Monday, January 25, 2016

Dahon SUV Update

Here she blows in her full glory.


I still have so much in my mind for this bike but upon consultation from my wallet, I have to slow things down. Probably a little.

No Litepro Parts

As much as possible, I try to stay away from Litepro parts. Locally, at this moment in time, there is no other component brand to cater to the folding bike scene than Litepro. Everybody I've come across hails Litepro to be the best and the lightest.

Your Litepro equipped bike looks like everyone else's. We need competition. One whose logo has a better typeface. This is why I resorted to using Shimanos. Other than the fact that they make fine, reasonably priced products, it is a Japanese brand much like the origin of Dahon bikes.



I might soon be promoting hypocrisy though, as the only option I have to upgrade my stem is to purchase a Litepro one. This will get rid of the unfavorable Tbar that came with the bike. There are stories in public forums about the Tbar breaking at the weld. I do not want that to happen while pushing the pedals hard uphill or coasting very fast down hill. If I can get a non-Litepro replacement, why not. My mind is practically open to anything as I have entertained the thought of Litepros.

Shifting

Switching gears is not buttery smooth in this machine. As of this writing, the bike has clocked in about 140kms with the Dura-Ace hub. For info on the Dura-Ace hub acquisition, kindly click this link. For the first update of the custom wheelset, kindly follow this link. My current drivetrain combination are as follows:

Rear Hubs: Shimano Dura-Ace FH-7400
Cassette: Shimano Uniglide 6-speed 13T-24T
Chain: Shimano 9 Speed
Crankset: Shimano Tiagra FC-4700 52/36T
Rear Derailleur: Shimano Tourney (probably up to 7 speed)

Shimano Tiagra FC-4700 with 52T.
It's an odd combination but it works. This system is relatively silent. It is only when you shift that you'll hear a sound. It is kind of what you expect in a uniglide system where the chain completely disengages the sprocket before it can enter the next one. Unlike the present hyperglide system where the chain meshes with the next sprocket before it disengages with the previous one.



However you'll hear noisier drive sounds when you pedal real hard. I can definitely feel a bit flexing in the frame as it faintly squeaks while on sprint. But what do you expect from a bike that is marketed as an urban commuter.

The frame flexing, however, only came up when I stepped up to the Tiagra 4700 crankset. The new cranks were definitely a worthy upgrade to the stock flimsy armed Dahon cranks. The Tiagras are stiff enough to deliver power to a frame of this caliber. The Shimano 105's and up probably won't give anymore advantage at this point. With precision engineered components installed, I just hope that the steel frame can keep up.

Chain

I'm running with HG 9-speed chains on modern chainrings designed to easily drop chains. There needs to be a chain guide of some sort for this work if I should maintain the 1x setup. There's an abundant options out there for 1x conversion on different kinds of bikes but they are all expensive. I was contemplating on getting a cheap Front Derailleur to act as a chain guide. Fortunately after about 100kms of test riding, the chain has not fallen off. The 6-speed setup at the rear probably made a less bent chainline for the chain to not drop. The smaller 36T chainring on the crankset stays on for now so it could catch the chain, should it fall. Once it does, I'll update my blog.



Fat Tires

The most I can get inside its metal crotches is 20x2.10 tires. Disappointing as it will not be the same as that behemoth Tern tourer. I can get over the lack of girth the 2.10's give as it does complement the size of the main tubes of the folding frame. The tires, Maxxis Grifters, performs well for my intended use. It grips the uneven city roads of Manila on its shoulder. It gets uncomfortably stiff when pumped to 95psi but when softened to 60psi and below, it becomes annoyingly sluggish. Probably perfect for that leg exercise. I've yet to find my perfect sweet spot with those tires.

Yes it feels a bit heavy, relatively. You'd be turning a small round mass with the gearing designed for 700C sized wheels. It doesn't make any difference unless you'd be racing the folding bike. But for maximum speed for every effort produced, it will be the road bikes you'll pick.




Maybe sometime in the future, I'll realize that I'd get a better ride with the original 20x1.50 tires for this clown bike. But that won't happen. I have other bikes for that.

For updates on my rear derailleur, follow this link: http://quezongritty.blogspot.com/2016/01/claris-2400-rear-derailleur.html





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