Bike Setup: Wider gel seat, Avid Single Digit TI Brakes, and a Nashbar Sealed Bottom Bracket,
Summary: Purchase the Downtube FS to get around the Miller Motorsport Park race track West of Salt Lake City as a track volunteer and it has met all my needs. Easy to fold and store, nice smooth ride, but not to bouncy, I'm 6'2" and 235 lbs and it handles great.
I upgraded to the 9-speed and installed a set of Avid Single Digit TI v-brakes that I had along with replacing the BB with a Nashbar sealed bearing unit.
The bike arrive in perfect shape and well protected in the packaging...I was able to ride it out of the box, but I still went over everything after a short ride just for safety sake.
Strengths: Price is way below the others I looked at and the quality is equal to some of the $800 folders. With the 30 day trial period HOW can you go wrong.
Weaknesses: If you're going to use it for lots of miles of riding you will want to upgrade some of the componants...but not many.
Similar Products Used: None
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Summary: I love this bike. For a taller person like me, the FS is very comfortable and fun to ride! I like riding this bike around town because it's so responsive, though I have 3 other bikes to ride (road, mountain, commuter). The suspension is not overly soft - it takes the bumps out of the road, but it doesn't bog down or get bouncy. This bike was an excellent value for the dollar. It is surprisingly fast given the reputation of smaller wheels - I pass people frequently.
There have been some minor issues: the paint on my white FS chips very easily, one of the welds on the little stand attached to the bottom bracket was broken when the bike arrived (not affecting function, however) and after some heavy-duty use, I had some shifting issues and ended up replacing the deraillur cable and housing. So far the company has been responsive, which is great. In any case, I still like the bike a lot and am happy with the purchase. For anyone who is not experienced at bike mechanics, it is a good idea to take it into a shop for a tune and check out when it first arrives.
Strengths: Nice ride. Comfortable, including for taller people. Can be used for moderate offroad riding in addition to reasonably effecient on-road riding. Great price. The components are almost all standard and thus easily upgradeable.
Weaknesses: Quality control on the bike that arrived was a bit low. I understand that the company is working on this, but still I lowered my rating from a five to four due to the several little issues.
Similar Products Used: Also own a Downtube NS bike, and have ridden Dahons.
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Summary: This is a really fun bike to ride, I put over 100 miles on mine the first week I had it. I own a tadpole trike, a short wheel base recumbent, a long wheelbase recumbent, a mountain bike tandem, a road bike tandem, a Trek Y-Foil and more than a couple of other bikes, I usually ride about 2000 miles per year, so I've spent some time on bicycles. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality and comfort of this bike. I've had it on the limestone bike trail, on the highway, and around town. I am 6' 2" and weigh 220. It fits my grandchildren good and they love it too!
Strengths: Anyone from about 4' to 6' 2" will fit this bike well. Very reasonably priced. Folds up fast a will fit in a fairly small trunk.
Weaknesses: Some assembly required
Doesn't fold small enough that I would want to do a lot of traveling with it
only available by online.
Similar Products Used: a lot of other bicycles
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Summary: First, I love the bike. The bike can go pretty fast. It is sufficiently fast for most. Unless of course, you like to ride VERY fast then ride a road bike but road bike is not as much fun for me. DOWNTUBE is easy to maneuver and just the right size to ride around populated area as well.
Most of all, it is fun and very comfortable. I love DOWNTUBE VIII FS much better than my road bike, FELT, although it cost more than 3 times. And, I just bought my FELT 3 months ago.
I rode the Giant folding bike around for a month while visiting my parent. For me, DOWNTUBE is much more comfortable and fun to ride. Furthermore, DOWNTUBE ride is more stable like a full size bike than Giant folding bike. Also, the geometry of the Giant locate your center of gravity towards the rear. As such, there is a tendency to do a wheelie when riding up the curbs.
As for folding, both folds with the same design. However, the DOWNTUBE has a better mechanism. After loosening the hinge, on the DOWNTUBE you need to push a pin to fold. I like this much better. It is like a safety switch.
As for size after folding, it is not the smallest you can find on the market. Its folding size is competitive compare to other folding bikes on the market. And, its folded size is small enough to put into trunk of any car easily. And, DOWNTUBE bike includes a bag to carry your bike when needed.
In short, I love this bike. It is fun, comfortable, and the price is great. If you like folding bike or curious of folding bike, this is a great bike to consider. For me, it was my first choice and I love it and have no regrets. Also, the owner of DOWNTUBE company is very helpful.
Strengths: Fun to ride and very comfortable.
Prompt response from Downtube.
Easy to Maneuver and nimble.
Weaknesses: You may and probably should take it to LBS for a tune up if you do not want to tinker with your own bike.
Similar Products Used: Giant Fold BIKE.
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