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which link to buy?

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January 18, 2012 - 1:42pm

#1

simonesuperina

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Joined: 2012-01-17

Country: Canada

which link to buy?

Hi experts!

My local bike store is not carrying the Verge Duo...My only options are The Link C7, Link D7i, and the Link Uno.

In terms for Dahons, they have a Curve, Curve SL, MuP8, Mu Uno, Speed D7, and a Speed P8.

I want a folder for every day commuting (6 miles roundtrip on flat surfaces). I want a bike that I can ride year round that won't require too much maintenance and will last a long time.

I'm really indifferent to which brand I buy - although on this forum I have heard some Dahon frames seem to be rather squeaky.

Any advice would be great.

Thanks so much! Simone

January 19, 2012 - 9:53pm

#2

SpeedUno

SpeedUno's picture

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Joined: 2011-08-26

Country: Japan

Hi Simone!

I think Verge Duo & Link Uno have all the qualities you need (simple, less maintenance) for a good commuter bike.

Oh btw, there's another forum member from Canada who's looking for a Verge Duo too. Check his thread here, you might find this thread helpful.

Your bike dealer may not be carrying your desired model but I guess you can order it through them. :)

*edit*

ooops I just noted that your choices are from Link models, so I recommend Link Uno (cheapest & best deal for flat road commuting) or Link P9 (has better components and gears which you can use when you feel like going out for a long ride).

February 21, 2012 - 1:33pm

#3

hopperja

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Joined: 2012-02-18

Country: USA

simonesuperina wrote:

Hi experts!

My local bike store is not carrying the Verge Duo...My only options are The Link C7, Link D7i, and the Link Uno.

In terms for Dahons, they have a Curve, Curve SL, MuP8, Mu Uno, Speed D7, and a Speed P8.

I want a folder for every day commuting (6 miles roundtrip on flat surfaces). I want a bike that I can ride year round that won't require too much maintenance and will last a long time.

I'm really indifferent to which brand I buy - although on this forum I have heard some Dahon frames seem to be rather squeaky.

Any advice would be great.

Thanks so much! Simone

Indulge me and I'll explain my thinking, and how I came to the decision I made...

I'm no expert. I am an end-user who was trying to decide between a Bike Friday and a Tern. I decided I wanted, not needed, a folding bike. I occaisionally travel, camp in a camper trailer a few times a year, etc. and wanted a bike I could take with me on these adventures. I also wanted a bike I could commute on year-around in all kinds of weather (10 miles each way) and take multi-hour weekend outings on. I wanted a bike that I could fitness ride on, ie as fast as I can go for up to an hour depending on how much time I have, and one that will last for years to come. I have several other bikes, so this would not be my only bike.

This is what I learned in the process. Tern is basically Dahon stepped up a notch. From what I understand, Josh and his mom (owners of Dahon Global) split from his dad and Dahon China (correct me if I'm wrong). Josh and his mom took their entire team of designers, their patents, etc. with them, shut down Dahon Global, and started up Tern. They used the manufacturing infrastructure already in place, redesigned the bikes for substantial improvements, and started over. You can read about it more at the Dahon forums, which incidentally are shut down since Tern came on line. I have no idea what the split was about, but I say good for Josh for standing up for what he believed was right. Interestingly, Josh still owns Dahon Global, and now Tern. I've inferred that Josh will no longer be making Dahon bikes, but only Tern. The only maker of Dahon bikes is now Dahon China (again, correct me if I'm wrong), and they won't be made at the factories Josh had been using to make Dahons with Dahon Global, as they are now making Terns.

I have learned the improvements over Dahon are substantial. The OCL joint (the main fold) is said to be stronger with more surface area. The Physis joint on the handlepost is said to be have more surface area (150%) thus stronger. The double truss creates an additional triangle in the frame for lateral stiffness. Engineers know triangles are the strongest structural geometric shape.

The OCL and Physis joints are fully serviceable. The bottom bracket, headset, wheels, brakes, and even chainring (130 BCD I believe) are standard components. I'm not sure where to get the norglide bearings, but I don't believe they were specially made for Tern. I'm sure a norglide dealer could find them for you. And, Josh has said he is going to do something consumer friendly and unheard of in the industry: not have model years. He has said they plan to update the line-up every three years (or so), making spare parts availability that much more likely.

All that being said, here were my reservations: First, I was unable to test ride a Tern. Second, I've not seen a Tern in person, but I'm not too keen on the plastic safety catches on the OCL and Physis joints. It seems even with Tern's thus far limited distribution, there are many stories of people breaking the safety catches. Tern expected this and shipped extra catches with each bike. It seems like there has to be a better way than planning for people to break it. Third, the derailleur is not standard on the derailleur models. However, Josh or maybe Thor has said an adapter is in the works for those that want to run a non-Neos derailleur. Of course, this isn't an issue if you get an internal-geared hub.

In the end, yesterday I ordered a Link P9 in black and red.

February 22, 2012 - 2:00am

#4

josh.hon

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Team Tern

Joined: 2011-08-01

Country: Taiwan

Hi Hopperja,

Wow – that’s a lot of mostly correct info. But a few addendums:

1. Most importantly, we will offer spares for any parts on a Tern that are custom. You are right, the Norglide bearings are a standard size but we’re not going to force our customers to look around for them if they have an issue. We have them in stock, in our warehouse, and if somebody has an issue, they simply contact their dealer and the dealer orders them from us.

2. You are correct about us getting rid of model years. The idea is not that we update the entire line up every three years. The idea is that we update a third of the line every year, which means that models run, on average, 3 years before they get a major update. This allows us to dig a lot deeper on every model when we do a major update. It also means that spares support will be much easier.

3. Dahon Global continues to exist as a company but our team is excited about, and focused on, Tern.

4. There are a lot of things we’re doing differently at Tern and one of them is that all of our top managers are also shareholders in the company. I think that this is a big reason why you see such passion and energy from a relatively small team.

Cheers,

J

March 1, 2012 - 12:44am

#5

AL

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Joined: 2012-03-01

Country: Malaysia

Hi

im looking for a bike for all terrain. something like the dahon speed p8. but im looking into the terns. plz advice. thanks.

March 1, 2012 - 1:30am

#6

hopperja

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Joined: 2012-02-18

Country: USA

AL wrote:

Hi

im looking for a bike for all terrain. something like the dahon speed p8. but im looking into the terns. plz advice. thanks.

If by all terrain you mean off-road such as mountain biking, Josh has already stated that Tern bikes are meant for road use. If you mean a tough city bike that can handle all sorts of city streets and weather, then a Tern could probably meet your needs.

My understanding is that the closest Tern model to the Dahon Speed P8 is the Link P9.

March 1, 2012 - 12:49pm

#7

josh.hon

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Team Tern

Joined: 2011-08-01

Country: Taiwan

Or a Link D8.

March 4, 2012 - 5:01am

#8

AL

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Joined: 2012-03-01

Country: Malaysia

Hi

Thanks for replying. i think i got my words wrong.

Was refering on how tough is the frame design. I have a bit of doubt in it.(Only tested LInk D8. Overall the weight, feeling almost like air. i can say pretty good road bike).

Price was the issue. So i wanna make a god buy.

I end up with the link D8 and the p9. the differences in price is about SG dollar 400.

Besides the rims, wheel, and gear what are the differences?

Wanna go touring with added a rack as an attachment.

Just wondering could i change maybe the gears, brakes and wheels for other types?

March 4, 2012 - 10:43am

#9

josh.hon

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Team Tern

Joined: 2011-08-01

Country: Taiwan

Sure you could change those parts, but why would you want to? Doing your own upgrades will almost always be more expensive than buying the right bike from the start because we pay a lot less for bike components than you will.

Aside from the frame and handlepost, almost every component is upgraded on the P9 relative to the D8. That means they are lighter, will work a bit better, and will generally last longer.

Both are very good bikes and it depends on your budget.

July 8, 2012 - 10:18pm

#10

walkyourdreams

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Joined: 2012-07-08

Country: Singapore

Hi All,

I have been looking at suitable folding bicycle to purchase, exploring different brands.

I am a female, standing at 1.6m, looking at a decent folding bicycle for daily rides and for roaming around island on weekends.

Can anyone advise me on which Tern should i be looking at? How's the Tern Link C7? Is that any good for my need? Cos it is not too expensive (within my budget)

I dunno much about bicycle, thus something for a no / low-brainer would be good :) - easy to manage, not too heavy

Any suggestions, please?

w

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