I bought a Dahon Formula S18 from Amazon about a month ago. It was shipped free 2-day because I'm a Prime member. The bike arrived with one of its wheel reflectors broken, a minor problem. I briefly chatted about that with Amazon rep, who was very generous in accommodating me.
PROS
* Excellent quality and finish.
* Fast and fairly maneuverable. Generally quiet.
* Aluminum frame is light. Folds quickly and compactly.
* OEM sticky tires provide plenty of traction on pavement, even when wet. Seem tough. No flat yet. 80 PSI good.
* Disc brakes provide excellent stopping power.
* Adjustable handlebar height allows for desired posture.
* Handlebar grips are excellent.
* Rear derailleur works well. Front derailleur only OK but I don't use it much. I keep it on low gear.
* Adjustable height seat is hard and somewhat comfortable, not cushy.
* When folded, allowed on my local public transit, any vehicle, at any time, no extra charge. Also easily fits unfolded in bus rack.
* The handlebar and seat position adjusters hold well, if you set the right tension.
CONS
* On arrival the front derailleur was out of alignment/adjustment. Easily corrected with hex key and screwdriver *if* you know what you're doing.
* When you pedal vigorously, the frame creaks. Haven't localized the flexure yet.
* Magnets on the wheel hubs are supposed to keep the bike folded, but they are not strong enough.
* The bike cannot be rolled when folded. Must be carried.
* Even with 18 speeds, would be nice to have an even lower gear for steep hills.
* The slick tires would be risky in winter snow/ice. Also, up to pressure, they slip in deep dirt.
* Not much room on bike for accessories. They tend to get in the way during folding. I did mount a headlight and bell on the front handlebars.
* When bike is locked in public, the seat could be stolen in two seconds. My cable lock cannot fit through the seat. I had to buy a seat leash.
* When bike is folded, the front gear is exposed, which could poke someone or smear grease.
* No chain guard so need rubber band on right pant cuff.
Showing posts with label girls bikes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label girls bikes. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Discount STOP Flats2 Road Bicycle Tire Liner
It has been 2 weeks since I installed Stop Flats 2 to both tires. I have given up on expensive tires. Without much hesitation, I have returned my trust to the stock tires that came on my bike. The tires have a perfect record yes, they are puncture free. Adding these tire liners to the already impressive reliability of the stock Kendas I ride on will hopefully help me avoid puncture-caused flats for a long time. One way that they have already saved me is deflecting a sharp thorn that I found lodged on the right shoulder, facing the sidewall instead of the center.
Unlike what many skeptics will tell you, Stop Flats 2 does not pierce itself into the tubes. Rather than producing them with simple plastic, the company used poly... whatever their compound is called. It is soft on the side that goes against your tube, but tough on the side that faces the down on the tire. Based on its construction, the liners should not cut their way into the tube like some other brands out there. If you don't mind the extra weight, which is a couple of ounces, go with these liners. There is almost no difference in ride quality after installation. Don't listen to excuses that haters have to offer. This is not sharp plastic.
Preventing punctures cannot be solved by tires alone. Unless people are willing to ride tires that are as thick and hard as automobile tires, there are not going to be indestructible road bike tires, as they are too thin and light. You know, that "Buy expensive tires and use them alone without protection" excuse simply does not work. You have to spend 40 to 60 dollars on each of them. Once they suffer major cuts from knives, glass, and nails, the holes will become large to the point that covering the inside with patches will not prevent the tube from eventually bulging out. Over time, one will have to pour 50 bucks every couple of months for a brand new tire after each one accumulates too many cuts.
Liners are 10 bucks a pair, plus you don't have to replace them, since they work. It's simple math and common sense. Pay 10 dollars for long term security for your tires, or keep wasting money on world class tires, spare tubes, and patch kits. Never mind the disappointments and time wasted to fix flats. If you are fine with frequent flats as a trade-off for lighter tires, go without Stop Flats 2. If you cannot tolerate flats, get them. After all, how can you be faster if you keep getting flats with "faster" tires?
Update: A friend suffered 2 flats riding through the same streets as I do, while I enjoy the insurance that Stop Flats 2 provide. Still no flats so far, 4 weeks after installation.
Stop flats guarantees if you ever get a flat they will give you a new set of liners and a tube, but this is not the case. I sent the same product TWICE to the address on their website, but I had the package returned to me by USPS. Customer service was not responsive to my emails also. Overall good product, but bad customer service.
This product seems to do as it claims. I have to say i've not had a flat since I have installed these. I will say they are a pain to install and take about twice as long as just replacing a tube. And ensure you have them properly centered between your tire and tube. In fact I thought I did a good job of doing so, but when I took one off today to check on it the stop flat strip was not centered at all...it was serpentine...sometimes shifted too far to the left, sometimes too far to the right. And certainly when you are out on a ride with your club if you do get a flat and need to replace a tube just pull out this liner and put it in your jersey pocket for the ride home...it will take you too long to try and replace your tube and install it while on the side of the road with your pals checking their watches while waiting on you.
The other issue is that these add rotational weight to your tire. If you want a fast, light tire it will probably be more susceptible to flats. So you can add stop flats and have fewer flats. But frankly I would think you would be better served by spending the money you would have spent on these on higher quality tires and forgo the hassle and weight of adding these strps.
I can imagine buying them for some very unique situations, much as in my own case. But for most situation I think you will do better by spending the money on higher quality tires and tubes.
Unlike what many skeptics will tell you, Stop Flats 2 does not pierce itself into the tubes. Rather than producing them with simple plastic, the company used poly... whatever their compound is called. It is soft on the side that goes against your tube, but tough on the side that faces the down on the tire. Based on its construction, the liners should not cut their way into the tube like some other brands out there. If you don't mind the extra weight, which is a couple of ounces, go with these liners. There is almost no difference in ride quality after installation. Don't listen to excuses that haters have to offer. This is not sharp plastic.
Preventing punctures cannot be solved by tires alone. Unless people are willing to ride tires that are as thick and hard as automobile tires, there are not going to be indestructible road bike tires, as they are too thin and light. You know, that "Buy expensive tires and use them alone without protection" excuse simply does not work. You have to spend 40 to 60 dollars on each of them. Once they suffer major cuts from knives, glass, and nails, the holes will become large to the point that covering the inside with patches will not prevent the tube from eventually bulging out. Over time, one will have to pour 50 bucks every couple of months for a brand new tire after each one accumulates too many cuts.
Liners are 10 bucks a pair, plus you don't have to replace them, since they work. It's simple math and common sense. Pay 10 dollars for long term security for your tires, or keep wasting money on world class tires, spare tubes, and patch kits. Never mind the disappointments and time wasted to fix flats. If you are fine with frequent flats as a trade-off for lighter tires, go without Stop Flats 2. If you cannot tolerate flats, get them. After all, how can you be faster if you keep getting flats with "faster" tires?
Update: A friend suffered 2 flats riding through the same streets as I do, while I enjoy the insurance that Stop Flats 2 provide. Still no flats so far, 4 weeks after installation.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
I bought the orange liners for my road bike 2 years ago, and so far they are reliable enough for day to day street riding. I have only had one flat, and it was a slow leak. It kept my tires working long enough to stop and find a gas station.Stop flats guarantees if you ever get a flat they will give you a new set of liners and a tube, but this is not the case. I sent the same product TWICE to the address on their website, but I had the package returned to me by USPS. Customer service was not responsive to my emails also. Overall good product, but bad customer service.
Best Deals for STOP Flats2 Road Bicycle Tire Liner
My complaint for this item is that the product page did not specify that different colors meant different sizes for you bicycle tire. I order the orange color only to find out that the product was not even close to my tire width. Otherwise, the product is made of good quality material, not the fabric material in cheaper liners.Honest reviews on STOP Flats2 Road Bicycle Tire Liner
I've had no problems with this product, I ride over some pretty thorny terrain and have stopped having flats. It was pretty easy to install. Overall I am very satisfied. as for an update, I've gone over 300 miles and still no flats. Lovin it!Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for STOP Flats2 Road Bicycle Tire Liner
I avg about 250 miles a month on pretty clean, well kept roads, so I don't get a lot of flats in the first place. Of course it does happen on occasion and it is a pain in the XXX when it does. For the winter I put some older, cheap tires on my bike that I am eager to wear out and replace with something of higher quality. I did put this product on to minimize the frequency of flats while I wear out the tires.This product seems to do as it claims. I have to say i've not had a flat since I have installed these. I will say they are a pain to install and take about twice as long as just replacing a tube. And ensure you have them properly centered between your tire and tube. In fact I thought I did a good job of doing so, but when I took one off today to check on it the stop flat strip was not centered at all...it was serpentine...sometimes shifted too far to the left, sometimes too far to the right. And certainly when you are out on a ride with your club if you do get a flat and need to replace a tube just pull out this liner and put it in your jersey pocket for the ride home...it will take you too long to try and replace your tube and install it while on the side of the road with your pals checking their watches while waiting on you.
The other issue is that these add rotational weight to your tire. If you want a fast, light tire it will probably be more susceptible to flats. So you can add stop flats and have fewer flats. But frankly I would think you would be better served by spending the money you would have spent on these on higher quality tires and forgo the hassle and weight of adding these strps.
I can imagine buying them for some very unique situations, much as in my own case. But for most situation I think you will do better by spending the money on higher quality tires and tubes.
Saturday, February 8, 2014
Review of CoPilot Limo Bicycle Child Seat
I was given a bike seat as a hand-me-down (another brand..). Didn't like it due to safety reasons so I decided to research online the best child seat while also minding price as much as possible. I narrowed it down to this one seat.
PROS:
1. Very sturdy seat mounts to a free mounting rack that is supplied. It fastens securely to the mount and is also tethered to the bicycle seat bar as well. Very smart idea.
2. Secures infant very well your child is secured down by the ribbon that goes over their chest as well as the horizontal bar that further secures them in the seat. There are even velcro ties if you want to tie down their feet if need be.
3. Free bike rack!
4. Interior of seat is very well cushioned for easy riding for your child.
5. Literally seconds to remove the seat. Don't be concerned it requires a few steps to accomplish this.
6. The seat is quite high so as to keep your child safe while riding.
7. Middle of the road price.
CONS:
1. Shoddy supplied screws. They easily will strip if you are not careful. I actually discarded mine and used some other ones that I had that worked (same thread and length).
2. Instruction manual leaves a lot to be desired.
IN SUMMARY:
If you are looking for a seat that is safe and secure, not too costly and is great looking then I highly recommend this child bicycle seat.
One side note: I almost bought this seat from craigslist. "Almost" because the seller was honest enough to tell me that she doesn't have the installation manual anymore, and warned me about the installation difficulty.
I went to various bicycle shops to check out 3 different child seats (Limo, Taxi and one whose name I don't remember) and like this the most. Despite the comment above, which is just a one-time hassle, I still think this is among the best seat on the market. Time should tell whether it's worth the price. I also considered the iBert Safe-T Front Mounted Child Bicycle Seat, which I couldn't find in any local bike shop. One salesperson told me they don't carry that product because they feel front mounted seats are just not safe for children. Most accidents are head-on collision and children are better protected when they sit behind an adult.
So despite a funky installation manual and some tweaking to accommodate the bike I had, this product is worth every penny. Its' comfy, quality, safety and ease of use are worth 5 stars. I hope no one else has to learn that the way I did though! Ha.
Our bike is junk -but Im keeping the seat!
Any complaints? its small but I find the velcro foot restraints very annoying to get on/off. And there is a thumb-trapping danger when removing the seat, which I do a lot as we take the bikes on the car to go to fun destinations.
PROS:
1. Very sturdy seat mounts to a free mounting rack that is supplied. It fastens securely to the mount and is also tethered to the bicycle seat bar as well. Very smart idea.
2. Secures infant very well your child is secured down by the ribbon that goes over their chest as well as the horizontal bar that further secures them in the seat. There are even velcro ties if you want to tie down their feet if need be.
3. Free bike rack!
4. Interior of seat is very well cushioned for easy riding for your child.
5. Literally seconds to remove the seat. Don't be concerned it requires a few steps to accomplish this.
6. The seat is quite high so as to keep your child safe while riding.
7. Middle of the road price.
CONS:
1. Shoddy supplied screws. They easily will strip if you are not careful. I actually discarded mine and used some other ones that I had that worked (same thread and length).
2. Instruction manual leaves a lot to be desired.
IN SUMMARY:
If you are looking for a seat that is safe and secure, not too costly and is great looking then I highly recommend this child bicycle seat.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
I just installed this seat today and took my 3 year old out for a short test ride before it started raining. While I don't have experience with day-to-day usage yet, I would like to comment on the instruction manual for those parents considering this product and hopefully the manufacturer will read this, too. In short, the manual is unclear from step 1 onwards. There's no explanation of what a "seat stay" or a "braze-on" are, so if you're unfamiliar with these terms, you may have difficulty with installing this seat. More and bigger illustrations would be appreciated. It took me about 2 hours, mainly because I had to take the rear wheel of the bike off because there's not enough room between the smallest cog and the inside of the dropout. The manual also mentions a CG (Center of Gravity) hash mark that's supposed to help with alignment, but I couldn't find it.One side note: I almost bought this seat from craigslist. "Almost" because the seller was honest enough to tell me that she doesn't have the installation manual anymore, and warned me about the installation difficulty.
I went to various bicycle shops to check out 3 different child seats (Limo, Taxi and one whose name I don't remember) and like this the most. Despite the comment above, which is just a one-time hassle, I still think this is among the best seat on the market. Time should tell whether it's worth the price. I also considered the iBert Safe-T Front Mounted Child Bicycle Seat, which I couldn't find in any local bike shop. One salesperson told me they don't carry that product because they feel front mounted seats are just not safe for children. Most accidents are head-on collision and children are better protected when they sit behind an adult.
Best Deals for CoPilot Limo Bicycle Child Seat
Today, after clipping a bush on a bumpy sidewalk, I lost balance and my bike fell on it's side with me on it and my 13 mos old in the Co-Pilot. I struggled to gain balance, but couldn't and took the brunt of the fall on my knee and my poor twisted back. After a panic, I jumped up and quickly assessed my toddlers condition. There she sat snuggly in the Co-Pilot, with her pink bunny Giro Infant Helmet (which I also highly recommend) without a clue that anything was wrong. The seat's lap bar and harness held her in place and not a single inch of her came near the pavement. Thank God! She just looked at me like I was crazy. LOL!So despite a funky installation manual and some tweaking to accommodate the bike I had, this product is worth every penny. Its' comfy, quality, safety and ease of use are worth 5 stars. I hope no one else has to learn that the way I did though! Ha.
Honest reviews on CoPilot Limo Bicycle Child Seat
We got this for our three year old, who is 35 pounds. He fits in it with room to spare. It reclines backwards to allow him even more room between him and his mom, who rides with him. The feet strap in so they don't get caught in the spokes. The sides and back have openings which allow our son to look all around him. This is our first bike seat, and it wasn't cheap, but it is really, really nice.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for CoPilot Limo Bicycle Child Seat
We've had this seat for a while. I always thought it was a good product until today. Now I think its a great product. After about 10 miles of cycling today, the rear wheel on my bike dislodged (no idea how it got loose) and the frame and derailer came down on the spokes. It felt like the back wheel had seized but it was partly sideways and I couldnt control the bike. So we hit the ground. I immediately turned around to see my four year old sitting quite unperturbed in the back. The combination of the seat belt, the guard and the sides of the bike seat, coupled with the helmet meant that everything worked as it should and she didnt have a scratch.Our bike is junk -but Im keeping the seat!
Any complaints? its small but I find the velcro foot restraints very annoying to get on/off. And there is a thumb-trapping danger when removing the seat, which I do a lot as we take the bikes on the car to go to fun destinations.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)