Dahon Mariner D7 – High value for a reasonable price
0Contents
- 1 General
- 1.1 How much does the Dahon Mariner D7 weight?
- 1.2 How much does only the frame weight?
- 1.3 What are the dimensions of the Dahon Mariner D7 when folded? How small can it be folded?
- 1.4 In which colors is the folding bike available?
- 1.5 Is the seat adjustable? How comfortable is the seat?
- 1.6 How much body weight can this bike hold? Can the Dahon Mariner D7 hold a person with 250 lbs or around 114 kg?
- 1.7 Is this bike for men or for women?
- 2 Speed
- 3 Assembly
- 4 Disadvantages about the Dahon Mariner D7
- 5 Conclusion
General
How much does the Dahon Mariner D7 weight?
The Dahon Mariner D7 weighs 11.8 kg or 26 lbs, so it’s a lightweight bike. Built with 7005 aluminum alloy makes it lighter than regular steel-framed bikes. Still, it’s a very solid built bike, so claimed by many users.
How much does only the frame weight?
Its frame weighs approximately 2400g or 5.3 lbs. It’s definitely a sporty urban bike but there’s an additional outstanding feature which is the reason why this bike is named “Mariner” and that’s because the bike coating is rust resistant. So basically, it’s the perfect folding bike to take to a trip on a boat and ride next to the coast or even in the rain. Plus, its folding size is very small, so storing on a small boat wouldn’t be a problem. You have to keep in mind though, it’s rust resistant, not rust proof. For the Dahon Mariner D7 to remain mostly unaffected by hydration, you still need to do maintenance regularly in order to decrease corrosion.
What are the dimensions of the Dahon Mariner D7 when folded? How small can it be folded?
The folded dimensions of the Dahon Mariner D7 are 28 x 81 x 66cm (11″ x 31.9″ x 25.7″) which is a pretty compact size, even for a Dahon folding bike. As being said, it’s specifically designed for taking not much space on a boat but it would certainly ease storing in a car trunk, too.
As you might have noticed on the picture, the seat post sank all the way down till the saddle stops on top of the handlebar fusion hinge (which I’ll go into detail later on in this section). The kick-stand is used to support the bike on the opposed side of the wheels to keep it upright.
The locking mechanism in the middle of the frame is the Dahon patented “ViseGrip” Hinge which is described on their website as “very, very strong”. It works through a latch that is fixed with a hinge pin on the outside. The pin is of stainless steel and brass bushings are used to buffer the moving parts:
The steering post is folded by a quick release lattice forged hinge and ultimately hangs down between the wheels after the ViseGrip was used. Its extended stem contains Dahon’s patented fusion arrangement which provides great adjustability while keeping it stable. This is accomplished by fusing frame, fork and handlepost into a unit.
The pedals can be folded inwards to flatten it out.
In which colors is the folding bike available?
You’ve already seen all of them. Unfortunately, this silver look is the only color available. It still looks neat, though.
Is the seat adjustable? How comfortable is the seat?
The seat has the classic seat clamp which extends and retracts the seat post to an extend that keeps it compact in its folded form. Besides that, there are no other adjustments on the seat. But in combination with the adjustable radius telescope handle-post, you still have a lot of adjusting options.
Considering comfort, some reviewers speak of a very comfortable ride and none of them mentioned issues in that regard.
For further information about seat posts please visit the official dahon website.
How much body weight can this bike hold? Can the Dahon Mariner D7 hold a person with 250 lbs or around 114 kg?
It can hold a 230 lbs or 105 kg rider which is remarkable for a lightweight model but it’s definitely not suitable for highly overweight riders so those people have to pass on this.
Also, Dahon suggests a maximum rider height of 142 – 193 cm (4’8″ – 6’4″) but considering its size and weight, that’s decent, I guess.
Is this bike for men or for women?
The Dahon Mariner D7 is definitely unisex. A lightweight bike of 11.8 kg or 26 lbs can easily be lifted and transported by women, if that’s your concern and its design doesn’t make it look “manly” or “womanly”. It’s built for urban riders of all sorts and considering its available assets and its design it perfectly fits to an office- or leisure outfit.
Speed
How many gears does it have? How fast is the Dahon Mariner D7?
The Dahon Mariner D7 comes with 7 gears which allows you to ride at a speed of 37-85 gear inches. So you get decent speed and adaptability to some different kinds of terrain. Keep in mind though that this is no mountain bike and does not perform well on other ground than roads. Consider it as what it is; a pretty robust lightweight bike.
How does the bike perform on hills and old/bumpy pavement on the streets?
It does adapt to non-optimal pavement to a certain extent and it climbs moderate hills pretty well but don’t push it too hard since that’s not what it’s made for. After all, it has more of a sporty bike. Since it’s rust-resistant, rain won’t cause a huge problem although some people claim that the brakes don’t work well every time they’re riding fast in the rain. Guess you’ll have to test out the limits of your bike to see for yourself. And don’t forget to clean it after it made contact with salt water!
In this section we also want to point out the Park Tool Chain Cleaning System, which provided extremely high value for a reasonable price. With this toolkit you will be able to clean your bike properly and withstand rust.
How well does the bike go uphill?
As mentioned before, it goes up the average hill very well, as claimed by many reviewers. As you might be able to tell, it is especially built to take care of tough oceanic environments.
Assembly
Does the Dahon Mariner D7 require assembly? How hard is this bike to put together?
The only thing you have to assemble are the pedals. The tool you need for that comes with the package.
Which tools do I need to assemble the folding bike?
As mentioned before, just the one that comes with the package to install the pedals. Apart from that, no tools are needed.
What do I have to do to fold the bike? Do the pedals fold?
Yes, the pedals fold! (Sequence isn’t that important) You open the seatpost clamp and let the saddle sink all the way down to the bottom. Then you open the clamp at the center of the handlebar and pull it backwards before pushing the steering post up and undoing the quick release to hinge it down to the side. Now you use the ViseGrip to fold it in half and finally fold up the pedals.
Disadvantages about the Dahon Mariner D7
What is negative about the Dahon Mariner D7?
The main thing people complain about regarding the Dahon Mariner D7 is the fact that it’s just rust-resistant, not rust.proof. That doesn’t make it a bad bike, it’s just something you need to consider while exposing it to humidity. Regular maintenance is a drag but it’s worth your while if you’re a seafarer in need of a practical bicycle to take with you on your nautical journeys.
Conclusion
The greatest feature of the Dahon Mariner D7 is definitely its folded size which is probably the smallest, most compact one of all 20″- bikes. For this reason, it’s highly praised as an excellent space saver. Another thing which makes this bike exceptional among all folding bikes is of course the fact that it’s rust-resistant so you should consider it a must-have for riders who like to take their riding companion on a boat. This unique ability might also come in handy for commuters.
The price tag is something where the Dahon Mariner D7 really shines. In comparison to other Dahon folding bikes, this one is very cheap and even affordable for the average consumer which is why it’s been bought like crazy.
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8.4/10
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7.8/10
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9.2/10
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8.8/10
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9/10
Summary
Value for money! The Dahon Mariner D7 is an all-rounder among the Dahon Folding Bikes. It`s nice design and the comfortable folding mechanism make this bike extremely useful and sustainable against