Mezzo D9 - what's not to like?

[al-fresco]

I'm not a commuter, I don't need a folding bike (come to that I don't really need another bike at all) but I've had a fancy for a Brompton for a while. I've been watching Ebay but high second hand prices and the fact that most of them are down in London kept putting me off. I'd read a reasonable review of the Mezzo D9 in the CTC magazine a couple of years ago and, quite by chance, discovered that Winstanley's are selling 2011 stock for £499. How much??? It seemed too good to miss so I ordered one on Friday and it arrived today.

First impressions - well designed and well made bike. After a bit of practice folding and unfolding (while it was still clean enough not to mark the living room carpet) I took it for a 10 mile test ride in the Welsh marches. Yeah, it was a bit slower than my 700C bikes, it was hard work on the hills and I couldn't throw it down the descents with the aplomb of a mountain bike but I got home with a big grin and a feeling that it might not be a Brompton but it's a real bike and, at the price, it'll do for me.

 

[jefmcg]

Love my 2008 (or 2007 possibly) D9, though it's looking rather sad now, with maybe 20,000km travelled.

Here it is at the end of the Dunwich Dynamo (120 miles)

edit: oh, you've got the hello-kitty "red" model, have you? http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/product/20582/Mezzo_D9_Folding_Bike_2011

 

[al-fresco]

Love my 2008 (or 2007 possibly) D9, though it's looking rather sad now, with maybe 20,000km travelled.

Here it is at the end of the Dunwich Dynamo (120 miles)

View attachment 37888

edit: oh, you've got the hello-kitty "red" model, have you? http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/product/20582/Mezzo_D9_Folding_Bike_2011

Ahh - funny that you should mention the Dynamo - I have half a mind to take the Mezzo on that this year. (Was thinking of putting SPDs on for that though - I see you did it on flat pedals!) What's this in the manual about needing an 8mm socket to drop the front wheel out? What do you carry in your toolkit for that? I need a pump that'll get in the small wheels too - it looks like you're managing with a Topeak Road Rocket - I have one of them around here somewhere.

Yeah - mine does look a bit 'pink' but not, I think, in a bad way. It'll help to wind up the Mamils at the pub on Sunday.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

double post ???

 

[al-fresco]

double post ???

Not on my screen...

 

[jefmcg]

Front wheel? Funny that .... a while after I got my bike, I started to put together a tool kit (at first I thought I'd just fold it and get on a bus if I had problems). So I downloaded the manual, read the instructions for removing the front well, and started carrying a print out of it and a spanner with me. At some point I decided to have a practice at home, and it turns out that mine is an earlier model, so it doesn't need a socket, just an allen key.

Folders a great for the DD

1. People think you are brave
2. If people pass you, so what? If you pass someone, you really own them.
3. I booked a train back for around midday. On the platform were a few normal passengers, 20 or 30 bikes and me. When the train arrived, the guard got off and said "Only room for one bike". Folders aren't restricted. I imagine most of the others had to cycle back to ipswich.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

I did plenty of distance events on my Birdy with no problems at all and was perfectly happy using a topeak pocket rocket pump on the road and standard track pump at home. Just be careful disengaging from the rear as you can skin your knuckles on the cassette if you pull too vigorously. (fnarr'll never find us here )

 

[shouldbeinbed]

Not on my screen...

Ta, not on mine after clicking out and in again either - odd. Seems to be a random bug I've seen others mention similar thing. Reposted my random thoughts.

 

[jefmcg]

Not sure why I had the topeak that day; my usual pump is the lezyne micro floor pump, the topeak I picked up as the cheapest option when I dutifully let the pressure down my tyres before flying and left the pump at home. Either way, zip tying the bottle cage mount from either pump on the rack works well. And I had a puncture at the stroke of midnight, so obviously the pump did it's job (this was 2012, fwiw)

Speaking of flying, I have taken in around the world a few times, just packed in a cloth bag, and it's come out in great shape each time - well, the front forks may have needed to be straightened, but that's it.