Which foldable ebike, please?

[Ricercar]

I am planning to buy my first ever ebike, and I would like it to be foldable with pedal assistance and a 'walk assist' throttle function. And affordable, hopefully less than £1000.

Could you guys recommend which bike I should go for?

Thank you so much. Really appreciated.

[Ricercar]

I dare think that many or at least some of you have (had) a foldable ebike or know someone who has (had) one. Could you please be so very kind and share your thoughts, experiences, opinions? Thank you again so much.

P.S. I am approaching my round-year birthday and I am dreaming of getting an ebike as a birthday present from my family and friends buying it together, sharing the costs. Please give us your thoughts.

[reohn2]

IMHO a folding e-bike at that price point would be a bike of very dubious quality indeed.

[Ricercar]

IMHO a folding e-bike at that price point would be a bike of very dubious quality indeed.

Oh, thank you very very much. So it seems that I am only dreaming.

Is it possible for anyone to give me any hope whatsoever? How much would a foldable ebike cost for it to be not too bad?

[reohn2]

IMHO a folding e-bike at that price point would be a bike of very dubious quality indeed.

Oh, thank you very very much. So it seems that I am only dreaming.

At that price yes,IMO you'd need to start looking at around £1500+.
OTOH you could buy a half decent folder such as Tern or Bickerton for around £400+ and fit a mid drive electric kit such as a Bafang BBS01 from say Whoosh or Brighton Bikes.

[stodd]

Depends a lot on what you want it for, and how small it needs to fold. The Woosh Zephyr http://wooshbikes.co.uk/?zephyr-b is decent at under £1200. A a bit bulkier than many folders, but probably gives a better ride than many smaller ones (I've never ridden one).

Woosh also mentions another on its way in https://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/thread ... st-529983;
he doesn't say how much but it will probably be good value.

A lot of cheaper folders have very small batteries; may be fine if you don't need a long range. Battery capacity makes a significant contribution to price.

e-bikes direct is often a good place to look to see what is available. https://www.e-bikesdirect.co.uk/special ... 75wh-black looks good value at £1100, Whisper have a good reputation.

[horizon]

I met someone in the summer who had a Tern folding ebike and was very happy with it. I have seen other Tern folding ebikes since then and am very impressed.

Here's one from the Tern website:

https://www.ternbicycles.com/bikes/471/vektron-d8

It's probably the ebike I would buy if I was in the market for one. Unfortunately it costs about £2000. On another thread I wrote about a Tern cargo folding ebike that cost £5000. The problem is that you can indeed get shopping channel folding ebikes for about £600 but these give the impression that ebikes are cheap, which they are not.

Don't forget BTW that folding bikes are often no lighter than normal bikes but are designed to be carried: with a motor and battery they are very heavy indeed.

[billym444]

if you want a folder of quality, buy a used dahon, about 350 for a cracked and stick your own kit on it. either a wheel or a mid drive, rack battery in a bag.

[Ricercar]

Thank you very very much, everyone. So kind of you.

[Cyril Haearn]

IMHO a folding e-bike at that price point would be a bike of very dubious quality indeed.

Might be worth looking for a second hand folding €bike, plenty of people buy one but do not bother using it, there must be lots of NOS (new old stock) ones languishing in garages
Just need to check if the battery is still good

[reohn2]

IMHO a folding e-bike at that price point would be a bike of very dubious quality indeed.

Might be worth looking for a second hand folding €bike, plenty of people buy one but do not bother using it, there must be lots of NOS (new old stock) ones languishing in garages
Just need to check if the battery is still good

Easier said than done,especially with cheap low end batteries.

[hemo]

If you can stretch your budget to £1150 then the Oxygen go might be a contender, Oxygen give very good CS if you have any issues and are very good.

[rbrian]

A friend of mine bought a £600 Halfords folding ebike. It is objectively rubbish, and yet it has a certain charm which means I can't help but like it. The battery is only good for about 20 miles, the riding position is relaxed, the seat doesn't go high enough, the steering is vague and boat like (though tightening the loose headset improved it), the power delivery is delayed by a good half second... But it's brilliant fun!

My £2700 (after a 20% discount!) Tern Vektron S10 is better, but not £2100 better. The power delivery is much smoother, hydraulic disc brakes are excellent, the rack is superb, and it feels much more solid and reliable - like a vehicle, not a toy. It's a very good bike, but it doesn't make me laugh like the cheapo one does. They both have 20" wheels, weigh approximately half a tonne, and fold to a large unwieldy size. Of course, this may be coloured by my experience with a Brompton.

[Ricercar]

Thank you so much again, everyone.

[horizon]

Ricercar: if you could say a little about how you might want to use the bike, that would help. A short trip to the local park and cycle path or to the shops might be fine on a much cheaper bike. But long journeys over the hils and far away or heavy commuting might not be. Horses for courses!