Folding electric bicycles are convenient for storage and transportation, and their stylish designs are eye-catching. However, many manufacturers are unfamiliar to us, so we often ask ourselves questions such as, “Will I really make a mistake by buying one?” or “Is it safe to buy a cheap one?” or “Is it safe to buy a cheap one?” In this article, we will introduce how to choose folding electric bicycles.
Points To Check Before Purchasing
There are many folding electric bicycles available on online shopping sites, but some of them are illegal to ride on public roads. To avoid buying an illegal bicycle, choose a bicycle with type certification. Type certification is granted to bicycles that meet the standards set forth in the Road Traffic Law.
The Road Traffic Law sets standards for the assist ratio of electric bicycles: at speeds of up to 10 km/h, the assist power must be twice the pedaling force of a person; at speeds above 10 km/h, the assist power must gradually decrease until it reaches zero at 24 km/h. It is not necessarily illegal to use an electric bicycle without type approval, but it is safe to choose one with type approval because bicycle stores often refuse to repair bicycles without it.
How To Choose Folding Electric Bicycles
We recommend Panasonic, which has no major drawbacks
Because folding electric bicycles are a developing genre, they may have drawbacks that other types of electric bicycles may not have. If the motor runs out of control, the bicycle will go forward just by putting your foot on the pedals when stopping, or the motor will spin and slip when pedaling, going up a steep hill, or making a sharp turn, which can cause you to fall over if you are not careful.
Others are extremely unbalanced and will fall over immediately after a slight bump, even if they are on a stand. In addition, many of them are too lightly geared and require a lot of quick pedaling to reach high speeds, giving the impression that “all the power-assisted bicycles are spoiled.
Since Panasonic products did not have these drawbacks, we recommend that you buy Panasonic folding electric bicycles unless you have a special preference, such as “I just want something lightweight.
A 20-inch bike can run comfortably even if it is used frequently
Basically, the larger the tires on a bicycle, the more stable it is. If you ride a bicycle every day, you want to ride it comfortably. Folding electric bicycles have smaller tires, so you will notice more dizzy while riding compared to ordinary bicycles. In this situation, we can recommend a 20-inch product. Since these are the largest tires in the largest class of folding electric bicycles, they are relatively stable.
The size of the tire also affects the ride over bumps. The larger the tire, the easier it is to ride over bumps because they are relatively low, and the smaller the tire, the harder it is to ride over them. Considering driving over bumps, such as when riding over sidewalk steps, we recommend tires 20 inches or larger.
Panasonic uses smaller tires, 18 inches on the front wheels, but 20 inches on the rear wheels for ease of driving that is similar to 20 inches. It is a well-balanced unit that is both compact and easy to drive.
Panasonic’s rear-wheel drive makes it easy to ride on hills
Electric bicycle motors are divided into three types: rise-up hub motors and center motors, which drive the rear wheel, and front hub motors, which drive the front wheel.
In general, the center of gravity of a bicycle is set behind the center of the vehicle, so the front wheel carries less weight and has less friction with the road surface. Especially when climbing a hill, the center of gravity moves further back, which can cause the front wheel to spin and make it difficult to move forward.
On the other hand, with rear-wheel drive, the load on the rear wheels is greater and there is more rubbing with the root surface, so the tires spun by the drive firmly grip the ground when climbing a hill, allowing for a mighty ride. If you require it for commuting to and from work or school, you should choose a bicycle that is easy to ride.
If you need to commute to work or school, we recommend a bike with a range of 50 km or more
When choosing folding electric bicycles, one of the most important factors to consider is the range. Folding electric automobile bicycles have a smaller battery capacity and a shorter straddle than standard electric bicycles because they are designed to be smaller and lighter.
In order to ride as smoothly as possible, we advocate that you buy one with a cruising range of 50 kilometers or more if you use it every weekday and five days a week for commuting to and from work and school. If you use a bike with a range of 50 km or more, you will only need to recharge it once a week if you use it for 5 kilometers each way. If it has a range of almost 30 km, it will need to be recharged almost twice a week. In order to reduce the time and effort needed for daily recharging, we recommend that you purchase a car with a longer driving range.
Note that the larger the stamp battery capacity, the heavier the weight will be. On the other hand, lightweight models that are specialized for transportation tend to have a shorter driving range for a lighter battery, so it is important to check if the driving straddle is appropriate for your usage.
Compact and lightweight models are recommended for people who carry their bicycles in their cars
The advantage of folding electric bicycles is that they can be folded for transportation. Depending on the weight and size of the bicycle, there are differences in the ease of folding and carrying.
For those who want to carry it around, we recommend a bicycle that is 16 inches or smaller and weighs 15 kg or less. Actual folding tests show that the lighter the body, the easier it is to fold, and the smaller the tires, the more compact it is. The more compact the bicycle is, the more room there is in the cargo space, and the easier it is to load other luggage into the car.
On the other hand, compact and lightweight bicycles tend to be less stable when riding. Those who prioritize riding comfort should not focus too much on lightness and compactness.
Folding electric bicycles, which are easy to carry and can be ridden anywhere, will surely become a companion that will expand your range of activities. Please keep it indoors and take security measures.