A very biased review of the Tern Link P24 folding tourer. Chris Wee alerted me to a fire-sale at Seng Hin bike shop in Muar so I took a quick ride down on my motorbike, checked out the Tern (last unit in the shop) paid for it, and arranged to have it shipped back to KL. All done in a morning’s work … easy-peasy.
Likes
Very sleek-looking machine in black with touches of neon green
Fully constructed from 6061 T6 aluminum
Very responsive, no flex whatsoever, even when pounding the pedals on a climb
Stiff frame, especially the rear triangle resulting in a very ‘torquey’ ride
Folding mechanism based on quick-release concept. Very sure and solid.
10-second folding time (if you’re into bike-folding competitions)
Nicely finished with emphasis on details (love the little bird logo)
SRAM gripshift surprisingly easy to use, no accidental shifts.
3-speed Sturmey Archer rear hub provides a low-enough gear for grinding up steep hills
Fixed front derailleur. No more shifting up-front.
Ready with fenders.
Schwalbe Marathon Supreme tyres
Built-in pump in seat post
Adjustable handlebar stem – racy to relax
Nifty 4 and 6mm allen key inside handlebar end.
Solid V-brakes.
Sealed-bearing cartridge in bottom bracket
Kickstand
Fits the wife/daughter perfectly
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Dislikes
Fully constructed from 6061 T6 aluminum
Too stiff to ride on anything but smooth, sealed roads
Proprietary handlebar setup. Cannot use butterfly bar or handlebar bag.
Not enough real estate on handlebar for gadgets.
Ugly, beefy, overkill welds on critical joints
Gripshift for RD turns the opposite direction to shift gears – forward for low, backwards for high.
Ergo grips (applies to me personally, don’t like the feel of my palm pressing on the extra bit of rubber)
Saddle feels and performs like a cheapo
Standard rear rack too low for large panniers. Have to buy a taller one.
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Conclusion
Great for light touring on first-world roads or bikepacking using public transport or criss-crossing Malaysian states and Indonesian islands.
For everything else, the Surly still rules.
Bet the 2nd thing to go after the seat is the grip shift! LOL
Actually this particular gripshift is not too bad, only thing is, I have to remember to twist the damn thing in the opposite direction…I’m going to give it a chance on the 3B tour and see if it holds up. Otherwise … :-))
Looks like it may be re-configured for the kids!lol
On the other hand, I have to give Tern a big pat for their folding catch system. A lot better/tougher than what the Dahon used to have.
Agree with you Matt, the folding catch is top-notch…once locked, it stays solidly locked.
How is it compared to the Jumaat? 🙂
Al, both are good, fun bikes; just different in the way they handle. The Tern is a very solid, stiff bike and the BF is a very solid but more forgiving bike. The BF is also easily customisable while the Tern is not. In any case, I knew what I was getting into when I bought it. As I mentioned, I won’t be doing a demanding tour on the Tern…or with any foldie for that matter (sorry la, BF :-))
I realised that for me, the Surly is more suitable for anything longer than a week.
P.S…didn’t mention this before but once seat height is correctly dialled in, the BF Expedition’s higher bottom bracket means you’d have to get your butt off the saddle when you stop, otherwise you’re precariously tip-toeing. Also, I find that a foldie’s low top tube makes it a bit unstable when you stand and hold it between the legs while the hands are off the handlebar taking photos with a camera.
Agree, foldies are not designed to out perform full size bikes esp in the touring dept but they have their niche moments, which can make or break a trip.
http://smallwheelsbigsmile.blogspot.com.au/2011/07/why-foldie-this-is-another-reason-why.html
http://lovethefold.blogspot.com.au/2011/08/van-ning-back-to-nong-khai.html
🙂
Ah. That’s a good point on the higher BB for the Llama. But so far it’s still the most stable among the rest. The new ones comes with disc brake which I find is a huge bonus.
On the point in taking photo, I seldom frame on the move. Just snap and shoot on the widest 24mm on my IXUS. Do u shoot a lot while on the move?
Congratulations on your new bike. I would like to add that if possible please take note of the bike’s “slipping” issues on the higher speeds gear. I have send mine in many times to resolve but non was achieved… So I resolved the issue by “sacrificing” the first 8 speeds of my bicycle and the slipping is no more… But all and all it serves me well and after a little moding on my own I managed to change many peoples skeptical perceptions of this wonderful bicycle.
Matt, I shoot on the move as well but most times I simply stop the bike and shoot from where I am. When I was on the BF, there was no kickstand so I had to balance the bike between the legs. It behaves differently once the bike is loaded at the back and with a handlebar bag in front. The front wheel tends to turn and the whole bike slips sideways from under you.
Kenneth, I’ve read about the rear hub slipping so I’m waiting to see if and when it happens. I’m sure there’s a solution to fix it 😉
Hey where is this Seng Hock Bike Shop? any addresss that I can reference to?
Seng Hock bike shop website is here: http://www.s2hcycle.com/ They’re in Muar.
Were those BioLogic grips intentionally turned the wrong way in pics 5, 11, and 12?
Yes they were…didn’t like it at first…