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04-28-2021, 07:06 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Underwood WA
Posts: 453
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Foldable, LIGHTWEIGHT, reliable e-bike---exist??
I am looking for a foldable, lightweight, and reliable e-bike for my wife and myself. We are getting up in age and don't need speed or a lot of miles, just something to primarily use at the beach. I don't mind spending some money, but I would like it to be a brand name with decent customer service, and reasonable battery replacement cost. Does such a thing exist? I see lots of bikes on line, but they seem to be from "start-ups" with no track record. Any input would be appreciated. Thank you in advance. Dick
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Bev & Dick and Fuzzy the cat
2005 Safari Cheetah 38
2009 Honda CRV dinghy
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04-28-2021, 07:11 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 2,392
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I can tick off every box of yours except lightweight. We have a pair of Tern bikes - high quality, great customer service, top-notch engineering and components. But they are not lightweight.
We carry the pair in one of our bays and use them in place of a toad. Couldn't be happier.
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Richard
1994 Excella 25-ft (Gertie)
1999 Suburban LS 2500 w/7.4L V8
1974 GMC 4108a - Custom Coach Land Cruiser
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04-28-2021, 07:23 PM
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2020
Posts: 1,603
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My Charge Citi ebike weighs just 50 lbs. It doesn't fold but the handlebars easily flip 90 degrees and the pedals fold up so you can just toss it on the bed for trsnsport. As far as service I think you can bring it to any bike shop and they can deal with it.
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04-28-2021, 08:58 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Bend,or
Posts: 471
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Our Rad Step Through 2 bikes worked great on the beaches in Oregon.
With the battery removed my wife and I can team lift to the bike rack without any problems.
The 750 watt motor and fat tires were perfect for the sand.
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04-28-2021, 09:42 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: Reche Canyon, CA
Posts: 384
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dick1142
I am looking for a foldable, lightweight, and reliable e-bike for my wife and myself. We are getting up in age and don't need speed or a lot of miles, just something to primarily use at the beach. I don't mind spending some money, but I would like it to be a brand name with decent customer service, and reasonable battery replacement cost. Does such a thing exist? I see lots of bikes on line, but they seem to be from "start-ups" with no track record. Any input would be appreciated. Thank you in advance. Dick
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x-tremescooters.com they go 70 miles on a charge thats way more then my butt can take
__________________
Bruce and Doreen
2002 Alpine 38 FDDS 400 / 2006 Jeep Commander Hemi and Smart car toads 600 amp hours / 1200 watts solar
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04-28-2021, 10:16 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: The Great NorthWest
Posts: 1,141
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dick1142
I am looking for a foldable, lightweight, and reliable e-bike for my wife and myself. We are getting up in age and don't need speed or a lot of miles, just something to primarily use at the beach. I don't mind spending some money, but I would like it to be a brand name with decent customer service, and reasonable battery replacement cost. Does such a thing exist? I see lots of bikes on line, but they seem to be from "start-ups" with no track record. Any input would be appreciated. Thank you in advance. Dick
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Dick ,
Based on how you intend to use the ebikes , I suggest you determine a couple manufacturers that produce bikes you're interested in .
Than contact them to determine if they offer a model that has a 250w 24v motor with a 24v 10ah battery. This will provide you with the lightest bike yet still provide enough power to be fun to ride the way you intend to use them.
Normally , the battery is one of the heaviest components . The 24v 10ah battery will only weigh approximately 5lbs. vs. my 48v 20ah battery that weighs approximately 20lbs.
If you own conventional bikes , there are kits to convert them to 250w ebikes for $100 + $100 for the battery . So , for $200 you can convert a standard bike.
We converted our mountain bikes to electric because we didn't find the small frame / fat tire ebikes appealing .
We went big , 48v 1000w motors with 48v 20ah batteries. I'm 6'3" 230lbs and it gives me a 15 - 20mph cruise and a 60 mile range. We're into cruising trails that turn into all day rides.
Keep looking , I'm sure you'll find bikes that fit your needs.
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04-28-2021, 10:21 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Alpine Owners Club
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Lake Havasu City, AZ
Posts: 3,013
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Theturboman
x-tremescooters.com they go 70 miles on a charge thats way more then my butt can take
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Can not find that model on their website.....do you have a link??
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Paul & Jean
2001 Alpine 36FDDS (74291)-3900W Solar, 13,440Wh (525Ah @24V) LiFePO4
2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk (Hemi)
2006 Alpenlite 32RL - Sold
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04-28-2021, 10:32 PM
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#8
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"Formerly Diplomat Don"
Newmar Owners Club
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Moorpark, Ca.
Posts: 24,053
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I don't have a brand to offer, but will say, buy something that you can buy parts for. I know Costco was selling some, but again, don't want Chinese junk with no replacement parts.
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Don & Mary
2019 Newmar Dutch Star 4018 (Freightliner)
2019 Ford Raptor
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04-28-2021, 10:33 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: Reche Canyon, CA
Posts: 384
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Quote:
Originally Posted by paul65k
Can not find that model on their website.....do you have a link??
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I just looked myself and do not see them. Its been a little less then a year I will reach out to my contact. They are about $2500 for the pair
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Bruce and Doreen
2002 Alpine 38 FDDS 400 / 2006 Jeep Commander Hemi and Smart car toads 600 amp hours / 1200 watts solar
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04-29-2021, 06:50 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Entegra Owners Club Spartan Chassis
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 442
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dick1142
I am looking for a foldable, lightweight, and reliable e-bike for my wife and myself.
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There's no such thing as a lightweight ebike. The lightest I know of is the Specialized Turbo Levo SL Expert Carbon, at 37 pounds, which is still probably 10 pounds heavier than the non-electric equivalent. Most ebikes will be in the 50-60 pound range, with folding ones tending toward the heavier end. (They need stronger materials or additional reinforcement due to the folding bits.)
Are looking something that you can collapse down, then pick up and stow in your trunk? If so, how much can you realistically lift? Once you're on the bike, the weight doesn't matter. But when trying to lift something heavy out of your trunk, 5 pounds can make a big difference. It's very plausible that 55 pounds is doable but 60 pounds is right out.
Would you be open to a receiver-mounted bike rack? We bought one for my wife's ebike. It has stowable ramps that let you wheel the bike straight off the ground and into place on the rack. It's still kind of awkward and requires some muscle, but with two people it's a trivial job. (One person keeps the bike balanced and centered on the ramp, while the other person pushes it up.) It's still pretty easy with just one person once you get the hang of it.
Anyway, if you went the bike rack route, you might not need a foldable bike, which would give you a lot more options.
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2019 Entegra Reatta 39BH
2018 Winnebago Minnie Plus 27BHSS, "Raspberry" (retired)
2017 Ford F-150
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04-29-2021, 07:25 AM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2021
Posts: 214
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The answer is no. The lightest weight ebikes I was able to find weren't foldable. They tend to classify them as "roadsters". They have one speed, relatively narrow tires, no fenders, no racks and a battery integrated into the seat post or frame. The range is typically 15-20 miles. Weight is 30-35lbs including the battery. I looked at one from Ride1up, but ended up going with a standard model weighing in at 54lbs fully loaded. If a roadster is something you're ok with, I can recommend Ride1up products, but if you need/want foldable, I was unable to find anything I'd consider lightweight in my search earlier this year.
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04-29-2021, 08:49 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Titusville, FL
Posts: 5,164
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dutch Star Don
I don't have a brand to offer, but will say, buy something that you can buy parts for. I know Costco was selling some, but again, don't want Chinese junk with no replacement parts.
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Good luck finding an e-bike not manufactured out of Chinese components.
We already had a couple of 26" folding bikes. I bought parts on Amazon to convert them to electric. Cost about $350 each to convert and I think the bikes were around $150 in the first place. All that was about 3 years ago and they're still going strong.
__________________
When seconds count, the police are only minutes away.
2023 Grand Design 2600RB, 2022 F-350 King Ranch tow vehicle, Titusville, FL when not on the road
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04-29-2021, 03:27 PM
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#13
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Member
Join Date: Apr 2021
Posts: 62
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I was looking for a foldable one too but couldn’t find anything that went more than 15mph so I just went with a 60v 1200watt scooter that fits in my basement and it goes about 35-40mph and with lithium battery it goes about 25 miles.
I have a second one that’s 48v 800w that if for nephews when they come with me. It goes about 30-35mph.
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04-29-2021, 03:53 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2020
Posts: 238
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Myjunker
I was looking for a foldable one too but couldn’t find anything that went more than 15mph so I just went with a 60v 1200watt scooter that fits in my basement and it goes about 35-40mph and with lithium battery it goes about 25 miles.
I have a second one that’s 48v 800w that if for nephews when they come with me. It goes about 30-35mph.
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What would the brand and model be? And now, at 35-40 mph, I'm thinking full face helmet, not just a bike lid...
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Steve P
2008 Monaco Knight 40DFT
2014 Honda CR-V LX toad
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