Dahon HIT D6 Folding Bike - 6 Speed - Aluminum Frame - 20" Wheels - Matte Black and Orange

Video Transcript for Dahon HIT D6 Folding Bike Review

Hey everyone, it's Evangeline here at etrailer. And today, we'll be taking a look at the Dahon HIT D6 folding bicycle. So, if you're new to the folding bicycle world this is gonna be one of your nicer entry level bicycles. We'll take a look at some of its features, how it works in this video, so that you can get the best bike for your different types of adventures. Right off the bat, I'm actually a fan of the HIT series. So this is gonna be an entry level bike.

It's six speed, that's what the D6 stands for. But I like the way it's designed. We have some good features here, like this nice clamp. This is easy to use and is safe. There we go, look how it locks and then unlocks.

So where it really shines is how lightweight it is and how compact it is when it's folded. So let's take a look at that. A big thing about folding bicycles isn't just how quickly can you fold it, it's also how quickly can you unfold it. So let's say you're at the train, you're just got off the bus, you arrive at your campsite and you're ready to hit the trails, can you unfold your bike quickly and easily So let's take a look at that. So this is all nice and compact.

We have our seat posts down, our pedals are folded in, everything is nice and secure. So we're gonna start by the magnets holding our bike's frame to together. So just pop those apart, there we go. And that will allow us to push this out. So then I'm gonna bring this up.

These are the handle bars and then they're gonna have this lever, just make sure it's not caught up in your cables. There you go, that's secure. This frame too, let's get that secure. We're gonna have a clamp inside, that clamp secures. Let's get this kick stand down, pop these levers, these pedals out. And then, finally, we have our seat post. So that has this lever. To loosen it, lift this up to your desired height and secure it. Just like that, we're ready to go. But before we get into these specs and components and how this all works, let's take a look at it in action out there. I am liking the ride on this HIT bike right now. So you can see how it's going over our different pavement here at etrailer. When you use the shifter, it moves very swiftly, it's very responsive. Also the positioning here means I can see around me a bit more than if I was on a mountain bike, which makes me feel safer because then I can see oncoming traffic and then they can see me as well. Now, this does max out at six speed, so just keep that in mind for your different terrain. Definitely works well for your day to day business. But if you wanna go a little bit more extreme you may wanna check out things like the MU8 with more speeds. So, as you saw, that was a nice ride. I do like how the HIT performed, especially with the grip shifter and how responsive everything was. Now, let's get down to the specs. So some highlights of my favorite parts about this bike is we have the telescoping handlebars. We have very easy to use latches here. We even have an indicator for the ideal folding height mark. Very, very helpful, especially when you're in a hurry. I like how all their clamps are designed. They're nice, they're not rusted. And they don't look like they will rust any time soon, because of that nice finish on them. This does have a weight capacity of 300 pounds, which is a bit more than some of your other entry level folding bikes. That's because we have things like the support cable here. This is, we like to call it their dell tech cable. And this works as a support beam to give you that extra stability and durability. You also have the option for add-ons, because as you notice, it does not have fenders, it does not have a rear rack. But you do have these holes over here. So pop those open, and then you can add the valet truss, which allows you to carry Dahon accessories like a basket or a bag. So it's a very nice and simple frame. This only weighs about 26 and a half pounds. As for the rider height, you can be even shorter than me, from four, eight inches all the way up to six feet and four inches. But enough with specs, let's talk about what it's like living with this. So let's fold this up and see where we can store it. Now you can do a clap. Which one is thisThis is the HIT. The HIT, cool. HIT, HIT, cool, all right, ready Okay, what we're gonna do is we're gonna do a quick comparison of a folding bicycle versus a regular bicycle. So I have John here, who's usually behind the camera but this time he'll be putting a bicycle on his bike rack on his car, while I put a folding bicycle into my car. So let's make this a race, shall we So let's start in three, two, one, go! So I'm gonna drop this down first. There's our handle bars, just push those pedals in real quick. Drop this seat down too, and then lift this up. Fold, oops, let's get that all the way out. There we go, then I get to fold that all the way in back there, that there. Try not to get caught up, okay. Get those magnets together, bring this up, and through, diamond, there. I'm done, you doneI'm done. Okay, so pretty much the same time except mine is locked inside my car and see he still has to attach his cable lock, but pretty close. Yep. So it took pretty much the same amount of time for John to put his bicycle up onto the bike rack as it took for me to fold my bike up and put it inside the car. The main difference was the process itself. And there's different pros, there's different cons. Like this is easy, it's stored away, and I don't have to get a separate cable lock 'cause it's nice and secure. But it does take up space inside my hatch. Meanwhile, a bike on a bike rack takes up space on the outside of the car but frees up the hatch for more cargo. Another thing, too, is make sure you have the right bike rack. John has a very easy to use bike rack, the Kuat Sherpa. But if you don't have a bike rack, you don't have a hitch, having a folding bike still gives you that option of being able to carry a bike around. Here's some tips and tricks about living with a folding bicycle. The first is think about where you're gonna store it. Make sure you have enough space in your hatch or in your RV or in your boat for it. I like to put a quilt down underneath, just to make sure it has a little extra cushion. And then I get to use the quilt too. Another thing is you still have to maintain this. We have tools right here at each trailer as well, just to help you maintain all the different bolts, your chains, things like that. And, think about how you're gonna transport it. So this weighs about a little less than 30 pounds. So that's definitely something worth considering when you're lifting this up into a train or in the bus. The HIT has a very nice magnet, so we can see it's not coming apart. And that's something I really like, 'cause it makes it easier to carry this around. What if you have a trailer and an RV and you also wanna go bicycling when you reach the campground Let's say you need to go into their showers or your friends are parked kind of far away to walk. What you can do is you can get a bike rack and put it in the back of your trailer, your fifth wheel, your camper. Or, if you don't wanna get a bike rack or you don't have space for one, you can get a folding bicycle and store it right inside of your basement. Look at that, just like that we have a folding bike. Now I know that the basement of your trailer, your RV, or motor home can get crowded very quickly. So, the question is how much space do you need to free up for your bicycle Well, I am using the MORyde cargo sliding tray. This fits right into the basement and makes it easier to access your different cargo. And the amount of space this takes up is the width of the trim is about 26 inches. And the length the bike is taking up is about 33 inches from end to end. And the height is about 13 inches. Now this can change depending on how you arrange your bike, but that's the general amount of space you are gonna need. Now, folding bikes can look very similar if you're not sure about the different specs and the different features. So what I did was I did a quick comparison of the other entry level bikes, that way you can make the informed decision and choose the exact bike for you. So I have the top three entry level Dahon folding bicycles here. So I have the Dream D6, the SUV D6, and the HIT D6. What's the difference between the three So, my quick and easy summary and then we'll go into the details right after this is the Dream D6 is your easiest way to enter into the folding bike world. This is the most value bicycle. So if you want something affordable but does the job, that's the Dream D6. Now the SUV is gonna be a little bit lighter than your Dream D6 and you have some sturdier components here. So this is gonna be great if, let's say you're at the camp site or at the campground and you want something that helps you out there. Then finally we have our HIT. This is gonna be sturdier, more durable, you don't have same cargo features though. So if you are more of someone who likes to hit the trails, but you still want a folding bicycle, this is gonna be the one for you. So let's talk about the clamps. So that's gonna be the big difference between your value bike and your other bike. So notice how the clamp on the Dream D6 has a metal finish, you don't have that nice black finish here. In fact, I've noticed there's a little bit of rust on some of the sides where we have this exposed to the elements. So that's gonna be a difference, compared to the nice sleek finish on the SUV or the HIT. Now the Dream D6 is great for urban riding though. So for your students that don't have that much of a budget, or for people who live in teeny tiny apartments, this is gonna be great. So this and the SUV have this rear pannier rack. So notice how we can add our bags here, we can put stuff on top of that. That's something that the HIT does not have. You can add something, though, but that's gonna be a little extra cost added on to this, because this does not include fenders or that rear rack. Speaking of additions, the HIT, though, is the only one that you can actually upgrade. So notice how you have those three holes in front, that works perfectly with the Dahon accessories. So just like this, you can add a basket to your bike. That's something that the SUV and the Dream D6 do not have. So both the Dream D6 and the SUV D6 use the trigger shifters. And, I actually like the trigger shifters. I think they're a lot of fun, you go up, you go down, while the HIT uses a grip shifter. Now the grip shifter's a little bit more responsive than the SUV or the Dream. So if you are someone who shifts a lot that might be something you're worried about too. So in terms of comfort and ease of riding I really prefer the HIT. I think it was the best overall. We definitely had those upgrades there. Like the saddle, the saddle was more comfortable. I mean, that could also just be a male versus a female saddle. But other than that, you have more stability, you have more weight capacity. I think you do get the best value for an entry level bike rack with the HIT. Now the SUV and the Dream still have their perks too. So hopefully this video helped guide you through that and choosing the best bike for you. There are definitely differences between regular bikes and folding bikes. It's all about the application. So, if you have an RV, you have a trailer, you live in the city, you need to commute. Or even you have a boat and you wanna be able to ride around whenever you want, that's where a folding bite comes in handy. They come in different shapes, they come in different sizes, and that's up to you to find the best one. And that was a look right here at our Dahon HIT D6 folding bicycle. My name is Evangeline and I hope you enjoyed the journey..