Folding e-bike for Heavy & Tall Rider

FatBob

Pedelecer
Apr 15, 2020
138
36
Greater Manchester
Hi. Newbie (6 foot 3 and 23 stone ) looking for an ebike for commuting to work (10 miles round trips, includes a ¾ mile long gradient 3%). Ideally need a folding bike as I use an elevator to get to my flat.

A google search brought up these two folding ebikes, both claiming weight limits of 150kg. Can more knowledgeable / experienced forum members advise on these please?
Thanks!
 

Woosh

Trade Member
May 19, 2012
21,257
17,268
Southend on Sea
wooshbikes.co.uk
(6 foot 3 and 23 stone )
for your weight, I suggest you get a steel frame bike and convert it to electric.
Aluminium frames can crack at two places: the seat tube and the mid fold and aluminium frames are generally not repairable.

If it has to be a folding bike, Bromptons are pretty good.
We can convert your Brompton for you if you get the bike sent directly to us.
 

FatBob

Pedelecer
Apr 15, 2020
138
36
Greater Manchester
for your weight, I suggest you get a steel frame bike and convert it to electric.
Aluminium frames can crack at two places: the seat tube and the mid fold and aluminium frames are generally not repairable.

If it has to be a folding bike, Bromptons are pretty good.
We can convert your Brompton for you if you get the bike sent directly to us.
So you understand the Brompton, being steel-framed, to be better able to cope with my weight than either of the two bikes above with claimed load limits at 150kg despite Brompton themselves saying the following?
We recommend that the weight of the rider, combined with any luggage should not exceed more than 110kgs (242 lbs, 17 stone).
The load on the front luggage carrier block should not be more than 10kg (22lbs, 1 stone).
Warranty on the bicycle frame and other components are invalid on loads that exceed those stated above.
 

Woosh

Trade Member
May 19, 2012
21,257
17,268
Southend on Sea
wooshbikes.co.uk
Steel flexes while aluminium cracks when under heavy load.
The best in folding frame strength is the Montague Paratrooper but it takes a lot more space.
It is also easy to convert.
warranty and construction are of course different issues. Responsible manufacturers will want to under estimate rather than overestimate.
 

RetiredAndRolling

Pedelecer
Mar 30, 2019
53
22
RG24
I was also looking for a folding bike to accommodate a tall and heavy rider. The Tern Vektron appealed to me but alas, like all the other folders I looked at, I was too heavy. In the end I switched to a compact non folding bike, as they can handle a heavier rider. Bonkers expensive but fitting the bill, the Riese & Mueller Tinker is one such. Unusually for a seemingly small and simple bike, it has all premium parts, plenty of range and bucket loads of oomph. It doesn’t fold in half but the low profile frame, 16 inch wheels and collapsing seat and handle bar post means it can fit in a small space.