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If you are looking for a convenient and sustainable way to get around the city, discover with this post the best folding urban electric bikes that will make your commutes around the city more comfortable and practical. These bikes offer the perfect combination of comfort, style, and practicality, allowing you to navigate congested streets and reach your destination effortlessly.
The natural environment for folding city bikes (electric or not) is undoubtedly the city. Its ability to reduce its dimensions make it ideal for small floors. But… What should you take into account when choosing the best one? Well, keep reading because not only are we going to show you what details you should look at to make the best decision, but we are also going to give you an assessment of some of the ones we consider top on the market.
La mejor bicicleta eléctrica plegable: ¿qué debe tener?
What do the best folding urban electric bikes need to have?
Imagine navigating the streets of your city quickly and efficiently, avoiding traffic and reducing your carbon footprint. Here are 3 features to consider when choosing the best city bike:
Low weight: light for easy maneuvering
Fundamental. A folding urban electric bike that you are going to use around the city must be light, as you will probably combine it as a means of transport with others such as the bus or the metro. And carry a lot of weight in those moments when you have to climb the stairs of the station or the few steps of the train, it shows.
This point conflicts with another important one for any self-respecting urban folding bike: some gears. Although it is essential to face any small slope or change in elevation that you encounter on your journey, too many gears require a greater number of sprockets and chainrings, which results in a greater weight.
Therefore, we must find a model that has a balance between these two aspects.
However, what you should take into account is the type of routes you are going to carry out in your day to day. That is, generally in the city there are no big slopes, but if you catch one, it is better to have the option of changing one or two gears.
But if what you have to climb, yes or yes, are stairs in the metro station or in the office, it is better to get one in which the number of speeds does not make the deadweight load uncomfortable.
Quick and easy folding
Folding urban bicycles must adapt to the pace of life in the city, being very quick and easy to fold. Especially when we talk about the main fold of the painting, since it is often the one that is most used to quickly enter the subway or a shopping center.
This gesture will usually be enough to transport the bike in trolley mode.
But the important thing in this case is not so much that it has this type of fold as that its mechanism is easy to use. In this way, going from pedaling to entering indoors or another means of transport will be a process that does not take you more than 10 seconds.
On the other hand, the homes of large cities are not characterized by their spaciousness, so any extra element that can be folded on the bike are points in favor of the model in question. In fact, they can usually fold (in addition to the frame) the handlebars or pedals. But in any case, measure well the space you have reserved to store the bike in your apartment. So you can compare it with the dimensions you find on the fully folded web.
Great Versatility to transport it
The best folding urban electric bikes should be very versatile, especially those with multiple speeds. However, versatility also refers to transportation when folded, such as carrying it down narrow subway corridors or in an office building.
In this regard, among the folding urban electric bikes that will suit you best are those that you can carry comfortably, without the need to use both hands and make it, folded, as stable as possible. This will give you enormous freedom to enjoy going everywhere with hardly any effort.
Comparison of the best folding urban electric bikes 2023
Below we will make a comparison of three of the top models of folding ebikes on the market. We’ll take into account the three main features we mentioned above and added two important aspects: autonomy and price.
Brompton Electric C Line
We start the comparison with one of the most prestigious and recognized brands in the world of folding bicycles. Brompton is a renowned British manufacturer of high-quality folding bikes, famous for its ingenious design and handcrafted construction. In its electric version, launched in 2021, they have included a motor in the front wheel.
– Weight: 17.4 kg. Its steel frame and almost 3 kg battery do not favor the overall weight of the bike.
– Folding: compact but tedious. It will take you about 20 seconds to fold it completely. It allows the folding of a single pedal and the handlebar is foldable. It is one of the bicycles that once folded takes up the least. It is like a small cube of about 0.10 m³.
– Versatility: itis one of the best-selling folding brands and it will be, among other things, for its versatility and design. It has a semi-folding position that allows it to be transported thanks to its rear training wheels. Surely on a train or bus you have seen a Brompton.
– Range: 30 – 70 km
– Speeds: 6 (internal hub)
– Price: exceeds 3500 €
Some details:
– The wiring is totally exterior and gives a very unminimalist appearance.
– The battery is installed in the backpack on the front of the bike. For us, this issue is not very well resolved.
– Traditional caliper or caliper brakes.
GOCYCLE g4
Gocycle is the English brand dedicated to manufacturing electric bicycles. Its founder is Richard Thorpe, an industrial designer who previously worked at McLaren. The G4 has a very futuristic look that gives it great appeal.
– Weight: 17.6 kg. Despite having a very innovative magnesium (and composite alloy) center frame, and a carbon fiber single-sided fork, its weight is not extremely low.
-Folding: Its painting folds in half, like a book, and in 10 seconds you will have the complete fold. It is also possible to fold the pedals and its handlebar is foldable. It is one of the bicycles that once folded takes up the least. Fully folded, it has a volume of 0.18 m³.
-Versatility: The G4 is very compact when folded, but its maneuverability when folded is not very good, since you have to push it through the saddle.
– Range: 65 km
– Speeds: 3
– Price: Currently worth more than 3600 €
Some details:
– The wiring is hidden, which is appreciated.
– The engine is incorporated into the front.
– Its single-sided fork and elegant wheels are very striking.
– Hydraulic brakes
Vello Bike+ GEars
In this case, we highlight the electric bicycle of the Austrian brand Vello. According to him, the idea arose in 2010 from one of its founders, Valentin Vodev, and who later joined his partner and co-founder Valerie Wolff. Vello bikes stand out for their very thin frame and simple.
– Weight: 14.5 kg. For their frame they use high-strength steel (c-romo-molybdenum) which, despite being steel, has a very light weight.
-Folding: Its frame does not fold, what folds are its front and back. It doesn’t fit despite its 20″ wheels, pweo you’ll need skill to fold it. The resulting volume is 0.13 m³.
-Versatility: Folding is not very fast and the way to move once folded by taking it from the saddle is not the most practical to be able to maneuver a bike.
– Range: 75 km
– Speeds: 3
– Price: Above 3000 €
Some details:
– It employs a rear all-in-one Bluetooth motor that includes the battery.
– The engine is incorporated into the front. It has generative braking that allows the battery to be recharged when braking.
– Hydraulic brakes.
Our favorite: Ossby GEO
Its manufacture in Spain, its unique design, its super-fast folding and its versatility make the GEO our favorite folding urban bike.
– Weight: 15 kg (approx). The innovative sustainable composite frame (made with a mix of recycled fibers, vegetable resins and recycled plastics) provides great resistance and a very low weight. In addition, it incorporates a carbon fiber fork to further reduce its weight.
– Folding: The fastest folding in the world! In just one second and in one movement you will have the Ossby folded. Easy and without the need to unscrew anything. Its vertical folding offers folding to take up 0.18 m³, very easy to store behind a door or cabinet.
-Versatility: The most versatile of all. Thanks to the EasyUp folding system, the bike folds in the blink of an eye. Easy and in one motion! In addition, its handlebars and pedals can also be folded. Once folded, it continues to roll on its two wheels and you can control it from the handlebars.
– Range: 50 km
– Speeds: 5
– Price: Less than 2000 €!
The Ossby GEO is perfect and is undoubtedly one of the best folding urban electric bikes. Yes, because it is ideal for going from pedaling to walking through the corridors of the subway in a matter of 5 seconds (and in them we count the time to get off and then fold the bike).
Its price is under 2000 €, but if you are going to use it in your day to day, for comfort and versatility, it is very worth opting for this high-end model.
Now all you have to do is try it first-hand and confirm that it is the best of the folding urban bikes. In fact, it will be so comfortable for you, you won’t go anywhere without it again! Whether it’s for coffee with friends or for work, she’ll become your perfect companion.
In conclusion, the best folding urban electric bikes offer comfort, efficiency, and an exciting way to navigate the city.
So why wait? Grab your urban electric bike and start enjoying its benefits!
