My folding touring bike |
I've been cycletouring for over 40 years and have had some very nice bikes, but I wanted one which folded in order to expand my public transport options. Now ingenious folding mechanisms are all very well but, for me, a bike is first and foremost for riding - and most folders compromise ride quality. What I was looking for was a folding, expedition bike that would be good to ride both on- and off-road. Quite a tall order!
Then Dahon launched their Cadenza range with specs that challenged my preconceptions and prices that I could afford. The Cadenza 8 has a full-size frame with an ingenious folding mechanism, hub gears, disc brakes and loads of other features. I examined one at the 2008 London Cycle show and fell in love with it. Although it wasn't exactly what I wanted, I knew it could be modified. So I bought one to customise...
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Customisation
The basic bike was a medium size 2008 Dahon Cadenza 8 'mountain bike' with a folding aluminium frame, 26" alloy wheels, disc brakes and hub gears. I've customised it as follows:
| Frame: | Folding Dahon Cadenza frame with Lockjaw hinges and eccentric bottom bracket* NVO demountable handlebar stem* BioLogic alloy seatpin which doubles as a track pump* (Frame creaks solved by correcting the Lockjaw hinges and facing the head tube and fork) (Crooked disc brake mount corrected) (Rear dropout width corrected) (Accessory holes bushed with threaded inserts) |
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| Gears: | 8 sp Shimano Alfine hub gear* + Jtek barend shifter (modified to resist sideways knocks) 2 oval EGGrings + customised Truvativ crank Shimano Deore front mech (modified to increase its capacity) + SunTour barend shifter Shimano 105 rear mech (stripped for chain tensioning only) Gear range: 17-101 inches / 1.36-8.06 metres / 1.23-7.33 ratios |
| Brakes: | Shimano mechanical disc brakes* Dia-Compe drop levers + Promax inline (top) levers |
| Comfort: | Schwalbe 50mm 'Big Apple' tyres* (with garish graphics removed) 559x19mm deep-section alloy rims* Koobi PRS-Enduro sprung/padded leather saddle with central 'pressure-relief' hole (essential!) Syntace drop handlebars + closed-cell foam padding + Velox cotton tape BBB quil pedals (modified for touring) + Christophe toeclips + straps |
| Luggage: | Customised alloy pannier rack + custom frame brackets Deuter rolltop panniers (with upgraded fixings) Ortlieb barbag + customised bracket and strap retainer 3 custom bottle-cage mounts (not illustrated) |
| Other: | Tortec reflector mudguards Schmidt hub dynamo, Schmidt headlamp, B+M rear lamp (not illustrated) Giant wireless computer + custom transmitter bracket |
| Bag: | Customised padded bag to protect the folded bike in transit (folded in half, this doubles as a comfortable camping mat) |
| (updated November 2010) (* original Dahon parts - everything else added) |
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Proof of the pudding
There was always the possibility that I might find such a jack-of-all-trades to be too much of a compromise but, to the contrary, this has turned out to be my best bike ever. It weighs 3kg more than my Dawes Galaxy but... It is more comfortable to ride, rolls just as fast on the road, is more stable when loaded, handles well offroad, brakes well in all weathers, and its gears and lighting are brilliant.
I love the way it folds and can be taken on public transport, yet it locks together rigidly and, when ridden, handles without compromise. Basic folding is achieved with an allenkey in seconds and the most compact package takes just a few minutes.
This bike has opened up new opportunities for me; for example, I can now ride twice as far and return by bus, my folded bike travelling free. I undertook a tough Norwegian tour on it in 2009 and an even tougher European tour in 2010, both with full camping gear and following a variety of surfaced roads and rough tracks. The bike was a joy to ride and the fold made it easy to take on public transport where necessary. It's a really fabulous bike!
Help with your own Dahon CadenzaI can service Cadenza frames as follows (these are all things which I've done to my own frame): Frame service : £ 100.001. Check and correct poor manufacturing tolerences in the hinges (to reduce creaking) You must deliver your frame stripped of all its components (or pay an extra £50.00). Accessory hole bushing : £ 10.00 eachBush an accessory hole with a threaded insert and supply a stainless cap screw and washer to suit. Examples are the two 6mm holes in the fork crown (for a front lamp and mudguard respectively) and the 5mm hole in the seat post clamp (to make the seat and seat post less easy to steal) - and you may want others. This price is only valid at the same time as a frame service. How to orderI can usually do this work the same day if you make an appointment first (contact Chris) and deliver your bike/frame to me by 09:30 hrs. You must also sign an indemnity since this work will invalidate Dahon's frame warranty.
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© Chris Bell |