KHS Westwood: An affordable hard tail folding bike

More choices now..

A variant of the KHS Westwood

I was chilling out at Johnny Ng's shop in Bandar Utama and came across a rather attractive looking folding bike on display.

It was set up next to the KHS F20 - T3 and KHS JJ.

What intrigued me was the front suspension fork.

This is something that you would find on a kid's bike, but it's nicely fitted on the KHS folding bike frame and the stark difference between the higher-end F20 - T3, is the suspension fork.

Both bikes has a small elastomer damper on the seat stay which gives the bike a rather comfy ride on the pavement. 

But it does not serve as a real suspension as the shock absorber's travel is negligable.

You will need at least 2" of shock travel to qualify it as a suspension.

Overall built quality and performance..

Straight out of the box and with a pre-delivery tune-up, the KHS Westwood will deliver a smooth and comfortable ride on the pavement.

It's front suspension fork can be locked for a firmer ride as well as preventing energy loss due to too much dampening.

Most commendable, is the RM3k retail price which made it as one of the cheapest hard tail folding bikes around.

Components-wise, KHS uses some cheap and entry-level parts to compensate for the cost and with proper maintenance, you can expect the bike to run for years without worrying too much about upgrades.

But, it could be even better if you can slowly fit in better parts like disk brakes, wheelset and tires.

The KHS Westwood that is sold here has a 24-speed drivetrain, mechanical disk brakes and KHS' OEM components.

For its basic package, the bike is impressive.

The downside is the overall weight - almost 14kgs and the locking clamp for the handlebar stem.

Other than the obvious flaws, the KHS Westwood is a worthy contender if you are in the market for a pavement/light trail folding bike.

Dahon Jetstream: Above and beyond...

The enduring Dahon Jetstream..

Based on what I found with limited resources, the first Dahon Jetstream surfaced sometime around 2006 - 2007.

It was a bike that features a rear suspension and a rigid front fork.

Since its debut, the bike was given a few upgrades and one of the most successful incarnation of the Dahon Jestream is the Jetstream P8.

This bike features an 8-speed drivetrain with premium components. And most distinguishable: is the Dahon Q suspension designed by German A.

With some tweaks, the Dahon Jetstream P8 is one of few folding bikes that is capable of taking on light and medium offroad trails.

One such guy in the US who lived on a motorhome since 2003 Debbie & Carey's site had taken the Jetstream to the extreme by riding offroad.

Carey, the owner of the Dahon Jetstream XP, had ridden the bike hard and fast until it's frame actually failed.

His site is a reference for all aspiring Jetstream owners.

Early models

The Dahon Jetstream XP in its early years

A 2008 Dahon XP featuring the German A Kilo suspension fork

The Dahon Jetstream XP made its way to the shelves sometime in 2006 or earlier.

Future upgrades includes a redesigned frame which is blockier than its predecessor. The XP maintains its front kinetic pro rims and later models included an active shock absorber where its positive or negative rebound can be set according to user-preference.

2011 Dahon Jetstream: as good as it gets...

The 2011 Dahon Jetstream EX

Shipped in July 2011, Malaysia received a shipment of 10 Dahon Jetstream EX.

They were the last of Dahon's high-end full-suspension folding bikes ever to leave Taiwan.

It was discontinued that same year.

This bike features a 27-speed drivetrain, full-suspension (German A Kilo front fork and an SR Suntour adjustable shock absorber).

For the last-run, Dahon used the Ashima PCB hydraulic dish brakes. Previous version of this bike came with an Avid hydraulic disk brake system.

The 2011 Jetstream EX was the finest folding bike Dahon has ever built to cater for high-end users.

Dahon Jetstream P8 - the bike that won't bleed your wallet..

The 2010 Jetstream P8 featuring an RST suspension fork

If you want a full-suspension folding bike and are a bit tight in terms of budget, the Dahon Jetstream P8 would be the solution.

It has a retail price of RM3.8k (cheaper than any full-suspension bikes in its class) and packs some really interesting features.

The front and rear shocks actually travels to yield a softer ride on bumpy roads.

It could even take the rigors of light and medium offroad trails.

I've tested this bike and have good things to say about it.

The golden years..

I would say that 2011 was the best year for the Dahon Jetstreams.

Why? The frames were made in Taiwan and premium components were given.

They didn't cut corners as later variants of the Jetstream P8s had cheap components.

The 2010 Dahon Jetstream was packaged with SRAM components and Schwalbe Marathon Supreme tires. 

You won't find that in the current version.

The 2014 Dahon Jetstream P8, now, with mechanical disk brakes

2015 Dahon Jetstream D8, continuing the legacy..

What to expect in 2015? 

Dahon had re-designed the Jetstream to give it a fresh look. You can expect the "Return of the King" with a much more competitive and premium components.

Rather than having cheap parts, Dahon has paired the Jetstream D8 with Shimano groupsets - particularly the shifter and rear derailleur.

Next year's model has a slightly different frame and is much sleeker in terms of design.

Dahon has also given the Jetstream D8 a nicer colour scheme compared to its 2013 and 2014 versions.

Even the tires are much better than the cheap Dahon Rotolos. For 2015, Dahon is packaging the Jetstream D8 with 

On availability and price, I am not sure if the new distributor is going to carry this model. But am hopeful that they will continue to do so.

My Bicycle Shop Charity Ride 2014 - Part 02

The changing landscape of Old Klang Road..

A bridge crossing leading to Old Klang Road

Doing the headcount

Reaching the first home

Our destination was pusat jagaan kanak-kanak PKK in Old Klang Road.
Now, given the apparent danger of riding on this part of the city, I would think twice on moving around the area.
The roads have been widened to a four-lane carriageway and frankly, I was not too comfortable with children riding along for this event.
Mike, the ride leader asked if it's wise to use the overhead pedestrian bridge to get across to Overseas Union Garden.
That was the right thing to do.
The care centre is located in the heart of OUG and we had to take a ride behind Pearl Point Plaza.
I used to travel to this area in the mid-80s and could barely recognize some of the roads.
By 10:00am, we reached the care centre safely and were shown around.
This home houses some children who are physically and mentally handicapped.
The guys went on to set up the storage shelves while I waited for the process to be documented in photographs in stages.
At the centre, I met James Chen, a Siberian Husky owner whom I have lost contact for more than eight years.
He is a jack of all trades and is in the graphic design business. The man is responsible for designing the corporate identity of a high-end folding bike shop in Kg Tunku, Petaling Jaya.

Setting up the storage shelves

Ah Fatt, Ricky, Ah Fatt Jr and Randy at work

Cikgu Chin handing over a treat to one of the boys at the centre

Mike getting a hug and a kiss from one of his benefactors

Taking shelter from the Sun.. (pix: MH Chye)

Touching moments.. 

I was watching the entire thing from a distance.
Them, a mentally disabled teenage boy took a piece of snack from Mike Kium, he returned with a hug and a kiss.
The moment was captured on camera.
Mike, despite looking nerdy with his park charm kai (white chicken) legs, is a man with a big heart. He continued to interact with the children while the rest constructed the shelves.
While the folks were hard at work, some cyclists rode down to a coffee shop nearby to fill their water bottles as well as to catch up on a late breakfast.
I joined my old kaki Swofinty Yik and Mr Cheng for some food and hydrated with some isotonic drinks.
The day was unbelievably hot and after a good fill and a great conversation, I made my way back to the care centre to continue documenting the process.
There, I sat down with Mr Chin, the ex-teacher and talked about his future touring rides.
As a cyclist, he's pretty accomplished. He said that he would one day pursue his dreams of cycling around the Karimun island in Indonesia.

One of the inhabitants at the car centre..

Adding the final touch to the completed storage shelves..

From the PKK II care centre, we rolled out towards another privately-funded centre just down the road.
There, a welcoming party awaits the cyclists.
A Lion dance troupe, finger food truck was among the highlights at the event.
The Sun was out in its full glory, sapping ever bit of our energy, but the enthusiastic folks who cycled all the way from Bandar Utama was not easy to deter.
Despite the heat, they waited patiently and as the drums started to roll, a simple ceremony began to usher the centre's guests and beneficiaries..

Rolling out to the other home.. 

An important guest..

Carried with pride: My Bicycle Shop's Flag!

The cyclists

Mission accomplished: Johnny is a happy man.. 

Doing what's right..

The cyclists spent some time at the centre with the children.
Some hung out at a children's playground, avoiding the strong rays of the Sun.
As soon as the simple ceremony ended, everyone was treated to food and beverage.
I took the cue to fill up my water bottle from a coffee shop nearby..

The Lion Dance troupe performing 

Guests treated to food (note the girl giving evil eye!)

Finger food

One for the road.. 

After the formalities were done, Johnny led the riders to another home before heading back to Bandar Utama.
We stopped by but were told that the children, some who are bed-ridden, were moved to another centre.
As the main sponsor for the event, Johnny left some goods in kind behind before we rode off towards Old Klang Road and Petaling Jaya..

At the last care centre

Albert and Johnny handing over goods in kind to the caretaker

Beginning the ride back to Bandar Utama..

My cue to break off from the main group..

We rode back towards Petaling Jaya Old Town and proceeded towards Jalan 223.
By this time of the day, some of the cyclists were already tired.
When we re-grouped near Assunta Hospital, the back-enders were still far behind.
And at the Jalan Templer intersection, Mike told me that he is going to lead the group onto the Federal Highway motorcycle lane.
I told him that I am going to give a go at the opposite end, heading to Subang Jaya.
We parted ways as I waved the cyclists goodbye.
From there, I continued my ride and clocked in at 68.1km to reach the gate of my home.
It was a satisfying ride and knowing that the good deeds were performed without question had prompted Johnny to organize another ride next year..