Dahon Speed Pro TT Folding Bike: First Impressions

Dahon Speed Pro TT Review Notes (also see On the Road, The Competitive Edge, and This Changes Everything)

The initial impression, out of the box (see Specs below), just assembled -- look, feel, performance, wow factor -- is: awesome. 

A quick comparison comes to mind: Speed TT is like the iPad: you know it's cool, you know triathletes will want one, the thing that needs to be determined is: is there a reason to get it? With the iPad, more than 2 million were sold, and I'm certain many buyers had to jump through the 'can I rationalize getting it?' hoop.

Same with this bike. Initial indications are strong enough that the rationale to get one will be instantly convincing. 

Impression after a few early test rides: very impressive. Gearing works well, I can get it to a decent workout speed, 20-22mph. 

Handlebars are, well, interesting. May take a little getting used to, but it works well so far. I find myself picturing swapping my profile-design horn/aerobar combo, but I'll wait, and stick with the stock bike for the first review.  I can see the flat T2 aerobars working perfectly with the folding design. We'll see.

Collapses like a dream. Intuitive, innovative, clean fit, immensely impressive. An immediate double-take generator, too. People can't believe it. To a triathlete who is used to breaking down a big bike to travel, this is amazingly convenient. 

Not only is this going to be great for the triathlete who travels on business, but a great case can be made for having one at the office for short mid-day rides. Pull it out for a quick 30-minute spin, clear the head, return to work far more attentive and productive.

Specifications

Colors:

Speeds:27

Frame Sizes:1

Gear Inches:30" - 131"

Distance: Seatpost to Handlebar:Min: 560 mm (21.8") Max: 645 mm (25.2")

Distance: Saddle to Pedal:Min: 650 mm (25.4") Max: 880 mm (34")

Folding Size:39 x 77 x 62 cm (15.2" x 30" x 24.2")

Folding Time:30 sec

Weight:9.7 kg (21.4 lb)

Suggested Rider Height:142 - 193 cm (4'8" - 6'4")

Max Rider Weight:105 kg (230 lb)

Frame:

KA Series, 7005 butted aluminum alloy, custom-drawn Sonus tubing, patented V-Clamp forged hinge w/ GreaseFlow technology

Fork:

Dahon SlipStream, Puro U7 aluminum, patented Fusion technology, double butted tubing

Handlepost:

Radius VRO, patented Fusion and V-Clamp technologies, forged aluminum, custom designed for Syntace VRO system

Handlebar:

Kinetix Pro TT, 7050-AL double butted

Stem:

Syntace VRO, adjustable

Headset:

Dahon Fusion XP+, zero stack, angular contact cartridge bearings, machined aluminum cups

Grip/Bars Tape:

BioLogic handlebar tape, black, w/ locking end plugs

Saddle:

Kore XCF, forged 6061 T-Beam

Seatpost:

Kore I-Beam, 2014 AL, 34 x 580 mm

Seat Clamp:

Dahon Turtleneck clamp

Front Brake:

Kinetix Pro, forged ultra light aluminum V-brakes, aluminum cartridge pads, stainless hardware, micro bolts, flex noodle

Rear Brake:

Kinetix Pro, forged ultra light aluminum V-brakes, aluminum cartridge pads, stainless hardware, micro bolts, flex noodle, Travel Agent

Brake Levers:

Shimano Dual Control, ST-4500, 3 x 9 spd.

Brake Cable & Housing:

Dahon LiveWire 7.0, anti-compression housing, Slick cables, DuPont L3 lubricant, alloy ferrules

Front Hub:

Kinetix Pro, stainless steel cartridge bearings, ultralight 58 gram design

Rear Hub:

SRAM DualDrive II, 24/27 spd.

Spokes:

Front: Kinetix Pro by Sapim, super light, double butted; Rear: Double butted 18/10 stainless steel

Nipples:

Sapim Polyax, self aligning, brass

Rims:

Kinetix Pro, niobium alloy, doublewall, CNC machined sidewalls

Tires:

Dahon Special Edition Schwalbe Durano, Mango/Black, 28-406, foldable Kevlar bead, DualCompound Silica casing, RaceGuard anti-puncture protection, 120 psi

Shifter(s):

Shimano Dual Control, ST-4500, 3 x 9 spd.

Rear Derailleur:

Shimano Ultegra SS

Crankset:

FSA Gossamer, CNC alloy guard, ISIS Drive, Dahon Special Edition

Cassette/Freewheel:

SRAM 9 speed, 11-26

Bottom Bracket:

American Classic UltraLight, ISIS Drive

Chain:

SRAM PC-971, 9 speed, PowerLink

Cable & Housing:

Dahon LiveWire 8.0, sealed alloy ferrules, Dupont L3 lubricant

Clip System:

Magnetix system

Accessory:

Trouser strap

Tool:

4 mm, 5 mm, 6 mm

*Note: These are our standard model specifications. The specifications for your country may differ slightly. We do our best to ensure that the specifications listed here accurately reflect the exact parts found on our production bikes. However, component changes do occur for various reasons and there may be brief delays on site updates. We reserve the right to make component changes without prior notification, which may cause discrepancies with the information listed on the web.