Dahon is an American company founded in 1982 and a champion in the industry for its innovation and quality. It is known for producing some of the most popular foldables you can find in the market.
The Speed P8 is another of the company’s brilliant product and an upgrade to its predecessor, the Speed P7. It is a good bike built for lasting long even when it is tested beyond its purpose of performing in normal city setting. It is a family bike, which can be used from the most senior member for an evening exercise to the junior kid to go to school on.
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Rating:
3.80/4.00
Price:
$$$ on Amazon (August 26 2015)
Warranty:
You get a 2 year Dahon warranty when you purchase the bike. The warranty from the manufacturer can be availed by requesting the customer service department at Amazon or any authorized vendor you prefer.
Pros and Cons:
Design Is Beautiful Slightly Heavy With 27 Lbs
Solid Body Needs To Be Handled Carefully During Folding/Unfolding
All Weather Performance
High Quality Parts
First Impression:
The Dahon Speed P8 is one of the best folding bikes we have seen to date. It is a bit heavy, but the performance and high quality parts are something that we really liked.
Detailed Review:
The bike comes in two gorgeous colors of white and red, and can be ordered online via the Amazon store. It arrives sealed in a Dahon stock box. The box has an attention note on it stating to get your bike reviewed by a professional bike mechanic to activate your warranty, which is highly recommended. Inside the box, you fill find the bike as folded, a seat post, an accessories box and a purchase receipt. The pedals are kept in the accessories box. There is not much assembling to done except for fixing in the seat post and the pedals. You can start riding it as soon as you get it checked at a bike shop.
The Speed P8 is a combination of versatility and performance. The sturdy aluminium frame, similar to the Speed Uno and Speed D7, the rigid handle post and the all-purpose Big Apple tyres allow the P8 to give you a well-balanced, stable and satisfying trip even on unruly terrain. The latest version of the bike comes with the high pressure multi terrain Street Pac tyres, which are slim, durable and easily maneuverable. The low position of the tyres allow you to be nimble on the road and in the long run this feature is very admirable.
For a conventional rider, the handle bars will probably feel too close to each other and the post very near to the seat – but that adds up to an advantage when the bike folds into a very compact shape. In fact the folding is pretty convenient for a bike loaded with features, and within a few seconds you can have the bike wrapped up and packed for a journey if needed. To get the P8 folded, you need to get the handlebars up and push the seat into the frame. When you unfold it, you get the bike ready for ride immediately. Even though you will not get it with the purchase of P8, it is recommended that you purchase the Dahon Carry On Cover And Bag, which will keep your folded bike secure while making it easy to carry. You can get it from an official Dahon vendor or by ordering online from their website.
The 8 gear system is very efficiently put into the P8, which when combined with the excellent grip shifter on the handle, makes gear changing a very smooth process by turning the handle towards you (for higher gears) or away from you (for lower gears) whenever required. This also allows the bike to go from slow to fast and vice versa very quickly.
As most of the foldables introduced for urban environment, the Speed P8 also boasts an upright style of seating which allows you to have a better view at the traffic on streets. Yes the seating position is a bit different from the regular road bikes, however you get used to it and eventually appreciate it. The seat is also comfortable and adjustable to your own height.
There are very few negatives to say about the P8. One thing you need to be careful of is about the joints, which might not be properly fixed when the bike is unfolded and bring some serious damage to you if you are on a busy road.
Also, the heavier people might not love the experience of riding on the P8, with issues regarding its stability for their weight and the upright seating which can be a nuisance for them.
Specifications:
- Speeds: 8
- Weight: 27.0 lbs
- Frame: K-Series Superlite 4130 Chromoly
- An Alloy Kickstand
- 60″ x 32.28″ x 26.38″ Compact Dimensions
- Aluminium Fork
- Aluminium Rims 20 Inches
- Street Pac 20 Inch Tires
- Double Butted Aluminium Handle Bar
- Handle post: Adjustable Forged Alloy Radius Telescope
- Front Hub: 74 mm Compact Alloy 20 Hole
- Rear Hub: Sealed Bearing Aluminium Free Hub, 28 Hole
- Z82 KMC Chain
- DAHON Patented Rear Derailleur
- Bottom Bracket: Sealed Bearing
- Brakes: WinZip 110 mm V-Brakes
- Shifter: DAHON Neos Twist Shifter
- Seat post: DAHON Custom 6061 Aluminium
- Rider Max Weight: 231 lbs (105 kg)
- Pedals: Foldable
- Suggested Rider Height: 4’8″- 6’4″ (142-194 cm)
Verdict:
All in all, the P8 is an ever reliable foldable you can use for your mundane commute or back packing on the rough terrains. Even though it is manufactured in China, it has been constructed with top of the notch parts and the latest Dahon patented technology to last long, which makes it a great value for your money. The bike looks slick and will become one of your coolest purchases, especially if you purchase the red color scheme which combines with the black extremely well to raise the bar of the design even more. If the features already on the bike do not satisfy you enough, you can select the wide range of accessories from the Dahon store to load your bike more and truly make it yours.
Two words to end the review for this bike: Get it.
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