Dahon is a pioneer in foldable bikes and has taken over the industry since its inception in 1982.
The Dahon Boardwalk is another quality product by the company and is sure to please its buyers.
Click here to see the best price on Amazon.com
Rating:
3.80/5.00
Price:
$$$ on Amazon (August 27 2015)
Warranty:
You get a regular 2 year original manufacturer’s warranty.
You can upgrade the warranty to 5 years by calling Dahon.
Pros And Cons:
Very Affordable Heavy
Vintage Design Single Speed
Simple To Use Can Easily Get Scratched During Folding
First Impression:
The Boardwalk comes off as a unique bike giving a vintage feeling. It is a simple machine with no shiny gadgets or gimmicks. It even made our list for the best folding bikes.
Detailed Review:
The Dahon Boardwalk comes in a brown stock box. Inside the box you will find a seat post, an accessories box and the bike in its folded form, all wrapped up in plastic.
The accessories box will contain the instruction manuals, paint touch ups, a bungee cord and the pedals.
You can use a normal kitchen scissor to cut all the cords and within a minute the bike will be in its full form. The handle post needs to be lifted and fixed to the frame, by tightening the clip on the body. The seat post is installed simply by inserting the post in the frame and tightening the collar. Next comes the pedals which need to be screwed on, a mini wrench will come handy for this, and within two to three minutes you will have your bike standing and ready.
The Boardwalk’s body is constructed from top notch chromoly and it feels super solid. However, due to this the bike has an unusually heavier weight than other Dahon foldables. This can be an advantage and disadvantage according to your riding preferences. The advantage is that due to the solid built the bike is extremely durable and tough enough; you can think it is virtually indestructible. It shows the uber quality associated with Dahon, and you don’t have to worry riding over potholes or going downhill at speed as this machine will not break, even if it undergoes this routine day after day.
The frame of the bike is also attractive and in no way looks any different than if it was made from alloy aluminium.
The bike is mono speed and hence will perform best on smooth asphalt roads. It is essentially a city bike so the mono speed is not minded much, making the bike ultra simple, and does justice to normal commuting routine.
However, you should never think about taking this bike uphill unless you want to stop and carry the bike yourself on the incline.
For the riders who are used to speed, this can be a test and it is not recommended for purchase unless you have patience and are used to a slow mono speed bike.
The tires are thin and the usual twenty inches. The rims are made of aluminium while the spokes from high quality stainless steel.
The seating of the bike has been a bit of a bother. While you can adjust the seat post to your preference, the seat itself is extremely unfordable and will make riding the cycle intolerable for most of us. Of course you can get the seat replaced, but that is an option which should be far away from our minds when we are purchasing from a brand like Dahon.
The folding is quick and the bike takes a compact shape in less than half a minute. However, the weight of the bike makes the portability almost non existent as you need to put in a lot of effort even to carry it along for a small distance. You would need to practice dragging the foldable along if you plan on taking it with you on daily commute. There have also been complains about the bike scratching itself when folded, however that depends on your personal usage of the bike. Usually the Dahon bikes come with either the Snap Lok technology or the magnetic latch system for keeping the bikes shape when folded, but the Broadwalk comes with neither of them. Instead it comes with the bungee strap mentioned above during the unboxing and is a big disappointment.
The fenders are well placed, but are of moderate quality as is the plastic chain cover. This is not a great issue as they get their job done however improvements are possible.
If needed you can install front and rear baskets or racks, which come useful while you are grocery shopping or need to carry office stuff with you.
Specification:
- Has A Single Speed
- Super Lite Chromoly 4130 Frame
- Fork Designed And Built Using Dahon’s Fusion technology
- An Adjustable Radius Telescope Handle Post
- Aluminium Handle Bar
- Biologic Ergo Hand Grips For High Performance
- BioLogic Como Saddle (EU versions have Selle Royale seats)
- Aluminium Micro Adjusting Seat Post
- High Quality Pro Max V Front And Rear Brakes
- Pro Max V Brake Levels With Luminum Levers
- SIS Brake Cable And Housing
- Dahon Mini Front Hub (Luminum and sealed)
- Luminum Formula Rear Hub
- 18/8 Stainless Steel Spokes With A Slightly Different Variant For EU Version
- Anodized Aluminium Rims
- Dahon Rotolo 20 inch Tyres Or Schwalbe Citizen 20 Inch For EU Version
- SRAM MRX Comp Shifter With The Latest SRS Technology
- Dahon Neos Rapid Rise Rear Derailleur
- Hand Polished Double Chained Aluminium Crank Arm
- 1 Speed 11 – 30 T Free Wheel
- Chromoly Axle Bottom Bracket
- Front snf Rear Reflectors: Yes
- Accessory: Trouser strap
- Chain: KMC Z50, Narrow, Noiseless function
- Kickstand: Aluminium, Dacromet bolt
- Clip System: Magnetix system
- Cable and Housing: SIS-SP, Dupont L3 lubricant, pearl silver
- Pedals: Suntour folding, non-slip
- Luggage Bracket: Frame integrated, Luggage Socket
- Wheel Reflectors: Yes
Verdict:
The Dahon Broadwalk is an entry level foldable which is okay for your normal routine. However, it would be unjust to it if you expect it to perform on testing terrains. The bike is built for city riding only and works nicely on smooth asphalt. It is a dollar for dollar good value bike for starter riders in the world of foldables. Not recommended for those who have got used to riding foldables as they would be disappointed due to its simplistic and to an extent limited approach.
Leave a Reply