Dahon Cadenza Solo

The Cadenza Solo is a fun, low maintenance singlespeed that's designed to be at home in the city. It's not the lightest or most responsive bike but it's very sturdy, and the folding frame makes it a great option if you have a mixed commute. To somewhere fairly flat.

The bike is based on the folding Cadenza frame that features two LockJaw hinges, one in the seat tube and one in the down tube. They're cam-operated with an Allen key and have a grooved profile to keep everything nice and stiff once they're locked down. The process is simple and the fold reduces the footprint considerably; the Cadenza also features Dahon's F.I.T. stem which allows you to take the bars off without unloading the headset - a nice touch.

Neat though the fold is the bus driver or tube attendant might still have a few issues with the folded bike and when we ended up sticking it in the guards van on a inter city train because it didn't fit into the luggage rack. It will though fit easily into your boot without removing the wheels. The neat magnetic clasp that holds the two halves together is a welcome addition. A bag is available as an optional extra. Given this is an urban bike the Cadenza Solo's fold is more about saving space when stored in office hallways or city apartments than about lugging it on and off public transport - within a city this performs like any other full size bike - it's for riding not folding.

The drivetrain is a 44x16 single speed, which equates to 68" on the 26x1.5 Conti Sport Contact tyres. That's fine for flattish town riding but a bit steep for hilly bath; there's an eccentric BB shell though if you want to swap cogs. Out and about the bike feels very solid and puts the power down well. The frame pivots likely don't help the frame's responsiveness but there's plenty of give in the tyres and the excellent bullhorn bars, and the Cadenza never feels harsh. The long seatpost helps with comfort too.

Even though the actual stem is short the hand position gives an effective stem length that's pretty long, making the steering a bit slower than I would have liked, but it's never vague. The 11.3kg all-in weight means that the Cadenza is a little pedestrian on the climbs and out of the blocks, but once up to speed the bike cruises very well.

The bike is let down a bit by the Kinetik V-brakes, which are a bit grabby and can make the front end judder when you're hauling on the Tektro levers. They do stop you though. The Kinteik branded wheels roll smoothly and are tightly built – there's been no issues with them on test – and the Conti rubber is just right for a fast feel with a bit of bump cushioning. Dahon's seatpost pump is included, which does away with the need to remember one; you will need to remember your 15mm spanner though.

There's lots of potential for customising the Cadenza: rack and mudguard mounts are present and correct, and there's disc mounts front and rear too. If you get bored with a single gear then there's a hanger for a mech too, though you're probably better off spending the extra on the Alfine-specced Cadenza 8 if it's gears you want. However, if you think the Cadenza might be the bike for you, it would be best to be quick, Dahon are changing UK distributors, as of January 1st Zyro will be their UK distriibutor and the Cadenza is not in their 2010 range.

Verdict

Overall the Cadenza solo is a very likeable urban mount: it's a low-maintenance, versatile urban tool and the fact that it folds – without looking like a folder – adds to its appeal for me. It's not light but it is well built, and should last for many years of kerb-hopping. And "Burrito breaks in the Mission District", whatever they are...