Mycle Compact

Struggling to bridge the financial gap between normal bikes and your first e-bike? Mycle may have the solution

There’s little getting around the fact that electric bikes can get a bit pricy. Though they represent a new freedom to commute and explore to many people, the UK’S average sales price for bicycles has not yet hit even half the price of the Mycle Compact shown here. So, if you’re making up that majority and don’t need an e- bike with all the bells and whistles, this may be the smartest choice within this magazine.

At checkout Mycle lets you select from a 12-month or an upgraded 24- month warranty. That’s how the consumer- direct brand delivers its proposition, offering upgrades as you go. There are optional extras available, including a battery upgrade, which may take priority for some buyers. Over and above that you can add a carry bag, a handlebarmounted phone holder and an additional charger if you would like to have a power source both at home and at the office.

It is a very office-friendly bike when it comes to it too. With several hinged mechanisms you can fold the aluminium frame down to a footprint no larger than 85cm x 70cm x 40cm in approximately ten seconds.

While some of the features expected on higher- priced bikes are lacking, the Mycle has good attention to detail and some excellent practical additions. These include a handy LCD display-fed USB charge port that can give your phone battery or other devices a boost.

There is also an element of making it your own, style-wise. On the online configurator Mycle delivers an option to change the colour scheme of the frame, saddle, grips and even the tyres. What’s more, the saddle and grips use vegan-friendly materials.

Finally it’s worth mentioning that this isn’t a particularly heavy electric bike, which may add appeal to those who don’t wish to strain lifting it up a flight of stairs, for example.

All- in-all, what The Mycle Compact lacks in range it more than makes up for in value for money and attention to detail.

► £749 + upgrades mycle.co.uk