Dr Hon Bicycles, soon, to revert back to the Dahon Bicycles trademark, is an endearing brand which is here to stay.
They've come a long way and this year, we will see a few new models on the shelves.
I picked up my first review bike of the year: the Dr Hon Mu P27, an improved version of the Dahon Mu P24 (24-speed drivetrain with the NEOS trinity drive - a marriage of cassette and hub gear driven by a single chainring).
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| An all-rounder: the Mu P27 |
We've seen a small quantity of the Dahon Mu P24 in the market.
And frankly, it didn't really caught up as it should be.
The apparent issue was the constant slipping of the gear when you use the internal hub.
And technically-speaking, the NEOS trinity drive is actually a Sturmey-Archer hub gear.
In the latest rendition of the 27-speed Mu, Dr Hon had incorporated the SRAM Dual Drive III trekking drivetrain.
And with SRAM, you can really trust its quality.
This is the same drivetrain on the Dahon Jetstream EX.
I've used the SRAM Dual Drive II without any issues. And I can see the same performance delivered by the Mu P27.
The ride...
I took this bike out for a spin, it was pretty responsive.
Shifting the gears was a breeze, there were no skipping as the DD3 internal hub gear delivers the torque which is needed for taking on undulating terrain.
If you are adventurous, you can add on some luggage racks and take the Mu P27 for touring rides.
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| Decent stuff: the SRAM X-7 rear derailleur |
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| Dr Hon's 30th Annivesary emblem on the bike's stem |
This bike is manufactured in China.
Fit, finish and quality is pretty decent.
But, there are some small issues regarding component quality that you will need to observe.
First, the stock-standard tires are virtually a brand which is unheard of.
And since the groupset is entirely SRAM, that's the saving grace on this bike
To get the most out of it, you might have to ditch the lousy Wellgo pedals.
I broke one sometime back and frankly, it will only be better if you fit them with an MKS EZY quick release pedal.
I don't know what kind of brakes were used on this bike, it certainly is below par as the rear brake squeaks like hell.
Spare the pedals and brakes, if properly re-fitted with better quality components, you will get a decent bike that will last for years...
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4 comments:
dr hon going back to dahon? i don't understand... is it just to celebrate 30 years that they use dr hon?
There was a trademark lawsuit on the Dahon namesake.
For 2013, "Dahon" was dropped and replaced by "Dr Hon". Now that this issue has been resolved between the parties involved, the trademark "Dahon" will continue under the leadership of Dr David Hon, founder of Dahon Bicyles..
So those Dr Hons in the market now will be collector's items then, since there are limited units in the market?
TERN 'Internal hub constantly slipping' I would like to comment on this issue. More than a year a go my friend and I bought a Tern Link P24h and an Eclipse p24h same day from the main Lerun (Polygon)dealer in IPOH. First day itself we found the internal Sturmey Archer hub (both bikes)constantly slipping. We bought it back to the dealer, he (Mr. Tan) phoned K2, Lerun Industries and Roda Link, NO ONE knows what to do, real dumbos. So we allow Mr. Tan to experiment adjusting the cable which goes into the hub.He realize that all you need is to set the shifter to 2 or middle , disconnect the cable near the hub, adjust it until you see a gold color chain link thru a round hole just as the cable enters the hub. Then connect the cable back by twisting it with your fingers. There is a small twisting cap lock. That's all. Until to date no more slipping even when severe torque is applied.
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