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Foldable ebike for Model 3
- Thread starter zayn
- Start date
Mr H
Active Member
Foldable ebike for model 3 - sounds like a good deal to me. Will you want a Brompton or will a Chinese one do and where will we exchange??
MrBadger
Badger out
The Brompton is probably as good a starting place to look as any. They know how to do folding and didn't immediately jump into the e-bike market so hopefully came up with a robust solution.
There were others when I was looking a few years back but whilst I was not in the market for folding so didn't look too closely, I thought that a few were likely to be a bit high maintenance - trying to be a bit too clever for what I was looking for.
There were others when I was looking a few years back but whilst I was not in the market for folding so didn't look too closely, I thought that a few were likely to be a bit high maintenance - trying to be a bit too clever for what I was looking for.
My 27.5 MTB goes in easily with the front wheel off and the dropper seat down. I've built a cardboard sliding sheet which I pull out partially, load the bike, lean in through the back door and slide the whole lot in.
5 minute job, keeps it all clean and saves your back from awkward lifting
It depends on how often you are doing that. I presume @zayn is looking for a 'last mile' commuting tool. The last thing you want to do day in day out is faff with taking the wheels off/dropping rear seats in your work cloth when its wet/dirty/cold.
Bromptons are good but I found a £50 cheap copy which was fine for the flat and fitted in the X with the 3rd row of seat up, but on any gradient it was useless and it was just too slow for my liking.
The electric Bromptons are way overpriced, the electric motor they use is worth about £300 but Brompton charges a premium of about £1000.
I nearly bought a GoCycle recently, am not sure how easy they will fit in a Model 3 boot, but at 17kg they wouldn't be easy to handle even when folded, and my commute route has some 6% climbs which I wasn't sure how well it would cope with.
Gocycle GX | GXi
So in the end I went with a full sized ebike + tow bar carrier, which has actually been very easy. I use my bike now every day regardless of weather, whilst not having to worry about getting changed at work.
Depending on your commute/need for a car, I would say give the GoCycle a proper look. The cheapest version is now *just* £2k, and seem to perform well. For virtually the same price as my current electric non folding Halfords bike I would say the GoCycle GS is almost 'good value' . However you need to ensure you have safe/secure storage of the bike at work, as any eBike is irresistible for thieves.
Your other option is an electric scooter, but the legal situation on them is very vague. I certainly wouldn't want to use one on public roads and mixing it with cars given their tiny wheels + pot holes, though I have seen people use them on major A roads
!!. Equally using them on the pavement seems nuts given their potential speed + pedestrians/push chairs etc.
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Whoosh bikes do some good/cheaper eBikes built from unbranded gear. They get good reviews, and offer much better value than Brompton/GoCycle or any other well known brand.
But just bear in mind their weight, even their folding bike is 20kgs, that's 5kg more than my full sized electric Boardman hybrid. They wouldn't be the easiest to manage day to day.
Woosh Electric Bikes - Quality electric bikes inspired by you.
Final thing to bear in mind is how the bike rides/pedals at above 15mph, which is the legal electrical assistance here in the UK. I average 17mph on my commute, so for a large portion of my ride the electric motor is doing nothing, so having a resistance 'free' pedal system at above 15mph was important for me, which the Fazua system offers.
Not all eBikes are resistant 'free' at above 15mph, some are hard to pedal over this speed, which in effect than limits your maximum speed to 15mph, which can feel slow if you are commuting on major A roads with flowing traffic going past.
But just bear in mind their weight, even their folding bike is 20kgs, that's 5kg more than my full sized electric Boardman hybrid. They wouldn't be the easiest to manage day to day.
Woosh Electric Bikes - Quality electric bikes inspired by you.
Final thing to bear in mind is how the bike rides/pedals at above 15mph, which is the legal electrical assistance here in the UK. I average 17mph on my commute, so for a large portion of my ride the electric motor is doing nothing, so having a resistance 'free' pedal system at above 15mph was important for me, which the Fazua system offers.
Not all eBikes are resistant 'free' at above 15mph, some are hard to pedal over this speed, which in effect than limits your maximum speed to 15mph, which can feel slow if you are commuting on major A roads with flowing traffic going past.
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If you have the cash to splash
Electric — Hummingbird Bike - The Lightest Folding Bike In The World
Not cheap but very impressive to get that weight to 10.7kg, that's lighter than a near £10K Creo SL!!
MrBadger
Badger out
Is that you Roy? Love the moustaches - one above the driver!
Bet it didn't make it back up the hill.
Bet it didn't make it back up the hill.
No, I took the photo, about 20 years ago. It is my C5, being ridden by an old friend of mine.
The moustache above Paul’s ‘tash is called the Hi-Vis mast, supposedly to increase visibility to other traffic as you’re so low down.
You’re right, mostly pedal power back up the hill, otherwise the motor overheats. It didn’t half seem fast coming down the hill though
MrBadger
Badger out
Well truly an early adopter.
My only exposure to one was a mates (can't recall ever plucking the courage to give it a try) - he made the press for being stopped apparently drink driving one - not sure on the outcome.
My only exposure to one was a mates (can't recall ever plucking the courage to give it a try) - he made the press for being stopped apparently drink driving one - not sure on the outcome.
Hi, I can vouch for this bike having had it for over 2 years. Quality and reliability has been great and it’s not overly expensive compared to a Brompton for eg.
I use it to cycle the last part of my journey to work and it def fits in my model 3 boot without having to put back seats down and with room to spare.
Cheers
Ben
Raleigh Stow-E Way Review | Tredz Bikes
I use it to cycle the last part of my journey to work and it def fits in my model 3 boot without having to put back seats down and with room to spare.
Cheers
Ben
Raleigh Stow-E Way Review | Tredz Bikes
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