I am thinking of purchasing a folder for touring, it will make life easier when going on trains and planes. If you look at my website you will see I prefer to camp so will be carrying camping gear.

I like the Bike Friday NWT and the Dahon Speed TR 2007. Does anyone have any thoughts on these or other suggestions?

hello and welcome.
Do you know the Dahon Cadenza? This would be my favorite bike for this kind of traveling.

job

hi
I own a bike friday NW Tourist with Rohloff gear and is a very good bike,I was traveling this year in Cambodia on a very bad routes and the bike did a wonderful job
some pictures
http://www.der-radladen-mannheim.de/Cambodia/
regards

A folding bicycle incorporates special design features enabling the bike to fold into a compact form, thereby facilitating transport or storage.

Folding bicycles are particularly suitable for urban commuters. Mixed-mode commuters who deploy the fold mechanism several times daily for portage aboard public transport, may prioritize a bike with an easy, quick fold. Marine users using a folding bike to facilitate incidental shore mobility, may prioritize the size of the folded bike. Riders using their bikes less frequently may prioritize speed and comfort over ease and speed of folding.

Can I just ask, what is "incidental shore mobility"? :-)

Maybe he is referring to seamen occasionally bicycling "on" shore during harbour stays, alternatively occasionally bicycling "off" shore on board larger cargo ships. Always good to have your own bike at hand then, isn't it?

Interesting phrasing though...http://www.rad-forum.de/images/icons/default/laugh.gif

i did about 900km this summer on my dahon matrix.

a very strong bike, you do not feel that it is foldable.

i changed the fork to a rigid one because the stock fork was a very cheap one, brakes are tektro auriga comp. the shimanos did a bad performance.

best on that bike: it is a full sized 26" and does not need a bike ticket on train.

right now it is used for alldaycycling and some mtb-touring.

Man that's quite a lot! How did you solve the transportation problem of goods? Did you bought an extra carrier, used a backpack or something?

@ the threadstarter:
I have a Brompton and a Dahon Vitesse as well, both three speedster.
The Brompton is way rigid and almost say 'rugged'. This year I rode my Vitesse for abt 300km for short distances up to 15km even with 10kilograms of loadout. I deem it quite sufficient. Unfortunately since one month the vertical handlebar rod mounted on its hinge bracket starts squeaking and I cannot get calm by oiling which by the way is devastating to my inner calm...

I had a Dahon cadenza and liked it a lot, becaise like a normal bike but foldable, not too heavy and robust. Only the varnish is not so good. But in the end I sold it because it was a bit too big for my little car. Now I've got a Dahon Dash P18 and like it also - but for a long ride, that's sure, a Cadenza or Matrix is more comfortable.

Regards, Steffi

With similar thoughts in my mind...
.. found this interesting site. They travel with Bromptons:
http://pathlesspedaled.com/2011/07/one-month-of-loaded-touring/

With a respectable amount of gear - even cooking:
http://pathlesspedaled.com/gear/

Kind regards
Gerhard

Heinz Stücke also travels with a Brompton, with even a bit more gear:

see here.

Greetings
Markus

I've got a used Dahon which looks very similar to the Dahon 2007 and I'm not really happy: the distance from saddle to handlebars is short and every time I see a Brompton rider on the station folding his bike I'm jealous, because folding is much more complicated with my Dahon.