Step-through bike vs folding bike

[Gannet]

Hi everyone! I'm new to e-bikes, I haven't even been on a normal bike in ten years, but after moving somewhere more rural I'm now considering getting one.
I've been browsing this site and other forums and it's all a bit overwhelming. So many choices... I could do with some advice.

I don't drive, so the bike would be mostly to go shopping (3 miles with a fairly steep incline at one point) and socialising (3-4 miles the other direction with another hill).
I prefer step-through bikes and it needs to have a rack.
I don't really intend to go on long bike rides, although it would be good to be able to ride 15 miles to the nearest train station and back in no-bus emergencies. I'm in a rural area but the roads are in pretty good condition.

I had narrowed it down to the Eskute Polluno, Woosh Santana, Dallingridge Harlow and Roodog Chic when I realised that the house I'm moving to later this year doesn't have anywhere to store a bike. Right now I can store it in the communal stairwell, but in the new place, I'd have to get a shed which will cut into the bike budget (£1300).

So now I'm thinking about getting a foldable bike that would fit into my tiny hallway.
How are foldable e-bikes with hills? I'm worried my fitness levels wouldn't be enough and I'm not the lightest, plus I want to be able to transport my shopping with it.

Sorry for rambling...
I guess it narrows down to
1) which of these bikes is best?
2) is a folding bike good enough for my purpose and which one would you recommend?
3) are there cheap bike sheds big enough for e-bikes?

Thanks in advance

 

[StuartsProjects]

Hi everyone! I'm new to e-bikes, I haven't even been on a normal bike in ten years, but after moving somewhere more rural I'm now considering getting one.
I've been browsing this site and other forums and it's all a bit overwhelming. So many choices... I could do with some advice.

I don't drive, so the bike would be mostly to go shopping (3 miles with a fairly steep incline at one point) and socialising (3-4 miles the other direction with another hill).
I prefer step-through bikes and it needs to have a rack.
I don't really intend to go on long bike rides, although it would be good to be able to ride 15 miles to the nearest train station and back in no-bus emergencies. I'm in a rural area but the roads are in pretty good condition.

I had narrowed it down to the Eskute Polluno, Woosh Santana, Dallingridge Harlow and Roodog Chic when I realised that the house I'm moving to later this year doesn't have anywhere to store a bike. Right now I can store it in the communal stairwell, but in the new place, I'd have to get a shed which will cut into the bike budget (£1300).

So now I'm thinking about getting a foldable bike that would fit into my tiny hallway.
How are foldable e-bikes with hills? I'm worried my fitness levels wouldn't be enough and I'm not the lightest, plus I want to be able to transport my shopping with it.

Sorry for rambling...
I guess it narrows down to
1) which of these bikes is best?
2) is a folding bike good enough for my purpose and which one would you recommend?
3) are there cheap bike sheds big enough for e-bikes?

Thanks in advance

 

[pedalfettal]

You can fit aftermarket folding pedals to existing bicycles - useful if you need to store your ordinary bike indoors (I use Wellgo F265s which are metal). Easier to get through doorways and you won't catch your shins as you go past.

I'd actually suggest buying a second-hand folding bicycle from ebay or similar - you can then see if you really want to cycle, see if a folder would suit you, gain some experience before purchasing something expensive.

There's a Stowaway folder on ebay collectable from Larkhall (Lanarkshire, not Larkhill, Wiltshire) for £35.00. Perfect for trying out and then donate to someone when you replace it.

Or make friends in your new village and borrow someone's shed-find.

 

[StuartsProjects]

So now I'm thinking about getting a foldable bike that would fit into my tiny hallway.

I keep my converted Brompton tucked in the corner by the front door.

Very handy for shopping it is.

 

[peterjd]

Hi everyone! I'm new to e-bikes, I haven't even been on a normal bike in ten years, but after moving somewhere more rural I'm now considering getting one.
I've been browsing this site and other forums and it's all a bit overwhelming. So many choices... I could do with some advice.

I don't drive, so the bike would be mostly to go shopping (3 miles with a fairly steep incline at one point) and socialising (3-4 miles the other direction with another hill).
I prefer step-through bikes and it needs to have a rack.
I don't really intend to go on long bike rides, although it would be good to be able to ride 15 miles to the nearest train station and back in no-bus emergencies. I'm in a rural area but the roads are in pretty good condition.

I had narrowed it down to the Eskute Polluno, Woosh Santana, Dallingridge Harlow and Roodog Chic when I realised that the house I'm moving to later this year doesn't have anywhere to store a bike. Right now I can store it in the communal stairwell, but in the new place, I'd have to get a shed which will cut into the bike budget (£1300).

So now I'm thinking about getting a foldable bike that would fit into my tiny hallway.
How are foldable e-bikes with hills? I'm worried my fitness levels wouldn't be enough and I'm not the lightest, plus I want to be able to transport my shopping with it.

Sorry for rambling...
I guess it narrows down to
1) which of these bikes is best?
2) is a folding bike good enough for my purpose and which one would you recommend?
3) are there cheap bike sheds big enough for e-bikes?

Thanks in advance

I was in a large cycling shop yesterday (Rutland Cycling) just to view (and lift) the latest ebikes including folders. Although I use a diy converted ebike, I am very aware, as an aging cyclist, of their basic disadvantages which are still weight and range even with the latest bike, motor and battery developments. Chatting to one of the assistants he suggested that I would need to wait at least a couple of years for a decent ebike which I could comfortably lift into the back of the car (or up steps into a house or flat). I think that is sound advice. By the way large retailers like Rutland strongly recommend test rides before making a costly purchasing decision. Good luck.

PS I keep my diy ebike under a canopy by the back door with the battery kept indoors - no steps or lifting

 

[sjpt]

A folding bike should be fine on hills.
https://wooshbikes.co.uk/?rambletta might be a good choice; though I don't think it folds quite as small as some.

 

[StuartsProjects]

Chatting to one of the assistants he suggested that I would need to wait at least a couple of years for a decent ebike which I could comfortably lift into the back of the car (or up steps into a house or flat)

Or maybe its already here.

The new lightweight Swytch conversion added to the new titanium Brompton, is going to weigh maybe a little over 9.5kg. Thats about half the weight of my own old Swytch converted steel Brompton.

I can lift my steel Brompton into the boot of the car, but would not want to carry it up many steps.

 

[peterjd]

Or maybe its already here.

The new lightweight Swytch conversion added to the new titanium Brompton, is going to weigh maybe a little over 9.5kg. Thats about half the weight of my own old Swytch converted steel Brompton.

I can lift my steel Brompton into the boot of the car, but would not want to carry it up many steps.

Perhaps but at ~ £4.5k and what about the shopping? P.

 

[StuartsProjects]

At some point in the next few years we might see Lithium Sulphur batteries coming into use, but a small eBike battery and controller, like my old style Swytch, is only around 1.1Kg so even lighter batteries are only going to save maybe 500g which is not much of a weight saving.

The technolgy to make a very light folding electric bike, in particular titanium, is already here but is expensive, dont see that changing much in the future.

 

[peterjd]

At some point in the next few years we might see Lithium Sulphur batteries coming into use, but a small eBike battery and controller, like my old style Swytch, is only around 1.1Kg so even lighter batteries are only going to save maybe 500g which is not much of a weight saving.

The technolgy to make a very light folding electric bike, in particular titanium, is already here but is expensive, dont see that changing much in the future.

I'm a bit of an odd-ball with regard to my old bikes, so I still ride my super light (and super flexible ! ) Bickerton-Rowlinson folder which I can still easily lift into the back of the car. I gave up trying to put an electric friction drive on it, when it became obvious that I would probably be risking life and limb using it. So I use that bike without electric assistance when on holiday mainly on flat esplanades or such like. At any sort of incline beyond its 3 gears - I walk. The friction drive looks as though it will work well enough on my conventional light-weight 40+ year old French touring bike to give the necessary help on hills to keep me able to ride with a local U3A cycling group.

 

[peterjd]

At some point in the next few years we might see Lithium Sulphur batteries coming into use, but a small eBike battery and controller, like my old style Swytch, is only around 1.1Kg so even lighter batteries are only going to save maybe 500g which is not much of a weight saving.

The technolgy to make a very light folding electric bike, in particular titanium, is already here but is expensive, dont see that changing much in the future.

By the way, I'm keeping an eye on Fazua developments (now a Porsche company). I like the current Ride 50 system which has the removable motor and battery ( driving a geared bottom bracket). The Ride 60 system available in the Autumn loses that adaptability but perhaps both versions will continue. The concept reminds me of the less sophisticated (and I believe now out of business) Californian Pro Drive (Currie Technology). PS My memory was faulty - the Currie was it seems a rear wheel chain drive.