We will obviously recommend heading to your local Dahon dealer and investing in a new folding bike that will give you many good years of service, however, you might notice that the internet has quite a few options for buying a second-hand Dahon. Here are some tips and advice for getting the best out of a used folding bike:

1. You get what you pay for

Or do you? With second-hand Dahon, this is not true at all. Prices vary as wildly as quality and it all depends on who’s selling. Some people have kept the bike in lovely condition over the years and just want to sell it at a reasonable rate to someone who will enjoy it as they have. Equally, some people will have left a very nice bicycle rusting in the yard and still expect to make good money on it because of the Dahon name, or because it’s ‘vintage’. Every now and again someone will have a rare Dahon that is in mint condition, and then you probably can’t avoid the higher price tag. The point is, you can usually find a bike in the right price range and condition for your needs, just keep looking.

2. Is it a Dahon?

You might be aware that we sometimes make bikes for other brands, they usually have a sticker saying ‘Dahon licensed technology’ somewhere on the frame. Although the quality of these bikes is still great and they pass all international safety tests, they do not use quite the same level of components or technology that we employ on Dahon bikes, so they are not quite as high-end as our leading range. The hinge may use an expired patent for example. Some people will even state the bike is a Dahon when there is no connection whatsoever. So keep an eye out for people selling online trying to draw in buyers by claiming the bike is a Dahon if it doesn’t have the Dahon logo on the frame.

3. Find out as much as possible before buying

If possible, try before you buy! Give the bike a good once-over, look for cracks, rust, etc. You can find a few tips on checking a bike’s condition in the Service section of our Owner’s Manual. You might also want to ask the seller for a snap of the serial number, as this can tell you more about the age and even the frame material (eg. modern Dahons with a steel frame always have a T in the serial number, the rest are aluminum, older models vary). Info on this and locating the serial number is here. More importantly, the serial number may be able to tell you if the bike is registered as stolen. Many countries have a national database for stolen bikes, search online for yours, or if you’re in the USA look here, for the UK here.

4. See your local dealer

Once you have your shiny new, old bike, don’t risk your safety by assuming it’s road-worthy. Unless you are quite proficient in bicycle maintenance, play it safe and take it to your Dahon dealer or any local bike shop for a service.

5. And remember

Those common sense points about buying online, free-ad sites, and similar – never give out your personal or account details or send money without meeting the seller or seeing the bike.