You live in the city, and need a light and small bike to commute around town and take
the train, and you don't have much space to store it. The Brompton P-Line is intriguing but you're
disappointed by its limited gear range and, besides, it's too expensive for your budget.
Does the new 16-inch wheel Dahon K3 Plus have what it takes to compete against the P-Line. That's
what we'll find out in this video. When ordered online, the bicycle arrives almost ready to ride.
Basically only inserting the seat post, inflating the tires and installing the right pedal with a
15 mm wrench. The black seat post is engraved with a white centimeter scale and
can accommodate riders with inseam up to 84 cm which roughly translates to 180 cm height,
slightly less than six feet. The non-adjustable stem has a stack similar
to the Brompton S handlebar, but with a slightly shorter reach. A rider with a 75 cm inseam
should expect a seat to be roughly aligned with the handlebar. A rider with an 80 cm inseam
will need to raise the seat 5 cm above the handlebar, a more aggressive riding position.
The K3 Plus wheelbase is 135 mm shorter than the Brompton, making it more twitchy. This is somewhat
compensated for by its wider handlebar. The light foam grip is adequate but, over longer rides,
it could prove insufficient to prevent wrist fatigue. More ergonomic grips might be a nice upgrade.
The provided seat is satisfactory, compatible with the sporty nature of the bike.
Note the maximum recommended rider weight limit for the K3 Plus is 85 Kg or about 190 lbs
which is lower than the usual 100 Kg limit on most folding bikes. Finally,
and maybe most importantly, this aluminum alloy bicycle weighs slightly less than 10 Kg,
similar to the steel and titanium Brompton P-Line. The 55 teeth 130 BCD front chainring and 9-speed
11-28T Sunrace cassette provided 254% range, from 2.3 to 6 meters of development.
Both bicycles have a similar top speed, but the K3 has better hill climbing capabilities.
The shifter and derailleur are Dahon branded - it's disappointing that Shimano components weren't used.
Note that the K3's short chainstay, about 35 mm shorter than the Bromptons,
creates a significant chainline offset when using the lowest and highest gears.
Having said that, gearing works very well although we miss the Mariner's integrated
geared indication. Like all small wheel bikes with derailleurs, the cage plate is quite low to the
ground, something to be aware of when riding over obstacles. As we've shown in a previous
video, small wheels with rim brakes are more prone to overheating than their larger cousins.
The introduction of disc brakes alleviates this problem. The Tektro Aries MD-M300 calipers and 140mm
disc brakes installed on the K3 plus are a significant improvement over the brim brakes
usually found on folding bikes. However, disc brakes plus a 9-speed cassette means the K3 has a wider
rear triangle, 135 mm versus Brompton's 115 mm. A compromise that affects the
size of the bike when folded. The rider has to choose between more gears or smaller folding size.
The 16 x 1.5 inches, 40-305 Dahon tires, based on CST Voltaic tires, have a 60 to 100 PSI range and are
well suited to road cycling while still providing very acceptable grip on crushed stone paths.
The Dahon choice of the smaller 305 mm diameter tires instead of the more common 349 mm,
like those found on the Brompton, may reduce the number of tire upgrade options.
The lack of front fork clearance further limits the choice of compatible tires.
The K3 Plus is based on the classic mid-fold design.
An interesting feature is the internally rooted cables visible here through the main frame hinge.
Like most Dahon bikes, a magnet at the rear ensures the bike stays folded when carried. Unfortunately,
as opposed to the Dahon Mariner, the stem doesn't fold between the two wheels but, outside. This makes
the bike more awkward to carry and increases the probability of the stem swinging free.
We're told that the latest K3 Plus model being introduced will have a stem that folds inside.
Some may want to wait for this new feature before buying. The K3 Plus is light to carry, but would
benefit from quick release removable pedals to reduce the overall width of the bike when folded.
At the moment, the outside stem fold and fixed pedals make carrying the folded bicycle
significantly more awkward than a Brompton P-Line, even though both are the same weight.
The K3 Plus focuses more on speed than cargo capacity. It doesn't come with rear rack attach
points although the front head tube has braze-on mounts compatible with the KlickFix adapter
as well as the Dahon and Tern proprietary adapters. The top tube is equipped with a braze-on for a water
bottle cage, a simple advantage that is missing on all Bromptons. While the K3 Plus comes with
multiple Dahon branded components, most can be easily replaced or upgraded with options
from third-party providers. The K3 upgrade market seems quite active, especially in Asia.
Finding a local bike shop offering the K3 and its replacement parts may or may not be easy
depending on your geographic location. This could affect long-term maintenance as well.
For many, online ordering may be the way to go, for better or worse.
We have to address the price discrepancy around the world. At present, the K3 Plus
at $1500US is the most expensive non-electric bike offered by Dahon in the United
States. Meanwhile, the same bike could be bought for about half that price in Asia. The cost in
your location could be a significant factor in your purchase decision. Like a cabriolet sports car,
the K3 Plus is a small and well-crafted machine designed to be agile and is a lot of fun to ride.
It's lightweight invites quick acceleration and high speed cornering. Its 9 gears are
more than sufficient for any urban adventure and its mechanical disc brake will reduce your
stress level during high speed descents. Also like a zippy sports car, it doesn't have much
luggage storage, it's not suitable for taller or heavy riders and, yes, it can be expensive in some markets.
While it doesn't match the convenience of a Brompton P-Line when folded, it's of equal
weight and offers superior gearing and braking performance at a fraction of the price. Finally, the
choice of 309 mm wheels seems unusual. Time will tell if this will become a maintenance issue.
Until then, we'll enjoy the ride. Is this the bike you were looking for? Share your
thoughts in the comments section. We are Pam and Gilbert from 2bikes4adventure
and we wish to thank Dahon for providing the K3 Plus for this impartial evaluation.