Light weight folding bike for a lady

[Sarah77]

Sarah,I know that bike very well,it looks similar to one of the bikes we reviewed prior to manufacturing the K16,it has the magnetic drive motor which looks the same as the bike I sat on at Shanghai.
The biggest problem we found was to remove the battery you had to disconnect and remove the front light,remove the forks then hook the strap to pull out the battery,it was a 30 min job,even for a skilled engineer...the manufacturer wouldn't make changes to this, so for us it was a non starter,it was a very cheap bike in China. Ask Halfords how you remove the battery,they may have changed the system.
Some of these bikes look similar but the devil is in the detail,it is the detail that is important in usage.
KudosDave

Thanks KudosDave, could you please let me know how I can contact you about this. Thanks

 

[Kudoscycles]

Thanks KudosDave, could you please let me know how I can contact you about this. Thanks

Ring Kudos on Monday,Scott or Andy are best guys to speak to,tell 01227 792792.... They are used to this offer,but quote Dave on Pedelecs.
KudosDave

 

[Sarah77]

Hi Sarah,
The 10kg weight is very impressive but according to the spec it has a 24v battery & 160w motor (rather than the more commonplace 36v battery & 250w motor) so you'd want to check it could manage a 10 mile hilly commute and give you all the power you require. I don't know that particular bike but I have a folding bike with a 24v battery (albeit with a 250w motor) and the battery drains very quickly. Suits me as I only use it for a spin in the park but if you are relying on it getting you to work & up lots of hills then that might be a different matter...

So it seems that it is less powerful than yours, it will not be all 10 miles hilly of course but with this less powerful motor can do any hills?, would yours do hills if so how does it feels. I may need to forget about weight then. Thank you

 

[Cricket]

So it seems that it is less powerful than yours, it will not be all 10 miles hilly of course but with this less powerful motor can do any hills?, would yours do hills if so how does it feels. I may need to forget about weight then. Thank you

Yes, you'll probably need to decide between weight, power & wheel size. I spent ages looking for a light folder so I know how confusing it can be! My bike handles the small hills round here ok - low gear, high assist & then gentle pedalling is all that's needed but it's not like a moped, you do have to pedal a bit. And that's with a 250w motor. Also, you definitely want to think about comfort as small wheels make for a bumpy ride...20" wheels are more comfortable if you'll be doing a fair few miles. Hopefully you can find a nearby dealer to test ride a few, otherwise the try before you buy offer on the Secret sounds good. Good luck!

 

[anotherkiwi]

Nope you don't want a Vlec which is a nice light flat city bike.

 

[Sarah77]

Yes, you'll probably need to decide between weight, power & wheel size. I spent ages looking for a light folder so I know how confusing it can be! My bike handles the small hills round here ok - low gear, high assist & then gentle pedalling is all that's needed but it's not like a moped, you do have to pedal a bit. And that's with a 250w motor. Also, you definitely want to think about comfort as small wheels make for a bumpy ride...20" wheels are more comfortable if you'll be doing a fair few miles. Hopefully you can find a nearby dealer to test ride a few, otherwise the try before you buy offer on the Secret sounds good. Good luck!

Thanks Cricket, yes it seems not an easy decision. I will try the kudos secret and may be halfords coyote commute folding ebike
as they seem similar , would you mind if I ask which bike you have (I mean the one you are talking about). Thank you

 

[Cricket]

Thanks Cricket, yes it seems not an easy decision. I will try the kudos secret and may be halfords coyote commute folding ebike
as they seem similar , would you mind if I ask which bike you have (I mean the one you are talking about). Thank you

Have fun test riding & let us know how you get on.

My folder is an A2B Kuo, which has since been discontinued/upgraded to the Kuo+ (and has subsequently gone up in price). It's a great little bike with a handy throttle but the 24v battery definitely doesn't get you as far as the 36v. I have a non folding bike with a 36v battery and I see a big difference.

 

[Kudoscycles]

Fosse Electric Bikes....have done a good video on both the Kudos K16 and the Kudos Secret,might be useful to you.
KudosDave

 

[Sarah77]

Thanks Cricket and KudosDave for all your input and sorry for the late delay. My head is swing around all ebikes, kudos secert still an option but I am still keen to find the light weight bike, so at the moment I am looking for other options, see please my new thread

http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/add-e-go-e-or-hidden-power-kit.25519/

Thank you all again

 

[Stephen Gray]

Hi Sarah,

The Birdy Red bikes in page 2 of classifieds may be worth a look, small folders with good hill climbing Bionx motor. Front and rear suspension too. I am tempted myself but have 4 pedelecs now. Out of interest are you near Blaydon ?

Good luck

Snipenose

 

[Kelliana]

The K16 carries my 100 kgs up steep hills with only the single gear. It can do that because it was designed to be a powerful bike up to 15 mph,it has a small chainring and the motor in the 16" wheels has a strong torque reaction.
The K16 was designed to be nippy in an urban situation,but the pedal cadence will be high if you are always going fast....to keep the weigh(15kg)t light allowing it to be easily carried on a bus or train you have to compromise on some details.
The K16 has such powerful acceleration that we did consider at one point reducing the power but riders soon get used to the power,you will have no problem climbing steep hills.
In contrast the Kudos Secret has the same motor,but the motor is inside 20" wheels so the torque reaction is lower, however it has gears with a larger chainring so you can change gears to change the rider torque and have a lower pedal cadence at speed,this does however add 3kg to the weight (total 18kg)so it's not so easy to lift on a bus or train.
The K16 and Secret have clearly defined uses,you do have to be careful to look at what you want the usage of the bike and select the one to do your job.
Both bikes have the same 10,4 Ah battery which will give 30-40 mile range.
Hope that helps,you do need to try a bike,you will soon realise which one is right for you,both bikes are selling very well at the moment,the green colour is very popular.
KudosDave

Hello, i am interested in the k16. Does high cadence mean the wheels will always spin at the same speed as the wheels when going fast?
Do the pedals spin when pushing it along?
Thank in advance, Kelly