Folding bikes offer numerous advantages over other bikes for urban mobility, due to their folding capacity and compact size. After a quick review of these advantages, we are going to recommend some of the best folding bicycles on the market.
The usual difficulties of bicycles in urban use stem from their size and the restrictions on entering public transport and premises or buildings with them. These difficulties will be of greater or lesser depth, depending on the type of bicycles. Here is a brief summary of the most important advantages:
And, to these advantages, others are added, in the case of electric folding bicycles, which have pedaling assisted by an electric motor. They are summarized below:
With these advantages, folding bikes solve the problems we mentioned to a greater or lesser extent, depending on the quality and design of each model. Because not all folding bikes are the same.
Among folding bikes there are big differences, especially in the folding system and the final folded size. Few of them are compact enough to be carried as hand luggage on public transport and in public buildings. If this is a priority need for you, you will have to take it into account when choosing your electric bike model.
In our stores, we select the best brands of folding bikes. And, in this article, we'll offer you a ranking of what we consider to be the best folding bikes among the models of these brands, both conventional and electric. With the circumstance that the models that occupy the top positions are the same in both lists, as they have excellent electric versions.
We start with the list of the best conventional folding bikes without pedal assistance. The main criteria for the selection of both these and the electric ones have been the ease of folding and the final size, which is the most important feature to achieve the advantages of portability and storage. After this, we consider value for money.
Brompton has been manufacturing its bikes by hand in London since 1975, to guarantee quality and reliability. They offer three different types of handlebars and seatposts to suit all users. They have a shifting system from 2 to 6 speeds, to move easily through any city, flat or hilly, and which, in addition, are integrated into the rear hub. This makes it possible to change gears while stopped at a traffic light, for example. With its system, any user, without being an expert, can fold or unfold the bike in just 20 seconds. Once folded, it offers the most compact size in its category, approved as hand luggage on all public transport. And it has a complete range of bags and accessories that allow them to be folded without disassembling them. With these arguments, it is easy to deduce which is the best folding bike for us. Without a doubt, Brompton deserves the first place in the ranking.
For the list, we have chosen the Brompton C-Line Black Edition Explore model, perfectly equipped with even just standard features for us to enjoy our urban journeys.
Dahon is the world's largest manufacturer of folding bikes and has the most extensive catalog with all price ranges. With quality design and manufacturing, we have no doubt about placing their models in the second place of our preferences, with some models that may well be considered as the best folding bikes for value for money.
Our choice is the Dahon Vybe D7, which offers us, for an extraordinary price, a lightweight bike, easy and fast folding, with 7 speeds and 20-inch wheels, which allow us to ride very fast on any type of slopes, with an amazing top speed. Without reaching the equivalent folded size of the Brompton, it is an excellent alternative that doesn't break the bank.
This proposal from the young Spanish brand Ossby ranks third in the ranking, due to the originality and differentiation of its design. It weighs only 9.5 kg and the Easyup folding system is simple and extremely fast. It folds in a single movement and moves easily, once folded, supported on its own wheels, so we can transport it without carrying it. This ease of folding and its light weight allow us to move it with great agility, both pedaling and dismounted. Although the final dimensions are not as compact as those of other reference bikes such as Brompton and Dahon, and do not exempt it from the limitations of any bike in the means of transport. If we need to move it by these means frequently, we would have to think about another more compact bike. But for any other urban use, this Ossby Curve Eco is an excellent choice.
In a recent article, we proposed a list with "The Six Best Folding E-bikes". From that list, we 're going to take the first three, to complete this new list that encompasses all folding bikes. If you would like to go deeper into these models or learn about the rest, we encourage you to read the article.
By folding electric-assist bicycles, for the selection of models, we add to the aforementioned criteria of ease of folding and compact size, those of technological innovation and electrical integration.
Brompton spent years of development to manufacture the Brompton Electric bikes and surprised us by keeping the same folding system and size as their conventional bikes. A prodigy of engineering and design that allows us to affirm that the Brompton Electric is the best folding electric bicycle and, surely, the best urban electric bicycle.
.This perfect integration has been achieved by placing the 250 W motor in the front wheel hub and the battery in a handlebar bag, which is can be mounted and removed with a single click. In addition, like all original Brompton bags, it allows the bike to be folded without removing the battery bag, which can be used as a handle for transporting it.
Its only drawback is the price you have to pay for the best folding bike on the market, but it's an investment for a lifetime, due to the excellent quality of these bikes, which we analyze in depth in this exclusive video on the Brompton Electric.
Dahon also repeats in second place on the podium with the Dahon Unio for offering easy folding, compact size, light weight and a surprising price for its outstanding quality. The motor is central, but very well integrated, and the removable battery is housed in the seat post. As in the conventional one, we believe that Dahon offers the best value for money in folding e-bikes.
We complete the podium with the Eovolt Confort 2022, which is a very comfortable bicycle, with 20" wheels and 2.35" tires, which make it suitable for all types of terrain. It nevertheless maintains a fairly compact size when folded. The weight of only 18 kg is a good mark for an electric bike with this wheel size, and offers a plus in comfort and safety, especially on rough roads. The motor is located in the rear hub and the battery in the seat tube.
We hope this selection serves as a starting point, although according to your specific needs, other models could also be a good option.
At the Mammoth shops and online at mammothbikes.com, we are specialistis, and you’ll find the bestfolding bikes, including e-bikes.
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