Review: Tern Link D8

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The color matches my Jazz.

We recently bought a brand new Tern Link D8. I don't know what year model this is but looking at photos from the web, it is most likely a 2013 or 2014 model.

Folded bike


The stock bike is quite heavy at around 12.5 kilograms. It's not as easy to carry around as I thought it would be. Carrying it with one hand requires some sort of a strap to hold on to. The magnetix is not as reliable as I thought. It once unlatched and the bike opened up while I was carrying it. In the future, I would try to create a custom strap to easily carry the folded up bike.

biologic rear rack


The frame was well built. The locks (frame and stem) looks sturdy and reliable. The fenders and biologic rear rack was also included in the stock bike which is a plus for me. The rack is not that heavy so I decided to keep it on the bike. 

frame hinge lock

The stock saddle was good enough. Its firm yet still comfortable on short rides. It's also wide enough for most people. It's the same width as my mountain bike so this will be good enough for me.

The V-brakes was decent enough. It slowed me down on steep descends quite well despite the screeching sound it makes when you apply the brakes hard. Will need a bit of modulation when going down steep slopes to get the best out of the brakes.

The tires are good. Shwalbe Citizen tires with reflector on the sidewalls. These are good tire for the road. I inflated them to 40psi and most small bumps are still absorbed by the tires.

The crankset looks like steel and seems heavy. There is a chain guide included so you would expect no chain drops.

stock chain guide


Mediocre to bad.

Stock folding pedals have little grip. It also feels wobbly. I don't think this will last long after some kilometers and uphill mashing. I will change this soon to a lightweight non-folding pedal. 

see the plastic rollers?

The stock rear mech/derailleur is not what is described in the tern website. It's supposed to be a neos derailleur but what I saw is a suntour or sunrace branding. The H and L limit screws does nothing and its a positioned so that you will have a hard time reaching it.  It's also a pain to tune like most cheap derailleur. This will have to be replaced soon together with the Sram grip shifter. The derailleur rollers makes this noise when pedalling. More like a slight chain rub noise which you can ignore. Maybe the cheap plastic rollers are the culprit for the noise.

The grip shifter needs a bit of getting used to.  It's quite responsive considering it's an Sram. The biologic grips are nice and grippy.


Overall, its a good starting folding bike. It rides smooth and quiet. The 8 speed is good enough for city riding but you need to upgrade your legs if you want to climb Tagaytay.


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