Any recommendations for a lightweight folding electric bike to take cruising?

[refuge]

Electric scooters are worth considering. They have come a long way from what kids typically used.

Modern electric scooters have full motorcycle suspension, have an operating range of over 50 miles, and can top speeds of 65 mph. They have seats that can be attached and the large platform can accommodate items as well as hanging bags.

Here are a few I’m looking at.

Dualtron 3 electric scooters by minimotors uses LG

Nanrobot rs7

Duel evo naccotech

Wolf warrior 11 uses LG

Zero8 and Zero9

Monster GT40

Dualtron X is fastest

Check out some youtube reviews. I think they are more feasible for boats than bikes because these scooters fold up into a very compact unit using one lever.

[ElectricBikeShp]

Hey there! One of our customers sent us a link to your request - they are very happy with their folding electric bikes they purchased from our Electric Bike Shop in Port Saint Lucie, FL (we ship to the lower 48 states and met them on the International boat show circuit).

Please check out our Bagibike line of folding electric bikes - possibly the B16 Super lightweight one for $1490 -
New this month they have upgraded the wheels to MAG (true magnesium) spokeless wheels (lighter and stronger than aluminum) and front and rear disc brakes - what sets these apart is the quality inside and out - also headlight and taillight at the push of a button with brake lights and turn signals too. They come with fenders and a rear rack and they only weigh 38lbs (34lbs without the removeable battery) which locks inside of the frame. Pedal assist, throttle, LCD display. Has everything.

Our customers have asked us to compare them to other similar brands of ebikes and what we have found is the Bagibike B16 has the stronger motor, bigger battery, comes with everything, is less money and is lighter. Kind of a no-brainer, huh? Lol - please check us out and watch the videos. Thanks and have a great Thanksgiving!

https://electricbikeshoponline.com/c...shoponline.com

www.electricbikeshoponline.com

[Ionlydream]

If you can afford it the best bike would be an electric Brompton. Large following (especially in the UK) fold very small so it takes up little space and can be store in an airplane overhead or taken on public transportation
https://us.brompton.com/bikes/brompton-electric

[Dave9111]

Originally Posted by refuge

Electric scooters are worth considering. They have come a long way from what kids typically used.

Modern electric scooters have full motorcycle suspension, have an operating range of over 50 miles, and can top speeds of 65 mph. They have seats that can be attached and the large platform can accommodate items as well as hanging bags.

Here are a few I’m looking at.

Dualtron 3 electric scooters by minimotors uses LG

Nanrobot rs7

Duel evo naccotech

Wolf warrior 11 uses LG

Zero8 and Zero9

Monster GT40

Dualtron X is fastest

Check out some youtube reviews. I think they are more feasible for boats than bikes because these scooters fold up into a very compact unit using one lever.

I've been to China a few time in the Guanghou and Foshon areas. The last time I went they had electric scooters everywhere. Very, very few electric bikes or electric bike conversion units. The electric bikes that they did have were more like scooters made with 20" heavy duty work bicycle wheels.

Also, its my understanding that the vast majority of the electric scooters in China use Lead Acid batteries, not Lithium. I suspect that Lithium batteries are far too expensive in China compared to Lead Acid. Besides, how far do you want to go?
I just bought a used Pride 3 wheel disability scooter and it has a range of about 20 miles. It uses two lead acid batteries which seem to be a standard size in the disability scooter marketplace. They are AGM batteries and a size between a lawnmower battery and a small car battery. 12 volts each in series to the motor controller.



I'm not sure if you have seen the gas bike conversion kits that you can buy off Amazon or Ebay, they have been around for a while and the engines are almost standardized. So the first time I went to China about 6 years ago I kept a look out for the standard Chinese gas bicycle conversion kits being used on bike in China. Guess what.... I never saw even one after being there and driving around everyday for 3 weeks.


So the lesson I learned... is what China sells to the US is NOT what China uses or sells in China.

[Mauruuru]

there is a brand new one I just saw at Ft Lauderdale boat show.....I think the name of it is GoCycle....it folds up and goes into a bag you can backpack instead of leaving on the street. It was pricey but totally well engineered and cool---and light.

[drcat]

A few things to consider
1) you'll want to have an ebike mostly made out of aluminum- think salt water and steel rusting and aluminum bike will be lighter
2) Wheel size- this is what will cause the bike to take up more or less space when folded- would not go past 20" and probably best in the 16" size. And if you ever want to transport on public transportation smaller is better. Note ebike generally can't be transported on plane as they don't allow lithium ion batteries other than laptops. They do allow sealed lead acid batteriesusually up to 8 ah
3) motor power, motor gearing, bike gears and battery power- stay 500 watts or under probably 250-350 watts. Favor an internally geared electric motor as a geared 250 watt motor can supply most of the hill climbing ability of an ungeared 500 watt motor. Make sure the motor is brushless. brushes wear out and they also make pedaling harder due to friction and induced magnetic field resistance- think you are pedaling an electric generator. Try for 6-7 bike gears, so when you do need to pedal it can be to go faster or help motor climb hill. Battery AH- you'll probably be under 10ah lithium on a folding bike which if fine for the type of trips you will take.
Look at EGbike dot com- their 20" folding electric runs $1200. Disclosure- I did use their ebikes for an electric bike rental business 10 yrs back, they were good quality and fair price.
Look at Citizens bike for folding bikes at reasonable prices but no electric
If you decide to find a used folding bike to convert- front wheel drive use only steel fork bike as alum fork with fail from torque fatigue. Alum bike with alum fork only rear wheel conversion

[CarinaPDX]

Good points but I disagree about the first. For years Brompton owners have asked for an aluminum version and the factory has refused to go that way. It turns out that making the design in aluminum and getting a reasonable frame stiffness doesn't save any weight. As for the rust I found that the frame was not really a significant problem - it is painted after all. I do recommend spraying a rust inhibitor inside the tubes where there is no paint, although I didn't get around to it until after I returned and was rebuilding the bike; there was a little rust on the surfaces without paint but nothing significant (after years). I never left the bike out in the weather, for care of the bike but mostly to prevent theft.

The real rust problem is with the components. Steel components found on cheaper bikes can turn into a mess very quickly - they really need to be coated with a rust inhibitor. Quality bikes use aluminum components, but still use steel fasteners and springs and they do rust if not coated. It is possible to buy nickel-plated chain for a few dollars more and I feel that is worth doing. I think there is a lot to be said for belt drives with a rear internally geared hub (Sturmey-Archer, Nexus, SRAM, etc).

Greg

[a64pilot]

You can make an aluminum frame lighter, think older Cannondale for instance, but to do so pretty much requires very large almost beer can thin tubes, that take up space and are easily damaged, and nothing rides harsher than aluminum
So you go carbon fiber, has to be better right? Well again it can be lighter but your back to easily damaged.
Good old Columbus steel tube bicycle frames are actually pretty hard to beat for casual use, and that’s any folder. I even like lugged frames, but butted tig welded frames are as strong and are lighter.
https://www.steel-vintage.com/blog/2...s-steel-tubes/

Although I doubt many steel folder use the quality of steel that Columbus tube sets are.

[magentawave]

Well, someone snagged that fancy Dahon with the internal gears so I bought a used Sun Shortcut 7 folder in "like new" condition off of Craigslist for only $140. You can see the Shortcut 7 at the bottom of this page: Shortcut | Bike Categories | Sun Bicycles Components aren't the greatest but it shifts smoothly, rides surprisingly well, and has an aluminum frame and wheels. I have a lot of work to do on my boat with free parking 1/2 mile away so this will definitely help.

I zip tied a big plastic milk crate to the rack in a way that still enables it to fold (not fully though) which conserves space in the back of my minivan. I want to figure out a way to quickly release the crate from the rack though. Got any idea's?

I've read mixed reviews on those internal gear hubs but the fact that they are putting them on expensive mountain bikes now where you're constantly up and down shifting has to mean something. With the very real possibility of the derailleur getting smacked around, I'm thinking a folder with internal gears would be the best for cruising.

[CarinaPDX]

That's a decent folder at a bargain used price. It looks like they may be using standard components so they can be upgraded if desired (the really cheap Chinese bikes often can't be fitted with standard components).

You might track down one of the folding crates, which should reduce the size for storing the bike. It's hard to visualize the mounting of the crate without the bike in front of me.

Of course there is more friction in an internal geared hub (IGH) than a derailleur so serious riding is best done with a derailleur. But for around town efficiency isn't a big issue, and even less with an e-bike. The IGH systems are used on mountain bikes because they are very resistant to mud and are robust, while derailleurs can get bogged down in mud or even break - they are very exposed to physical damage.

Greg

[Maldwin]

I like the GOCYCLE bikes, 37 lbs, magnesium, fabulous quality. Unfortunately, they are about $4,000.

[CarinaPDX]

There are a surprisingly high number of options. Look at this 37# magnesium folder for $900: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/s...-folding-ebike, or for $200 more get a 500W motor and a larger battery pack. IndieGoGo so pay now and it ships in February - and the price goes up frequently to double the current price - so buy now or never.

Greg

[drcat]

followup from drcat
Just watched Gone with the Wynns youtube 2019 Holiday Gift ideas episode. They have Blix Vika+ folding ebikes in episode. It does not appear they have used on boat yet but assume they will return to their catamaran with bikes. They are $1399 now on sale and another $100 with a Wynn discount code so $1299. Alum frame, 20" wheels, 500w geared brushless motor, 14ah lithium battery, disc brakes, rear rack etc etc.
So another brand to consider

[roverhi]

I've been riding a BikeFriday NWT 20" wheel for years on and around the boat. They've gotten into electrifying all their models. The Pakit is very lightweights, probably under 35#, 16" wheels for minimal foldable size and folds so it can be carried in a back pack. It can be had with a geared hub, conventional derailleur with 10 gears, Belt drive for now grease on your hands, and either front or rear wheel drive.

The beauty of all the BikeFriday line is they ride like a real bicycle. My full size bikes are hanging in the garage since I got my NWT as it feels so good to ride. Have done 50 mile jaunts with it, hauled stuff with the suitcase trailer that it packs into, and others have ridden the IronMan on their Pocket Rocket model. They are steel framed but mine is doing fine after more than 10 years, much of that on the boat, a TransPac and a bunch of airplane journeys.

Be very conscious of weight. Anything much more than 30# is going to be a total pulled muscle pain to hoist on board from a dinghy or finger pier. Anyone you consider, try picking it up and putting on a counter and then imagine doing it standing in a squirrely dinghy.

Oh, and their battery is airline approved to ship in luggage.

The BikeFriday's aren't cheap but they are real bicycles.

[mark0978]

I think I need something a little more bike-ish than a scooter to be able to carry stuff and take my surf sup, though. Right?

Marty has modified a bike trailer to fit his electric scooter. Maybe he can sen some photos of the setup. Bikes take up a lot of space, scooters are MUCH better and he gets 25miles at 25mph which is pretty fast on a scooter!