Best value folding e-bike for 4 mile round trip with long, medium gradient

hairyneville

Pedelecer
Feb 24, 2020
62
19
At the moment this is purely hypothetical, but if I get the job I've applied for then I'll be looking at a mixture of folding bike and bus travel to get to work. I'd hope to spend less than £1000, though ongoing maintenance costs will also figure into that.

The route from home to the bus stop is around 2 miles and mainly downhill. The ascent on the way home stretches just over half a mile but with what I'd call a medium gradient. In the past (with conventional bikes) it's never been the gradient of the slope that has got me, just the length of the hill! My old full-size e-bike generally handled the slope comfortably on its lowest level of assist in conjunction with good gear technique.

I currently favour the idea of a non-electric folding bike for such a short ride, but a folding e-bike would be useful in the event that the first bus doesn't turn up. If that happened then I'd face an extra 5 miles or so with extra slopes (one in particular on the way home being "steep" by anyone's standards!).

So, does anyone have any suggestions for a reliable folding e-bike for a regular (i.e. 5 days out of 7) 4 mile daily round trip (with relatively mild ascents on the way home) which would also handle the occasional extra 10 mile round trip in emergencies? The bus services I'm looking at are non-peak so I don't think a "compact" or "micro" folding bike is really necessary, but - having said that - the majority of my journey to work will be on buses so I need a bike which folds down pretty well. Weight is less of an issue as I won't have to carry it far (and not up and down stairs). After all my bad experiences with my full-size e-bike, I'm also keen to avoid folding e-bikes with mid motors.

The only rear hub folding e-bike I've found so far that seems to match my needs is Decathlon's B'Twin Tilt 500 (which I now notice has gone up in price by almost £50 since so-called "Brexit Day"!).


Many thanks!
 

Woosh

Trade Member
May 19, 2012
19,407
16,387
Southend on Sea
wooshbikes.co.uk
yes - both versions are in stocks.
 

PP100

Esteemed Pedelecer
Feb 28, 2020
252
149
I was hoping at some point soon to visit from London to take a closer look (between the Crusa and the Rambletta), but that now looks highly unlikely in the current restricted travel situation.
 

Chainring

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 24, 2013
328
158
Very similar, but about £400 more! £849 is a good price, and believe me, I've been scouring the net out of interest. My current bike was built with rigid forks, but the roads are so bad around here I had to fit suspension. It makes a difference. I'm happy to be a shortarse and peer over the bars!
Just checked delivery costs, and it's £600 more! Quite a difference. (and out of stock at present).
 

Woosh

Trade Member
May 19, 2012
19,407
16,387
Southend on Sea
wooshbikes.co.uk
if you want a Rambletta, you should buy it today.
we have only two left, next shipment arrives middle of August.
The August Rambletta has some improvements:

- longer suspension seat post (+10cm)
- 8-speed 11T-34T revoshift
- front Tektro disc brakes
- Ladies sadlle
- thumb throttle
- soft grips

Price:
with non-suspension fork for small and average riders 5ft-5ft10: £869
with suspension fork for tall riders 5ft10+: £899
 

Nealh

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 7, 2014
19,991
8,173
60
West Sx RH
The Revo shift is a good move imho, so much more friendlier to use then thumb selectors.
 

sjpt

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 8, 2018
3,642
2,652
Winchester
The Revo shift is a good move imho, so much more friendlier to use then thumb selectors.
I agree absolutely for me (especially having cut my right opposer muscle when I was 4), but some people with arthritic grip find the Revo shift even more awkward.
 

Woosh

Trade Member
May 19, 2012
19,407
16,387
Southend on Sea
wooshbikes.co.uk
we can fit another 8-speed shifter if required.