Can you help?
06-25-19, 12:08 PM
#1
Happy banana slug
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Can you help?
Hi. I found this post on another forum (shh, don't tell!), and since I know nothing about e-bikes, I was hoping one of you might be able to help. Here are her posts:
I would be happy to pass on any suggestions. TIA.
Hi! thinking about getting a compact folding ebike for potential use while camping/traveling with my yet to be bought truck/camper. Would be ridden max 20-50 miles/day. pavement, gravel. Needs to fit in back seat of truck, so thinking 20 x 2 inch tires. In spite of living in a bike friendly state (Oregon), no local shops sell folding compact ebikes.
I haven’t ridden outdoors for about 20 years, but do spin classes indoors. I’m losing employee parking soon.(5 miles and several hills away) So I’d like to have a bike option. Also planning on buying a truck/camper soon, and would like to keep the bike inside, as dirt/theft would definitely be a problem on the road. So that would involve (I think) 5-50 miles of mixed gravel/pavement, but I don’t anticipate the need for suspension or trail riding. So no stairs, but lifting into the backseat of a pickup, yes. It would also be my “toad” while traveling for trekking to the grocery store/shower house/trailhead. Worse case, if truck problems off road, my ability to get to phone coverage to get help. So I’m thinking I want at least 20 inch wheels and 2(+) inch wide tread. I welcome any ideas: Not much to see locally, and while I don’t want to buy low cost garbage, I don’t need a Cadillac, either. Which is why I wonder if a Bafang motor is ok, or do I really need a Bosch?
06-25-19, 02:09 PM
#2
Schwinnasaur
Folding ebikes are heavy. 40 to 55 pounds. There are quite a few available. Volt, Volador come to mind. I am not sure they have enough range. I am guessing 25 to 30 miles. I guess you could buy an extra battery. Those two are at the low end. Brompton and Tern make higher end folders. Tern can be had with a Bosch motor.
06-25-19, 02:47 PM
#3
Happy banana slug
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Thanks @Schwinnsta, I'll pass that on.
Likes For alloo:
06-26-19, 10:18 AM
#5
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Thanks @alloo. Passed on.
06-26-19, 03:36 PM
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A motor is at least 4 pounds, and a battery that can give 40 mile range is around 7 pounds. Add the electronics, and a 40 pound ebike is actually on the lighter side. I do agree that 60 pounds is a porker bike.
Our electric folders are home conversions, so I could pick lighter weight batteries. They are 35 and 38 pounds, but even if they weighed 45 pounds, that would not really affect transport. One could pull the battery and seat to save weight if one finds 40-45 pounds hard to lift into a van or pickup.
50 miles is a long way on any bike and probably really long on a folder. It's over 3 hours at 15 mph. There are a lot of reasons, but you will not find many 20" folders able to exceed 20 mph, and most of them are not very relaxing at that speed anyway, with the short wheelbase being more twitchy and harder riding tires. So 50 miles is like 3 hours, if you have a big enough battery, but folders don't have a lot of room to carry that much battery. I would say 30 miles under pedal assist in summer.
For riding along at little faster than normal bike speeds, easy pedaling, and maneuverability, we like our folders, although we also have full size ebikes. One would make sense for a 5 mile commute.
One comment about the 20" folding fatbikes. We have one and it is over 60 pounds. A different riding experience.A bit more ponderous. Might be good for camp site use, but looks goofy in the city. I'll pick the lighter bike any time for riding.
Our electric folders are home conversions, so I could pick lighter weight batteries. They are 35 and 38 pounds, but even if they weighed 45 pounds, that would not really affect transport. One could pull the battery and seat to save weight if one finds 40-45 pounds hard to lift into a van or pickup.
50 miles is a long way on any bike and probably really long on a folder. It's over 3 hours at 15 mph. There are a lot of reasons, but you will not find many 20" folders able to exceed 20 mph, and most of them are not very relaxing at that speed anyway, with the short wheelbase being more twitchy and harder riding tires. So 50 miles is like 3 hours, if you have a big enough battery, but folders don't have a lot of room to carry that much battery. I would say 30 miles under pedal assist in summer.
For riding along at little faster than normal bike speeds, easy pedaling, and maneuverability, we like our folders, although we also have full size ebikes. One would make sense for a 5 mile commute.
One comment about the 20" folding fatbikes. We have one and it is over 60 pounds. A different riding experience.A bit more ponderous. Might be good for camp site use, but looks goofy in the city. I'll pick the lighter bike any time for riding.
06-27-19, 09:22 AM
#7
Happy banana slug
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Thanks @Doc_Wui, that's helpful.
06-27-19, 12:06 PM
#8
Banned
Clever Cycles in Portland is now getting the e-Brompton bikes..
https://www.clevercycles.com/brompto...ding-bike.html
https://www.clevercycles.com/brompto...ding-bike.html
06-28-19, 02:42 PM
#9
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@fietsbob, sweet! Passed along.
06-29-19, 09:03 AM
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Some more discussion here about folders.
https://electricbikereview.com/forum...7/#post-202181
https://electricbikereview.com/forum...7/#post-202181
07-01-19, 02:54 PM
#11
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Thanks @Doc_Wui, passed along.
07-09-19, 01:06 PM
#12
LET'S ROLL
I've test ridden a few efolders; Pacific CarryMe(US$1,400?), eBrompton(US$3,600), Oyama(US$1,300?), Tern Vektrons(P9 w/ Bafang & S10 w/ Bosch).
Terns had the balance I needed; range, power(speed/hill climbing), cost. P9 is US$2,700 and S10 is US$3,700.
I ended up ordering a Q9; Bosch motor, Atlas rear rack(allows bike to stand up on rack), Andros adjustable handlebars,
quick release MKS pedals, front & rear lights, 20 inch Big Apple tires, etc.
https://www.ternbicycles.com/bikes/471/vektron-q9
Ps, big thanks to BFold of New York City for letting me try most of these bikes. Not all.
Terns had the balance I needed; range, power(speed/hill climbing), cost. P9 is US$2,700 and S10 is US$3,700.
I ended up ordering a Q9; Bosch motor, Atlas rear rack(allows bike to stand up on rack), Andros adjustable handlebars,
quick release MKS pedals, front & rear lights, 20 inch Big Apple tires, etc.
https://www.ternbicycles.com/bikes/471/vektron-q9
Ps, big thanks to BFold of New York City for letting me try most of these bikes. Not all.
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