Go electric to help make your commute a little bit greener
PANDEMIC and present general awfulness aside, there’s one thing we can all agree on – climate change
And one way to help is to look at our own lives – make small changes, achieve big things
– and electric bikes are part of that story.
MiRiDER is a British company making electric, foldable bikes in the UK, in Chorley, and having spent a week with the new 2021 edition of the MiRIDER One I can vouch for one thing – It’s a well-built machine that ticks all the boxes for a commuter… especially for the price.
There are other electric folding bikes around, but you’d struggle to find one that doesn’t cost at least twice the £1,395 you’d pay for this.
Could they be twice as good? That seems doubtful, to me.
The MiRiDER One is both useful and fun – the battery-life is pretty decent with a range of somewhere around the 40-mile mark if you don’t hammer the powerassistance.
There are five levels of assistance – level three is plenty for most situations. You can maintain a decent 15kph on the flat without breaking a sweat.
For those situations where you need a quick getaway there is a thumb-throttle that’ll help you get off the mark, and up to speed – useful at city junctions.
There’s only one gear, but even without assistance I didn’t feel I’d be marooned without battery power, although where I live is pretty flat. I don’t think I’d want to be going up hills without assistance.
It’s a comfortable ride, and the disc brakes stop it when asked – important when cycle lanes seem to be leading a double life as alternative pavements for socially distanced pedestrians.
Folding is no issue, either. They say you can do it in under a minute, and I am sure you can if you’re not ham-fisted like me.
The size of the resulting tangle of metal means sticking it in the boot or tucking it out of harm’s way on a train is a simple matter.
It’s not a bike for touring, but if your daily grind involves a walk that feels just a bit too long, it could help you shave a lot of time off your journey, and reduce the temptation to resort to the car.