Beautiful bikes for big people: Tern Node D16

The Node D16 24" folding bike

A quiet entry..

Tern's new Node D16 folding bike made it's way to our bike store's shelves almost unnoticeable.
It arrived sometime in early January and response has been really warm for this 24" folding bike.
As a matter of fact, the Node made its debut in August 2013 at the Eurobike show and is meant or tall and large-sized cyclists.
You can see the similar frame geometry on the Node if you compare it to the Tern Link D8 and the discontinued P9 bikes as it is a "larger" bike.
And as far as handling is concerned, the Node is one sweet bike to ride. It's sturdy and solid and is perfect for beginners.

What's cool? 

The Node D16 is a 16-speed bike capable of handling any terrain thrown at it. It has a 11-30T cassette which is decent enough to cruise around town, your neighbourhood and even for bikepacking rides.
To ensure years of fun under the Sun, Tern did not cut any corners to package this bike with decent mid-range components.
And for a pricetag of RM2,400, you get the good stuff like Shimano shifters and rear derailleur.
There's even a piece of chainspotter (which is crude compared to higher-quality components) that protects the bike's frame and at the same time: prevents chain slips when you are shifting gears.
The stock-standard tires are the Schwalbe Kojak 24x1.50 tires. These are great for pavement riding, but if you want more out of it I would recommend an upgrade to the Schwalbe Marathon Supreme or Big Apple.

The Spartan rack

Cargo rack

Definitely, a bike for keepsake..

There are endless possibilities with the Tern Node D16.
All you need to do, is add some cool accessories such as the Biologic cargo rack and spartan rack and your bike is ready to do some light and medium touring.
What's nice about this bike is it's compact size when folded. If you commute regularly, the bike can be fitted into a carry-on cover. Though most "city riding experts" would consider this 12.8kg bike "heavy", I'd say that you don't have to lug it everywhere with a bag. Best of all, the 24" bike is so versatile, you don't even need to take the train if you live in the city centre.

Availibility

The Tern Node D16 is available from Johnny Ng's My Bicycle Shop in BU4, Bandar Utama and most Rodalink outlets in the Klang Valley.

First impressions: Tern Eclipse S18

Enter the Road Warrior...

Built to survive: Tern's Eclipse S18

I am taking some time to set up my latest touring bike.
And its a 24" foldie.
When I first heard of its existence, I've pretty much made up my mind about acquiring two more 24" bikes to complement my current range of 24" bikes including the Eclipse X20 and P9.
Out of the box, it's ready for inner city commutes and a ride in the countryside.
This is also a long-range bike that is built with comfort in mind.
It's also a worthy successor of the Eclipse P24h which was meant for touring if you set it up with racks.

The saddle has to go...

Well, the first thing I got rid of, were the Biologic Phia gel saddles.
I replaced it with a KORE saddle while the other bike enjoyed a Selle Royal gel seat. These will be kept as spares in my inventory.

The new KORE saddle on my Road Warrior

Widest tires in its class..

I've ridden the Eclipse S11i sometime back and found it to be really smooth rolling and comfortable on short and medium distance rides.
But it had some issues with the SKS fenders that seems to twist easily on the fork and underneath the seatstays.
Tern has improved this by using a larger and wider fork on the S18 and fitted it with a set of SKS Aluflex XXL spoilers. And they looked really good and functional.
Even the tires are larger than the Schwalbe Big Apple. 
On this bike, there's the Big Ben 24 x 21.5 tires that are made with a textured surface. Puncture protection on this low-pressure tire is said to be one of the best around.

The Schwalbe Big Ben 24x21.5 front tire, wide, comfortable and tough

Biologic's latest portage rack and the Spartan front rack

Tern is selling its Road Warrior with a set of luggage racks.
You get the Biologic Portage 24 and the Spartan rack to carry your front and rear pannier and the Portage system is Kickflix compatible. This means endless possibilities for the cyclist who wants to enhance the bike's luggage and cargo carrying capabilities.

Anytime, anywhere: The Portage 24 rack is specially designed for Tern's 24" bikes

All the bells and whistles you will need for the road..

While the components for the bike are mid-range parts, Tern did not cut corners by giving the Road Warrior a set of Valo 2 front light which is capable of delivering 150lumens of illuminaton and this is powered by the award-winning Joule 3 dynamo hub.
For added safety, a Spanniga LED rear light is integrated with the Joule energy system. This means you can leave home without worrying about returning late at night.

The Valo 2 headlight

Biologic's Joule 3 dynamo system is an award-winning design..

The first ride...

I took this bike out for a photoshoot and found it to be really smooth.
Of course it was tuned by Master Johnny Ng of My Bicycle Shop and I don't think anyone around can do a better job.
The Big Ben tires are really comfortable, taking off all the bumps and knocks during the ride and there's more to come as I have plans to ride the Road Warrior on long-distance excursions.
This bike will also be our standard mode of transport in our tours around Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Indonesia.

Something new from Tern Bicycles..

It just got better, and better! And its so gonna ROCK!!!!

Word has it that a new bike will be introduced at the Eurobike show this August 28.
I am very excited with the development of the bike as it is aimed for urban commute as well as some light touring.
The new bike is an addition to Tern Bicycle's stable of 24" folding bikes.
More to come on the mystery bike..