Dahon sells lightweight folding bicycles for urban, road, and mountain riding. They are the largest folding bicycle manufacturer in the world and are carried in local bike shops and available on the Internet.
- address: 833 Meridian Street, Duarte, CA 91010
- telephone: (626) 305-5264
- fax: (626) 305-9153
- website: http://www.dahon.com
- e-mail: [email protected]
Description
The engineers at Dahon, all 60 of them, like to “reinvent the wheel.” In fact, they commit to improve their bikes by at least 15% every year. That might mean faster folding and setup, lighter weight, or a sleeker look. Dahon, with more than 100 patents, has sold more than 2 million folding bicycles, making them the world leader and creating an environmental movement in the process. They call their philosophy, “green mobility,” and their 16” and 20” bikes, some of which can fold in as little as 10 seconds and fit under a bus seat, are empowering people all over the world to commute without a car. A person can ride to a bus or train station, fold the bike, put it in its case, and sling it over a shoulder. Folded, it’s allowed onboard public transportation even during rush hour. At the rider’s stop, it’s easy to unfold and pedal to the final destination.
Dahon makes Urban Utility and Performance Bikes, including the Ciao! P with its super low-step frame for people who haven’t been riding in a while, and the single-speed Mµ Uno that has no cables or gears and an air pump hidden in the seat post. That hidden air pump was, “like James Bond,” said a bike tester in a June 25, 2009 New York Times article. These bikes are one-size-fits-all with telescoping stems and adjustable seat posts, and seats with plenty of fore and aft and tilt positions to fit a wide variety of riders. Dahons are available from bicycle dealers, over the Internet, including LLBean, as well from boat and RV stores. People with single-engine planes buy them, too, and at least one truck driver has written a grateful fan letter to the company, because his Dahon allows him to explore off hours in places his rig won’t fit.
The company also makes a full-size Mountain Bike, a steel hardtail designed by Joe Murray that unpacks “race ready,” plus several Road Bikes, including the Tournado with its handsome Brooks saddle and brown leather handlebar tape. These larger bicycles take 15 minutes to fold to get ready for airline travel. Their cases have in-line skate wheels.
Dr. David Hon, a laser physicist at Hughes Aircraft, founded Dahon in 1982 after all the big bike manufactures rejected his original folding bicycle design. He wanted to contribute to society rather than continue earning patents to benefit the war effort.
Hours of work
Monday to Friday
9am to 5pm Pacific
Additional Information
- Standard Frames: Yes
- Custom Frames: No
- Retrofitting old bikes: No
- Year Established: 1982
- Products Made In: Company-owned factories in Taiwan, Macau, the Czech Republic, and China
- Availability: Independent bicycle dealers, Internet dealers
- Types of Bicycles: Folding Urban, utility and mountain bikes.
- Construction Methods: Tigg Welded
- Frame Materials: Steel, Carbon, Titanium, Aluminum
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