General

How much does the “Dahon Mu P8” weight?

The “Dahon Mu P8” is made of aluminium, so it’s a lightweight folding bike. Although Amazon claims it to weigh only 11.2 kg (24.7 lbs), several reviewers confirm what is indicated on the related website on usa.dahon.com; its actual weight is 12.3 kg (27.1 lbs):

Either way, it is presumed as a fast and sporty bike but wait, there’s more to this bike than first look might tell!

How much does only the frame weight?

The frame weighs approximately 2400g or 5.3 lbs.

The patented Dahon “Dalloy Aluminium” makes it light yet very sturdy; we’re talking about a respectable plus 20% added to frame strength in comparison to 6061 aluminium. The tubes are double-butted at the weld seams, where stress on the material is the highest. For extra weight-saving, it gets thinner towards the center.

What are the dimensions of the “Dahon Mu P8” when folded? How small can it be folded?

Folded, it looks like this:

Its folded dimensions are 30 x 79 x 66 cm or 11.8″ x 31.1“ x 26″.

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.

Dahon is very proud of its V-clamp technology which basically revolves around the locking mechanism of the hinge in the middle of the frame that folds the bike in half, turning the frame form into a “V”-shape. On the picture below, you see the unfolded hinge from the inside:

The large, stainless steel plate on the inside clamps around both sides of the hinge snugly, when the lever on the opposite side of the frame is pulled. This is supported by incorporating steel hardware and brass bushings, as you might see on this picture that shows the innards of the mechanism:

You can additionally tighten the hinge by using an Allen Key (a tool of hexagonal cross-section used to drive bolts and screws that have a hexagonal socket in the head) on the hexagonal socket on the outside of the plate.

The steering post is folded by a quick release lattice forged hinge and ultimately hangs down between the wheels after the V-clamp 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?

The pictures above show it in Cloud White. Beside that it also comes in Obsidian Black and this is what it looks like:

Is the seat adjustable? How comfortable is the seat?

The seat has two adjustments. One of them I mentioned earlier which extends and retracts the seat post to an extend that keeps it compact in its folded form. The second one is the “Dahon Turtleneck”-seat clamp with an extra-long lever for more traction with little force. Again, brass bushings and stainless steel studs provide additional stability and 2.5 mm (0,1″)small lock bolt enables better prevention from involuntary opening.

If you do not like the seat, you can also install a much more comfortable gel seat. One example of a really good fit is the Sunlite Cloud-9 Bicycle Suspension Cruiser Saddle and can be found on the picture below.

 

How much body weight can this bike hold? Can the “Dahon Mu P8” 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?

Viability is the main feature of the “Dahon Mu P8”. Its design is adapted for all kinds of terrains and usages; whether you’re performing stunts on rugged ground or simply using it as a means of transportation, it serves each purpose neatly. Its huge variety of installable assets and features plus the fact that it’s lightweight ultimately makes it of great use for everyone, regardless of gender. (For more details, check out the “Usefulness” section of this review)

Speed

How many gears does it have? How fast is the “Dahon Mu P8”?

Providing 8 gears, this bike may push you forward 32″- 93″ with each turn of the drive wheel, or approximately 2.55 – 7.42 m in relationship to metres of development (essentially the distance travelled with each turn of the crank). Reviewers agree that shifting gears runs smoothly and quick, so you’ll probably have no trouble maneuvering before or after shifting gears.

The swiftness of shifting gears comes from a system which is called “Neos”. It’s a combination of an ultra-short cage and a derailleur with low profile which mounts directly to the chain stay (the tube that leads from the main frame to the center of the rear wheel). This also reduces the size of the overall gear system which makes folding the bike even easier.

How does the bike perform on hills and old/bumpy pavement on the streets?

As versatile as it may be in urban area, the Dahon Mu P8 is still not a mountain bike. Full technological investment in speed, light-weight and compactness warrant great traversing on roads but there are no shock absorbers, knobby tires etc.

However, as a sporty bike, it’s claimed by most people to be the most versatile folding bike of highest quality there is.

It’s perfectly suitable for commuters as well as leisure riders who hit the road frequently on bike but ultimately, its weakness against bumpy pavement and hindrances makes it a pass for tours on this kind of terrain.

You probably want to avoid getting dirt on your stylish Dahon bicycle, too.

How well does the bike go uphill?

The Dahon Mu P8 doesn’t lack speed, even on slopes. All reviewers agree on the Mu P8 to perform better and faster uphill than other folding bikes because of its narrower wheels which sadly decreases your comfort which is one of the few cons of this bike.

Assembly

Does the “Dahon Mu P8” require assembly? How hard is this bike to put together?

It does require a little bit assembly, for details, watch this video:

As you see, it’s easy to assemble and ready to use out of the box!

Which tools do I need to assemble the folding bike?

You don’t. Everything you need to assemble is included in the package.

What do I have to do to fold the bike? Do the pedals fold?

In this video you can see the folding and unfolding process of the Dahon Mu P8:

(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 V-clamp to fold it in half and finally fold up the pedals.

Usefulness

Can I safely attach a child seat to this bike? Which seat would work best?

The Dahon Mu P8 was initially designed as a single person bike. Therefore, I do not recommend using a child seat on the bike. If you really want to carry your child around with the Dahon Mu P8, I recommend that you are using a trailer, such as the InSTEP Take 2 Double Bicycle Trailer. This trailer can also be folded and will greatly supplement your Dahon Mu P8.

Does it come with a storage bag? Which storage bag can I use for my bike?

It does not come with a storage bag or similar accessories. However, Dahon offers a huge variety of different accessories, including a carry bag and a stow-away bag which can be put into a drawstring pouch under the saddle.

Can I install training wheels on the bike?

Since the ends of the axle stick out a little bit, you can install training wheels. If you don’t want to go with cheap thin training wheels from the department store, and rather invest in some more sturdiness and stability, I recommend you the Wald training wheels.

Which bike bags or baskets can be used on this bike?

Again, the company itself offers a huge variety of bags, baskets and racks. This includes a small frame bag, an attache computer bag which needs a valet truss (also offered by Dahon), then a carrier and two baskets, which all can be combined with a cargo net. Here, on the U.S.american site, you may find some other accessories you want to install on your Dahon Mu P8.

Is it possible to convert the folding bike to an electric bike?

Yes, it is! Dahon has an answer to this request, too. Although they seem to have disappeared from the Dahon website, you can still purchase different kinds of electric bike kits for example, THIS.

Travel

Can I take it into an airplane? Can I take it into a train?

Yes and yes! The Dahon Mu P8’s folded dimensions are 30 x 79 x 66 cm or 11.8″ x 31.1“ x 26″, so you may even check it in as hand luggage. For storing during travel, you may use an “Airporter”, a semi hard-sided suitcase with plenty of protective internal padding.

Can this bike fit into a trunk?

Yes, definitely! This bike is very compact in size and takes about half the space of an average trunk.

Disadvantages about the “Dahon Mu P8”

What is negative about the “Dahon Mu P8”?

First of all, like every Dahon bicycle, it’s pretty expensive. Naturally, all these original patented Dahon-technologies add up significantly to the price tag. However, considering the high quality technologies that come with it, the price/performance ratio seems kind of fair and I guess it’s still affordable for some people.

Second, it’s a sporty bike and not suitable for bumpy pavement and crossing hindrances; they’d certainly take their toll on the Dahon Mu P8. So keep that in mind and stay in urban and suburban area while riding it.

Then, something that was mentioned by few reviewers is that it feels slightly less comfortable than other Dahon bikes.

Conclusion

The Dahon Mu P8 is most certainly one of the best Dahon bikes there is. They’ve clearly put a ton of work into optimizing lightweight, speed and viability on a sporty 20″ – folding bike, while still making it pretty durable and look very stylish. Easy to assemble and fold, and a huge variety of customizing options will answer each of your needs. Whether you are a commuter or a leisure rider, if you’re looking for a fast compact bike to ride onto in urban/suburban area, this is one you should check out!