Dahon Qix D8

With 20-inch wheels and a straightforward folding action, the Dahon Qix D8 doesn't pack away as small as the market leader, but it's very good value for money and has a nippy ride.

• Pros: Easy to fold, close to regular bike feel
• Cons: Doesn't fold that small

Folding bikes inevitably get compared with the Brompton, so let's get the broad comparison out of the way. The Dahon Qix D8 is less complicated to fold than a Brompton, but ends up as a considerably bigger package when folded. It's substantially cheaper though, and thanks to its 20-inch wheels feels a bit more like a regular bike than a smaller-wheeled folder.

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Folding bikes are always a compromise. As a rule of thumb, the smaller a bike folds and the less it costs, the less like a standard bike it will ride. The Qix D8 is a great demonstration of this. It doesn't fold down to a tiny package, but without the clever engineering necessary to achieve a very small fold it comes out at a very reasonable price. Keeping the fold simple and using 20-inch wheels also helps provide a better ride feel.

The Dahon Qix D8 folds to 82 x 64 x 37cm. That's quite a bit bigger than a Brompton's 58.5 x 56.5 x 27cm, but the Dahon costs £750 (and can be found for under £700) while the cheapest comparable Brompton, the rack-equipped, six-speed M6R, is £1,130.

Despite its larger folded size, the Dahon has another advantage. Its 20in wheels give a ride that's rather more like a full-sized bike than a folder. You're not going to mistake the Qix D8 for a carbon race bike, but the larger wheels, especially up front, make it a bit smoother on potholed streets. To be fair, Brompton does a good job of protecting your bum from road bumps with a rubber rear suspension bumper that also contributes to its diddy fold.

When folded, it's still small enough to go in the lower luggage spot of most trains, and it's not in the way if you stand it in the vestibule area. It's also nicely balanced for short carries; you just grab the back of the saddle and away you go. Admittedly, you wouldn't want to lug it too far, but lifting it on the train or into the back of a car is fuss-free.

The Qix D8's folding action is very simple. You drop the seatpost, fold the handlebar stem, and then fold the frame at the main hinge. A magnet on the end of the right fork blade grabs a steel plate on the left dropout to hold the ends together so the bike doesn't flap around when folded.

You can also fold both pedals. Only the drive-side pedal sticks out when the Qix D8 is folded, so you don't actually need to fold them both, but being able to do so has another use that I'll get to shortly.

A rack, mudguards and a kickstand are welcome features; I don't believe a commuter bike deserves the name unless it has at least the first two. The rack comes with a luggage elastic, which is handy for your U-lock. There's also a chainring guard to stop the transmission eating your trousers. All that's missing is built-in lighting, but Dahon only seems to offer that on e-bikes, which is a pity.

Having a folding bike is somewhat of a luxury for me. I don't have the bike-train-bike commute for which folders are super-useful. But what I have found incredibly handy about the Dahon Qix D8 is the ability to partially fold it and store it in the hallway, ready for use.

This is where it's handy that both pedals fold. With the pedals flat and the handlebar and stem folded down, the Dahon Qix D8 is a little under 27cm (11in) wide. That means it doesn't have inconvenient protuberances waiting to snag on clothing and so can be stored in the hallway ready to go without getting in the way. In my house at least it also gets to snuggle against the radiator, in classic Third Policeman style. No food has gone missing in its vicinity. Yet.

The ride

The Dahon Qix D8 has a tight, accurate ride thanks to the stiffness that comes from its oversized main frame member and fat handlebar stem and seatpost. Its handling is definitely on the quick side. It responds instantly to every movement of the handlebar. That's great for dodging potholes, but it can get a little fatiguing on longer rides.

There have been some pretty ropey folding bikes over the years. The all-aluminium Bickerton of the 70s and 80s was very light but flexible as all hell; you didn't so much throw it into corners as gently coax it. The first version of the Strida folder was the scariest bike I've ever ridden, with amazing amounts of flex in just about every direction. I gather recent versions are better.

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The Qix D8 has none of these problems. The joints lock solidly when closed and there's no noticeable flex from them in steady riding, or from the super-long seatpost and stem.

Components

The Qix D8 has a classic setup for a round-town or commuting bike: eight-speed SRAM derailleur gears operated by twist-grip shifters and V-brakes. The 53-tooth chainring and 11-32 cassette would give a high gear range on a standard bike, but with the 20-inch wheels that 53T chainring is the equivalent of a 40T on a road bike, giving a gear range from 33in to 96in. You're not going to be setting any downhill records with that top gear, but it's plenty high enough for zooming round town. The low gear is very sensible; you should be able to cope with the hills in most UK towns and cities, though residents of places like Bristol and Sheffield might feel differently.

The Winzip V-brakes are a fairly ordinary offering. They have a spongy feel and lack authority, but they do the job.

I didn't love the Dahon-branded saddle, but it's wide and deeply padded so it works fairly well in an upright riding position.

The folding pedals are tidy. To stow them away you push the plastic outer cage toward the frame and free it from the aluminium body. They're a bit slippery when wet, though; a few BMX-style steel grip studs wouldn't go amiss. I'd be tempted to add a few stainless steel self-tappers and cut the heads off.

The tyres are unremarkable offerings from Schwalbe's budget brand Impac, but at least they have reflective sidewalls. Fixing a flat on a small-wheel bike is a serious pain in the bum, especially in the case of the Qix d8's rear wheel which is held in place with nuts rather than a quick release. This application cries out for Schwalbe Marathon Green Guard or Marathon Plus tyres to minimise the risk of a flat.

Conclusion

Dahon has done a good job with the Qix D8. It rides well and folds easily to a usefully compact package. It has a reassuring feel of both quality and solidity, as well as handling that's just right for dashing round town. The few component compromises can be forgiven in a folder at this price.

Verdict

Dependable folder that's easy to stash away and rides well