8:05 PM

Dahon Speed Uno Stage 1

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This bike is used to travel to and from different buildings at work.  Its proven itself to be extremely useful and a joy to ride.  It has the ease and zippiness of a bmx with a riding posture that’s more upright and efficient. For what it is I think it’s a really good bike and would recommend it to anyone looking for a simple foldable bike but my thirst to tinker is strong so here it goes!
 
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First to go is the stock crank setup.  It’s heavy, chainrings aren’t removable, and it doesn't look good at all.  For the sake of curiosity I decided this was a good chance to try out a Chinese made non “brand name” carbon crankset.  The weight is pretty close to that of the older FSA carbon cranksets and the price is a definite plus.  They come with ISIS (no you wont be contributing to terrorism by riding these cranks) bottom bracket interface, which I think is a great choice at this price point as standard BBs are cheap and the choice for very light ones are available. 

I opted for chainring, bottom bracket, and bolts and bits I had available so they aren’t choice parts but the full setup still saved me a good 450 grams! 
 
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The chunky seat post also had to go.  I’m a huge proponent of the cradle and yoke seat post design.  I think its the most elegant, modular and cost effective design there is at the moment.  Because of that there are a ton of choices available online, even for a huge 33.9m post that’s needed for this bike.  I don’t like everything about this post but the basics are there and further tinkering is possibly in the works.  It’s for sure much lighter than the stock post though: 245g.
 
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Foldable pedals are a bit terrible in my opinion.  They save about 2 inches of space MAX on either end.  They squeak and groan when broken in.  They also weigh a ton.  Up to replace then are AEST magnesium bodied and titanium spindled pedals.  The weight difference is astonishing and so far no squeaks from the new unit. 
 
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Similar to the cranks, these carbon saddles peddled by Taiwanese sellers all over the internet have always intrigued me.  Their value per weight is incredible.  You used to only get this kind of weight with AX-Lightness and Tune saddles.  I got this saddle from a local distributor for $20 bucks! This is something I was reluctant to try out on my road rigs but will be perfect to test out with the Dahon. 
 
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Last of the simple and obvious bolt-on mods is the handlebar.  I happen to have this lying around but anyone can pick one up for super cheap anywhere on eBay. 
 
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With minimal effort this bike already looks 200% more sleek and sexy.  Sure, it can be seen as nerdy as well with all its ridiculous parts but Nerd Chic is now in!

On going reviews and opinions on parts will come as I ride this more. 

Weight saved this round: 1600 grams (3.5 lbs)
Current weight: 21.5 lbs

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