anyone toured on a Dahon Cadenza?

zaynan

I'm looking at one of these to tour on later this year and wondered if anyone has managed this?

I usually take 2 ortleib rear panniers and a large bar bag. The bike is rated upto 105kgs for the rider.

ALSO - does anyone know if the Cadenza is still an 2009 option with the 8 speed Alfine hub. It seems that it's either singlespeed or 21 speed derailleur for 09...(although these apparently have eccentric BB which would mean retro-fitting fitting a hub gear would be easy.

MichaelW

I have done about 4000 miles on my Cadenza 8 so far, riding all through the winter. It is a tough, well built, reliable bike. The handling is good, being rock solid on descents but quite lively in traffic.

The previous version of cadenza was used by a couple for a tour of India and held up well.
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page ... 65946&v=3K

This version had steel forks but the Al one is quite comfortable and strong.
There are still 2008 models around. The major difference for 09 seems to be that the downtube is straight rather than curved. This may be cost cutting but it does make more room for waterbottle (one cage), shoulder portage and locking the frame to the front wheel.
The Lockjaw hinge is very solid if you setup correctly, its worth understanding how it works.
Luggage racks will need some though, the eyelets are a couple of inches higher than normal, either you use a higher rack or get a short one for 24" wheels. i could only find an adjustable one from Axiom which I wouldnt recomended for heavy touring.
The flat bars are not the most comfortable, I switched to On-One Marys but we have yet to gel. Butterfly-style trekking bars may be a better solution.
The chain tension is hassle free using the supplied allen key. You may need to fit a 3/32 half link to use the full amount of travel. I push an allen key or drill bit into one of the pin-wrench holes and use the crank to turn the plug.
Alfine is a smooth, low maintenance system, perfect for commuting but it may lack the range for touring.
The only components which may need upgrading is the bottom bracket, my unit has held up well but the steel cartridge seems to be fusing to the aluminiun eccentric plug.

zaynan

Thanks for a very comprehensive reply - that's the reason I come on this forum!

I'm going to stick with the stock parts for a while (once I get a Dahon) and then perhaps add a Rohloff at some point (ie after a lot of saving up!)

Touring with a folding bike just seems like a good idea to me - especially if you need to use (British) trains!

sonicred007

Coming to the same conclusion about folding bikes in the UK... London to Whitehaven - and only to Lancaster to book my bike - it's first come first serve to Whitehaven