Lightweight, foldable, type 1 ebike?

[LazyCommuter]

Hi, I'm looking for a folding ebike for my commute. I need to bike ~2 miles from home to train and then ~5 miles from train to work. I'm looking for something pretty easy to fold up and carry onto the train. My main criteria are:

• Lightweight and foldable
• Pedal assist, don't feel like I need the throttle (but fine with having it)
• <$1000 ideally, could potentially go up to $2000

Right now I'm considering the Qualisports Nemo or Jupiter Discovery X5 I saw in this thread from a few months ago, but I'm wondering if something lighter or cheaper might be available since I'm fine with having a smaller motor and no throttle. I'm 5'2" and I've never used either an ebike or a folding bike, so very new to learning about this and appreciate any feedback or advice!

 

[PedalUma]

Hi, and Welcome!
I just looked on Craigslist in the SF Bay Area. There are plenty of lightweight, quality folding bikes in the $300 range. A front hub motor on eBay is about $185. These motors come already laced into the included wheel. Then you need a $340 battery. You would need a few odds and ends $50. You could install it yourself within three hours. You would then have some bragging rights for your ingenuity, pride, and a bike that suits your needs for about $900. There are plenty of videos on how to do this. The hardest part is removing your old front tire and installing on the new wheel.
Just a thought.

 

[harryS]

I own four 20" ebikes, three of them folders, all home made. As these bikes are small, it gets harder to put a battery on them and keep them compact. As we rarely fold them, I often keep a bottle battery across the frame. This defeats ease of fold and commuting, although the battery is easily removed. I do have small battery packs that fit in a bag under the seat, but the bags aren't designed for a 2-3 pound battery, and the straps break. So it's either on the rear rack or on the frame.

This is where the Qualisports seat tube solution is better for commuting, By the way, those batteries should be ample. I can cover 14 miles using 4AH out of a 36V6AH battery. It's just about flat at that point. If you can recharge at work, do it. Stick with skinny tires. Don't buy their Beluga miniwhale,

 

[vincent]

I have a Qualisports Nemo and am decently impressed with it, that company has been around a while and seems like you should be able to get parts

Seemed to ride ok on pavement with the wider tires

I have not looked at any smaller bikes so not sure how much lighter you can get than this

 

[harryS]

If someone wants to become the next Rad motors and buys a container ful of those $559 alibaba bikes, there you go. If you only want one, expect the shipping to be more than the bike, because they don't want your business. Look at Aliexpress for one, and this carbon frame Sava (an established maker of carbon folders) looks nice. But when you buy from China, it has to be bug free because any defects, you have to eat them.

1844.0US $ |Sava Bicycle Folding Bike Light Weight Carbon Folding Bike 20 Inch Adult Foldable Bicycle With Shimano 9s & Hydraulic Brake - Bicycle - AliExpress

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

www.aliexpress.com

 

[LazyCommuter]

Thanks for these suggestions! I don't think I'm up for a diy project right now, but I added the Furo X and Citizen Lil London to my shortlist, although the nemo is still looking like the best one I think for weight and price. I can't find anything about velomini or revelo flex- maybe those aren't being made anymore?

 

[PedalUma]

I put 'folding electric bike' into eBay and got 3,065 results. The ones I saw were under $1200 and included free shipping. Finding a seller with domestic stock and with a domestic presence will give you some recourse. Lower end sellers who rebrand come and go. I suspect that they just form another brand so that customers have no place to go for support after a year or two. Many of these bikes are essentially the same bike with different stickers.

 

[harryS]

Thanks for these suggestions! I don't think I'm up for a diy project right now, but I added the Furo X and Citizen Lil London to my shortlist, although the nemo is still looking like the best one I think for weight and price. I can't find anything about velomini or revelo flex- maybe those aren't being made anymore?

Velomini had a nice concept with the all-in-one zehus motor, but then their marketing guys started billing it as the bike that never needs charging, I remembered Court reviewing one and asking the importer "Where's the charging port? Oh, I forgot, this bike never needs charging". I sure hope he was being a snart alec. It also turned out to be the bike that never got any support, at least not in the USA. If you can't find any info, that's a good thing,

Revelo is a Canadian shop in Toronto. EBike came out a while ago, They probably lost money and interest.

 

[Holland-Tim-Allant+8S]

Hi, I'm looking for a folding ebike for my commute. I need to bike ~2 miles from home to train and then ~5 miles from train to work. I'm looking for something pretty easy to fold up and carry onto the train. My main criteria are:

• Lightweight and foldable
• Pedal assist, don't feel like I need the throttle (but fine with having it)
• <$1000 ideally, could potentially go up to $2000

Right now I'm considering the Qualisports Nemo or Jupiter Discovery X5 I saw in this thread from a few months ago, but I'm wondering if something lighter or cheaper might be available since I'm fine with having a smaller motor and no throttle. I'm 5'2" and I've never used either an ebike or a folding bike, so very new to learning about this and appreciate any feedback or advice!

We have two of these and about 1,500 mikes on each. Class 2 throttle. Strong value. Fun. Tim

 

[Elkman]

Hi, I'm looking for a folding ebike for my commute. I need to bike ~2 miles from home to train and then ~5 miles from train to work. I'm looking for something pretty easy to fold up and carry onto the train. My main criteria are:

• Lightweight and foldable
• Pedal assist, don't feel like I need the throttle (but fine with having it)
• <$1000 ideally, could potentially go up to $2000

Right now I'm considering the Qualisports Nemo or Jupiter Discovery X5 I saw in this thread from a few months ago, but I'm wondering if something lighter or cheaper might be available since I'm fine with having a smaller motor and no throttle. I'm 5'2" and I've never used either an ebike or a folding bike, so very new to learning about this and appreciate any feedback or advice!

The Fiido bikes have innovative designs and they are folding bikes so they come nearly fully assembled. The one I really like is the Fiido X that sells for $1600 and has an integrated electronic keypad locking mechanism for bike. All the Fiido bikes have the battery pack inside the seat post and so it can be removed for charging or to make the bike lighter to carry up stairs. Their D11 model sells for only $1000 US and provides more than enough range at 50+ miles and weighs less than 38 lbs and when folded it is 30x32x16 inches in size.

But for the very short distances planned there is no reason not to use a standard folding bike like the ones from Dahon. Their Mariner 8 sells for less than $900 and never needs to be recharged. Folded the bike is 25x32x12 inches in size and it weighs only 26 lbs including its front and rear fenders and it sturdy rear rack. With 8 speeds it will not be difficult to pedal at 10+ MPH.

 

[BET]

The discovery x5 would meet your requirements, light, folds easily, comfortable, and reasonable too. For your short commute you don't need a heavier or more expensive bike. They used to sell them at Costco but they are available elsewhere. I got mine used on Craigslist. Batteries for them are cheap too. The Lectric xp is a nice bike but too heavy for your situation. Perhaps an Lectric xp light would work.