Tern Verge D9 or Link D8?
Tern Verge D9 or Link D8?
I'm looking for a folding bike and the two I'm considering most closely are the Tern Verge D9 and the Link D8.
I like that the Verge D9 has disc brakes and I have a strange attraction to its 451 wheels.
The Link D8 has a wider variety of compatibile tires but I don't prefer V-brakes.
Do you know a strong reason to choose one over the other? A strong reason I should be looking at something else entirely?
These are kind of apples and oranges. The Tern Link line is more of a last-mile, multimodal commuter bike and are a "value" segment. The Verge line are more of a fast urban bike. For example, Tern used to make a drop bar Verge that had a very high level of components.
As @Diplomjodler mentioned, hard pass on v-brakes. There used to be amazing v-brakes brakes, but it's a technology that has been eclipsed by disc brakes. Now, v-brakes brakes on a new bike are the hallmark of cheapness. There are still good aftermarket v-brakes brakes out there, but it's going to be money better spent on better starting technology.
I've owned a bunch of Terns, and my partner works in a shop that sells Tern. The Verge bikes are mostly good to really great. The Link bikes are mostly okay to "OMFG, this was made by Tern?!"
Got it and fully agree on the state of V-brakes. I used a pair of XTs on a cyclocross frame until a few years, with compressionless housing and all that and they were brilliant, apart from the modulation.
Funnily I'm looking at the D9 specifically instead of the higher end models, because it comes with a steel fork, which isn't subject to fatigue cracks. Forks tend to bend a lot when braking, which happens often, and I'm afraid might accelerate the ageing of the aluminum.
Any other recommendations for folders, or thoughts?
I have a few bikes with aluminum and CF forks. One of my main whips was all aluminum and I sold that bike at ~125,000 miles and had no worries about it going another 125,000. I did everything with that bike: loaded touring, mixed surfaces, commuting, rutted/rooty trails, hucking down stairs... With the much lower moment arm of the 406 and 451 wheels, I'd have absolutely zero fork concerns. FWIW, my mountain bike is full rigid with an aluminum fork, 29" wheels, 203mm front rotor (for which it's not designed), and I beat the snot out of that bike. Still going strong with all my crashes, abuse, air time, and generally misguided actions. Between the 29er wheel and the larger rotor, that's a looooong moment arm reefing on the fork in multiple axes.
And Terns are quite bulletproof, almost literally. I had an S27h that, among other indignities*, got caught by a loose tarp in a windstorm. Spokes broke, a pedal cracked, fenders ripped off, handlebars bent, rear rack snapped, and a huge ditch carved in the yard where it was thrashing. I repaired the damage and rode that bike another ~5000 miles. The frame and fork were just fine, just a few scratches. There weren't even any dents. I gave that bike to a friend a five years ago, and it's his daily driver to this day.
*It fell in the ocean a week after I bought it. Because I'm an idiot.
For folders, it really depends on your use case, budget, and fit. I'm also a huge fan of Bike Fridays, and owned four over the years: a Pocket Rocket (the 451 wheel speed demon), Speeding Tikit, and two NWT Silks. I think Tern is the better value proposition, but Fridays tend to have a better feeling ride. Bike Friday's motto used to be "As good as your best bike." And my Pocket Rocket absolutely went toe-to-toe with my Cannondale R2000. In some ways, the Friday was better because it was more comfortable and accelerated like a shot from a gun.
Bromptons are amazing, but just not my jam for a wide variety of reasons that probably only apply to me. :D
If you don't really need the folding, check out mini-velos, such as the Velo Orange Neutrino.
There are other niche brands, such as Birdy or Moulton, but I don't have direct experience with anything not listed above.
I would never buy a bike with V-brakes any more. That alone would be a deciding factor for me.
I can't speak for the Verge, but I've had a D8 for well over 5000km, and have done some long (150km+ rides on it).
The v-brakes are excellent on a bike like this, and far less of a pain in the ass compared to disc brakes (lighter, too).
The stock D8 is more utilitarian with the included fenders and rear rack. This does add weight to it, despite being lighter than the Verge D9.
If you're looking for something to get from point A to B with no plans to ride in rain or haul things, the Verge seems like a solid option.
I own a Tern Verge D9. It's a functional and sporty folder.
The Verge is a snappy feeling ride. Think road-bike handing. The tires are also good, but at 30mm it won't like anything rougher than hard-pack dirt. They're also ISO 451, not the more common 406. This size has fewer tires to choose from for a slightly nicer roll. It's up to you to not if that's a worthy hassle.
FYI, the magnetic latch is terrible. You will have chipped paint on the fork. I don't mind but you may.
Careful folding and unfolding. The stem fold likes to bite the brake and shifting lines. That will screw up shifting.
The matching rack they sell uses oversized tubes. You may need to replace the hooks on existing panniers. Also the racks sits closely to the pedals, so large things may have some foot overlap.
I'm sure I have other thoughts floating around about the Verge D9. Ask anything you'd like to know about it and I'll try answering.
Thanks for the info! The current model seems to come with 38c tires. I saw there's very little variety in the 451 diameter and most are 28c. I'm thinking that if I end up needing wider tires and there's nothing available, I could replace the wheelset with 406. Since it's using disc brakes that should work fine. I was considering converting the front of a Link D8 to disc but it seems like 20" disc forks are much harder to find than 406 disc wheels. Have you looked into a front rack? Is it Taiwan-made or PRC-made? Have you fit fenders on it? Can it roll folded without the special rack for rolling?
The 38 tires should really help on the rougher paths. Maybe I'll pick them up when I wear out my current set.
I haven't tried the front rack yet. Not out of dislike but because I usually pack nothing or way too much. 🤣
Same goes with fenders. I haven't installed them, and probably won't. It's too sunny where I'm from.
The frame is made in Vietnam. The quality is alright, not amazing but certainly appropriate for the price point. No issues with it so far and better than some frames I've seen from the PRC.
It can roll without a rolling rack, but not easily. Good enough for a few feet here and there. I suggest going for the rolling rack if you want to push it around train platforms and such. The saddle is padded on the underside though. It's nice when going up stairs.
One more thing: the drive train is exposed when folded. Watch out for dirty chains and be careful when loading it into a car. It's easy to damage the derailleur hanger or disk brake if it tips over. Support the bike with a box or tie it down when transporting it.