If you’ve read about my intentions to “Go Green” in The Challenge, you’ll see I’m committed to making my travels as eco friendly as possible. Yes I’ll be burning through the ozone as I fly between destinations but as soon as I hit the ground I’ll be unzipping my bag and riding off on an ultra light folding bike.

That’s the plan anyway, so I’m on the search for a suitable set of wheels to take with me and today I test rode a Dahon Mu SL. Thanks to an aluminium frame, the super light Mu SL weighs in at only 8.7 kgs (19.4lbs).

With fold up dimensions of 36 x 64 x 81 cm (14″ x 25″ x 32″) that’s small and light enough to pack in with my clothes and still be under the airline luggage limit!

Some will say it looks a little clown-ish but the bike rode surprisingly well, is comfortable, speedy and has some decent running gear. It’ll be perfect for getting to and from yoga and cruising the streets while I’m away. When folded, it’s small enough to take on a bus or train for longer commutes.

With a price tag of around AUD $1800 it’s quite expensive. There are cheaper fold ups but none I’ve found (so far) as light as the Mu SL. It would be nice if I could score some sponsorship from Dahon… hmm, I might just give these guys a call and see how we go. I’ll keep you posted…