Electric Folding Bike Reviews?

[Don Lobo]

Howdy Folks!

Anybody have something to say about their folding E-Bike?
Looking for thoughts on electric bikes here, posted a separate thread for NON E-Bikes if you have one of them. thought it better to post 2 separate threads

THANKS! and fire away!

[two-rocks]

Love ours.
20" wheels and no suspension at 20+mph can catch you off guard.
Ours weigh 40lbs with the battery - watch the weight - they get heavy fast.
We have hub motors (most folding do), so much fun looking into a full suspension mountain bike with a torque sensing motor at the crank.

[Don Lobo]

Originally Posted by two-rocks

Love ours.
20" wheels and no suspension at 20+mph can catch you off guard.
Ours weigh 40lbs with the battery - watch the weight - they get heavy fast.
We have hub motors (most folding do), so much fun looking into a full suspension mountain bike with a torque sensing motor at the crank.

what is the make and model, please?

[Don Lobo]

Originally Posted by two-rocks

Love ours.
20" wheels and no suspension at 20+mph can catch you off guard.
Ours weigh 40lbs with the battery - watch the weight - they get heavy fast.
We have hub motors (most folding do), so much fun looking into a full suspension mountain bike with a torque sensing motor at the crank.

I have a Voltbike Enduro. it's a full suspension with the motor you want
I really like it, FYI. good price too!

https://www.voltbike.com/voltbike-enduro.html

[two-rocks]

Sorry forgot that part. Fifield Jetty 4.0

[justakiss]

We went with the Evelo Dash (https://evelo.com/products/dash). It's pricey and heavy (but most e-bikes are), but it has a decent range and a carbon drive belt instead of a chain.

[LeeV]

Originally Posted by Don Lobo

I have a Voltbike Enduro. it's a full suspension with the motor you want
I really like it, FYI. good price too!

https://www.voltbike.com/voltbike-enduro.html

How easy is the folding process?

[Rumrace]

CLutter. Rent them in port.
Slip through the waves and sky lean. We already have the kitchen sink.
Or Buy a 65’ Jeanneau and put them in the garage

[Sand crab]

I bit off topic here but I converted my Specialized Crosstrail to electric. It's a non-folder but it now has the 1000 watt mid-drive and the big battery. It's 58 pounds but the battery which is removable in seconds is 12.5 pounds of the total weight. It will do about 36 MPH on motor alone and my longest ride was 74.8 miles. The battery died a half mile from my house.

[bullislandken]

I think it says it is 60 pounds….way more than 40.

[bullislandken]

I just got a Lectric XP 2.0. 64 pounds and “bigger” than I thought it would be. $999. A lot of bike for a low price.

I had two old folding bikes on my last boat. They were about the max I could handle carrying through the boat to load into the dinghy. I would guess they were under 40 pounds. The 64 pound Lectric, and maybe 56 pounds without the battery is not going to happen on my next boat. I am 65 now and maybe having it in a big Tupperware so it wouldn’t get hung up and scratch everything might help.

I also built a Swytch kit into my old city bike. $700. The nice thing it only adds about 8 pounds to your existing bike. Simple, but works. I think it might be a good way to go by adding to a West Marine folding bike. There’re better folding bikes out there for sure and they would even be better with the Swytch kit.

[Volkeno]

I have a Carbo X which is carbon fiber single speed with a belt and 350w motor with 4 assist settings. With the largest 10.4 aH battery it weighs 41 pounds. They advertise 12.9kg. Which might be right or they may measure with a smaller battery. They offer 4 sizes down to 4.4aH which is legal to fly with but may only give 10 miles of range. However the bike is easy to pedal on level ground so you really only need assist on hills.
Carbo is a Canadian company that seems to ship worldwide and the bikes are sourced from China like most bikes are

[rmlarson1098]

Originally Posted by Don Lobo

Howdy Folks!

Anybody have something to say about their folding E-Bike?
Looking for thoughts on electric bikes here, posted a separate thread for NON E-Bikes if you have one of them. thought it better to post 2 separate threads

THANKS! and fire away!

As for me - a life-long bicyclist - I would resist the urge to buy an ebike.
Especially a small bike with small tires. Things happen really fast on ebikes; acceleration is brisk and can have you moving along at dicey speeds very quickly.
Small tires can be unstable, especially on gravel, and disc brakes, all the rage these days, will stop you (flip you) in the blink of an eye.
I took a friends little folding ebike for a ride last October, (at his insistence) on a gravel street in a marina in Mexico. Flipped the bike coming in 'hot' (wearing a swimsuit and flip-flops) and was carted off to a Mexican hospital with a separated and broken shoulder. That's all on me, I know. But I'm convinced it wouldn't have happened on a pedal powered bike. It was my 1st time on an ebike, the 'velocity' was deceptive, and my boo-boo will last the rest of my life as I'm too old (72) for corrective shoulder surgery.
So, IMHO, for 'adventure' travel keep it simple, sure, and slow. Most sailors can use the exercise anyway! If you're just riding to the Social Center to play bingo in your 55+ community, maybe - especially if you have access to quick and complete medical care. But if you're traveling in developing and/or remote parts of the world, I would pass. Injury rates on ebikes (all bikes, really) are crushing, and I reckon I'll walk from now on, or take the bus. Best of luck.

[Ranger2727]

I have a Bagi Bike, been riding it for over three years. Folds and has a low step-thru so you don't trip as you dismount. I got caught out in a three-day rain, dried out, and stills functions. I made a vinyl bag that is water-resistant and sometimes store it on the deck of my 27ft RangerTug, otherwise, it stores in the "cave". I do have a davit that transfers the bike to shore and that saves my back. Yes, the bike is heavy, I get about 40 miles and generally carry a spare battery, as I tried peddling, which was too tiring. I prefer the thumb throttle as opposed to the twist grip. The only negative I have is I wish I had the fat tire model so I could go on soft ground and sand, and it also gives a more cushioned ride.

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by rmlarson1098

As for me - a life-long bicyclist - I would resist the urge to buy an ebike.
Especially a small bike with small tires. Things happen really fast on ebikes; acceleration is brisk and can have you moving along at dicey speeds very quickly.
Small tires can be unstable, especially on gravel, and disc brakes, all the rage these days, will stop you (flip you) in the blink of an eye.

(I had a real cheap e-bike several years ago as a commuting experiment. I found it too heavy.)

E-bike designs are still evolving and as you've mentioned, some of the models aren't that safe. The caveat for small wheels applies to non-electric folding bikes too; I don't like wheels smaller than 20". (and I'm no fan yet of disc brakes on bikes)

Many cities have implemented bike sharing programs, and maybe this could eventually include electric bikes as well. I've also found that some yacht clubs have loaner bikes.