ARE ELECTRIC FOLDING BIKES THE FUTURE OF THE COMMUTE?
Cycling Electric’s editor has been holding out for a very specific spec sheet before stumping up the cash for a new urban e-bike. Finally, after much searching, we may have a match made in heaven for the multi-modal commute…
There are certain perks of the folding bike that aficionados of brands like Brompton will swear by. While owners of the Londonbuilt folding design icon may well be making as much of a fashion statement as a functional one, longterm cycle commuters will appreciate the new possibilities that a bike that folds brings. For the uninitiated, a bike that roughly halves in size has a long list of perks that the city-dweller will prize, making this particular weapon a natural choice for the commute.
First of all, for those living in apartments the benefits are immediately obvious. Able to be stored in an understairs cupboard, there’s less to get in the way in the communal hallway. The bars fold down and turn flat; the frame bends in half and catches a clasp to hold it shut. The seatpost drops, lowering the height.
Finally, on most models the pedals even tuck in flat, parallel to the crank arm.
For those commuting to the office there is an immediate multi-modal lastmile travel benefit. No longer do you have to lock your bike at one end, walk the last mile to the office and then spend the rest of the day wondering whether CCTV is covering the corner of the bike park that you secured to earlier. On second thoughts, in your bleary-eyed early AM state did you even lock it?
On the train you don’t have to be the one blocking the doorway because of decades of severe under-investment in the British railway network. While other European nations have long had dedicated, spacious and well-designed bike carriages, the idea remains novel and limited to a few corners of this country where a select few train companies have caved to do the bare minimum. That’s not your fault, of course, but take a full
size bike on the train and the politics will matter little to tired commuters.
At the office the story may be the same. It has now been found that properties in London with bike parking and shower facilities will command a rental premium as the city gets to grips with the idea of a less car-dependant future. If your office is one of the lucky ones, then the folding bike may appeal less, but if space is at a premium and local, secure parking is lacking, the ability to fold your bike and wheel it directly under your desk is welcome. Better still, it allows you to charge your lights, or since you’re reading an electric bike magazine, your bike.
Folding foibles
The perks of the folding bike have always been there, but a typical complaint has been the awkward dance needed as you set your origami skills in motion. Where folding bikes of the past have been built robustly they have carried some weight, making them awkward to quickly manoeuvre if you can hear the rapid bleeping of your train’s doors closing ahead of departure. Add in both a battery and motor system to the chassis and the dance moves come with added care not to damage paintwork.
That’s why we at Cycling Electric have been waiting very patiently for a specific spec sheet to land on the market. That wish list has long been to find a bike of an impeccably low weight; a bike that forgoes the chain in favour of a clean and silent belt drive; and a bike that just looks the part. Like the Brompton connoisseur we
have tastes for the finer things, especially when we can always near-guarantee being able to keep our pride and joy out of reach of light-fingered types.
In the midst of the 2020 ‘bike boom’ a candidate caught our eye in the Carbo, a Vietnamese-made 13kg folding bike that sported a folding Japanese Toray carbon fibre frame. It was the cookie-savvy algorithms of social media that had picked up our searches for the ideal commuter steed, yet coming through the medium of Instagram it wasn’t immediately obvious to us that tucked into the sleek carbon frame was a seatpost housing a Panasonic 36V, 7Ah battery. In truth, the Carbo really does not look like an electric bike, even to the trained eye.
So good is the disguise that we even did a swift double-take to confirm these facts upon seeing the price; the range-topping
Model X is an astonishingly low £2,299 (at the time of writing). That would be decent value even without the electrics, we thought. Surely this wasn’t the real deal? (We have since been told that price rises may soon be a reality, as is to be expected for goods in general at present.)
Delayed satisfaction
We made enquiries directly to the brand that same day, but the trail went quiet until a few weeks later when into our inbox landed news of an exclusive partnership with premium bicycle lifestyle retailer Velorution. For those who have not yet visited Velorution, the owners of the London chain take great care in procuring only the more interesting and under-represented brands on the market. This development was exciting and once again we were onto the case to try and get our hands on what was undoubtedly limited stock. We were in luck.
Picking the Carbo up from the firm’s Hackney branch we remained unsure what to expect. The price feels too cheap for the spec and honestly, we’ve seen some of the market’s more questionable goods being promoted on social media once it’s digested our digital cookies. There is the old adage – if it feels too good to be true, it probably is.
As it’s wheeled towards us it looks every bit the part and still not all that much like you’d expect an electric folding bike to look. The matte black finish overlaying the precisely balanced carbon weave gels perfectly with a belt drive that immediately makes us forget that a cheaper derailleur spec is also available. There’s the immediately impressive details such as lighting taking power
“So good is the disguise that we even did a swift doubletake to confirm it was electric upon seeing the price”
directly from the battery and a locking hinge system that looks both robust and easy to operate. Then there’s some hidden gems that we were blissfully unaware of until Velorution’s staff let on. For example, there’s a USB charge port that sits just behind the rear light, meaning if you’re stuck for phone battery you can get a kick from the power in the seatpost.
Trial run
Trying to pre-empt the aforementioned folding awkwardness, I test-ran the fold out front of the store, with eyes observing the performance. Pressure’s on, mental timer started. The pros do this in seconds.
First the bike folds in half with a push of a safety catch and unlocking of a chromed hinge, the front end turning 180 degrees to marry a pair of magnetic plates at each axle with a satisfying connection. The main fold meets my criteria of being light to handle and natural. The handlebar follows with the release of another clasp, dropping down alongside the front wheel. A height-adjustable bar further compacts the package if needed, but is primarily just a feature designed to get you comfortable alongside the height adjustment of the saddle, which is the final part of the jigsaw. Dropping all the way down out of the bottom of the frame, the long seatpost doubles as a folded bike support. Finally, if a little width reduction would be helpful the pedals can compress and fold parallel to the frame. Stopping the handlebar swing is a tiny red latch that holds the folded package together in one compact and manoeuvrable package.
Packed down, the bike has shapeshifted in three steps into a package we’ve since measured at no greater than 80cm long, 67cm high and 40cm deep. In this state the folded unit is rolled with relative ease by clasping the underside of the seat and steering. A hint that’s likely applicable for most folding bikes, mind: leave a little height in the post until you’re ready to store the bike to make this final step a little easier on the spine.
Process reversed and satisfying firm safety clicks of the hinges felt, the maiden
“It’s hard at times to tell how much of the torque put through the transmission is my own and how much is the hub drive, so seamless is the ride”
ride sets off towards Spitalfields market where a date with the food markets awaits ahead of the first multi-modal experiment. The five-mode engagement of the Bafang hub motor is managed through a discreet four button remote and display on the handlebar, which aside from helping get you up to the desired level of assistance will at a glance display readings on speed, battery life, range and more. Knowing I’ve an estimated range of 65km per charge to play with and relatively flat terrain to coast along, I set about filtering through traffic, discovering that the short wheelbase and upright riding position offer up impressive agility.
One thing you want from a folding bike is a reassuring stiffness in the chassis once the clasps are closed and the Carbo does not disappoint on either this or the power being transferred through the belt. It’s hard at times to tell just how much of the torque put through the transmission is my own and how much is coming from the hub drive, so seamless is the ride feel. Already a fan of the belt drive, I’m enjoying the
predictability of the response on the pedals even more with a little electric tailwind. There’s a feeling that I am putting in my fair share of physical effort, but that should I fall behind schedule the pace could easily be picked up, despite the absence of a gearing system. In Eco most of the legwork is my own and I can envisage needing no more than this light push across much of London. Tour is a nice middle ground that gives just a little more nudge and a higher cadence, so this is where I settle.
My second fold-down at the market halves the time taken on the first, same again with the third as I wheel up to Liverpool Street station, confident in my bike-handling in both senses. A delayed train means there’s no rush, but lifting the rectangular folded unit onto the train is no strain anyway and the bike is well out of the way of the evening’s commuters.
The Carbo gets a few looks as people board and the first comment made completely misses the electrics and focusses instead on the price. “That’s reasonable,” comes the reply, but when I point to the motor there’s an audible gasp and exclamation that electric bikes have never looked so good. I tend to agree.
Out on the road
For the next month, ongoing work from home practices limit what would otherwise be my 13-mile run to my day job via Sustrans route 61, but on a sunny midweek day I seize the chance to make the run, even if only to use the office printer. On a long straight stretch well suited to cycling the bike really comes into its own. I typically take around 55 minutes from Hertford to St Albans – that’s on a skinny-tyred cyclocross bike that over time has become my get-around vehicle.
The Carbo rolls on thicker Schwalbe Big Apple tyres, known for their largevolume comfort and natural suspension. With a cadence at the top of the assisted range easily sustained on the tarmacked parts of the route I feel already I’m putting my cyclocross time-trial ghost to the test. The best bit? I’ll freely admit I am a lethargic cyclist. The first few miles before I loosen up is always a slog. With the Carbo that feeling didn’t even register and I arrived more quickly at the point of genuine enjoyment, one of the main barriers to getting the bike out of the garage in the depths of winter.
No more than 49 minutes after
I’d set off from home the mileage was wrapped up. The bike, with my help and me with its, had chomped up the mileage and arrived early.
And just in case you’re worried at arriving less than fresh from a cycle, there’s a whole lot less of that feeling despite the reasonable and consistent cadence. Helped by the Sustrans route being direct and slicing through some picturesque countryside, I arrive at my computer almost feeling energised.
The Carbo folded and charging under my desk, I look out at a brimming car park and wonder at the difference an electric folding bike could make to other people’s daily routines. If you’ve been on the fence about cycling to work, let me tell you it’s never been easier, nor more appealing.