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Re-inventing
the Wheel
People usually say, "Don't re-invent the wheel" when they want
a quick and easy solution to a problem. The trouble with that approach is
that when you try and solve problems by looking at what others have done
before, you stifle creativity and limit your ability to come up with truly
original and unique solutions.
We take a contrarian view. For us, "Re-inventing the wheel" is
a philosophy that we embrace. Re-inventing takes a lot of time and it often
takes us down the wrong road. But it also leads to bright flashes of brilliance
and insight that ultimately result in quantum leaps forward. This approach
to our work is why, Dr. David Hon, our founder, left Hughes Aircraft and
started his own company after all of the large bicycle manufacturers rejected
his original folding bicycle design.
This approach is also why, time and again, we have introduced innovations
that have swept through the bicycle industry. And it is why we have
one of the most prolific and well-respected R&D teams in the bicycle
industry. Today, after twenty-two years of building the world's most
popular folding bicycles, we stand at the beginning of the 21st century
and look forward to the continued challenge of building environmentally
responsible mobility solutions for the global community.
The 15% Rule
The 15% rule is our commitment to improve our bikes by at least 15% each
and every year. This 15% improvement can come in the form of improved riding
performance, increased comfort, lighter weight, improved folding function,
or enhanced durability. This 15% target puts a lot of pressure on us but
it means that you can be assured that we'll never be resting on our laurels
- we'll always be searching for ways to improve our product. So if you haven't
ridden a Dahon in a year or two, take one for a test ride. We promise you'll
be impressed.
Built to Last
So many of the products that are manufactured today are disposable. We're
appalled by the poor quality of so many of the products that we see. We
remember when children's toys were sturdy enough to be handed down from
child to child. Now, many of the toys out there are lucky to last a few
months of use before falling apart. That's why our landfills are filling
up so rapidly and why we are seeing so many shortages in raw materials.
A lot of the bicycles built today fall into the disposable category - low
quality bearings, poorly coated materials that rust quickly, and corner
cutting everywhere add up to a product that won't last more than a year
or two. We want our bikes to be part of the solution, not part of the problem
and that's why we've made a commitment to using higher quality materials
and components that last longer. Details like stainless steel spokes, sealed
hubs and bearings, stainless steel frame latches, chromeplastic fenders
that will never rust, and anodized finishes on aluminum components are found
on every one of our bikes, even the most economic models. We get emails
almost every day from customers that are still riding bikes that are 10
or 15 years old and that's the way we like it.
Bikes for Everybody
Some consumers like super exclusive brands with high prices that lend
their owners a veneer of superiority. Dahon has been criticized in
the past for making "cheap" bikes. But our corporate mission
is to change the world for the better by getting more butts onto bikes.
And you don't change the world a whole lot by selling small numbers
of thousand dollar folding bikes. We'll sell close to 300,000 folding
bikes in 2004 and that's a heck of a lot of people who are using their
cars a little less. We want to make folding bicycles accessible to
anyone, anywhere in the world, who wants one and that means making
our bikes affordable. So even though we enjoy designing high-end bikes
and will continue to expand the high end of our line, we'll always
make "cheap" bikes that are packed with value so that we
can make a real impact on society.
Light is Right
Sure, there are lots of folding bicycles on the market, but how many of
them are truly portable? A bicycle isn't portable if it's too heavy to lift
into your car or carry across a subway station. Portable bicycles need to
be light. And we make the lightest folding bikes in the world. Each year,
every part of every bike is scrutinized by our team of engineers to see
how we can make it stronger or lighter. The result: what you thought was
a pretty darn good bike last year gets just a bit stronger and lighter this
year. Our obsession with weight is why even our steel frame bicycles are
lighter than the aluminum frame bicycles of most other manufacturers. Following
are some of the technologies we use to build some of the world's lightest
folding bicycles:
- Premium frame materials - everything starts with the frame and
that's why we choose the best materials for our frames. All of
our aluminum frames are made from custom drawn and double-butted
Sonus 7005 aluminum tubing. Even steel frames are made from seamless
4130-chromoly steel that has been work-hardened in a special machining
process.
- Frame design - frame design can be even more important than frame
material in building a light frame. A good frame is strong and light.
Some frames on the market are strong but heavy. A few are light but
not strong enough. And many of the cheaper folding bikes on the market
are neither light nor strong. Many of our latest patented technologies
focus on how to make a strong but lightweight frame. These technologies
include our Re-Bar™ technology, Sonus tubing, PowerBulge technology,
Embed bottom brackets, and WrapAround chainstays.
- Frame details - butted tubing, CNC machined head tubes, forged hinges
and drop-outs
- Super-oversize seat posts - we use custom 34mm seat posts on all
of our compact bikes. The larger diameter tubing lets us use thinner
tubing while maintaining strength.
- Careful parts selection - in the months leading up to the introduction
of each year's models, our bicycle designers fall asleep with their
arms wrapped around digital weight scales. That's because a big part
of what they do is searching for lighter and better new components.
Each potential component is weighed, tested, and ridden. Lighter tire
casings, narrower and shorter chains, Kevlar cable housing, compact
brake arms, CompactDrive chain rings and sprockets, aluminum spoke nipples
- these are just some of the many ways we lighten our bikes. In each
case, the difference is only a few grams but when you can cut 5% of
weight off each component, it adds up.
- The final crucial piece to building sanely light bikes is proper testing
equipment. Every frame and every component we make is sent to our testing
department for a battery of tests. Testing lets us know how much of
a safety margin we have and how far we can push the weight envelope.
Here's a good question: how many folding bike manufacturers actually
have their own in-house testing equipment?
Safety First
We are committed to building the safest bikes possible. Our bikes incorporate
many different design features and technologies to improve safety. Following
are some of the many ways we ensure the highest levels of safety:
- ISO 9001 manufacturing - our main factory, where every one of our
frames is welded and processed, is ISO certified to meet extremely high
standards in production control.
- Vertical manufacturing - we'll bet you didn't know this but most big
brand bicycle manufacturers don't even own their own factories. They
sub-contract assembly of their bikes to OEM factories that are producing
all kinds of bikes for all kinds of customers. And with few exceptions
those manufacturers that do have their own factories don't produce their
own frames. They are what's known in the industry as screw driver factories.
Frames are out sourced, components are out-sourced: the factory just
has an assembly line to slap all the parts together. All this out-sourcing
can be highly efficient and tends to reduce prices but the problem with
this approach is that it is much harder to rigorously control quality
when the production doesn't take place in your own factory. That's why
we have our own factory and we weld and process our own frames. Not
only that but we are heavily vertically integrated, meaning that we
even do most of our own tube cutting, forming, and stamping. The end
result is a higher degree of control over quality and much faster solutions
when we do find a problem.
- In-house Testing Machinery - It's all well and good to manufacture
your own bikes but it is also critically important to put all
new frame and components to the test before they hit the market.
Multiple samples of every new frame and component we make are
sent to our testing department for a battery of tests. Testing
lets us build in adequate safety margins.
- Strong frames - the large majority of folding bicycles on the
market are built with low cost, high tensile (low carbon) steel.
Our frames are TIG welded out of the best materials, like 4130-chromoly
and double-butted 7005 aluminum alloy. And much of our patented
technology is centered around getting the most strength out of
the material that we use.
- BioLogic™ frame geometry - have you ever hopped aboard a small-wheeled
folding bike and been shocked by the poor handling characteristics.
Our new BioLogic™ II geometry delivers the surest and most stable
ride available. We've designed folding bicycles for twenty-two years
and our BioLogic™ II geometry is the result of that experience.
- DoubleLok Technology - all Dahon bikes feature a second safety lock
on every folding mechanism. DoubleLok technology provides an extra margin
of safety and peace of mind for the rider.
- Lifetime frame warranty - of course, all of these technologies wouldn't
mean a thing if our frames weren't rock solid. That's why we can offer
a lifetime* warranty on all of our frames and folding components.
*Contingent on the customer having their bike adjusted by a bike technician
before riding and sending in the warranty card.
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