by Larry Lagarde
Following are the first of a series of photos of the 2008 DownTube Mini 16" folding bike. Shown here is the box, packing materials and how the folding bike is packed.
First Impressions
The factory does a fine job boxing the bike. Nylon straps and copper staples hold the box firmly together. The folder's metal tubes (seat tube, chainstays, headtube, forks, etc.) are protected by cardboard. Additional pieces of board separate parts of the bike with styrofoam protecting hinges and the folding pedals. The instruction manual and a bike bell are contained in a plastic bag taped to the inside of the box.
Opening the box, the first component that is revealed is the handlebars. As soon as I saw them, I could tell that the DownTube Mini is made of quality materials. The adjustable handlebar's stem is made from 2 gleaming, sturdy, machined blocks of aluminum (unusual for a folder); cables are steel encased with a clear plastic coating (very classy). The paint on the 6061 aluminum frame appears to be powder coated. The tires are good quality 65 psi Kenda's. The drivetrain is a sweet Sturmey Archer 8 speed internal hub. A shock absorber built into the rear frame and a springed, gel saddle should offer a comfortable ride too.
There's more to tell about this 24.5 lb folding bike but I'll leave that for the next installment - the road test.
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