Last week, I was standing in my corner of the shop, typing away and letting Roberto slowly surround me with a towering pile of shipping boxes, when I hear Bert’s voice, “Jack, a new bike from Dahon, have you seen the Jifo 16 yet?” I look to my right, and there it is: an extremely small frame, 16 inch wheels, looks like I could almost fit it into the truck of my car without folding it up.
Jifo Folding Bike
I reach over and lift it up, and am immediately surprised at how light it is. Only 19.7 pounds, man, it really feels like nothing. The weight of a bike is one of those things, the lighter you get, the more you notice the difference of a few pounds. It may be difficult to tell the difference between an E-bike that’s 55 lbs and one that’s 53 lbs, but the difference between a 23lbs and 19.7lb folding bike is life changing.
Taking a test-ride on the Jifo folding bike
That night I rode the Jifo 16 home to see how it would ride. Heading west on 85th toward Central Park, I was immediately surprised at how stable and sturdy the Jifo felt. Initially, I expected the smaller and lighter frame to feel a bit unstable, but, riding along, the ride felt smooth, no creaking, no bending, it was great.
The Jifo’s speed
I was also surprised at how fast I could go on the Jifo. Like the M1L Brompton or the Dahon Speed Uno the Jifo is a single speed folding bike. The gearing on a single speed bike is a delicate thing. Too low, and you won’t be able to go fast enough, too high and you’ll find it too difficult to pedal on flats. The Jifo 16 has a nice balance. Going down the hill that sweeps west around the top of Central Park, I could give the bike a little extra kick, and the Jifo had no problem going up the steep hill at 125th and Amsterdam.
I could easily imagine buying the Jifo as a second bike
Jifo Folding Bike
On the Jifo it took me about 20 minutes to ride from NYCewheels, at 85th and York, to my apartment at 139th and Broadway. It would have taken me over 40 minutes, maybe even an hour to take the bus. After my ride, I carried the Jifo up the stairs to my apartment, a feat made much easier by its incredibly light weight, and folded it up, placing it easily in my closet.
I have to say, looking back on the ride, I was very impressed with Dahon’s new bike. Small, light, and easy. I could easily imagine buying this bike as a supplement to a road-bike, and using it to take joy rides around the city when I wasn’t in the mood for a long an intense ride.
Come by the shop and try out the Jifo 16 for yourself. It’s like nothing else in the store and makes a great addition to Dahon’s already impressive collection.
Jack
