Fnhon DB11: Elosix 29 cm 2 Bolt Handlepost

My latest folding bike project is the Fnhon DB11, which is a 1x11 speed folding bike with 451 wheels, premium XTR brakes and some other goodies.

Among the new components that I used was the latest Fnhon handlepost, which has a smooth joint like Tern Physis handleposts. This gives it a better appearance and also looks more high-end. However, after using it, I found that it seems to be slanted to one side.

What I mean by slanted is that the handlepost is not perfectly vertical, when the front wheel is perfectly vertical. There is a sideways tilt of the handlepost, which causes the handlebar to be tilted as well. The end result is that one side of the handlebar will be higher than the other, when riding straight. This effect is not much, but it is enough that I can feel the difference.

When the front wheel is vertical, the top of the handlepost can be seen offset to the right side, due to the tilt of the handlepost. This offset also causes the handlebar to be higher on the left side than the right side.

Although riding and folding the bike is normal, this tilting of the handlebar gives me a weird sensation that I cannot get used to. I am probably more sensitive to these kind of non-symmetrical effects, as I always set up my components to be as perfectly symmetrical as possible.

Examples: height and angle of road shifter hoods needs to be the same on left and right side, handlebar needs to be perfectly perpendicular to front wheel, saddle needs to be pointed perfectly straight, etc.

Other than the handlepost tilt, I also found that the handlebar height is a little higher than what I prefer. It is VERY difficult to find a handlepost height that is shorter than the common 31.5 cm Fnhon handlepost, as most other handleposts are taller. I used to have a shorter 27 cm handlepost, but I can't find it on Taobao any more.

After much searching, I finally managed to find a seller who has a shorter handlepost available. It also needs to be the 2 bolt or 4 bolt kind (not QR or T-shaped type), and also inward folding. Apparently the brand is Elosix, but it could be anything actually.

New shorter Elosix handlepost on the left, versus the common 31.5 cm Fnhon handlepost on the right. Both of these are the traditional Dahon/Fnhon design, not the new smooth type from Tern/Fnhon.

New handlepost has a rhino logo printed on the top clamp, and uses a bolt with a different head.

Base of the handlepost looks almost the same, but with a different clamp bolt.

Looks almost the same from the bottom.

The lever looks the same, but the plastic safety catch is different.

As mentioned, the lever looks to be from the same mold. Even the circular debossed feature is there.

Internal clamp design is different. Shown on the left is the new Elosix handlepost.

Elosix design is simpler, with no frame to hold the sliding bolt. This allows the internal space of the handlepost to be seen.

Fnhon 31.5 cm handlepost has an actual height of about 33.8 cm. The difference is due to how the height is defined (from clamp joint) vs how it is measured (from base). Strange but true.

New Elosix handlepost (claimed height 29 cm) has an actual height of 31 cm. About 2.8 cm shorter than the Fnhon handlepost.

Traditional Fnhon 31.5 cm handlepost weighs 565 grams

New Elosix 29 cm handlepost weighs 518 grams, a difference of about 47 grams.

However, note that this comparison above is between the traditional construction of the Fnhon handlebar and the Elosix handlepost, which look almost similar. The handlepost that I installed on the Fnhon DB11 is the new type of Fnhon handlepost, which requires a longer compression bolt.

Therefore, a more complete weight comparison is as shown:

Weight comparison of handlepost + compression bolt:
Traditional Elosix 2 bolt type (29 cm) + compression bolt = 518 + 45 = 563 grams
Traditional Fnhon 2 bolt type (31.5 cm) + compression bolt = 565 + 45 = 610 grams
New Fnhon 4 bolt type (31.5 cm) + longer compression bolt = 552 + 68 = 620 grams.

In this case, changing from the new Fnhon 4 bolt type to the shorter Elosix 2 bolt type gives a weight saving of about 57 grams, which is only about 0.6% of the whole bike's weight.

New Fnhon 4 bolt type handlepost. Wider clamp but also more weight.

From left to right: Elosix 29 cm 2 bolt, New Fnhon 31.5 cm 4 bolt, Traditional Fnhon 31.5 cm 2 bolt.

The height of the new Fnhon 4 bolt type and traditional Fnhon 2 bolt type is almost the same, since both are labeled as 31.5 cm height.

After installing the new Elosix handlepost, I found that the tilting is still present.

Front wheel is perfectly vertical, but there is some tilting of the handlepost towards the right.

Strangely, there is still some tilting of the handlepost and handlebar after swapping to the new Elosix handlepost. In this case, it is likely that the handlepost may not be the issue after all. Maybe the fork legs are bent, or the frame head tube is tilted, which can also cause the same effect. It is difficult to conclude definitively since the tilting is small, and I cannot measure the parts accurately.

Regardless, the handlebar height is now reduced, which I much prefer over the previous one. Maybe it is because I am used to riding drop bar bikes with a low handlebar, therefore I am not used to riding flat handlebar bikes with a higher handlebar.

With the handlebar transplanted onto the new Elosix handlepost.

As the handlepost is shorter, the handlebar is located differently when folded down. I will need a new protective sticker on the fork leg to prevent the handlebar from hitting the fork leg.

New protective sticker pasted on the fork, to prevent scratches between the handlebar and the fork leg during folding.

Picture with the shorter handlepost! Although it is only about 2.8 cm lower, it does make a difference both ergonomically and visually.

Updated bike component specifications, with shorter and lighter Elosix handlepost. Bike weight without pedals and kickstand is now 8.8 kg.

I am happy with this change of handlepost, as the lower handlebar enables a more sporty riding position which I prefer. Although the handlepost tilting issue is not 100% solved, it is less obvious and no longer annoys me so much. Not sure if my previous folding bikes had this problem, but I have not noticed it before.