Last week the cycling world was abuzz with news that Joshua Hon, son of Dahon founder David Hon, had left the company to do his own thing, taking a large chunk of Dahon employees with him. Citing trademark issues with the Dahon factory in China as the reason for his departure, Joshua officially launched his new folding bike company Tern over the weekend.
Tern will target the urban bike commuter with a line of folding bikes that are safe, comfortable, convenient and above all, highly portable. Every Tern folding bike will not only blend well with mass transit and crowded public spaces, but also be a joy to ride.
The inaugural Tern collection for 2012 with include 21 folding bikes ranging in price from $400-$3,500. The full offering will also include a line of accessories. No word yet on whether or not this will include Biologic products.
The full product line will be shown at both Interbike and Eurobike later this summer. Tern already has distribution in place for 30 countries and will begin shipping product in the fall. With Dahon owning over 60% of the growing US folding bike market, it will be interesting to see how far Tern can penetrate or if they choose to focus more on emerging markets.