Bank holiday Saturday the boss has us traipsing around looking in antique and vintage shops, I find myself in a back room of one in a room labelled the “junk shop” with a sign saying everything sold as seen.
In the corner there’s a folding bike, a Dahon, I wander over, flat tyres, bit grimey and cobwebby, but I notice a nexave rear hub, V-brakes looks pretty complete if neglected. I check the tag… £20!!!???!
the rear wheel alone would recoup that on fleabay, Sold.
it’s pissing down by the time we get home, so half and hour in the Garage, the tyres are up and holding air and actually not that old, the slight wobble is taken out of the rear wheel, the gears and brakes are fine.
I’ve just taken it for a spin round the block, played with folding it, this thing is almost perfect, for twenty quid I’m feeling a bit guilty. Only thing missing is the cap for the seatpost pump (already ordered a replacement off eBay for £6…
Now looking for a rear rack, mulling the idea of changing the narrow bars for something wider, it’s going to live in the boot of my car… should get used several days each week (I have to park a half a mile from the office when I drive in, sometimes want to pop to the local shops at lunch, etc).
What else do I need to do to it?
Bargain! You lucky bugger 😃
Enjoy it.
Now looking for a rear rack, mulling the idea of changing the narrow bars for something wider,
I can see the evolution from here!
Give it a year, it'll be the blingiest Dahon ever and you'll have spent £400 on it! 🤣
Although even that would be a bargain. Nice find!
That is a cracking find - well done
By heck. That's a flippin' bargain.
Yeah the woman in the shop was going “is this going to be a little project for you then?”…
Clearly not as it was usable within 30 mins!
previous owner was obviously not mechanically minded: seat was lose on the post, the mount for the lock had been packed out using three rawlplugs (because its a frame mount not a bar mount) and the pump head was (unsuccessful) restrained with leccy tape.
I don’t think it will get blingy, but the bars are just silly narrow given how little the 20” wheels self stabilise, I just want it to be a bit more comfortable and controllable to ride, I will persevere with the stock bars for now.
But aside from obviously having been left in a shed for yonks gathering dust and cobwebs, this thing is almost pristine, I don’t think it could have done more than a handful of journeys ever and it’s maybe 15ish years old(?)
From googling the internal Hub version (i7) was the poshest one(?) the Arse-backwards gripshifter will catch me out every time though I reckon.
But just out of interest what sort of bonus nonsense does the discerning folding bike owner typically fit?
But just out of interest what sort of bonus nonsense does the discerning folding bike owner typically fit?
Pop over to the Brompton forums and look at the custom tricked-out bikes on display there!
But aside from obviously having been left in a shed for yonks gathering dust and cobwebs, this thing is almost pristine, I don’t think it could have done more than a handful of journeys ever and it’s maybe 15ish years old(?)
This is true of so many bikes. Post-Covid, there was an absolute glut of barely used kit on eBay, bought for the delights of a traffic-free summer then put in the shed once things returned to normal. Usually badly set up but basically sound.
I once picked up a mint Carlton Pro-Am roadie bike from the 'shop' at the tip for £20. I reckon it had been bought (from Williams Cycles in Cheltenham, the sticker was still on it) sometime in the early-mid 80s, wheeled into someone's garage, then wheeled out again in 2019 to be taken to the tip.
It rode beautifully, but the gearing was, well, massive, so when we moved up to the Peak I stuck it on a Facebook group and someone came and got and stuck £150 in a charity collection for it.
Just been poking in the Garage, I have a rack with quite a bitnof adjustment, currently set up to go on my Gravel bike, but would fit on the Dahon at the bottom end of its adjustment and only be a little taller than ideal.
Then I’ll have an excuse to buy a fancier, lighter rack for the Gravel bike… it’s the gift that keeps on giving this thing!
It rode beautifully, but the gearing was, well, massive, so when we moved up to the Peak I stuck it on a Facebook group and someone came and got and stuck £150 in a charity collection for it.
I inherited an 80s road bike from a mate's dad with similar non-Peak friendly gearing. The guy who restored it for me (whose dad worked for Carlton bitd) sourced an original spec longer mech so we could get a wider 6 speed cassete on it. Shame there isn't a way of upgrading the useless 80s brakes!
Then I’ll have an excuse to buy a fancier, lighter rack for the Gravel bike…
I have a feeling this £20 bargain, one way or another, is going to end up costing a lot more than £20 😆
Just bid and won a pair of Mavic Cosmic Elites - £56 delivered (post was £25). Sold as seized rear hub.
Actually appears the wheels look to have been stored for a good 10 years and the grease/oil in the freehub had gone sticky. Half an hour and cleaning up and the wheels are perfect. Checked the bearings, and the grease was still 'clear' and the braking surface still has the factory 'milling'. Just un-used needing a good clean up.
I put some lovely nitto bars on my MTBrompton. This does mean its folding size is compromised, but they’ve got a nice rise and loads of back sweep. Transformed the ride quality.
It rode beautifully, but the gearing was, well, massive, so when we moved up to the Peak I stuck it on a Facebook group and someone came and got and stuck £150 in a charity collection for it.
I inherited an 80s road bike from a mate's dad with similar non-Peak friendly gearing. The guy who restored it for me (whose dad worked for Carlton bitd) sourced an original spec longer mech so we could get a wider 6 speed cassete on it. Shame there isn't a way of upgrading the useless 80s brakes!
Cantilever 80s brakes are often set up wrong with the straddle cable the wrong length.
Anything else is single pivot and will always be worse than modern double pivot side pull brakes.
And no, lever ratios often rule out an easy swap
Disaster!
The tyres are Borked after all, rear one started coming apart on my way to the office this morning. Now I need to find some competitively priced 20" tyres. If I'm lucky it'll make it back to the car after work...
So what's good in a 40-406 or 47-406 flavour?
Those will be fairly common 1.6"/1.8" BMX or kids bike sizes, you should be spoilt for choice in most bike shops.
My bargain for this week was this. £800 worth of smart rollers for £10.53, I felt guilty picking them up 🤣
Elite Nero Smart B+ FE-C Interactive Bicycle Rollers Compatible with Zwift | eBay UK
Disaster!
The tyres are Borked after all,
Perfect. they looked far to skinny. space in there for a schwalbe big apple or similar? Get a bit of bounce in there.
I've a 20" folding bike rack you can have for postage.
The best tyres will be Schwalbe Marathon Plus as they are the gold standard in puncture protection and you've clearly given up the ghost on ride quality 🤣
The best change on my 20" folder was fitting Shimano GR500 flat pedals, yea I loose some of the sleek foldability but hey - I can grip the pedals!
I've a 20" folding bike rack you can have for postage.
PM´d
Also Marathons are way too spendy for this thing, I´m looking at cheapy 2" or 1.75" pairs, with some tubes for like £20. this is a boot bike now, not a proper commuter.
Scwhalbe CX comp or road cruiser for a tenner each from SJS would be good for the price.
I've put CX comp on the kids bikes (in 26 inch size) and they are fairly good all surface tyre. Would it then be a gravel folder?
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/tyres-20-406/?sort=594
Great buy that. Few decades back, but I was LBS staff, if you couldnt afford a Brompton, then a Dahon was the folding bike of choice.
Reminds me of a friend that bought a Brompton from a charity shop for £100. Felt so guilty that he went back the next day to give them some more money (can't recall the precise amount)
Be aware that there's two standards of 20" wheel, so check before you buy...
Great buy that. Few decades back, but I was LBS staff, if you couldnt afford a Brompton, then a Dahon was the folding bike of choice.
I definately can´t afford a Brompton...
Be aware that there's two standards of 20" wheel, so check before you buy...
Don´t worry I know the difference and have ordered some cheapy 406 ETRTO, turned out the rim tape was perished too.
