Usual ebay fever has taken over me. I bid on the above bike - and although I did not win I have been offered the bike as a second chance. The vendor has 459 positive feedback comments and not a single negative. I know it does not meet my requirements stated in my previous thread but I think it might be a good "stick your toe in the water" bike which, with a bit of luck, I can re sell in a few months.
I have until tomorrow evening to accept. The price is sub £425 - about a third of new retail.
Summary below - any contributions/observations would be welcome!
Dahon Roo El Special Edition folding electric bicycle, complete with charger and spare battery
At a weight of under 17.5 kgs this is still the lightest electric bicycle ever built for general use.
It folds down to 33 x 66 x 80 cm (13" x 26" x 31.5"), light weight and folded size making it ideal for multi-modal commuting, but still comfortable for a fifty mile ride in the country.
This example is one of the few 2006 models imported to the UK with a:
7005 alloy frame, 16.8 volt electrics, brilliant front hub dynamo headlamp, and rear auto vibration/light sensitive battery lamp.
Now discontinued, it was designed in California and built in Taiwan,
(unlike many electric bicycles which are both designed and built in China, producing folders which are not ideal for the taller rider).
The Roo El will accommodate cyclist heights of 5 feet 4 to 6 feet 4 inches.
The 16.8 volt 8 amp NiMh battery cells will power the bicycle for at least 20 miles (assuming an inexperienced cyclist who never pedals the road speed up to and beyond the legal power cut-off of 15 mph), but will easily provide a range of up to 30 miles for the more experienced (or, with the power switch set to Economy, anybody who is happy with a longer more leisurely ride).
Using the spare battery which is included in this listing will double any of these distances.
This example was purchased new by me in the summer of 2006 and has seen only moderate leisure use as I do not commute: it is therefore in outstanding condition and full working order.
A detailed specification will be found at World Wheels - The No 1 internet source for Dahon Folding Bikes in UK and EU (errors and omissions excepted, of course).
Note the following changes which I have made:
the pedals are alloy non-folding, the grips are Ergon (which, unlike the originals, are locked on and do not twist on the bars),
and the tyres are Marathon Plus, the best puncture resistant tyres available, which provide a firm but flexible ride with low rolling resistance.
They add half a kilo to the weight but that is well worthwhile for the freedom from flats. Note the full tread as shown in the photos.
The power system is Sram Sparc, a unique well-tried pure (electronic) pedelec design, which contains
two 100 watt motors, five speed hub gear, and electronic controller inside the rear hub.
There are therefore only two cables, one to the battery on the rear rack for power, and one to the battery meter, Off, Econ, and Full switch on the handlebars.
The whole bicycle and power system complies 100% with the existing UK regulations,
and the forthcoming EU regulations for electrically assisted pedal cycles.
I have until tomorrow evening to accept. The price is sub £425 - about a third of new retail.
Summary below - any contributions/observations would be welcome!
Dahon Roo El Special Edition folding electric bicycle, complete with charger and spare battery
At a weight of under 17.5 kgs this is still the lightest electric bicycle ever built for general use.
It folds down to 33 x 66 x 80 cm (13" x 26" x 31.5"), light weight and folded size making it ideal for multi-modal commuting, but still comfortable for a fifty mile ride in the country.
This example is one of the few 2006 models imported to the UK with a:
7005 alloy frame, 16.8 volt electrics, brilliant front hub dynamo headlamp, and rear auto vibration/light sensitive battery lamp.
Now discontinued, it was designed in California and built in Taiwan,
(unlike many electric bicycles which are both designed and built in China, producing folders which are not ideal for the taller rider).
The Roo El will accommodate cyclist heights of 5 feet 4 to 6 feet 4 inches.
The 16.8 volt 8 amp NiMh battery cells will power the bicycle for at least 20 miles (assuming an inexperienced cyclist who never pedals the road speed up to and beyond the legal power cut-off of 15 mph), but will easily provide a range of up to 30 miles for the more experienced (or, with the power switch set to Economy, anybody who is happy with a longer more leisurely ride).
Using the spare battery which is included in this listing will double any of these distances.
This example was purchased new by me in the summer of 2006 and has seen only moderate leisure use as I do not commute: it is therefore in outstanding condition and full working order.
A detailed specification will be found at World Wheels - The No 1 internet source for Dahon Folding Bikes in UK and EU (errors and omissions excepted, of course).
Note the following changes which I have made:
the pedals are alloy non-folding, the grips are Ergon (which, unlike the originals, are locked on and do not twist on the bars),
and the tyres are Marathon Plus, the best puncture resistant tyres available, which provide a firm but flexible ride with low rolling resistance.
They add half a kilo to the weight but that is well worthwhile for the freedom from flats. Note the full tread as shown in the photos.
The power system is Sram Sparc, a unique well-tried pure (electronic) pedelec design, which contains
two 100 watt motors, five speed hub gear, and electronic controller inside the rear hub.
There are therefore only two cables, one to the battery on the rear rack for power, and one to the battery meter, Off, Econ, and Full switch on the handlebars.
The whole bicycle and power system complies 100% with the existing UK regulations,
and the forthcoming EU regulations for electrically assisted pedal cycles.
I think the 20 miles stated for an inexperienced cyclist never going above the 15mph cutoff is also stretching it a bit. 
