New to cyclechat and looking for a step-through e-folder ...

[KnittyNorah]

Hello all, I'm a (former) fairly keen cyclist who's done nothing these past ten years due to ever-increasing sight loss which seemed irreversible to the extent that I sold my beloved, fit-like-a-glove, Islabike.

Now I'm in my mid-seventies, even shorter than I was ten years ago (under 5ft), but I have nigh-perfect eyesight once more having had miraculous surgery several times in the past year, and have been cleared by my surgeon and optometrist for all normal activities, inc cycling, again! Hurray!
HOWEVER due to my increasing visual impairment, in the past ten years I've lost a lot of fitness, put on a lot of weight, and had a couple of falls on unseen/unexpected steps and kerbs which have exacerbated some old injuries (left knee) and given me a badly-ruptured achilles tendon (fortunately also on the left). I've also moved from a house into a flat with no secure outside storage …

So an electric step-through folder it has to be. Electric because I may never pedal 'evenly' again, and sometimes I might not be able to pedal much at all on my left side, and a folder because of the storage situation. I'll probably need a crank and/or pedal alteration at least on the left side; I've got a few names for people who do that sort of thing. I want 20" wheels, I'm not the least bit bothered about suspension, one way or the other, and although I don't need or intend to commute, as I don't drive I want to be able to occasionally get it on board a bus, train or taxi without the hassle involved with a non-folder. I may be small but I am sturdy and as long at the 'fold' holds together, I can easily hoik 20-odd kg a short distance! Battery could come out and go into a backpack temporarily if necessary to make the weight a bit ore manageable when folded. I want a battery giving as good a range as possible, or an easy-to-change battery system so I can carry a spare. I'll be doing mostly tarmac riding, with some easy gravel and similar 'off-road' tracks, not going into rough stuff or MTB territory at all!

My absolute top price limit is £2,000 and I prefer sub-£1500. The whole idea of a cheap(ish) e-bike is to see if I can get my fitness back up, if I still enjoy cycling as much as I always used to, how much I am affected by my ruptured tendon (which will never fully heal, although I'm OK-ish walking on it and even using stairs) and if I actually USE the bike as much as I hope I will. If I do, then after a year I plan to get something 'better'.
I'm aware there will have to be many compromises - weight, ride quality etc etc - and I'm aware that there's a severe shortage/huge demand for bikes at present, so I might well need to compromise on other things too - but I won't/can't compromise on maximum price, foldability, step-through and hub motor with cadence sensor. I will also need the throttle/walk control or whatever the supplier calls it due to the unreliability of half of my own inbuilt propulsion system!

All and any suggestions, recommendations, warnings etc will be welcome. Actually visiting shops to see bikes is ... difficult as I no longer drive ...

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Sorry to mention Halfords - but my wife has a Carrera folder (Cross city-e) and I take it out once every month or so.
I also rode it around Cornwall's hill last year for a few days

It has been great - pretty basic electronics compared to my Bosch and the battery indicator is especially basic - but it works well.
I think the current price is about £999 - so pretty cheap for an ebike.

 

[KnittyNorah]

I'm not 'anti' a cheap 'brand' - especially if it's an actual brand I could return to the shop! - as this is really a trial for how well I get on with e-cycling after a lifetime of 'proper' cycling on 'good' bikes and then a long hiatus - but I do need to be able to get on and off the thing easily; at this point in time a step-through is one of my essential requirements. But thanks for the recommendation anyway! At that price and from Halfords I wouldn't have thought to look at it, just a pity it's not a step-through.

 

[Pale Rider]

A Woosh Rambletta meets most of your needs.

At one time Woosh were Chinese cheap and nasty, but the latest models look increasingly decent.

They are also helpful people to deal with.

Hatti, the owner, is a self confessed short person so she always tries to have a couple of suitable bikes in her range.

https://wooshbikes.co.uk/?rambletta

 

[KnittyNorah]

A Woosh Rambletta meets most of your needs.

At one time Woosh were Chinese cheap and nasty, but the latest models look increasingly decent.

They are also helpful people to deal with.

Hatti, the owner, is a self confessed short person so she always tries to have a couple of suitable bikes in her range.

https://wooshbikes.co.uk/?rambletta

Thanks - I've heard good things about the Rambletta; I didn't know the business owner was also an underheight person, though!

 

[si_c]

Would a regular step through bike with a conversion kit make sense? You could speak to your LBS and see if they would be willing to do the conversion, and it would mean you would have a larger choice of bikes.

Perhaps the best choice would be an electric brompton - they're doing a fairly large range of bikes now, are highly foldable and storable with a good ecosystem for support.

 

[Pale Rider]

An e-Brompton would be the blue chip choice, although I would go for a Brompton Nano.

Much better and more reliable kit than the dreadful factory one, and more options of batteries, set-up, and which bike to plonk it on.

Strange to relate, there's another lady for the OP to speak to on the phone at Nano - Lynda - helpful, just like Hatti at Woosh, but of average height.

Tell her Rob in Sunderland says hello.

https://www.nanoelectricbikes.co.uk/

 

[KnittyNorah]

Would a regular step through bike with a conversion kit make sense? You could speak to your LBS and see if they would be willing to do the conversion, and it would mean you would have a larger choice of bikes.

Perhaps the best choice would be an electric brompton - they're doing a fairly large range of bikes now, are highly foldable and storable with a good ecosystem for support.

What I eventually go for- if a sub-£1500 e-folder works out for me for a year or so - will have to be a folder, and a conversion of a good quality well-fitting bike will certainly be on the cards at that time if I can't find a decent ready-made (which I would prefer). Finding the bike for the conversion will be yet another battle as it is never easy to find a bike to fit someone my height!

However, at this point I don't even know if, or how well, I'll actually be able to effectively cycle at all, hence a cheaper ready-made option with e-assistance has to take priority.

A Brompton of any sort really isn't an option - I don't like them at all, and they are far too expensive to use as a mere 'trial', sorry.

 

[KnittyNorah]

An e-Brompton would be the blue chip choice, although I would go for a Brompton Nano.

Much better and more reliable kit than the dreadful factory one, and more options of batteries, set-up, and which bike to plonk it on.

Strange to relate, there's another lady for the OP to speak to on the phone at Nano - Lynda - helpful, just like Hatti at Woosh, but of average height.

Tell her Rob in Sunderland says hello.

https://www.nanoelectricbikes.co.uk/

Bromptons are much too expensive (for me) for a trial - which is what this is - and unfortunately they're not step-through ... I've tried a neighbour's step-over folder for 'manageability' and it's a no-no - very difficult for me to cleanly step over the bar, hence my insistence on step-through at this point. I'm hopeful that after a few months or more of 'light cycling' I might be able to manage a bit better, and hence have more choice of bike.

 

[Pale Rider]

Another viable option is the Wisper folder.

One of our lady members - @welsh dragon - has one and has had lots of reliable miles out of it.

Not cheap, depending on the spec, but Wispers are nicely made, using a mixture of Chinese and European manufacture.

They have a reputation of being decent to deal with.

You might have to speak to a man this time, David Miall is the owner of Wisper, and you can trust him to be honest and straightforward.

https://wisperbikes.com/shop/e-bikes/folding-ebikes/wisper-806-folding-electric-bike-2020/

 

[KnittyNorah]

Another viable option is the Wisper folder.

One of our lady members - @welsh dragon - has one and has had lots of reliable miles out of it.

Not cheap, depending on the spec, but Wispers are nicely made, using a mixture of Chinese and European manufacture.

They have a reputation of being decent to deal with.

You might have to speak to a man this time, David Miall is the owner of Wisper, and you can trust him to be honest and straightforward.

https://wisperbikes.com/shop/e-bikes/folding-ebikes/wisper-806-folding-electric-bike-2020/

Yes, the Wisper do seem good from what I've read! I wonder which model @welsh dragon has? Hopefully she'll see this!

 

[sheddy]

Where are you based ? CC's might advise on local bike shops.

 

[KnittyNorah]

Where are you based ? CC's might advise on local bike shops.

I'm a bit north of Preston, but I don't drive any more - so I have to rely on public transport.

 

[welsh dragon]

Another viable option is the Wisper folder.

One of our lady members - @welsh dragon - has one and has had lots of reliable miles out of it.

Not cheap, depending on the spec, but Wispers are nicely made, using a mixture of Chinese and European manufacture.

They have a reputation of being decent to deal with.

You might have to speak to a man this time, David Miall is the owner of Wisper, and you can trust him to be honest and straightforward.

https://wisperbikes.com/shop/e-bikes/folding-ebikes/wisper-806-folding-electric-bike-2020/

Mine is still going strong after nearly 5 years.

As Pale Rider says, David is the man to talk to. He wont try to persuade you to buy. He will give you the facts and let you Decide.

 

[KnittyNorah]

Mine is still going strong after nearly 5 years.

As Pale Rider says, David is the man to talk to. He wont try to persuade you to buy. He will give you the facts and let you Decide.

Sounds good. Methinks many phone calls this coming week.