Light folding ebike for a small female

[harryS]

The sensor shuts off the motor when you shift gears, which prevents banging of the gears/derailleur. To be fair, people who go off road and are traversing dead trees spanning ravines might have a need for this feature. A street rider can shift when the motor isn't working, or lightly touch the brakes to shut off the motor.

 

[Kathy Smith]

The sensor shuts off the motor when you shift gears, which prevents banging of the gears/derailleur. To be fair, people who go off road and are traversing dead trees spanning ravines might have a need for this feature. A street rider can shift when the motor isn't working, or lightly touch the brakes to shut off the motor.

It's hard for me to understand this. Do I need this or not?

 

[harryS]

With any bike, mid drive or pedal, shifting gears with the pedals spinning hard under power can crash the derailleurs and maybe toss the chain. Right? A bike rider quickly learns ... "don't do it".

If you must be shifting under power, a gear sensor allows you to do it. It shuts off the motor for a few seconds while the shift occurs. I'm told some trail riders need constant acceleration or they might fall down. I don't see where it's needed for riding on the street and you rarely shift gears.

Did they change their mind and tell you you can have fenders?

 

[Kathy Smith]

With any bike, mid drive or pedal, shifting gears with the pedals spinning hard under power can crash the derailleurs and maybe toss the chain. Right? A bike rider quickly learns ... "don't do it".

If you must be shifting under power, a gear sensor allows you to do it. It shuts off the motor for a few seconds while the shift occurs. I'm told some trail riders need constant acceleration or they might fall down. I don't see where it's needed for riding on the street and you rarely shift gears.

Did they change their mind and tell you you can have fenders?

Thanks. No, I can't put fenders on this bike. Going without. I'm thinking of getting a second less fancy ebike with fenders and will use it on the iffy days and that way my husband can use the second bike when we go riding for fun.

 

[Kathy Smith]

I just heard from Luna Cycles that I can expect to get 8-10 miles range on the battery (Panasonic 30Q pack) that comes with Luna Mini. That's very little in comparison to other bikes, I think. Ahh, I thought I settled on the Luna Mini but now I'm not so sure.... I was hoping to buys something this week but I guess not

 

[Dewey]

Less than 40lb, folding, 20" wheels, throttle, speed at least 15miles/hr, looks like a normal bike, nice to have belt drive.

The 250w EBikeBC is $1,000 and weighs just 25lb which is light for an ebike. Court Rye did a video review of the identical but more expensive VeloMini Plus. It has smaller 16" wheels and the back wheel folds under the frame which has a carrying handle, the small 240wh battery is inside the frame so it looks like a normal folding bike, it is a single speed, has a throttle and pedal assist but is geared high and this owners review recommended starting off using the twist throttle then pedalling. Top speed is 14mph, and range is 8 miles on throttle only up to 18 miles pedalling all the time in the lowest level of pedal assist so maybe 10-12 miles combined - battery range is an issue on folding ebikes because of the trade-off between small size batteries to keep weight down, for comparison the BH EasyGo Volt is a 20" normal looking folder with an even smaller battery delivering similar speed/range to the EBikeBC but weighing 39lb. My wife test rode the Tern Vektron last weekend and she liked the adjustable handlebar stem that adjusts for rake, bar angle, and height.

 

[harryS]

Overly conservative estimate from Luna, while the other bike sellers might be overly optimistic. Range depends on weight and speed and whether you are in pedal assist or on throttle.

That number is probably right at 25 mph. I don't know if you want to go that fast on a bike with no suspension and bone-jarring 20" wheels. If you were to run the Luna bike at speeds comparable to most other folders, i.e, around 14-16 mph, you would use power at the same rate they do. What's that mean? I would say 14-16 miles is easy.

We've taken our folders on 14 mile rides using batteries that are half the capacity of the Luna Mini (which I also own), so I would expect better range.

 

[Kathy Smith]

The 250w EBikeBC is $1,000 and weighs just 25lb which is light for an ebike. Court Rye did a video review of the identical but more expensive VeloMini Plus. It has smaller 16" wheels and the back wheel folds under the frame which has a carrying handle, the small 240wh battery is inside the frame so it looks like a normal folding bike, it is a single speed, has a throttle and pedal assist but is geared high and this owners review recommended starting off using the twist throttle then pedalling. Top speed is 14mph, and range is 8 miles on throttle only up to 18 miles pedalling all the time in the lowest level of pedal assist so maybe 10-12 miles combined - battery range is an issue on folding ebikes because of the trade-off between small size batteries to keep weight down, for comparison the BH EasyGo Volt is a 20" normal looking folder with an even smaller battery delivering similar speed/range to the EBikeBC but weighing 39lb. My wife test rode the Tern Vektron last weekend and she liked the adjustable handlebar stem that adjusts for rake, bar angle, and height.

16" wheels are too small for me. I wish the BH EasyGo speed was 20mph.

 

[Kathy Smith]

Overly conservative estimate from Luna, while the other bike sellers might be overly optimistic. Range depends on weight and speed and whether you are in pedal assist or on throttle.

That number is probably right at 25 mph. I don't know if you want to go that fast on a bike with no suspension and bone-jarring 20" wheels. If you were to run the Luna bike at speeds comparable to most other folders, i.e, around 14-16 mph, you would use power at the same rate they do. What's that mean? I would say 14-16 miles is easy.

We've taken our folders on 14 mile rides using batteries that are half the capacity of the Luna Mini (which I also own), so I would expect better range.

This is their response:
"With the 30Q pack, on flat terrain with minimal hills and a full battery. You should expect about 10-15miles. However it can greatly vary whether you want to use pedal assist, how many accelerations from a stop you do. And in most cases, it’s better to charge your battery to 80% rather than 100% to extend longevity so you’re looking at 8-10 miles really."

 

[Dewey]

16" wheels are too small for me. I wish the BH EasyGo speed was 20mph.

I see you already narrowed your selection to include the evelo Quest weighing 38lb which has a decent sized 360wh battery, 20" wheels, Gates carbon belt drive, for a reasonable $2k, here's the manual - on page 19 it looks like it uses a Bafang motor probably the Bafang Mini, the thumb control buttons are the same as my BBS01 mid-drive motor. I like the walk assist feature which helps me get my heavy ebike up some steps into my backyard. The Bafang Mini motor for the past few years had a model # G01 with a black casing but has recently been changed this fall to a new model # G320 with a silver or black casing, you might want to check how long Evelo will support the motor, I had a nasty surprise when Bafang changed the design on the BBS01/02 motor replacing some internal parts with incompatible new machined parts. Thankfully my supplier had stocked up with parts for the old motor 'just in case' and it's been going fine for a year but Bafang have form now for screwing over their international distributors and customers.

 

[Kathy Smith]

I see you already narrowed your selection to include the evelo Quest weighing 38lb which has a decent sized 360wh battery, 20" wheels, Gates carbon belt drive, for a reasonable $2k, here's the manual - on page 19 it looks like it uses a Bafang motor probably the Bafang Mini, the thumb control buttons are the same as my BBS01 mid-drive motor. I like the walk assist feature which helps me get my heavy ebike up some steps into my backyard. The Bafang Mini motor for the past few years had a model # G01 with a black casing but has recently been changed this fall to a new model # G320 with a silver casing, you might want to check how long Evelo will support the motor, I had a nasty surprise when Bafang changed the design on the BBS01/02 motor I bought replacing some internal parts with incompatible new machined parts.

it says that the motor warranty is for 2 years or 20,000 miles whichever comes first. That's interesting that you can use the walk assist feature to get the bike up. Haven't thought of that. Also, the battery is removable so that shaves off another 6lbs if I find it hard to carry 38lbs up the stairs!

 

[Dewey]

it says that the motor warranty is for 2 years or 20,000 miles whichever comes first. That's interesting that you can use the walk assist feature to get the bike up. Haven't thought of that. Also, the battery is removable so that shaves off another 6lbs if I find it hard to carry 38lbs up the stairs!

In my experience with Bafang motors the support is only as good as the stock of spares the seller keeps so it's worth asking, I had to replace the controller twice in my first year so I lucked out picking a seller with a stock of controllers compatible with the older motor design. Walk assist works as long as you keep your thumb pressed down on the minus - button, I tow a child trailer and it helps us get up pedestrian bridge ramps. A removable battery also helps when loading into a car.

 

[Kathy Smith]

I ended up buying Evelo Quest. It should be here next week. I have 10 days to try it. I can return it at no cost to me if I don't like it.

 

[Dewey]

I ended up buying Evelo Quest.

Court just reviewed the Evelo Quest, I'd be interested if your impressions match his.

 

[Kathy Smith]

Court just reviewed the Evelo Quest, I'd be interested if your impressions match his.

Hmm, I have not seen this review. The review says 41.1lbs but their site says 38lbs

 

[Kathy Smith]

I just wanted to report back that I have decided to return the Evelo Quest bike after 10 days of riding it. So I'm again looking for a bike that suits my needs. Any other recommendations are welcome.

 

[Sonoboy]

I just wanted to report back that I have decided to return the Evelo Quest bike after 10 days of riding it. So I'm again looking for a bike that suits my needs. Any other recommendations are welcome.

Kathy, can you share with us your reasons for the return? Thanks.

 

[Kathy Smith]

Kathy, can you share with us your reasons for the return? Thanks.

Yes.
First, the bike had fender issue where the fender was touching the wheel. They offered me some clips and a new strut that would rectify the problem. I was unable to make the new strut fit without bending either the strut or the fender and after forcing all of this, the strut was completely out of wack and the fender was still touching the wheel although in a different spot. The bigger problem was revealed when I took the bike to a bike shop to have them fix a flat tire. The struggled to remove the wheel but to put it back was a nightmare. Three guys had to do it and it took them 1.5hrs! I was told that the bike had a manufacturing defect and I should return it immediately. After talking to evelo they confirmed that there was an issue but they said the issue was because they installed some kind of accessory to accommodate the belt and not a defect in the manufacturing of the frame. They said they would look for another accessory and would get back to me once they found it. I also had an issue of the crank arm hitting the kick stand but that was fixed at the bike shop. Other than that the bike was almost ideal for me. I did not experience the issue described in the review written on this website about throttle being a bit jerky. I think for a $2000 bike I should expect a bike without issues so I will be shipping it back this week.

 

[Sonoboy]

Thanks, Kathy. I can see the attraction of this bike, and hope they work out the issue it exhibits. Hope you find a proper replacement. Although I've gotta say, I've noticed that bikes in this price range ask alot of the end user, what with putting up with poor assembly, damaged parts, and 'issues' that are not quite worked out yet. The customer should not be asked to act as a proving ground for an untested design. I realize that price plays a major component here; it's just requiring too many compromises, IMO.

 

[Kathy Smith]

Thanks, Kathy. I can see the attraction of this bike, and hope they work out the issue it exhibits. Hope you find a proper replacement. Although I've gotta say, I've noticed that bikes in this price range ask alot of the end user, what with putting up with poor assembly, damaged parts, and 'issues' that are not quite worked out yet. The customer should not be asked to act as a proving ground for an untested design. I realize that price plays a major component here; it's just requiring too many compromises, IMO.

I'm willing to pay more, way more for a bike that suits me, but I haven't found one yet. This bike was the closest to what I was looking for but the weight was still an issue. I don't believe it was the advertised 38lbs. If it was way lighter I think I would have kept it even with the issues I mentioned above.