How to choose a folding electric bike

Advantages of a folding bike

Folding bikes, also called ebikes, are equipped with an electric motor that help the cyclist in pedaling, increasing the speed of movement and decreasing effort, as in the case of steep climbs or journeys that are decidedly too long. In addition to the undoubted advantage of proceeding with an electric motor that assists you in pedaling, as we said, there is also the advantage of being able to fold the bike. In fact, the folding ebike has a frame with a horizontal rod, the so-called "slat", which is much lower than that of a common bicycle, this means that it is much smaller and lighter, therefore taking up less space. The front and rear wheels fold inwards towards the frame so that in the end the bike takes on the length of one of the two wheels and the thickness of the two wheels close together, this leads to a minimum amount of space and the possibility of transporting it on public transport such as the train, the subway, the bus, or on private vehicles such as the trunk of a car, without incurring any problems or sanctions from the controllers. As regards the handlebars, they can be left lying flat, to be able to drag the bike better as if they were a trolley, or they can be folded like a telescope to minimize the bulk and therefore make the ebike as high as the two wheels as well as as wide as the two wheels. themselves, not to mention that the wheels themselves are much smaller in height, and therefore also in diameter, than classic wheels, again to reduce the space taken up as much as possible. There is no doubt that this implies great advantages for the cyclist.

Accessories

The accessories available on the folding bike are: luggage racks, side bags to be able to fit much more stuff than would fit in the luggage rack, front and rear lights which can be battery or dynamo electric, various types of bells with a more Argentinian sound and traditional or more strident and modern, and front and rear mudguards that allow you to ride your bike, even when it has recently rained and the road is full of rivulets and puddles, without getting muddy. Furthermore, the bag is typical exclusively for folding bikes so that it can be transported without the wheels dirtying the trunk of a car.

Folding bike prices

Folding bikes have a very different price range depending on the brand, features and accessories. The determining factor that affects the price is lightness. In fact, having to equip the ebike with an electric motor and dynamo risks making it heavier, moreover, considering that you need to be able to lift it if you want to put it on public transport, for example on a bus, or on a train, or if If you want to go down the subway stairs while it is folded, it is essential that it weighs as little as possible. All this means that the variation in weight given by the characteristics of the frame, in particular the material with which it is built which can be iron, steel, carbon or aluminium, and also given by the size of the wheels (the larger they are, the more heavy and bulky) greatly influences the price. The heaviest folding electric bikes have a price starting from 400 euros, while the ultra-light ones, especially from the English brands which were the first to build and perfect them, have prices reaching up to 3000 euros. In this case they are clearly real gems, but since not everyone can afford them, you can opt for more modest brands.