Electric scooter vs folding bikes

[duncan99210]

Ebikes: just bought two Haibikes and they’re excellent. Battery pack is good for 40+ miles at maximum assist, nearly double that at lower levels. We now use them as the default setting for local travel - say up to 30 mile round trip. Living in Cornwall they make cycling possible.
Escooters: they’re fine but really an urban phenomenon rather than a bike alternative. You get no exercise from using them but for urban get about it could mean not needing to use public transport which is a bonus at present.

 

[[3889]]

I ride a bicycle for exercise so I wouldn't dream of having anything battery powered.
But why wouldn't you get a battery powered folding bicycle? Wouldn't they be street legal in the UK?

I have 3 bikes and use two regularly at home. The Brompton (possibly the most over rated bike ever) sat mostly unused in the lazarette because the effort of getting it out outweighed the effort of walking / taking the bus/ taxi. I did carry my carbon road bike for a season which was a lot easier to disembark and assemble but occupied the spare cabin so was deemed unacceptable by a higher authority.
The scooter is ideal for storage and shopping etc. It's not something I use for pleasure, though.

 

[MarkCX]

I keep a non-electric scooter on my boat. Takes up virtually no space and with a reasonable backpack it can make distances a little easier - or I can fold it and take a bus. I no doubt look a little ridiculous on a kids toy but I’m old enough to not care what other people think!

 

[Kelpie]

But cycling is exercise and also can be a mode of transport. (Not sure who is making assumptions)

One assumption I was making was that this was a sailing forum and we were discussing electric scooters (and bikes) as a means of transport whilst cruising.

If I could fit my car on the boat I'm sure I would find that very handy, but I can't, so a bike or scooter will have to do.

I'm perfectly aware that lots of people use bikes for exercise, it's not an either/or situation.

 

[MarkCX]

You’re just not trying hard enough ?

 

[coopec]

I am interested in what people are saying because I will definitely be taking a (non-electric) bicycle for exercise and transport.
One of the main problems mentioned often is stowage. Maybe I will do what this couple does - dis-assemble the bicycles for stowage when on the yacht?

Surely a folding bicycle would be pretty small anyway? (I don't think I'd like cycling any distance on one though)

Bikes on Boats

 

[Kelpie]

Thanks for the link. Taking proper bikes would be great, but it's definitely a commitment in terms of space. For short trips it must be quicker to walk than to do two runs in the tender plus 20 mins rebuilding your bike.

 

[rogerthebodger]

Several years ago I did see a bicycle powered by a battery drill. I was on show by one of the power tools manufacturers like dewalt of the like.

 

[geem]

Clive I hear you but

I am about 85 Kg and 5 ft 10 so I don't think I an obese and with Hypertension, Type 2 diabetes and life long Asama this is why I like sailing you get constant excise without it being too intense.

The lock down and being in a susceptible group is playing havoc with my fitness.

I do have excise cycle and tread mill but find it too boring as I need to be creative.

Any way I don't wish to use any electric personal transport as I don't mind walking anywhere a long as my hips and knees last out.

As i say getting old ain't for sissies.

I have 3 bikes and use two regularly at home. The Brompton (possibly the most over rated bike ever) sat mostly unused in the lazarette because the effort of getting it out outweighed the effort of walking / taking the bus/ taxi. I did carry my carbon road bike for a season which was a lot easier to disembark and assemble but occupied the spare cabin so was deemed unacceptable by a higher authority.
The scooter is ideal for storage and shopping etc. It's not something I use for pleasure, though.

we have had a pair of Bromptons for 17 years. They have been on the boat for most of their life. They have done thousands of miles and only needed new tyres. They are incredibly well built, stow smaller than any other bike and can carry a whole supermarket trolley worth of shopping on two bikes. We love them. I have brought them home to strip and respray the frames as the numerous trips in the dinghy over the years has taken their tole. We enjoy the exercise they provide and wouldn't swap them for another bike or something that gives us less exercise.

 

[[3889]]

we have had a pair of Bromptons for 17 years. They have been on the boat for most of their life. They have done thousands of miles and only needed new tyres. They are incredibly well built, stow smaller than any other bike and can carry a whole supermarket trolley worth of shopping on two bikes. We love them. I have brought them home to strip and respray the frames as the numerous trips in the dinghy over the years has taken their tole. We enjoy the exercise they provide and wouldn't swap them for another bike or something that gives us less exercise.

Each to their own. They are heavy, even the laughably named titanium model which actually only has a Ti rear triangle, and expensive. Did you fit the rear tyre yourself? Wheel removal is enough to test the patience of Job. These are a much better folding bike but sadly no longer made.

 

[Malish]

and a valid driving licence (at least for the UK trial)

E-scooter trials: guidance for local areas and rental operators

 

[Laminar Flow]

I am interested in what people are saying because I will definitely be taking a (non-electric) bicycle for exercise and transport.
One of the main problems mentioned often is stowage. Maybe I will do what this couple does - dis-assemble the bicycles for stowage when on the yacht?

Surely a folding bicycle would be pretty small anyway? (I don't think I'd like cycling any distance on one though)

Bikes on Boats

We carry two Ori folding bikes on board. They weigh about 11kg each, have 9 gears and are an Asian copy of a UK brand that is no longer available, it seems. They had, next to the Brompton, the smallest folding foot print at the time. Unlike the Brompton, they do not use any bespoke parts.
When I bought them, these bikes were getting rave reviews as the next best thing to a full size model.

They are easily stored under our cockpit floor with its 3'x3' access hatch and are unfolded in literally seconds.

Without doubt they are the single most often used piece of equipment we carry on board and on numerous occasions we have brought them with us on public transport when exploring further afield. It has not been uncommon for us to travel some 50-60km to the next supermarket and back, though my wife would complain at such enthusiasm, even if I carried all the shopping on the way back, looking like some refugee escaping a war zone on a clown bike.
Consequently, I am looking at a possibility of electrifying at least one of them.

Prolonged use on cobble stone surfaces will cause brainnnnnnnnn dammmmmmmmage.

In conclusion, we could not do our style of cruising without some form of on board transport. As we mostly sail on the continent, I would not mind trying out one of the e-scooters. My friend has one; I'll check it out sometime.

Edit: just remembered, the UK brand was called Mezzo and our are identical to their curved model.

 

[johnalison]

One of my ambitions 40 years ago was to have a boat with room for a bike for each of us. We achieved this with our Sadler 29 and a pair of early Dahons, in 1988 I think. At the time, folding bikes were rare and we used to attract a lot of attention, and comments about the Tour de France. these bikes were stolen in Amsterdam from being locked at a suburban museum and we replaced them with a pair of Di Blasis. These cost about £400 compared to about £700 for a Brompton at the time. They have a neat folding mechanism which is very quick, and when folded they are larger than the Brompton but slimmer. They ride reasonably well and are comfortable for several kilometres, with 5 gears. I have changd tyres a number of times including the rear wheel with derailleur gears. This latter is something of a trial of patience but can be done even by me.

There is no perfect folding bike and it is a matter of cost, size and quality, and what you are seeking. Some cheap folding bikes do little more than fold in half, but they will be ideal for some sailors as they often have larger wheels. Once you add power, then the weight goes up and the usefulness to me would be limited. We got quite adept at handing the bikes up or down through the pulpit in Baltic moorings.

 

[geem]

Each to their own. They are heavy, even the laughably named titanium model which actually only has a Ti rear triangle, and expensive. Did you fit the rear tyre yourself? Wheel removal is enough to test the patience of Job. These are a much better folding bike but sadly no longer made.

The Titanium model also has titanium forks but we are splitting hairs. We dont need to save a whopping 1kg of the weight of our Bromptons. They fold up so small that they stow under the table in the saloon of our boat and still allow us to use the table as normal. They weigh 13kg with the rear rack. They easily go in our dinghy.
If the Bickerton bike you mention was so good why did they go bust? It looks like a piece of junk! Maybe thats why they went bust.
I have fitted the rear tyres myself. I dont know why you think its hard. Super simple job! I take the rear wheel off when I repair punctures as its so easy ?

 

[johnalison]

The Bickerton was a novelty when it came in, but it was only ever a shopping bike, good for a trip of five minutes or so, and not the the sort of near open-road use that modern bikes can do.

 

[coopec]

Having read the last few comments (and thinking about it overnight) the message is getting through that the type of bicycle you need depends a lot of factors - size of boat, person's physical capabilities, purpose of bike (sightseeing/shopping 'trolley", where you cruise and want to ride, average length of stay in each marina/anchorage................. One Man's Meat is Another Man's Poison

 

[KompetentKrew]

I am interested in what people are saying because I will definitely be taking a (non-electric) bicycle for exercise and transport.
One of the main problems mentioned often is stowage. Maybe I will do what this couple does - dis-assemble the bicycles for stowage when on the yacht?

Surely a folding bicycle would be pretty small anyway? (I don't think I'd like cycling any distance on one though)

I sympathise with Quiddle's view that it's a cumbersome to get a bike in and out the locker (probably depending on the bike, the locker and how fit you are) but I find this inconvenience far outweighed by the usefulness of having transport. Especially if you're somewhere for a week or two, when the bike doesn't have to go back in the locker between uses.

I've done a fair bit of homework on folding pedal bikes, and Bromptons seem to be the best - they are beloved by their owners, who always rave about them; they seem to fold up smaller than Dahons and Terns, and are maybe 3kg or 4kg lighter (CBA to check right now), but they are not cheap.

Dahon and Tern are probably the main brands - they are decent quality and retail at about half the price of a Brompton. They're very similar - I've heard that people test-riding may have a slight preference for one or the other, but Tern was founded by Dahon's ex-wife and son, and they took some of the factories with them.

Dahon are cheaper than Tern secondhand because they've been in production longer, so look for a Dahon Vitesse if buying secondhand - that's the model with the aluminium frame (it's sometimes also branded as a Dahon Mariner). This bike has been sold in models with both hub and derailier gears, the hub gears being generally regarded as more desirable. Avoid the five-gear ones, the D5 with a Sturmey-Archer hub, and look for one with a Shimano hub; or save your money and get a derailier. Inspect the photos in the listing, because they are often mis-titled by unknowing sellers.

Dahon Vitesses with the Shimano hub (I have a 7-speed, not sure if they did an 8-speed with hub gears) often go on eBay for £250. With patience, if you check eBay daily for a few months, you can get one for £160 - £200. Coronavirus may have pushed up prices, but listing 224060071910 shows this is still possible [archive]

With regards to ebikes: my previous comment.

 

[geem]

I sympathise with Quiddle's view that it's a cumbersome to get a bike in and out the locker (probably depending on the bike, the locker and how fit you are) but I find this inconvenience far outweighed by the usefulness of having transport. Especially if you're somewhere for a week or two, when the bike doesn't have to go back in the locker between uses.

I've done a fair bit of homework on folding pedal bikes, and Bromptons seem to be the best - they are beloved by their owners, who always rave about them; they seem to fold up smaller than Dahons and Terns, and are maybe 3kg or 4kg lighter (CBA to check right now), but they are not cheap.

Dahon and Tern are probably the main brands - they are decent quality and retail at about half the price of a Brompton. They're very similar - I've heard that people test-riding may have a slight preference for one or the other, but Tern was founded by Dahon's ex-wife and son, and they took some of the factories with them.

Dahon are cheaper than Tern secondhand because they've been in production longer, so look for a Dahon Vitesse if buying secondhand - that's the model with the aluminium frame (it's sometimes also branded as a Dahon Mariner). This bike has been sold in models with both hub and derailier gears, the hub gears being generally regarded as more desirable. Avoid the five-gear ones, the D5 with a Sturmey-Archer hub, and look for one with a Shimano hub; or save your money and get a derailier. Inspect the photos in the listing, because they are often mis-titled by unknowing sellers.

Dahon Vitesses with the Shimano hub (I have a 7-speed, not sure if they did an 8-speed with hub gears) often go on eBay for £250. With patience, if you check eBay daily for a few months, you can get one for £160 - £200. Coronavirus may have pushed up prices, but listing 224060071910 shows this is still possible [archive]

With regards to ebikes: my previous comment.

Most folding bikes have 20” wheels. They also generally fold in half such that when folded they are quote big. The Brompton has 16” wheels and it folds in thirds so is considerably smaller when folded. We recently did some cycling in the Azores. We took our bikes ashore in the dinghy and picked up our friends with their Dahon bikes on the way. I couldnt believe how large the Dahons were when side by side with the Bromptons in the dinghy. For me on the boat this is an important factor

 

[Malish]

There are aftermarket e power upgrades for Bromptons such as Electric bike conversion kits by Swytch. Convert any bike into an eBike.
Not cheap but certainly cheaper than a new e Brompton if you already have a basic one

 

[Graham376]

Most folding bikes have 20” wheels. They also generally fold in half such that when folded they are quote big. The Brompton has 16” wheels and it folds in thirds so is considerably smaller when folded. We recently did some cycling in the Azores. We took our bikes ashore in the dinghy and picked up our friends with their Dahon bikes on the way. I couldnt believe how large the Dahons were when side by side with the Bromptons in the dinghy. For me on the boat this is an important factor

We binned the old 16" wheeled bikes and went for 20". Heavier, bulkier to stow but much nicer to ride with the larger wheels and Shimano gears. They live in forepeak and easy to carry in dinghy. At only €130 each, can be chucked when they go rusty. Have considered electric scooters which are legal here (pavement, cycle track or road) but cost and on board battery charging put me off.