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Old 02-19-2020, 04:37 PM   #1
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Folding E-bikes for travel . Which one and why ?

Going to be purchasing an E-Bike for this season of travel.
I was wondering which bikes fellow Airstreamers have and why they chose a particular bike.
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Old 02-19-2020, 05:06 PM   #2
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I got my wife a LunaCycle.com e-bike. Mid-drive built on a 20" folding Mossomo frame. Has a 52v 305w battery. I've ridden on flat, paved rail-to-trail 40 miles on a charge staying in power level 1 (of 9). My wife didn't like the 20" wheels so got herself a Specialized regular size e-bike at almost double the cost, so I took over hers. I willingly gave up my old manual hybrid bike. I love riding the e-bike! Main reason for the LunaCycle was the weight is around 37 lbs w/battery so I can readily lift it onto the tailgate of my F250 and it fits easily under tonneau cover. On the level it maintains 12-14mph in level 1. Has 9 speed rear derailleur. It also has a throttle, so is a class 2 e-bike, although I'm not sure that really matters much as the 20" wheels make it look a bit like a toy. Practical max speed is about 22mph. It is very agile. The last 4 days here at Kissimmee Prairie Preserve I've ridden it roughly 50 miles over unpaved, sandy to damp to wet to hog-dug up to weed covered trails and really abused it. So far so good. I have over 400 miles on it so far.
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Old 02-19-2020, 06:11 PM   #3
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Trek dual sport+. Part mountain bike, part urban cruiser. Mid drive, 10 speed powertrain, 4 electric assist modes, shimano electrics. Trek has now commonized to Bosch, but both are premier systems.
What ever you do, if you plan to use multi use trails, get a class 1 (pedal assist only)
NPS has already ruled on this. Class one is a bicycle. Class 2 and 3 are motorized vehicles and use is limited to roads (basically motorcycle rules). It is theorized that NPS will be the model for other fed, state and local use restrictions.
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Old 02-19-2020, 06:22 PM   #4
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we love our TRENVektron S10 folding bikes
https://www.ternbicycles.com/ca/bikes/472/vektron-s10

dont buy a cheap bikes.
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Old 02-19-2020, 06:23 PM   #5
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Go Power express. Seemed to us to have the best features for the money.
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Old 02-19-2020, 06:43 PM   #6
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we love our TRENVektron S10 folding bikes
https://www.ternbicycles.com/ca/bikes/472/vektron-s10

dont buy a cheap bikes.
Yes, you get what's you pays for. Do your research. Or more accurately, you dont get what you dont pay for. Dig deep....who makes the battery for example. Samsung? Panasonic? Great. Knockoffs = not good.
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Old 02-19-2020, 06:53 PM   #7
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What works for...never mind.
5k teehee
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Old 02-19-2020, 07:00 PM   #8
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Milo1952, great advice so far from the other posters.

Here's a site with current reviews of folding e-bikes: https://electricbikereview.com/category/folding/

There are several manufacturers that are going direct to customers, bypassing the middle man. Rad Power is one of them. They have two folding models, guys and gals.

Another from California is E-Glide
Let us know what you end up with!
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Old 02-19-2020, 07:33 PM   #9
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I think you are mistaken. The NPS policy is "Devices with electric motors of 750 watts (1hp) or more of power and Not Included in class 1, class 2, or class 3 should be managed as motor vehicles. )
No where does it state that only class 1 bikes are able to use the trails.
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Old 02-19-2020, 07:34 PM   #10
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I am leaning towards Rad mini, right now.
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Old 02-19-2020, 08:01 PM   #11
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I think you are mistaken. The NPS policy is "Devices with electric motors of 750 watts (1hp) or more of power and Not Included in class 1, class 2, or class 3 should be managed as motor vehicles. )
No where does it state that only class 1 bikes are able to use the trails.
Maybe, there is a lot of confusion surrounding this issue. The 750 watts issue refers to mountain bike trails. I am talking about multi use trails, which I believe most of us here use. There are environmentalist lawsuits covering a variety of convoluted issues, but they most oppose the 750 watt trail Thrashers. Those bikes are awesome pieces of machinery for $12k...some less some more. But that's not the arena I am talking about. Class 2 has a throttle and is considered a motor vehicle by NPS. Class 3 has no throttle but has assist up to 28mph. They are foggy on that class. I suggest class 1 is most suited to my style of rv travel and road/trail use. I am most comfortable that it will continue to be looked upon favorably by all jurisdictions when the uncertainty becomes more clear. I wonder, why most of us here need more than class 1. Heck I rarely use more than eco mode, which is 50% pedal assist on my units.
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Old 02-19-2020, 08:04 PM   #12
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Got the Rad-Mini Step-Thru for the wife and the Rad-Mini for myself last October. Both folding bikes and fat tires. Great quality so far as well as their customer service if you have questions about some of its functionalities.
Fun to ride on flat, hills and rough terrain even on snow. Quite heavy though, 65 lbs. each. Take the battery out so it’s 8 lbs less for transporting on bike carriers. I just put mine on on the truck bed of my F-350 with some soft padding. Top speed 20 mph, but recently tweaked it to 25mph after seeing a YouTube video on how to do it.
Just do it, no regrets!!!
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Old 02-19-2020, 08:07 PM   #13
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On the subject of assist. You should ride whatever you are considering before purchase. The trick to a seamless power application is 3 sensors. Pedal cadence, road speed and torque input by the rider. When done right by the manufacturer, it should feel like riding a bike, but easier, without "dropouts" or irregular rhythm. It is an awful lot like driving a manual transmission car, balancing assist level with conventional derailleur drivetrain.
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Old 02-19-2020, 08:14 PM   #14
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Originally Posted by Melucy2airs View Post
Got the Rad-Mini Step-Thru for the wife and the Rad-Mini for myself last October. Both folding bikes and fat tires. Great quality so far as well as their customer service if you have questions about some of its functionalities.
Fun to ride on flat, hills and rough terrain even on snow. Quite heavy though, 65 lbs. each. Take the battery out so it’s 8 lbs less for transporting on bike carriers. I just put mine on on the truck bed of my F-350 with some soft padding. Top speed 20 mph, but recently tweaked it to 25mph after seeing a YouTube video on how to do it.
Just do it, no regrets!!!
Can I ask you an honest question? I've read about hacks to lift the 20mph limit on my bike....but how often do you go over 20 mph? Downhill, sure, but you dont need assis then anyway. Even in top gear, on level ground, my sustainable cadence is at about 15-17 mph. I decided no hack was necessary....and maybe not mechanically prudent.
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Old 02-19-2020, 08:25 PM   #15
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I ride 15-20 mph on the average on asphalt bike trails on our MetroParks when its dry but last night when the temperature dropped to 28 degrees C (40 when I started an hour ago) and it got dark quickly, I realized I could use a faster speed than 20mph. Love the LED lights of the Rad bikes. 42 mile range on flat terrain, 21 miles when doing hills and using a lot of throttling.
I carry my wife’s battery if doing longer rides. Tried the 25 mph max speed 30 mins ago in the neighborhood, loved it, also used an LED headlight for safety. Bike safe!
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Old 02-19-2020, 08:38 PM   #16
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Originally Posted by Melucy2airs View Post
I ride 15-20 mph on the average on asphalt bike trails on our MetroParks when its dry but last night when the temperature dropped to 28 degrees C (40 when I started an hour ago) and it got dark quickly, I realized I could use a faster speed than 20mph. Love the LED lights of the Rad bikes. 42 mile range on flat terrain, 21 miles when doing hills and using a lot of throttling.
I carry my wife’s battery if doing longer rides. Tried the 25 mph max speed 30 mins ago in the neighborhood, loved it, also used an LED headlight for safety. Bike safe!
Sure, I can hit those speeds for bursts too, thus my sustainable comment. Are you really going maintain that cadence/torque for extended periods of flat travel? Heck, I dont know you....maybe you're 22 years old and a velodrome sprinter, but I doubt your stock bike is geared for a normal human being to sustain this speeds for cruising. I am just asking for reality and reasonableness in the decision points and what is really important given the uncertainty of the afore mentioned potential regulations.
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Old 02-19-2020, 08:56 PM   #17
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I’m only here to give my suggestion to Milo1952 regarding ebike purchase, not to argue about my bike speed of 15,20, or what not dzfOg. Today is a beautiful day brother!
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Old 02-19-2020, 09:11 PM   #18
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I’m only here to give my suggestion to Milo1952 regarding ebike purchase, not to argue about my bike speed of 15,20, or what not dzfOg. Today is a beautiful day brother!
Me too. No disagreements here, just trying to focus on practicality and making decisions on primarily how e bikes are used for rv accessories....and the clientele of this particular forum. There are other e bike forums for the "gearheads" and my conversation would be different there. OP is preparing to shell out some substantial bucks and value for intended purpose is important. Heck I want a Corvette, and could afford one, but I have no practical use for it's full potential. That's all I'm saying.
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Old 02-22-2020, 11:45 AM   #19
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bikes

Checked out the e-glide, Underpowered and not enough info on website to make an informed decision.
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Old 02-22-2020, 12:10 PM   #20
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I like my Evelo Quest Max...I think it has the best combo of features.

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