Dahon steering stem

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
barbelfisher
Posts: 258
Joined: 5 Sep 2009, 6:54pm

Dahon steering stem

Post by barbelfisher »

Can anyone help please? I purchased a second hand Dahon Speed TR a few months back for touring this summer. Just had it serviced and been informed of a hairline crack on the steering stem just below the lock mechanism. I have tried several times to contact Dahon Spares Uk which demands a stupid code to send the message. I have inserted the code so many times, always correct but to no avail. I desperately need a new stem.
Help please?
Regards barbelfisher.
MickH
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Joined: 21 Feb 2014, 5:16pm
Location: Leicester

Re: Dahon steering stem

Post by MickH »

Do you mean these people: C H White?

I've never tried to order online from them, but they have responded to emails with good information on what to order. You can always phone 'em too.

A quick search threw this up... http://www.velovision.com/showStory.php?storynum=1018
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Sweep
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Re: Dahon steering stem

Post by Sweep »

CH Whites are excellent.

They talked ignorant me through changing the headset on my Speed Pro when I was abroad.

They were extremely patient.

I have the Speed Pro by the way - I think the TR is the same bike with some minor changes.

After my experience with the Speed Pro (definitely a fun bike but ....) I'd be extremely wary of a tour of any length on a Dahon Speed TR.
Sweep
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foxyrider
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Re: Dahon steering stem

Post by foxyrider »

Sweep wrote:
I have the Speed Pro by the way - I think the TR is the same bike with some minor changes.

After my experience with the Speed Pro (definitely a fun bike but ....) I'd be extremely wary of a tour of any length on a Dahon Speed TR.


Not quite true - well not at all! The Speed TR was designed for touring with racks, beefy wheels, low gearing, adjustable handlebars. Seems to be reasonably competent given the diddy wheels. The Speed Pro is a much lighter, more racy bit of kit - certainly not a tourer!
Convention? what's that then?
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
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Sweep
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Re: Dahon steering stem

Post by Sweep »

Maybe I'm wrong but it was my understanding that they had a similar base - of course I accept that the wheels and tyres were somewhat different.

What's the gearing difference? My Speed Pro has good gears and it's good at the low end - been up some mountains with it.

The Speed Pro will take a rack - Dahon would supply one if you could fight your way through their at times awful parts availablity.

My Speed Pro, of the same vintage as the TR, also has an adjustable handlebar - what's the adjustable bar on the TR?
Sweep
barbelfisher
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Joined: 5 Sep 2009, 6:54pm

Re: Dahon steering stem

Post by barbelfisher »

Thanks for all the replie folks. I tracked down a company that do Dahon parts and ordered a new stem. The price was 46 euros which seemed a good deal to me. Just waiting for delivery now

Regards
Barbelfisher
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Sweep
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Re: Dahon steering stem

Post by Sweep »

Out of interest, what was the company?

Might be useful for others.
Sweep
MickH
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Joined: 21 Feb 2014, 5:16pm
Location: Leicester

Re: Dahon steering stem

Post by MickH »

Sweep wrote:Out of interest, what was the company?

Might be useful for others.


I agree. Please let us know who the supplier is, it's always good to have a selection of people to deal with.

Cheers,

Mick
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V4281051
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Joined: 5 Jan 2007, 8:21pm

Re: Dahon steering stem

Post by V4281051 »

CH White are excellent in every respect..However if you cannot get what you want try http://www.thorusa.com/..He should be able to help..
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Sweep
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Re: Dahon steering stem

Post by Sweep »

V4281051 wrote:CH White are excellent in every respect..However if you cannot get what you want try http://www.thorusa.com/..He should be able to help..


Must admit I don't have great memories of him from an encounter on the (now possibly defunct) Dahon forum.

Seemed keen to mystify Dahon's parts, which they did themselves by giving even the most humble part some special trade name as if it had descended from the clouds.

Agree totally about CH Whites - good old fashioned service.
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jezer
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Re: Dahon steering stem

Post by jezer »

CH Whites is local to me, and I bought a Dahon TR from them a few years ago after being recommended. I used it with full panniers on a CTC two week tour of Sardinia. It performed well, and several other riders were using them. Climbing was good, although the brakes on descents were rather weak. I sold it soon afterwards as I found it a little flimsy for my rather bulky weight. I did have an issue with the steerer, although it was replaced by the shop under warranty. They said there was a fault with the bearings at the time.
Power to the pedals
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Sweep
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Re: Dahon steering stem

Post by Sweep »

Don't be so tough on yourself jezer - any normal bike should support a rider unless you are an absolute leviathan.

What do you mean by the bearings of the steerer?

Do you mean the headset bearings?
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jezer
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Re: Dahon steering stem

Post by jezer »

Yes, they kept getting rather stiff, needing loosening off. Not really a problem, just a bit annoying every few miles.
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Sweep
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Re: Dahon steering stem

Post by Sweep »

Interesting.

Headset a pretty big issue with my Speed Pro - it eats bearings - I eventually decided that it isn't possible, on my bike at least, to get the headset properly adjusted so have to live with it.

Strangely (oo spooky) I was in Sardinia when I came to appreciate CH White's wonderful service - they shipped a new headset to me and a guy in Hawaii (I kid you not) took his bike apart and sent me pics to help me get mine back together.

Town I was in had a Dahon dealership but so **** was Dahon parts distribution in Italy (as bad as UK) that they gave up trying to get any sense out of Dahon and suggested I went elsewhere.

Things may have improved since - they can't be worse.

Still waiting for OP to reply with source of his/her bit.
Sweep
barbelfisher
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Re: Dahon steering stem

Post by barbelfisher »

The company who supplied the Stem for my Dahon Speed TR is called hollandbikes.Com. The stem arrived but black and possibly the wrong one. I have contacted the company who have promised to send me the correct one as soon as possible.

Regards

barbelfisher
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