DAHON K9Xに乗ってみた
This time I would like to introduce DAHON’s latest product K9X. This model may be the perfect bike for those who are thinking about cycling and want to value lightness, but don’t want to buy something expensive . The reason is that it has a 9-speed gear despite its compact size.
Most bicycles of this size have single gears, or even 3-speed gears. It’s suitable for going for a bike ride and walking around the station, but I think it would be difficult to handle long distances. With 9 speeds, you can easily climb uphill and enjoy solid speed on flat ground, so
It can be used for things like “crossing one mountain to the next town.” It also has disc brakes and weighs less than 10kg at 9.5kg. This seems like it would be easy to carry even when folded.The disc brake itself is not hydraulic but a wire puller made by Tektro, but the
Front wheel is only attached to the right side of the wheel so that the handle can be folded inward when folded. The inward-folding method means that the handle is stored between the front and rear wheels, but
Personally, I wish it had an outward-folding handlebar so that you could enjoy a variety of handle shapes. The frame looks similar to Dahon’s popular 14-inch folding bike K3, but the wheelbase is longer, so it’s probably better to think of it as a different product.
Chain stays and seatstays also have complicated shapes, such as twists and turns and holes. Also, because the number of rear sprockets has increased due to the multi-stage design, the rear end width has become quite wide at 135mm. I am wearing tires with a thickness of 1.5.
The ETRTO designation is 305, which is one size smaller than the same 16-inch Brompton tire. A large diameter 55T chainring is attached to the front. The saddle is wide and has good cushioning, making it a comfortable ride. The seat post is made of aluminum and has a diameter of 33.9mm.
The length is 580mm, making it suitable for tall riders. The top of the frame has dowel holes for bottle cages. It’s really useful because you can carry drinks and luggage. The cable is internally placed, so it looks clean. The head tube is equipped with a pedestal for basket or rack mounting.
It seems that using VALET TRUSS etc. will help increase the loading capacity. The pedals are a little heavy, but they come with folding pedals as standard. I asked the staff to fold the K9X.
If you look at it this way, you can see that it’s quite wide due to the disc brakes and wide rear end. When folded, the total of the three sides exceeds 160cm, so please be careful when riding the Shinkansen as it will be treated as oversized luggage.
So let’s try riding it right away. When you sit on the saddle and look at it from above, the frame looks quite thin. It feels incredibly rigid for a folding bike, and there is no looseness or creaking noise from the seams.
Despite being a small-diameter vehicle, the front wheels do not wobble and the straight-line stability is still high. Shift changes are crisp and feel good. It doesn’t have the crisp, crisp feel of the Dahon K3, but I think the K9X is better suited for long distance riding.
The ride feels soft and comfortable, probably due to the increased air volume in the tires. I think I could get more speed if I had a heavier gear, but it’s scary to go too fast on a small-wheeled car, so I think this is about right when I think about climbing.
Although it is a small folding bicycle , it is a bicycle that makes you want to go over a mountain and go to the next town . It’s amazing that it has 9 gears and disc brakes and weighs less than 10kg.
The selling price is also attractive at 135,300 yen, and I think it will become a very popular model. Lastly, I would like to introduce the Dahon K series. First is the single gear K1. The tire size is 14 inches and the weight is 7.8 kg.
And also K3 with 14 inches and 3 speed gear. It also weighs 7.8kg. And the 9-speed K9X introduced this time. It is 16 inches and weighs 9.5 kg. I think you should choose one that suits you by considering your purpose and wallet. This channel provides information about bicycles and the outdoors.
Please subscribe to the channel if you like.
ダホンの9速、ディスクブレーキ仕様の折り畳み自転車K9Xに乗ってみました。