Doggyman1202
Active Member
I certainly like the XP Lite a lot more than all the other foldable fat tire (4" or more) incarnations with 20" diameter wheels. I agree that's it is very nimble and a surprisingly capable hill climber given the single speed. It does not have great battery capacity which I regard as the Lites greatest limitation. (I share your dislike of derailleurs. Ugh!).I really LOVE the folding portability, light weight, and SIMPLICITYof the XP Lite. (I was always fussing with adjusting the derailleur and brakes on the Ride1Up and it got old very fast. I just left it in one gear and just used the PAS modes so all that shifting system hardware was useless to me. Lectric really nailed the XP's single speed gearing. It's damn bear perfect.I also like the NIMBLE handing of the XP Lite vs the Core 5. It's not even close. The XP Lite invites you to throw it into a turn. You can also modify the XP Lite to your heart's content with BMX wheels and handle bars and mod it out to your liking. The 20" wheels frankly ride very well to my surprise. It's just more FUN to ride (without the maintenance) if I can sum it up in one sentence. I think if they put a carbon belt on the XP Lite, it would be near perfect for most people.
To address Rexicon directly, 20 inch bikes can be very nimble, fattys notwithstanding (those handle horribly, but smooth out an otherwise bumpy ride on some surfaces). They require less torque to start rolling, so very zippy off the line. Conversely, they have more rolling resistance when cruising along though. They are also less forgiving on rougher terrain or potholes (again, that's the trade-off with the popular fat tire versions, adding comfort but subtracting agility).
Still, our XP Lite and Propella Mini are fun to ride in a sports car kind of way, so I understand the popularity of 20 inchers. For myself, I find 26" or greater wheels more comfortable overall for long rides with fewer compromises than a 20" wheel.
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