Cycling in Melbourne Australia
Funny bike chronicles
Have been trialing the new Hasa foldie this past week (specs here: http://cyclingdeal.rtrk.com.au/?scid=31771&kw=4351290). The purchase was a bit of a leap of faith as there's bugger-all on the net about the things, so I thought I'd post my findings for the benefit of anyone else who might be considering same.
The ride: Haven't taken it for the Big Commute via the Capital City Trail yet but have done the city route from Yarraville to Abbotsford and it did the job nicely.Not as fast or as easy as the Kona (unsurprisingly) but certainly every bit as good as the old 10-speed no-name (well, it was an 'Apollo') MTB I had before that and performance improves as I tweak.Certainly far from the slowest thing on the road, and the adjustment to the surprisingly efficient little wheels is seamless. Check out Sheldon Brown if you don't believe me. Climbs nicely but I miss being able to pick up that little extra pace coming down or on long straights. Might not be a good idea anyway. As for size, I'm a shade over 6' and no bantamweight. Hasn't presented any sort of problem.
Frame 'n' fold: Welds seem good and folding mechanism seems very stable. Haven't noticed any movement in it when in use, and the fold is easy and quick enough to do while a train is approaching. A downside there is that it doesn't have the magnetic grabs that some gourmet foldies have, so it can kind of swing and flop about when you're carrying it. What I've done there is just hold it together with a velcro strap that I otherwise use to stop my trouser leg getting in the chain. No probs. Same went for the Dahon Matrix I was considering.
Additional niceties: Few. There are folding pedals which, bizarrely, some folding bikes don't have. They're quite good. Definitely going to have to find some mudguards though. A ride in the wet earlier in the week was rather more refreshing in the nether regions than anticipated. Still, that's internet purchases in general for you, and it was certainly cheap enough that a few extra bits and bobs won't break the bank.
Humour: Undeniably amusing. Of fatal fascination to small children and drunks. I've been getting more smiles and waves from cyclists than usual too, including a cheerful devil's horn salute from a recumbent cyclist in Collingwood. Solidarity, funny bike-brother! Where cars are concerned, it's a mixed bag. I get an impression of increased tolerance from some and possibly increased hostility from others. Hard to say.
Verdict: Probably no substitute for the regular ride, but then as a secondary bike it was never intended to be, although I think it would be a fine only bike for the inner-suburban trundler. Perfectly good for when the Kona's off the road and great for public-transport hybrid travelling. At this point I think I'd be quite comfortable travelling with it too. Haven't tried rack and panniers yet but it has all the usual lugs. I have a trailer scheme in mind for extended trips. Still quite a new bike of course. If it cracks up, I will definitely re-post.
The ride: Haven't taken it for the Big Commute via the Capital City Trail yet but have done the city route from Yarraville to Abbotsford and it did the job nicely.Not as fast or as easy as the Kona (unsurprisingly) but certainly every bit as good as the old 10-speed no-name (well, it was an 'Apollo') MTB I had before that and performance improves as I tweak.Certainly far from the slowest thing on the road, and the adjustment to the surprisingly efficient little wheels is seamless. Check out Sheldon Brown if you don't believe me. Climbs nicely but I miss being able to pick up that little extra pace coming down or on long straights. Might not be a good idea anyway. As for size, I'm a shade over 6' and no bantamweight. Hasn't presented any sort of problem.
Frame 'n' fold: Welds seem good and folding mechanism seems very stable. Haven't noticed any movement in it when in use, and the fold is easy and quick enough to do while a train is approaching. A downside there is that it doesn't have the magnetic grabs that some gourmet foldies have, so it can kind of swing and flop about when you're carrying it. What I've done there is just hold it together with a velcro strap that I otherwise use to stop my trouser leg getting in the chain. No probs. Same went for the Dahon Matrix I was considering.
Additional niceties: Few. There are folding pedals which, bizarrely, some folding bikes don't have. They're quite good. Definitely going to have to find some mudguards though. A ride in the wet earlier in the week was rather more refreshing in the nether regions than anticipated. Still, that's internet purchases in general for you, and it was certainly cheap enough that a few extra bits and bobs won't break the bank.
Humour: Undeniably amusing. Of fatal fascination to small children and drunks. I've been getting more smiles and waves from cyclists than usual too, including a cheerful devil's horn salute from a recumbent cyclist in Collingwood. Solidarity, funny bike-brother! Where cars are concerned, it's a mixed bag. I get an impression of increased tolerance from some and possibly increased hostility from others. Hard to say.
Verdict: Probably no substitute for the regular ride, but then as a secondary bike it was never intended to be, although I think it would be a fine only bike for the inner-suburban trundler. Perfectly good for when the Kona's off the road and great for public-transport hybrid travelling. At this point I think I'd be quite comfortable travelling with it too. Haven't tried rack and panniers yet but it has all the usual lugs. I have a trailer scheme in mind for extended trips. Still quite a new bike of course. If it cracks up, I will definitely re-post.
Comment
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Comment by Rick Harker on September 29, 2010 at 1:00pm -
Not sure if you bought it sight unseen but they do have a shop where you can see and try. I've checked them over and think from a brief overview that they seem quite sound.
Comparing them to my wife's Dahon Mu sl shows little difference in design and strength principles but if weight is concerned I don't think you will beat the Dahon's 8.5 Kg. It also came with a solid purpose designed rack and SKS mudguards, Sram X9 derailleur, PG 970 11-32 cassette and X-9 single trigger shifter.
She also commutes nearly every day with it and stores it under her desk then when a little shopping is needed the bike goes in the trolley (a bit cheeky) so no need to lock it anywhere.
There is the option of jumping on public transport if needed but she never has. Once she waited for the bus but resigned herself to the fact she's getting wet waiting just as much as she would riding so opted to ride and still get home quicker.
She also has a top quality flat bar roadie but it only comes out when I tidy the shed...sigh!
Keep us updated about your experiences.
Rick.
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Comment by Cory on September 3, 2010 at 10:31pm -
The thing I really LOVE about having a folder, is meeting SWMBO somewhere, if she's in the car with the girls. I mean, that can be done by placing the bike on a bike rack, but meh - it's all just so easy with a folder. I would like a better one (mine is a Dahon Vitesse D7) but it's not exactly high on the list, when really, the Dahon does the job I ask of it. And yeah - SKS guards rule.
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