Electric Folding Bike

[oli82]

Hi, thanks for your help and advice in advance. I have spent the last few weeks investigating my options for a folding electric bike and I simply don't know which direction to go.

I basically need a folding electric bike that can fit into the first great western train luggage area and take me between my flat and paddington approx 3 miles and the station and work approx 3 miles. I would also be keen to use it for other journeys totaling up to 18 miles.

The key for me is that it is compact and light <18kg. I tested the Kudos Secret and I found it too bulky for the train - I think it is tailored more to camper van owners.

So they key thing for me is where should I go - brompton with a electric conversion kit?? I am going to China and the US in the coming months so could pick up something there if this helps your recommendations. I dont really want to spend more than £1500 if I can help it.

The final thing I want to add is that I cannot believe ebikes are not more popular in the UK. The ones I have tested seem so practical for a number of uses, I wish I would have found out about them earlier.

Many thanks for your help,

Oliver

 

[Kudoscycles]

Oli82....I dont think any of these ebikes are practical to use as a daily commute on a train....I tried one of the magnetic drive bikes at the Shanghai Show,16" wheels,about 12kg weight but it felt like I was riding a toy-I am 6ft and 17stone,maybe a smaller person would find it ok,the bike manufacturer was NOAH,it is available throughout China.
My Secret bike at 18kg with 20" wheels is about as light and compact as it is possible to make without resorting to exotic materials. The Gocycle is lighter at about 15kgs but it still seemed a lot of effort to stow.
I saw a girl arrive at a bar in Holland with a non assist Brompton,I must say the way she folded it and stowed it was slick and fast but with electrics it must take away the portability and ease of folding.
I sell a lot of Secrets but they get folded to stow away not on a twice daily basis.
If you find one that is a realistic commuting ebike please come back with a report.
Dave
Kudoscycles

 

[Old_Dave]

Maybe this...

The Zephyr | Foldable Electric bikes from Woosh | electric bike sales & hire

 

[benjy_a]

Hi Oliver. The Brompton is the way to go if you want a nice small package for folding on trains and easily achievable for your budget.

There are a couple of companies converting Bromptons if you'd rather not self build. If you're up for the challenge, quite a few members on here have done it if you search the forum including myself. I use my bike every day on the train and it's wonderful.

I am happy to give you any help and advice as will any of the other electric Bromptoners. Over 5000 miles on mine in a year with 2 train journeys every working day.


I test rode one of these, nice bike and very well made.

http://www.foldingbikes.biz/html/brompton_brazen_36v.html

Many use a similar setup to this one which is also available if you don't want to self build;

http://www.electricwheel.co.uk/products/electric-bikes/nano-brompton-m3l.html

I would say that the Brompton is a lot more of a challenge to convert than a regular bike. There are lots of things to consider when choosing your components. Having said that I really enjoyed building mine and overcoming all the difficulties and have ended up with a faster and more powerful bike with a longer range than any you can buy off the shelf.

I commute into London where I work, you're more than welcome to have a look at my bike.

Ben

 

[benjy_a]

Oh and also.....the main thing that keeps the Brompton lighter than others for carrying is that the battery can be mounted in the Brompton front luggage. This means the weight is shared between the bike and bag when carrying. You can therefore afford a little more total carry weight in my opinion.

Ben

 

[GORDONAL]

Another alternative is CH White who do Dahon conversions which would be within your £1500 budget eg Dahon Ciao for £1199 (sale) or £1399 normal retail

 

[benjy_a]

Another alternative is CH White who do Dahon conversions which would be within your £1500 budget eg Dahon Ciao for £1199 (sale) or £1399 normal retail

This is true, I'm just biased from seeing Dahon owners looking at me jealously as I pop my Brompton onto a luggage rack.

 

[Kudoscycles]

Maybe this...

The Zephyr | Foldable Electric bikes from Woosh | electric bike sales & hire

Old Dave,that bike weighs 21kg....try humping that up the steps within Waterloo station!....you have to be realistic 12kg is about all we would want to carry around London on a daily basis. What does the electric Brompton weigh?
Dave
Kudoscycles

 

[oli82]

Oh and also.....the main thing that keeps the Brompton lighter than others for carrying is that the battery can be mounted in the Brompton front luggage. This means the weight is shared between the bike and bag when carrying. You can therefore afford a little more total carry weight in my opinion.

Ben

Thanks for the suggestions. I think I will investigate the Brompton option if it is light, in the front bag is there room for anything in addition to the batteries?

Ben - thanks for you comments, how much does the bag and bike weigh? Also which version of the brompton have you gone for - there are so many options its pretty overwhelming. Did you buy your bike with the kit installed or did you DIY?

I have seen one DIY kit on ebay

Electric bike kit for Dahon Brompton folding bike 36v 250w, 36v 9ah battery | eBay

But really have no idea whether this is a good option for the brompton bike.

Many Thanks again for you help,

Cheers

Oliver

 

[Deleted member 4366]

For frequent train trips there's hardly any alternatives to the Brompton,assuming that you want a real bike. There's some what I call toy bikes that can fold smaller and lighter, but you couldn't do a 15mile journey on one. The kit on Ebay will be OK when he gets the correct size rims. Members here have made him aware that his 305mm rims don't fit a Brompton, and he says that he'll get the correct 349mm rims, so check with him first. If you search through the various Brompton builds, there's links to where you can get the correct rims from. You can save a lot of money by doing it yourself with a used Brompton. I reckon £800 to £900 should get you nicely sorted.

 

[benjy_a]

Oliver, an M3L Brompton weighs about 12kg on its own. I think 3 speeds is perfect for an assisted Brompton, the hub gears are great for a commuter bike.

The weight of a coverted bike will vary hugely depending on what motor and battery configuration you go for. Mine is very heavy, I have a huge battery and quite heavy motor because I do very high mileage and the weight doesn't bother me. What stairs will you have to worry about? I never ever use the tube any more. Waterloo has an access road and lifts. I only have to lift my bike onto and off of the train.

Jerrysimon (on this forum) has gone the other way - super lightweight with a small lower powered motor. This may well be better for you as you're only talking about low distances (compared to me at 30-35 miles per day).

Battery weight varies depending on what range you require and how long you want it to last. I chose lifepo4 (heavy) as it should last for many years. My battery weighs over 7kg but I have a range of 70 miles!

My advice would be that firstly you will have to accept slightly more than 12kg. Then you should decide if gentle assistance, light weight and lower range are what you need or...like me maximum performance and range at the cost of weight.

Oh...and there is room for loads in the Brompton C bag even with my massive battery.

Ben

 

[RobF]

I had my Brompton Nano-ised last year and can confirm it's an excellent package.

Plenty of room in the front bag on top of the battery.

My conversion is a simple throttle-only one, although Nano will fit a pedelec control as well.

The throttle is just the job for stop/start riding in traffic, although it inevitably consumes a bit of juice.

I have the bigger 10ah battery which is good for 20 to 30 miles.

The motor adds around two or three kilos to the bike which is noticeable - at least it doesn't affect the Brompton's brilliant fold.

Mine's a six-speed, but the advice given here and on the Nano website is spot on, a three-speed is all you need.

I start and cruise in fourth or fifth in traffic and rarely need to change gear.

 

[Woosh]

Hello oli82,

The Zephyr is pretty easy to fold, so you might want to consider it.
In a few weeks, we will also have the new Zephyr-CD with crank drive at only £675 including delivery.
Its also good for taller riders as it has a longer than average wheel base and...(dare I say it), looks quite 'blokey' (a lot of foldables look a bit girly in my view). Its also got a hidden battery thus reducing the risk of being nicked - but isn't of course mega light.

Will you be travelling in peak times? Shunting bikes around on public transport is a lot easier if not but my guess is you won't have this luxury.
And yes, you could pick something up in China (who am I to discourage?) - but just make sure spares can be found back here (many can) or that they will agree to send you something quickly if needs be. Its not a tyre or spoke that's bothersome - its that odd sized specially moulded bracket that usually throws a spanner!



Hatti

 

[oli82]

Hello oli82,

The Zephyr is pretty easy to fold, so you might want to consider it.
In a few weeks, we will also have the new Zephyr-CD with crank drive at only £675 including delivery.
Its also good for taller riders as it has a longer than average wheel base and...(dare I say it), looks quite 'blokey' (a lot of foldables look a bit girly in my view). Its also got a hidden battery thus reducing the risk of being nicked - but isn't of course mega light.

Will you be travelling in peak times? Shunting bikes around on public transport is a lot easier if not but my guess is you won't have this luxury.
And yes, you could pick something up in China (who am I to discourage?) - but just make sure spares can be found back here (many can) or that they will agree to send you something quickly if needs be. Its not a tyre or spoke that's bothersome - its that odd sized specially moulded bracket that usually throws a spanner!

View attachment 5034

Hatti

Thanks for the information Hattie, I will be traveling at peak time so the bike will need to be stowed in the luggage area. What are the dimensions of the bike folded? I am 6'1" do you think it is still appropriate.

Many thanks,

Oliver

 

[oli82]

Thanks for your advice Ben I really appreciate it. I think I will go for a smaller battery because the distance isnt so bad. Regarding weight I only really need to get it on and off the train, so anything less that 18-20 Kg should be fine.

Will try to be on the lookout for a second hand brompton and go from there.

Cheers,

Oliver

 

[Old_Dave]

The Zephyr, when folded, measures about 95cm (L) x 70cm (H) x 55cm




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[oli82]

Has anyone got the Brompton Sparkle conversion.
Electric Bike Sales - Shop Online for Electric Bikes, Electric Vehicles and Cycle Accessories - Brompton Sparticle

This is £930 and has the battery mounted on the seat post. Would welcome opinions on how this compares to the battery in the c type bag.

Many Thanks for your help,

Oliver

 

[shemozzle999]

Has anyone got the Brompton Sparkle conversion.
Electric Bike Sales - Shop Online for Electric Bikes, Electric Vehicles and Cycle Accessories - Brompton Sparticle

This is £930 and has the battery mounted on the seat post. Would welcome opinions on how this compares to the battery in the c type bag.

Many Thanks for your help,

Oliver

Hi oli82,

The Sparticle is now on its 3rd generation motor. Most of the earlier bugs have been ironed out and they can offer 3 different power setups to suit you particular needs.

I have been running mine for 3 years now and I am in the process of upgrading mine to their latest specification as a DIY project.

As an off the shelf conversion I can recommend it as being one of most practical solutions.

The advantage of the seat post mounted frog battery and Bafang motor is that they are presently industry standard devices and should you need spares in the future they should be easily obtainable and relatively cheap.

Once cabled onto the Brompton, battery removal and recharging is a piece of cake.

The only advice I would give over and above the standard kit would be to opt for a larger 54 tooth chainwheel as it tends to spin out at top speed.

I have had good dealings with TETS and they have supported me well.

 

[oli82]

Hi oli82,

The Sparticle is now on its 3rd generation motor. Most of the earlier bugs have been ironed out and they can offer 3 different power setups to suit you particular needs.

I have been running mine for 3 years now and I am in the process of upgrading mine to their latest specification as a DIY project.

As an off the shelf conversion I can recommend it as being one of most practical solutions.

The advantage of the seat post mounted frog battery and Bafang motor is that they are presently industry standard devices and should you need spares in the future they should be easily obtainable and relatively cheap.

Once cabled onto the Brompton, battery removal and recharging is a piece of cake.

The only advice I would give over and above the standard kit would be to opt for a larger 54 tooth chainwheel as it tends to spin out at top speed.

I have had good dealings with TETS and they have supported me well.

Thanks for the help, they are close by to where I live so can ask some more questions about it with them. Do you find that the battery on the seat post inhibits the folding of the bike?

 

[shemozzle999]

Only that the seatpost can not be fully dropped down, but with the extended seat post fitted and the rear bump stop correctly adjusted the bike will stay clamped together when folded and or carried.