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

[KnittyNorah]

How about this one from Cube?

Not a folder, although the bars drop and twist.

The one thing I absolutely will not and indeed cannot compromise on is that it must be a folder. That overrides anything else, unfortunately, and it is what it is.

I'm currently looking at various offerings from ebikes direct, Rutland Cycles and Woosh. Not necessarily in stock, and I can't (currently) get to see/try them either BUT I am being offered really detailed measurements, suggestions for improving fit and so on. There was an offer of a lovely-sounding Wisper (ex-demo IIRC) BUT it had torque sensing and with my ankle/foot issues on one side, I need cadence sensor at least for several months until I find out if constant but non-weight-bearing use improves matters.

 

[Pale Rider]

The one thing I absolutely will not and indeed cannot compromise on is that it must be a folder. That overrides anything else, unfortunately, and it is what it is.

I'm currently looking at various offerings from ebikes direct, Rutland Cycles and Woosh. Not necessarily in stock, and I can't (currently) get to see/try them either BUT I am being offered really detailed measurements, suggestions for improving fit and so on. There was an offer of a lovely-sounding Wisper (ex-demo IIRC) BUT it had torque sensing and with my ankle/foot issues on one side, I need cadence sensor at least for several months until I find out if constant but non-weight-bearing use improves matters.

Wisper may be able to whack a cadence sensor on their bike because I believe some of their models are switchable between the two.

Have you spoken to Hatti at Woosh?

She's a very skilled people person, so will very likely be able to persuade you to buy one of their bikes

 

[KnittyNorah]

Wisper may be able to whack a cadence sensor on their bike because I believe some of their models are switchable between the two.

Have you spoken to Hatti at Woosh?

She's a very skilled people person, so will very likely be able to persuade you to buy one of their bikes

As I said, I'm in helpful conversation with Woosh, ebikes direct and Rutland. I will make a decision soon!

I just find it … interesting … that some businesses apparently don't want to, you know, actually do business. Or even be encouraging or welcoming to prospective future customers.

The Wisper bike was being sold by a retailer as an ex-demo at a very good price; I was very happy with the convo I had with the retailer but we agreed it wasn't the best for me.

 

[Nibor]

These guys are in Clitheroe they used to be nearer Preston seem to have access to a good range and do test rides etc https://icycleelectric.co.uk/collections/folding-bikes

 

[KnittyNorah]

These guys are in Clitheroe they used to be nearer Preston seem to have access to a good range and do test rides etc https://icycleelectric.co.uk/collections/folding-bikes

Oh interesting, thanks for that - they haven't come up in any of my searches, and there's a couple of bikes there that I was looking at from othe suppliers much further away! I'll definitely ring them tomorrow!

 

[Nibor]

Oh interesting, thanks for that - they haven't come up in any of my searches, and there's a couple of bikes there that I was looking at from othe suppliers much further away! I'll definitely ring them tomorrow!

I am sure they used to be based at Huntleys which is opposite British Aerospace near Salmsbury

 

[KnittyNorah]

Updating myself on this. I've tried several folding e-bikes in different places over the past few weeks and without exception, all of them are too big. Just … too big. And too big in unchangeable ways.
Except for the Brompton which (a) I can't afford and (b) I found twitchy. Don't like those 16" wheels!
However, due to all the helpfulness of different bike and e-bike shop owners, I am now fairly convinced that I can manage a non-e-bike, at least for short-distance use, as long as I stay in the flatlands. I can also - with a few contortions! - just about manage a low step-over.

So now to look for a manageable folding bike - I want something one step up from a chain store BSO, but neither want nor can afford a Brompton.

 

[sheddy]

Have a search on here under the folding bike section

 

[Pale Rider]

Updating myself on this. I've tried several folding e-bikes in different places over the past few weeks and without exception, all of them are too big. Just … too big. And too big in unchangeable ways.
Except for the Brompton which (a) I can't afford and (b) I found twitchy. Don't like those 16" wheels!
However, due to all the helpfulness of different bike and e-bike shop owners, I am now fairly convinced that I can manage a non-e-bike, at least for short-distance use, as long as I stay in the flatlands. I can also - with a few contortions! - just about manage a low step-over.

So now to look for a manageable folding bike - I want something one step up from a chain store BSO, but neither want nor can afford a Brompton.

The Raleigh 20" wheel Stowaway is a bit better than a BSO and is fair value at about £400.

However, it may have the same size problems as the electric folders you've tried.

You may have similar problems with most of the other 20" folders.

Which would leave 18" wheels, since you are not keen on 16".

Tern make such a bike, but it's close to Brompton money.

https://www.raleigh.co.uk/gb/en/sto...ckg21CTMU9IEPYrPb4vZySU7mDyjX2yIaAqqGEALw_wcB

 

[KnittyNorah]

The Raleigh 20" wheel Stowaway is a bit better than a BSO and is fair value at about £400.

However, it may have the same size problems as the electric folders you've tried.

You may have similar problems with most of the other 20" folders.

Which would leave 18" wheels, since you are not keen on 16".

Tern make such a bike, but it's close to Brompton money.

https://www.raleigh.co.uk/gb/en/sto...ckg21CTMU9IEPYrPb4vZySU7mDyjX2yIaAqqGEALw_wcB

The issue with the ebikes was really the weight - not so much the weight in and of itself - but the weight combined with the oversizedness.
To be frank, I've spent all my life wrangling stuff that is 'too big' - sometimes much too big, sometimes only a bit too big - and there are often/usually ways and means around it which don't significantly compromise safety and efficiency but when something is both 'too big for me' and heavy, things can very quickly become unbalanced and thus potentially dangerous - and this is how I felt on all the ebikes I tried. If they had fit me 'properly' the extra weight would have been in a position which was safe for me to handle. A non-e folder won't have that factor of the extra weight coming into play, so I'll be able to handle it much more safely, even if it is 'a bit too big', as I'd done with bikes all my life until I got the Isla bike.