Folding e-bike recommendation for USA
Posted by fenix1729@reddit | ebikes | View on Reddit | 10 comments
I'm gonna use it mostly on park, pavement with some light gravel or dirt/grass path. I'm looking for a folding e-bike with these specs:
- Carbon Belt Drive
- 20 inch fat tire
Some kind of suspension.
Good torque 80–120 Nm (not sure) (able to climb most hills)
comfortable seat
Step-Through (if possible)
So far I'm thinking of buying these:
-XP Lite2 JW Black Long-Range eBike (doesn't have suspension or good torque)
- Vektron P5i (Gen 4) Folding E-Bike (not available at the moment, has a bit of suspension on tires)
fenix1729@reddit (OP)
Not longer thinking about buying Vektron P5i, it doesn't have throttle.....
cutsnek@reddit
I've pre-ordered the P5i, vektron is one of the few folding bikes I've ridden that felt more like a normal bike than a folding bike and didn't feel like it wanted to collapse on itself.
Only a limited number of them coming to where I live and must have been sold before they arrive.
I'll be taking delivery in a few weeks. I've done several test rides on the s10 which I loved but I wanted the newer mid drive and carbon belt.
fenix1729@reddit (OP)
I'm thinking of buying it but is it better than ADO Air 20 Ultra 2026 ?
fenix1729@reddit (OP)
ADO Air 20 Ultra 2026 Folding Electric Bike looks nice but is not shipping to usa... So hard to choose...
Ok_Armadillo_1336@reddit
Two comments:
Do you have a strong need to a belt drive?
The XP Lite2 with the belt has no gear shift, and I think I would miss that right away unless I wanted to more heavily rely on the motor (which is not my preference).
Re: Puncture Resistant Tires: I've owned an eBike sold with puncture resistant tires - and guess what - I got a flat in the first 30 miles by picking up a needle-thin strip of steel from the road. This eBike brand had a beautiful cutaway diagram of the tire on their website showing a steel-wall looking layer.
So unless you want to get something like Tannus liners (which I have no experience with) I think any bike tire/tube is going to be susceptible to punctures, and therefore might not need to be a priority for you (I mean: none of us like to get flats).
fenix1729@reddit (OP)
Yes, I want an e-bike with belt drive.
Ahnatos@reddit
I can only speak for the Letric XP Lite and I have the first gen, it's been a great bike. I take it on road, off road, all over the place and it does well. My only real complaint was the range, I solved that by adding a second 10ah battery, on the XP Lite 2 you get pretty good range with a 14ah battery, mine is only 7.8ah. Without the second battery I was only getting 20 miles before it was out.
Tires can be an issue. I did get a flat once that was not repairable as the stem got a cut and wouldn't hold air. Putting FlatOut in will help a lot and eventually if you ride enough just get a bag that has some tools and extra tube just in the case.
badbitchlover@reddit
I almost come up with the same question like you and I am in Canada. But my major concern is to use it as a car replacement and I want to ride it in winter. I tried to do that on the lectric xp. It has 4 inch tire, it is not the best to handle snow and it IS a nightmare to clean the drivetrain everyday. I'm very done with the cleaning for the entire winter. I like the Tern but I don't like their price tag. I also checked that the version we are getting was the older system. So, you can only use a smaller battery and you cannot use your phone to lock the bike. Hmm
Nervous-Iron2473@reddit
Unless there is an absolute need for a folding bike, don't. They just make the bike heavier.
Inciteful_Analysis@reddit
They do worse than make the bike heavier. They make it less rigid, less offroad worthy, and add points of failure. On top of that, they are generally saddled with small wheels that have their own set of issues.