Velo Vision Sample Article - Dahon

PRODUCT REVIEW DAHON CADENZA
The pinch-style eccentric bottom bracket
lets you set the chain tension. Note also
the self-extract bolts securing the cranks.
disk brake mounts. On the drive
side there’s a replaceable derailleur
hanger in case you want to revert to
non-hub gears. There are beefylooking
threaded bosses for a carrier
rack above the extended dropout
plates: they’re probably a bit high
up and close in for many standard
carrier racks, so you may need to
seek out an extra-adjustable model
– increasingly available as disk
brakes become more popular for
utility riding.
The Cadenza’s brakes are Shimano
mechanical disks with 140 mm
rotors attached using Shimano’s
‘Centrelock’ system rather than
the more usual six-bolt mounting.
Adaptors are available (from various
suppliers) to allow you to run sixbolt
rotors on a Centrelock hub if
you want to change to other brakes
in future, but Centrelock does have
its merits. The disk is held on by a
lockring, just like a rear sprocket
cassette, and Shimano use the same
spline pattern for both, so you need
just a single tool. It’s also a lowprofile,
tidy system and has a good
reputation for reliability.
Both 26" wheels are built up with
32 black spokes and disk-specific
WTB rims, non-eyeletted but with
a strong double-wall profile. We did
have one rear spoke come loose
for some reason, and a few others
needed a bit of precautionary
tightening – but the wheel stayed
fairly true despite this, thanks no
doubt to the strong rim.
Both wheels are shod in Big Apple
tyres, 2" (50 mm) wide, in all-black.
The version with reflective band on
the sidewalls might have been
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The sturdy-looking carrier rack mounts
are rather high up on the seatstays, so
you'll need to select a rack to fit.
a nice improvement, but in any
case they’re quality tyres for
urban riding, offering a degree of
inbuilt suspension. They also offer
immunity from all but the very
deepest of potholes or road damage:
the large air chamber means they
absorb impacts and distort around
bumps and edges to an extent not
possible with narrower-section tyres.
The transmission is based around
Shimano’s new flagship hub gear,
the 8-speed Alfine. A development
of the Nexus which we reviewed in
Issue 21, it claims further increases
in efficiency, sharper styling and,
say Shimano, it’s now rated for
off-road use. This is promising for
stronger riders like me who tend to
wreck hub gears. We’ve compiled
more detailed comments on this
and the other hub transmissions
tested this issue in a separate feature
– please do go on a few pages in the
magazine to read it, as it’s a central
part of this bike’s performance. Gear
range as set up with the 38T ring and
20T rear sprocket is 26-80": nice and
low for hills and acceleration off the
traffic lights. I did occasionally want
a higher gear, but the range they've
chosen worked well, all in all.
The hub is driven from a singlering
38T Truvative chainset with
welcome captive, self-extracting
crank bolts – you can tighten or
remove the cranks with just an 8
mm Allen key. A very solid chain
guard on the outside keeps your
trouser clean, and the chain itself is
a rust-resistant model from KMC, a
good choice on a bike billed as an
all-weather commuter.
Controlling the hub gears is a twolever
‘trigger’ shifter with a shiny
silver gear display – change to lower
gears with your thumb, and shift up
with a finger. This sits neatly inboard
of the brake levers, and outboard
from those are full-width Ergon
sculpted grips. I fit these as a matter
Unlike some I've seen the Cadenza's chain
guard ring is made from thick aluminium,
so it won't get bent easily.
of course to flat-barred bikes which
come my way (at a cost of around
£20/pair) so it’s great to see Dahon
fitting them as standard.
Another unexpected bonus from
Dahon is the pump fitted within
the seatpost. A little cover folds out,
revealing a pull-out hose. With a
foot on the folded-out cover, and
with the saddle as a handle, it’s a
fairly effective track pump, certainly
better than most mini pumps for on
the road.
Weight as tested was a few grams
over 14 kg. Dahon quote 12.6 kg, but
that’s probably for the small (16")
frame. Ours was medium (18"), but
the seatpost had plenty of adjustment
left for me at 6' 2". The large (20")
frame will offer more reach as well
as height, so might well be worth
choosing for tall people who like to
be a little more leaned-over.
THE RIDE
Most riders who tried it were
favourably impressed with the speed
and sporty feel to the bike: it’s nippy
and responsive. Of course, this was
without rack and mudguards, and
there’s perhaps a psychological
effect here – any bike feels more
sporty stripped down, especially
to us utility riders used to fullyequipped
workhorses!
But the Cadenza really is a rigid
frame: not as rock solid as the
Santos, perhaps, but then it’s a fair
bit lighter. In normal use the frame
feels stiff and responsive. I could
get it to flex but only with deliberate
heaving. Steering feels taught and
deliberate, with the handlebar
assembly notably rigid.
Some lighter riders found the ride
a bit harsh – perhaps the look of
those front forks makes it seem that
way, but more likely it’s because
the Big Apples were inflated to suit
me, a relatively heavy rider. I found
the ride no harsher than any other
non-suspended town bike, and the
Ergon grips spread the load nicely
across the palm of your hands so it
actually felt rather more comfortable
than many.
The medium-size Cadenza frame
is versatile when it comes to rider
size: we had riders from 5' 3" to 6' 2"
on it no problem – clearly the reach
ABOVE: With a turn of an
Allen key the two Lockjaw
halves lift apart slightly,
allowing them to pivot. The
folded bike is held together
by magnets (RIGHT).
Folded, it rolls along easily
without lifting, and stands
securely (FAR RIGHT). The
chain is on the outside, but
perhaps more importantly,
disk brake rotors are
well protected within the
package. Removing stem,
saddle, pedals and wheels
will shrink the folded bike
wasn’t necessarily perfect for all
riders, but it was close. Female test
riders of all sizes generally preferred
the bars at the top of the adjustment
range anyway, as did I as a tallish
male rider. Different-length stems
are available to fit the NVO system
if you do want to tweak the riding
position.
We’ve left reporting on the Alfine
hub in detail for a separate report:
see later this issue. Suffice it to say it
worked superbly, with great shifting
and little perceptible drag.
The disk brakes required some
running-in, as all disks do, but after
that they worked very well indeed,
and stopping was swift and silent.
Overall the Cadenza was generally
perceived as an enjoyable ride,
quite fast but also robust. We had
no worries about hitting potholes,
a real safety feature when
you’re bombing along in fast traffic
and hit something unexpectedly.
Light off-roading is also perfectly
possible, making it a great urban and
commuting all-rounder.
Unfortunately we didn’t have time
to add a rack and to test it loaded up
in ‘touring mode’, but for what it’s
worth, early reports from John and
Cathy in India suggest that last year’s
model is holding up very well so far.
THE FOLD
The Cadenza’s fold is super-simple:
just insert a 6 mm Allen key into
each of the two Lockjaw hinges,
rotate 180 degrees anticlockwise,
and fold the bike until the magnets
near front and rear wheel axles snap
together. That’s it, all in about ten
seconds or so.
In this form the bike stands securely
on its two wheels and on the metal
support loop under the bottom
bracket. It can also be pushed along
easily, avoiding the need to lift it
much of the time. You just have to be
careful not to roll it backwards, as the
chain then pulls one of the cranks
against the frame, possibly dinking
your paintwork. A protective patch
might be an idea here.
The package can, with a little
more time, be made smaller still.
Drop the saddle, remove the
handlebars via that nifty NVO
stem, and perhaps even remove the
wheels – that will get it packed into
Dahon’s ‘AirPorter’ suitcase. But the
first stage of fold is, I’m sure, as far
as most owners will regularly go. It’s
enough to satisfy train guards or to
get it into a car boot.
The way the fold works means that
adding rack and mudguards won’t
have much effect on the folded size.
The Lockjaw hinges are clever
indeed. When tightened, the ridges
on each end interlock, providing a
secure and rigid joint. The locking
action is provided by an adjustable
cam system which also lifts the two
jaws clear of each other for folding.
When you tighten it, there’s a
definite ‘clunk’ as it goes over-centre
– it’s a reassuringly solid action. As to
its longevity, time will tell. We found
a few reports of loosening on 2007
models, but this is fixable by the user
– the mechanism can be dismantled
and adjusted if necessary. On ours,
we had no problems at all.
CONCLUSIONS
The Cadenza is an intriguing
package: a folding bike with the
versatility to become just about
anything. It’s a seemingly robust
frame with fairly ‘normal’ looks,
but has potential for emergency
portability that cycle tourists will
appreciate just as much as spacestarved
urbanites.
It also comes equipped with a set
of components well-suited to its
fast all-weather urban commuter
role. Definitely add the optional
mudguards or fit your own, and a
rack if you need one, but apart from
that there’s not a lot I’d change. Big
Apples, disk brakes and Ergon grips
are all already in place. The seatpost
pump is an extra bonus.
The Alfine hub – as you’ll read
elsewhere in more detail – is a
pleasure to use, and as with any
hub gear it should be longer-lasting
and lower maintenance than any
derailleur system in all-weather use.
Overall, I very much liked the
Cadenza. Given the component
package quality, the Alfine hub
and the very versatile frame, the
price at £579 seems more than
reasonable, if not a bargain. In the
full-size folder category there’s not
much competition anyway: there’s
the Montague range (see Issue
25) but it’s harder to add rack and
mudguards to those, let alone hub
gears. The other full-size portability
option, S&S couplings, just aren’t
going to happen on a £580 bike.
So all in all, I’d say Dahon are onto
another winner.
VELOVISION ISSUE 29 MARCH 2008 ISSUE 29 MARCH 2008 VELOVISION
even further.
Peter Eland
AVAILABILITY
Available via Dahon dealers
everywhere. Manufacturer website
is www.dahon.com and the UK
distributor is Fisher Outdoor Leisure:
contact them for details of UK dealers
– see www.fisheroutdoor.co.uk
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