Dahon Speed D7 Folding Bike

Posted on August 22, 2010 by stevek

Dahon Speed D7 Recently I started a job which requires me to commute to work via BART.  BART has its own rules regarding bicycles on the trains, which meant that I needed to get a folding bike in order to commute through downtown during the rush hours.

I quickly zeroed in on the Dahon Speed D7 as an affordable and popular model.  I ordered mine online (from Safety Cycle, about 430 $US).  It arrived in good condition, but (no surprise) needed some initial adjustments to the rear derailleur and brake before it was fully usable.

Observations

Some highlights

  • Bike is entirely adequate for riding short distances.  Not for steep hills nor downhill racing, but perfectly fine for short commutes.
  • Space saver.  The folded size is similar to a carry-on suitcase.  Much easier to have on the train than a full size bike.
  • Quick folding. True to the advertising, the bike can be folded and unfolded in about 15 seconds (with practice).  In reality, the unfolding phase takes a little longer, as I’ll often make minor adjustments to the handlebars and seat stem until they’re in proper position.  I’ve made a few marks on the metal with a Sharpie to make these adjustments faster.
  • Rear rack is useful enough – it passes the litmus test of being able to hold a donut box :-)

Some lowlights

  • Bike is somewhat hefty at ~28 pounds.  It’s “luggable” but not much fun to carry for long distances when folded.  Most often I just wheel it up in front of the train and fold it before boarding.
  • The 20” wheels aren’t as stable as 26” wheels – not as much rotational inertia.  Initially the bike felt a little wobbly to me, especially at speed … I’ve since gotten used to it.
  • Rust – two adjustment screws for the brakes are rusting slightly, though to be fair I’ve ridden the bike a fair amount in the rain.  The Dahon Mariner is a similar configuration that promises more rust resistant components.

Summary

The bike attracts a fair amount of curiosity on the train.  I’m certain that – were I able to carry a spare bike along – I could have sold a few during my commutes.  Quite a few people ask for details on price, manufacturer, and where to buy.

Overall it has met my expectations and has facilitated my commute-by-subway.

 

(Thanks for reading – Steve Klinkner)

Posted in Biking, Commuting | Leave a comment

Commuting by Subway

Posted on August 19, 2010 by stevek

BART In January 2010 I accepted a job in San Francisco (with Zynga, the company that brings you FarmVille and other fun games).  Although I’ve lived in or near large cities for most of my life, I find myself commuting downtown for the first time (via BART).

Zynga is about 1.1 miles from the 16th & Mission stop in San Francisco, about a 20 minute walk, and I spend about an hour on the subway each way.  Before I accepted the job, I wanted to make sure I could

  • Bike comfortably to/from the BART station, to speed up the commute
  • Get 3G wireless service during the commute

A few dry runs proved that 3G service was reasonably reliable (an early dead zone at the Lake Merritt station was rectified in the past few months).  This allows me to get nearly an hour of work in each way during my morning and evening commutes.

The traffic along 16th Street between Mission and Potrero Hill isn’t terribly busy in the morning, so I decided a bicycle commute would be possible.  This cuts the 20 minute walk down to a 7 minute bike ride.

What I ended up with to make this all possible was

More on those soon.

 

(Thanks for reading – Steve Klinkner)

Posted in Commuting | 3 Comments

I’m Baaaack

Posted on August 7, 2010 by stevek

open-signIn a fit of egomania, I’ve realized that without my voice being heard, the world is but an empty shell. 

So I’ve decided to continue blogging.

Well, not exactly.

When I worked for NetApp, I authored a blog with the title Simple Steve.  I wrote about design simplicity, work place issues, and other assorted topics.  Once in a while I included a cartoon, often copied from the whiteboard in our hallway.

Once in a while recently a topic has arisen and I thought

Ah – I wrote an article about that!

And I would forward a link to one of my blog articles.

That worked ok for a while, but recently (and somewhat understandably) NetApp purged my blog articles. 

I thought I’d get started re-creating some of the useful articles, and making some new ones.

So here goes.

 

(Thanks for reading – Steve Klinkner)

Posted in Blogging, Me | Leave a comment