I'm less confident in my ability to fix it and complete the ride. That matters less when travelling for work (its usual task) because I can take it on buses or put it in a taxi - slower and less convenient than riding it, but a good fallback.

Aha but you can use a Brommie as an excellent wheeled trolley with the shopping basket perfectly placed?

From now on, I shall refer to Bromptons as shopping trollies!

 

[e-rider]

Well, to answer my own OP I have decided against the Dahon Qix - I will get a Brompton after test riding a few today but will have to wait to get the extra funds

 

[mjr]

Well, he is from Norfolk......

No, I'm an immigrant here and you don't get a third hand, sixth finger or webbing when you start paying Council Tax.

 

[Kell]

I tried 3 Bromptons today - interesting to relate my experience to everything I've read during my research
First off, apart from the S handlebars, the other 2 bikes were nice to ride. The S-bars were much too low for a tall chap. The M bars felt pretty good

Yeah I didn't find the S bars that comfortable. But I also found the M bars slightly too high. Not sure where the 5' 9" figure came from for Bromptons - maybe that refers to the S type only.

In the end I ordered an H type - even higher than the M type, and put low risers bars on it. What I've ended up with is something in between an S and an M in terms of bar height.

 

[doginabag]

I don't recall you saying before. Do yo have access to a cycle scheme through work? That would save you from having to wait and will cost you less in the long run too.

 

[e-rider]

Yeah I didn't find the S bars that comfortable. But I also found the M bars slightly too high. Not sure where the 5' 9" figure came from for Bromptons - maybe that refers to the S type only.

In the end I ordered an H type - even higher than the M type, and put low risers bars on it. What I've ended up with is something in between an S and an M in terms of bar height.

but the H-bar stem has less curve than the M or S, thus bringing the bars closer - I'm fairly sure that the M-bars will not be too high for me as it's a commuting bike and I'll not be going as fast as possible. Although the H-bar felt high, it didn't feel excessively high on the short test ride, so although I think H is not for me, it confirms that the M-bar will be good - I already have a road bike with lower bars for weekend blasts

What I'm thinking about now is extended or tele seatpost - I don't like the look of the tele but the extended might not be quite long enough as I'm almost 6'2" - some people say yes, others say no. All the test bikes had the tele post so I couldn't try the extended

 

[Kell]

I think my comments about bar heights are particular to the older models - I believe they've reshaped the bars and stem heights for the latest models...

As for the seatpost - I've posted an aswer to that in the other thread.

But essentially, I bought the extended one as I didn't think I'd need the tele version - even though the bike I hired had the tele version.

What I've found in practice is that for my journeys the telescopic one would have proven more useful for reason other than just needing the additional height.

 

[chriscross1966]

I'm having to ride a bike I don't like much while mine is having radical surgery at the LBS.... If nothing else it brings home to me how much weight I had shaved off Henrietta now that I'm on an M6R with a telescope saddle form the shop fleet... It feels like it weighs a ton (in actuality it's like to be around a kilo) more than my H3R.... but Henrietta has a carbon seatpost cut to exactly my preferred height, a carbon saddle, handlebars and Campagnolo carbon crankset... An H3R is a fair old lump normally, there's no way I'd want to add a telescopic saddle.

 

[Blue Hills]

I'd save for the Brompton - once bought no reason it shouldn't last a lifetime. I have a Dahon - and an expensive one at that - great fun when it works - but the most problematical bike I have ever had. Won't bore you with the details unless you insist OP, but let's just say that build quality and speccing of bits was questionable. And have you ever had a bike where the manufacturer couldn't even fit a quick release skewer without the lever breaking in your hand? I finally solved the problem of its wheel issue a while ago after getting some inside knowledge. The truth was shocking/pathetic.

 

[e-rider]

I've started to walk down the Brompton path - I need £1075 so please give generously

 

[alex89]

have you actually tried a Dahon qix? Cause I own one, and I absolutely love it. It folds in 1 sec, it looks sturdy, it rolls smoothly once folded and it's damn fast. Riding it is a pleasure. I understand you wanted to try a B, trust me and find a way to try the qix as well before spending your money. If you still are on time. Cheers!

 

[bonzobanana]

have you actually tried a Dahon qix? Cause I own one, and I absolutely love it. It folds in 1 sec, it looks sturdy, it rolls smoothly once folded and it's damn fast. Riding it is a pleasure. I understand you wanted to try a B, trust me and find a way to try the qix as well before spending your money. If you still are on time. Cheers!

The Qix looks a nice bike but what really justifies the price over other 8 speed derailleur based folding bikes? Is it just the vertical folding?

To be honest if I'm spending that much money I'd really want hub gearing. A derailleur is not ideal when so close to the ground getting covered in dirt and mud and more likely to get damaged, hit kerbs etc and need more maintenance. Normal size derailleurs always look like a compromise on small bikes but at the Qix price you shouldn't really be dealing with such compromises.

Also what the hell is dalloy tubing?

http://dahon.com/bikes/qix-d8-2/

Just seems like marketing b**lsh*t combining the word Dahon with alloy in order to sound innovative. I totally understand people not going for the more expensive Brompton but don't understand so much why you would pay extra for the Dahon over many competing 8 speed folding bikes of a similar quality at much lower prices. Many of which have higher load capacities and better components or better value for the same components.

Also the hinge on the frame. The standard design hinges horizontally because that gives the hinge the greatest surface area to weld to the tubing. It's the most logical design for strength. The vertical fold has the hinge on the thin section of the tube surely the weakest design. Just seems like a design most likely to fail and maybe innovation with a quality and safety sacrifice? Why hasn't anyone done this before well the answer to that seems obvious looking at the Qix. I can see on face value it may look safer having the hinge at the bottom to prevent the frame from collapsing if it becomes loose but beyond that for long term reliability and strength doesn't look so good in my opinion.

 

[Blue Hills]

Dahon are notorious those sorts of things bonzo.

Kind of related to the reasons i would now avoid them.