Five years ago we were on the hunt for our first folding electric bikes, and we had a very particular requirement – the bikes needed to fold up small enough to store in the front luggage bay on our bus.

There was just no place to store full-size bikes with the way the bus and Mini Cooper were set up for traveling – and even most folding bikes we found were too tall fo fit into the one viable storage location.

After a long hunt we eventually found a (literal!) perfect fit, and purchased a pair of e-Joe Epik SE’s – and we have had a lot of fun with those bikes ever since.

They are fun to ride both under power or under pedal, and the are even able to handle some decent trails for off-road explorations.

And they fold up small enough not only to fit in the bay of our bus, but we could actually fit the pair into the back of our Mini Cooper too!

But five years have passed – and our needs have changed…

The Mini Cooper has been replaced with a Travato camper van, the bus is based in Arizona, and we now spend part of our year on a boat.

There is no longer a critical need for bikes that can fit into a bus storage bay. Instead – we need bikes that will spend much of their life parked in the cockpit of our boat, or hanging off the back of our van.

We kept the old e-Joes when we moved aboard Y-Not, and they have been great to have for getting around when we are docked – especially when we are without other shore transportation (because despite our wish, the Travato is NOT self driving to meet up with us at every dock.)

But our old bikes have aged rapidly stored outdoors in the rain and salt air.

In particular, the tiny control board that turns on the electrical portion of the bikes tends to die over time, and we’ve already been through several pricey replacements.

Both of our control boards have recently died again (turning our eBikes into heavy regular bikes) – and during our last bike-shop tuneup the mechanic told us the components on our bike had reached the point where he would be afraid to turn any screws or bolts for fear of them cracking. The paint is flaking off the frame in several locations too, and the old bikes really just look like crap now – even though they are still rideable.

As always – when something breaks, we just consider it jumping to the front of the upgrade list!

We were looking forward to a lot of riding now that fall weather is here  – so it is time for us to track down some new eBikes that better fit our current needs.

And wow – there are sure a LOT more options than when we were shopping five years ago!

Video Version

Here is the video that accompanies this post, with a closer look at our current e-Joes:

Our eBike Requirements

We are looking for great all-around eBikes that are enjoyable to ride (even on moderate trails) without electric assist, but which are comfortable for errand running under power, or getting around on days we’d rather not get all sweaty.

Our new bikes need to be small enough to store in our boat cockpit – full size bikes are probably too big. Our cockpit allows for bikes to be about 60″ long total to be able to be stored off to the side.

Compact bikes with 20″ tires seems to be the sweet spot – big enough for trails, small enough for storage on the boat.

And though we don’t absolutely need our bikes to fold anymore – folding may still be a desired or common feature in this size. Folding bikes open the door to being able to more easily cart the bikes ashore by dinghy when needed.

Most important – we want bikes that are durable, and which can handle life on the back of a van or in a boat’s cockpit. While we WILL be getting a cover for our new bikes and aren’t expecting marine-grade guarantees – being left out in the rain should NOT kill these bikes prematurely.

Also important – the bikes we select need to have enough power and range to handle carting around a 250 lb rider, and groceries. We’d like enough range to feel comfortable going on 25+ mile trips, without worrying about needing to pedal back.

Pricing wise – we’re not looking for cheap. But at the same time, top-end also isn’t appealing as we know any bikes we buy will suffer from being stored exclusively outdoors. We also like biking, but don’t LOVE it – if you get what we mean.

So staying in the same ballpark price point as our old e-Joes ($1,500) is our target, unless convinced otherwise. Any bikes priced over $2,000 will certainly gives us pause – and that rules out a lot of high-end brands.

Sponsorships/Partnerships: We know many eBike companies focused on the RV or boat market frequently partner with social media influencers sending them free bikes in exchange for reviews and/or affiliate relationships. We’re not driven by this model in general and are seeking the right bikes for us, not pitches for free bikes. We’re not looking for “free” that comes with obligations.

That said, if the right bike also aligns with a partnership that feels good and transparent, we’re not completely opposed to it either.

And of course – whatever bikes we get need to look good too!

Timing Matters

Shopping around online, there are a lot of amazing eBikes that are in the IndieGoGo / Kickstarter pre-sale phase, with “early bird” delivery promised in December, February, or even not until the middle of next year. Once you start clicking on a few of these, it seems that your Facebook feed quickly becomes nothing but “check out this revolutionary new eBike!” ads.

A new bike that is still months from shipping won’t work for us.

Our current bikes are on their last legs, and we’d ideally like to find replacements so we can enjoy some Florida (and maybe Arizona if/when we return to the bus) biking this fall and winter.

Nice Rack / Light Weight

We’ve spent most of our time owning our van without a way to bring bikes along, as finding the ideal bike rack for a camper van that can handle the weight and shape of eBikes turns out to not be an easy task.

But we’ve recently purchased a RockyMounts Backstage bike rack recommended in the Travato Owners & Wannabees group that is absolutely perfect for our needs.

The unique feature of the Backstage is that it is designed to swing out to let the van rear doors open, a critical feature since we need to open the back door to control dumping our tanks.

And when the weather is great, we like to leave the rear doors open for view and ventilation.

This bike rack is phenomenally well built (we are SUPER impressed with it – well worth the $650 price tag) – but it does have some limitations:

• Weight Limit: 60 lbs max per tray
• Tire Size: Minimum 20″ wheels, fat tires are OK.

This means that heavy eBikes are out – and we wouldn’t want to try hoisting monsters that large into a dinghy anyway!

Finding quality eBikes that weigh less than 60 lbs is surprisingly challenging. So for our criteria we are nixing bike that are over 70 lbs, assuming we can remove the battery and other accessories to get closer to the max weight limit of the bike rack.

We’ll research further from there to determine suitability.

And the constraints of our rack also means tiny bikes with 10″ or 16″ wheels will be too small – not that we are drawn to that style anyway.

Currently Ruled Out

All of these came up in our research, or were recommended by others – but were ruled out for these reasons…

Probably too Big

• Boogie Bike Cruiser – Gorgeous 55lb eBike, but the 26″ wheels and lack of folding capability probably make it too big for us.
• Himiway – Great looking full-size (26″ wheel) bikes, costing $1,399. The 72 lbs weight and wheel size rules Himiway our for us.
• Dost Drop – Really impressively designed mid-drive eBike, but the full size frame is a problem for us.
• Juiced CrossCurrent S2 – A huge battery bank gives a 50-75 range, and yet the bike is still relatively light weight. But the full size tires rule it out.

Probably too Heavy

• Sykl – Sykl is very popular in the RV world, and for good reason. The 16″ wheels on the C310 model are too small, and the battery is small and limited to short range excursions. And the C750 with 20″ wheels and a bigger battery looks great in many ways, but the 73 lb base weight rules it out.
• Green Bike USA – A folding fat-tire bike with a ton of appealing features and a huge battery bank, but the 77 lbs weight is just too heavy.

Ruled Out For Other Reasons…

• Swagtron – Great value eBikes, with options as cheap as $349 – though most have tiny tires and small battery packs. The EB8 at $799 with 20″ tires is interesting, but small battery and weak motor make for a more ”budget” bike than we are looking for.
• Gocycle – Super snazzy and expensive folding eBikes starting at $3299 for a folding option. But the small batteries, large price, and 220lb rider weight limit seem to rule these out.
• Rocket eBike – Nice looking folding fat-tire eBike being heavily advertised on Facebook. But ”super early bird” target ship date is February 2021.
• Biktrix Kutty – Looks like a promising eBike, but all 2020 inventory sold out.
• Tern Vektron Q9 – Awesome high-end folding eBike with a mid-drive motor, but the max rider weight of 230 lbs and the over $3,000 pricing is a turn off.
• Bromptom – Highly regarded bikes that fold up ridiculously small, and they are super cool. They now come in electric versions but with a hefty price tag (starting at $3500).  And because the 16″ wheels won’t work with our rack, we can just rule these out.

Are there any of these we might have cut from consideration prematurely?

Current Top Contenders

These are the current bikes on our short list that we are diving deeper into researching (comparative spec grid below.)

• e-Joe EPIK Swan – e-Joe’s EPIK Swan is the evolved model of our EPIK SEs, and it has come a long way in five years. Step-through frame, integrated control screen and lights. Five level pedal assist, throttle, and seven speed gearing. And this is one of the lightest weight options on our radar.
• Lectric XP – Lectric has a great reputation for quality and value – and has taken the social media world by storm with their cool fat-tire folding eBikes. Available in traditional and now step-through frames. Our biggest hesitation with Lectric is how social media influencer driven their marketing is, which would mean if we acquired them we’d be assumed to be partnered with them (whether we are or not).
• Sonders Fold – Very nicely built folding fat tire bikes – available in a 500W or 750W version. Once fully decked out, the Sonders Fold might be pushing our weight limits.
• Rad Mini – From one of the leading eBike makers, the 3″ fat-tire Rad Mini has a legion of fans and comes very well equipped. The 69 lbs base weight is a concern and just sneaks in under our 70 lbs threshold. We’ll be looking further for how well our bike rack might handle this model without the battery inserted.
• Ariel Rider M Class – Compact and light-weight mid-drive bike with a ton of features, but it does not fold. Some reviews called this bike “almost perfect for its price”.
• Blix Vika+ – Nice looking folding eBike with a lot of quality components and features that ticks most of our requirements, also marketed via social media influencers.
• Luna Folding Bike – A lightweight (just 38 lbs!) folding mid-drive bike with specs that on paper look fabulous. But the weird look of the bike is a turnoff.

New Additions Based on Comments:

We’ll keep this list as suggestions are made in comments here and on YouTube for further research:

• Pedego Element – New to the market and competitively priced, this bike meets a lot of our requirements – except it is NOT a folding bike.
• QuietKat Voyager – Recommended as a marine grade option that hits a lot of our requirements including a weight capacity of 325 lbs. However, a bit above our price range and not shipping until Christmas.
• BoltonBikes – The Avenger (step-through) and Crusader seem to meet the requirements, and have a 330lb weight limit.
• Aventon Sinch – Another one that seems to meet the requirements.
• Engwe EP-2– Another one

We will be digging up all the online reviews on these options to get a sense for what will best fit our needs. Especially since tracking down test-rides in the pandemic world will not be practical, we will be especially dependent on finding good quality reviews to base our buying decision on.

If you have any positive or negative experiences with any of these options – please share!

Here is a quick table comparing the current top contenders listed above:

	Style / Tires	Motor	Battery	Weight	Price
e-Joe EPIK SE (Current)	Folding / 20″ x 1.75″ Tires	350W (550W Peak)	36V / 9Ah / 324Wh – 25 mile range	42 lbs with battery, 36 lbs without.	$1,599
e-Joe EPIK Swan	Folding Step-Thru / 20″ x 2.125″ Tires	500W (860W Peak) Bafang – 25 mph peak speed.	48V / 11Ah  / 528 Wh – 40 mile range	45-50 lbs (with battery)	$1,699
Lectric XP	Folding Step-Thru or Conventional / 20″ x 4″ Fat Tires	500W (800+ W Peak) – Can shift from 20 mph Class 2 to 28 mph Class 3.	48v / 10.4Ah / 499 Wh – 45 mile range	63 lbs (with battery)	$899
Blix Vika+	Folding Step-Thru / 20″ x 2″ Tires	500W	48V, 14 Ah (672 Wh) – 45 mile range	56 lbs (with battery), 50 lbs (without)	$1,599
Rad Mini 4	Folding / 20″ x 3″ Fat Tires	750W	48V, 14 Ah (672 Wh) – 45 mile range	69 lbs	$1,499
Sondors Fold X / XS	Folding / 20″ x 4″ Fat Tires	500W (X) or 750W (XS)	48V / 14Ah / 672 Wh – 40-60 mile range	66 lbs (X), 70 lbs (XS)	$1,199 (X) / $1,699 (XS)
Ariel Rider M Class	Non-Folding Mid-Drive / 20″ x 1.75″ Tires	500W Mid-Drive	48V / 12 Ah / 576 Wh	47.5 lbs	$1,649
Luna Folding	Folding Mid-Drive / 20″ Street Tires	750W Mid-Drive	52V – 200 Wh or 625 Wh	38 lbs	$1,800
Pedego Element	Non Folding / 20″ x 4″ Tires	500W	48V / 480 Wh – 40 mi range	50 lbs (no battery)	$1495
QuietKat Voyager	Folding / 20″ x 4″ Tires	750W	48V / 557 Wh – 20-40 mi range	60 lbs	$2599
Bolton Bikes	Folding / 20″ x 4″ Tires	500W	48V / 600 Wh	63 lbs (with battery)	$1299
Aventon Sinch Foldable Bike	Folding / 20″ x 4″ Tires	500W/750w peak	48V / 672 Wh – 40 mi range	68 lbs (with battery)	$1499
Engwe EP-2	Folding / 20″ x 4″ Tires	500W	48V / 600 Wh – 18-37 mi range	70 lbs (with battery)	$1199

Keep in mind, these specs (especially range claims) may be inflated…

Any Other Recommendations?

The eBike market is evolving rapidly – and there are SO MANY amazing designs to be found out there. So what have we missed considering?

If you have any favorite eBikes that you think should be on our short list, let us know!

Update

Thanks for all of the suggestions. Unfortunately, with even more options to consider – it just put us into analysis paralysis. Sometimes too much information isn’t productive.

So when e-Joe sent out a coupon code for $150 off their bike – we went ahead and placed an order for two Swans in October.

Estimated shipping time however isn’t until December January February<?!?>.

Late Feb 2021 Update:  Our Swans *FINALLY* arrived after several delays due to shipping from China and imports into Los Angeles. We’ll update when we can on the new bikes, but for now – we’re going to go find some trails to ride!  Looks like the batch that came in immediately sold out, and now shipping for new bikes isn’t until August.. but you might be able to find them at dealers.