Dahon Boardwalk – An awesome urban bike
0Contents
- 1 General
- 1.1 How much does the Dahon Boardwalk weight?
- 1.2 Which material is the frame made of? How solid is it??
- 1.3 What are the dimensions of the Dahon Boardwalk when folded? How small can it be folded?
- 1.4 How long does it take to fold the Dahon Boardwalk?
- 1.5 In which colors is the bike available?
- 1.6 Is the seat adjustable? How comfortable is the seat?
- 1.7 How much body weight can this bike hold?
- 1.8 Is this bike for men/women?
- 2 Speed
- 3 Assembly
- 4 Usefulness
- 4.1 Can I safely attach a child seat to this bike? Which seat would work best?
- 4.2 Does it come with a storage bag? Which storage bag can I use for my bike?
- 4.3 Can I install training wheels on the bike?
- 4.4 Which bike bags or baskets can be used on this bike?
- 4.5 Is it possible to convert the folding bike to an electric bike?
- 5 Travel
General
How much does the Dahon Boardwalk weight?
The shipping weight of the Dahon Boardwalk is 36 pounds. The weight of the bike itself is 27.3 pounds or 12.3 kilograms, which is compared to other dahon bikes much heavier. From my experience the weight of this bike should not be a real problem for an adult person.
Which material is the frame made of? How solid is it??
The frame of the Dahon Boardwalk is made out of chrome, which makes the bike virtually indestructible. Furthermore, compared to a steel frame the chrome frame is much lighter in terms of weight. Several reviews on amazon report that the frame of the Dahon Boardwalk is one of the best things on this bike.
What are the dimensions of the Dahon Boardwalk when folded? How small can it be folded?
The folding dimensions of the Dahon Boardwalk are 12.1 by 30.4 by 25.4 inches or 31 by 78 by 65 centimeters. The Dahon Speed Uno has similar folding dimensions, 30 x 76 x 64 cm. Below you can find a picture, how the bike looks like when completely folded:
How long does it take to fold the Dahon Boardwalk?
Dahon promises on its amazon page that the bike can be folded in under 15 seconds. From my experience and also having tried other models from Dahon, this statement may be partly true. If the Dahon Boardwalk is your first folding bike it might take much linger in the beginning. However, when you are using the bike regularly you will definitely get used to the folding mechanism and fold the bike much faster.
In which colors is the bike available?
According to their sales page the bike is only available in obsidian. If you do not like this color feel free to change it by simply using spray doses.
Is the seat adjustable? How comfortable is the seat?
The seat is adjustable and can either be fully replaced or just adjusted in terms of height. The bike comes with a standart seat from Dahon and fits perfectly onto the bike. However, if you prefer a much more comfortable seat, but do not want to replace the seat from Dahon I recommend the Bicycle Seat Cover. This saddle cover is the thickest on the market.
How much body weight can this bike hold?
The Dahon Boardwalk can holdup to 230 pounds or 105 kilograms. If you need a bike, which can hold much more I highly recommend the Stowabike, which can hold up to 250 kg.
Is this bike for men/women?
The Dahon Boardwalk is a bike for everybody, either for men and for women. It is highly recommended for beginners, who never had a folding bike.
Speed
How many gears does the Dahon Boardwalk have? How fast is the Dahon Boardwalk?
The Dahon Boardwalk has no derailleur and therefore only one single speed, even though Dahon says on its salespage that the bike has the rear derailleur: Dahon Neos, RapidRise. However, even though there is only single speed the Dahon Boardwalk is an extremely fast bike.
How does the bike perform on hills and old/bumpy pavement on the streets?
The Dahon Boardwalk is designed as a city bike. Therefore, it can be used on bumpy streets. However, this is NOT recommended, if you do not service your folding bike regularly. Hence, I highly recommend the BIKEHAND Bike Repair Tool Kit, which comes with everything(yep everything 😉 ) you need to constantly service your Dahon Boardwalk.
How well does the bike go uphill?
As already mentioned, the Dahon Boardwalk is only single speeded. However, if you really want to ride this bike outside the city, I recommend that you choose your bike route wisely. From my own experience, hiking up a hill with the Dahon Boardwalk on the back and then ride it downhill is extremely nice. Riding the Dahon Boardwalk up a steep hill is hard and not recommended.
Assembly
Does the Dahon Boardwalk require assembly? How hard is this bike to put together?
As other Dahon bikes, also the Dahon Boardwalk comes out of the box fully assembled. The onliest thing you have to do is to unfold the bike, when it arrives.
Which tools do I need to assemble the folding bike?
You do not need any specific tools, because everything is already put together. Before, riding the bike, please unfold the bike properly!
What do I have to do to fold the bike? Do the pedals fold?
The Dahon Boardwalk can be unfolded by doing the following steps:
- Opening the special magnet lock from Dahon on the frame.
- Open the magnet lock on the front of the bike and fold everything.
- Fold the pedals and adjust lower the seat high.
- You have succefully folded your bike.
Usefulness
Can I safely attach a child seat to this bike? Which seat would work best?
It is not recommended that you attack a child seat on the Dahon Boardwalk, because children can come with their legs in the spores and hurt themself. If you want to transport your child with the Dahon Boardwalk, use a bike trailer. An exellent trailer is the InSTEP Take 2 Double Bicycle, which is lightweigt and easy to attach to the Dahon Boardwalk.
Does it come with a storage bag? Which storage bag can I use for my bike?
The Dahon Boardwalk does not come with a storage bag. For your Dahon bike you can use the Dahon Stow bag storage bag, where most bikes from Dahon will fit in. A cheaper alternative is the MOBIC Folding Bike Protective Carry Bag.
Can I install training wheels on the bike?
You can install training wheels on the Dahon Boardwalk. As on other Dahon bikes, it is recommended that you install the Wald 10252 Bicycle Training Wheels. If you prefer a much easier method to learn your child to ride a bike install a training handle, such as the Bike Trainer Handle from elements design, which can be easiliy attached, if you need it.
Which bike bags or baskets can be used on this bike?
It is recommended to use the back of the bike to install a baskets on the Dahon Boardwalk. One of the best bags is the Schwinn Quick Release Wire Basket. This basket can easiliy be clipped on the bike and fastly removed if you do not need it anymore.
Is it possible to convert the folding bike to an electric bike?
Yes, the Dahon Boardwalk can be converted into an electric bike easily using the Rear Wheel 48V 1000W Electric Battery Powered Bicycle Motor Conversion Kit. This kit contains all parts that you need to change your bike into an electric folding bike.
Travel
Can I take it into an airplane? Can I take it into a train?
You can use your folding bike into your hand luggage. However, it is recommended to check the Dahon Boardwalk seperately in, before you take the airplane. If you go by train you can just carry your bike with you, like your bags. Please check beforehand if you have to pay extra for your train ticket.
Does this bike fit into a trunk?
The dimensions of the bike are extremely robust. Therefore, this bike will definitely fit into any car`s trunk.
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7/10
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8/10
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8.5/10
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9/10
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8.5/10
Summary
The Dahon Boardwalk is a bike, which is definitely for beginners. Is is extremely robust in its dimensions and comes with the excellent quality from Dahon. Therefore, a bike which will make you happy for several years!