My First Fold-able eBike Build

[ianZcore]

Hey everyone,

I've got a project in the works and wanted to share it with you all. I'm diving headfirst into the world of eBikes and starting my very own company dedicated to crafting innovative electric bikes.

For as long as I can remember, I've been fascinated by the intersection of technology and transportation. Now, I'm channelling that passion into creating eBikes that are not only practical but also fun and Eco-friendly.

From designing frames to selecting components, every decision is driven by my commitment to quality and sustainability. My goal is to offer eBikes that redefine urban mobility, making commuting easier and more enjoyable for everyone.

Now im based in china designing & engineering my own Fold-able ebike i have been jumping around between designs and electric engines to finally settle on mid drive motor and this design in the photo below ( It’s a rendering Photo )

Beside the lithium battery and main core of the bike Still testing the other parts i got from different Chinese factories

This is just an introduction i can go more into details next time I just want to share my journey with u guys since we all Ebike enthusiast here

I will keep posting for time to time keeping you updated if you have any question or recommendations please feel free to ask

 

[99t4]

Interesting concept. Will be interesting to learn how the rigidity and weight compares to the usual commonly available commodity-style motorized folders.

 

[ianZcore]

right now the ebike weight is 18kg to 20kg depends on the parts will go with in the final product and about the rigidity i think it's good enough for now but im testing different ways so i can make it better , matching the bike's design with the rider's preferences
later i will post more demonstrations of the progress

 

[neptronix]

Yeah lack of rigidity is what kept me away from folding bikes.

From an electric perspective i like the 20" wheels because i can get awesome efficiency and power out of a smaller motor, but that's contrasted by most folder's rickety-ness.

Interested in seeing what you come up with!

 

[ianZcore]

Yeah lack of rigidity is what kept me away from folding bikes.

From an electric perspective i like the 20" wheels because i can get awesome efficiency and power out of a smaller motor, but that's contrasted by most folder's rickety-ness.

Interested in seeing what you come up with!

My Approach to this build is different from the folding bikes i have seen before because it wasn't my priority but it something that i found out it's a possible in the process of making this one since the main frame stability stays the same in both modes for now folding is only possible when taking one wheel out because the frame is harder to fold

 

[ianZcore]

 

[Guerney]

I approve of this project! Small wheels are the way forward! My UK road legal manufacturer "250W rated" 720W Bafang BBS10B mid drive 20" wheeled 2006 Dahon Helios P8 folding bike conversion, is a hell of a lot of fun: epic hill climbing ability, it's fast and fast accelerating, there's 23% more torque where tyre meets tarmc than a 26" wheel, the voltage of my 691Wh battery doesn't sag to the point of low voltage controller cutoff when climbing steep hills, even when hauling up 90Kg+ bicycle trailers (that was when the controller was limited to 15A for 540W, and it still climbed all hills hauling that weight). I don't need to leave it out to be stolen - I simply fold it into shopping trolleys, take it into places, public transport. The benefits of small wheeled folding ebikes are multitudinous. My Dahon Helios P8...

https://www.world-wheels.co.uk/heliosp8.htm

...isn't rickety... but does feel a bit wobbly if I extend the telescopic handlebar up, so I don't. My bike uses 16Wh/mile, because it's set up in firmware specifically to require zero pedalling effort for over 40 miles over varied terrain - I never arrive at work puffed out and sweaty. Weighs a little over 22.41kg, plus a couple of lights, plus lollipops featuring lights and frickin' laser beams, which drivers find repulsive. Driver creature dude vehicles never venture close, repulsed by my orange lolliop I thrust out and waggle at them.

View attachment 356597

What capacity battery?

There are at least two ways to make that rear rack move while attached, to become the trolley.

 

[ianZcore]

It's impressive how you've optimized it with the Bafang mid-drive and 20" wheels for superb hill climbing and acceleration. The fact Your setup sounds well thought out, especially with the 691Wh battery ensuring consistent power even with heavy loads.
Well my ebike specs are almost the same my ebike uses 9.8Wh/Km which is 15.77 wh/mile when it comes to the battery capacity is 480wh and right now the weight is between 18 and 20 kg depends on the accessories.

 

[ianZcore]

This is another fold-able way of the bike make it easy to be pushed instead of picking it.

 

[marka-ee]

I'm experimenting with a vintage Dahon Quest folding bike. It's fairly light at about 13 kilograms for the bike only. The welded stainless steel frame is actually more rigid than I expected. The good thing about these older vintage bikes is the fit and finish is very good. And they weren't so concerned about cost-reducing the hell out of it. I added a small 250 watt front hub motor to it and it actually goes faster than I expected, about 35 km per hour. I got it in excellent condition for $400 with the motor and controller. Speaking of costs, do you have any estimated costs for your bike? Are you expecting to go to die cast aluminum frame instead of the machined? On your CAD representation I think it would be very useful to put a six foot version of a "Digital Human Model" (DHM) sitting on the bike with pedals and feet connected to see what the rider position might look like. On my bike I do look a little bit like a 'circus bear on bicycle' act, but after a while you get used to the balancing and performance envelope of the bike and it becomes not a big issue anymore.

 

[Guerney]

On my bike I do look a little bit like a 'circus bear on bicycle' act, but after a while you get used to the balancing and performance envelope of the bike and it becomes not a big issue anymore.

This could explain why groups of women burst into laugher at the sight of me riding my bike. I don't mind: Better to be looked over than overlooked.

The riding position of the older Dahons are more upright, mine's more leaning forwards, which I prefer.

There is a steel version of my bike frame I'm eager to get my hands on someday, steel doesn't fatigue and eventually fail like aluminium. That being said, despite it's age my bike hasn't snapped in half yet, even with a UK legal manufacturer rated "250W" 720W mid-drive motor. Newer steel Dahon frames don't feature the reinforcement bar ie "Rebar" over the hinge - the Dahon experts CH Whites tell me the absence of the rebar has led to hinge problems, which don't happen with Dahons with rebars.

 

[Guerney]

It's impressive how you've optimized it with the Bafang mid-drive and 20" wheels for superb hill climbing and acceleration. The fact Your setup sounds well thought out, especially with the 691Wh battery ensuring consistent power even with heavy loads.

It happened by chance - the Bafang BBS01B was the only conversion kit available to buy in the UK before the Brexit date, to convert the only bike I owned, which had been in the loft ever since I bought it from a friend many years ago for £100. I originally was intending to buy a hub motor kit, but I'm fortunate that didn't happen, because with this mid-drive I don't need a more expensive higher continuous current discharge capable battery (and/or a higher voltage) to get the same hill climbing ability. I did a lot of hauling of 90kg+ bike trailers up steep hills when the controller was at 15A = 540W. The only reason why I have increased the controller's limit to 20A, is to stay further away from gremlins giving chase on foot uphill, as happened late one dark night, in a land far far away: I'd passed a pub after closing time, and all of a sudden a car engine started and a bunch of drink and drug maddened gremlins started chasing my bike uphill. They came too close, I could hear their footfalls getting closer for a short time along with shouts of "Grab him! GRAB HIM!!! FUCKING GRAB HIM!!!!", then they ran out of puff running uphill. Then their mates in the car shouted "SHALL WE GRAB YA?!?! SHALL WE frocking GRAB YA?!?!!?" and drove off. I'd need an entirely different kind of bike to outrun the car. Turn up the volume:

(Controller limit @15A ie 540W, the snappy noises are my gear changes, and the absence of crunching sounds demonstate perfect functioning of my gear shift sensor )

Luckily, my bike looked too weird to be of interest to the car gremlins.

Even when the controller was limited to 18A = 648W, I'd accelerate to the 25km/h cutoff on most small hills, then the motor would reactivate assistance up to the 25km/h cutoff etc. My bike cares not about the incline of hills.

The moral of this story is, more power means more safety. And muggers aren't interested in weird looking bikes.

 

[2Phast2Delirious]

I have two folding e-bikes, and the folding handlebars are the primary downside. In my opinion, a BMX or MTB handlebar would be great.

 

[Zambam]

I approve of this project! Small wheels are the way forward! My UK road legal manufacturer "250W rated" 720W Bafang BBS10B mid drive 20" wheeled 2006 Dahon Helios P8 folding bike conversion, is a hell of a lot of fun: epic hill climbing ability, it's fast and fast accelerating, there's 23% more torque where tyre meets tarmc than a 26" wheel, the voltage of my 691Wh battery doesn't sag to the point of low voltage controller cutoff when climbing steep hills, even when hauling up 90Kg+ bicycle trailers (that was when the controller was limited to 15A for 540W, and it still climbed all hills hauling that weight). I don't need to leave it out to be stolen - I simply fold it into shopping trolleys, take it into places, public transport. The benefits of small wheeled folding ebikes are multitudinous. My Dahon Helios P8...

https://www.world-wheels.co.uk/heliosp8.htm

...isn't rickety... but does feel a bit wobbly if I extend the telescopic handlebar up, so I don't. My bike uses 16Wh/mile, because it's set up in firmware specifically to require zero pedalling effort for over 40 miles over varied terrain - I never arrive at work puffed out and sweaty. Weighs a little over 22.41kg, plus a couple of lights, plus lollipops featuring lights and frickin' laser beams, which drivers find repulsive. Driver creature dude vehicles never venture close, repulsed by my orange lolliop I thrust out and waggle at them.

What capacity battery?

There are at least two ways to make that rear rack move while attached, to become the trolley.

What's the weight of the bike after conversion with accessories? What's the range and top speed? I watched some of your gnarly night riding videos? Looks scary! I don't ride at night, period.

 

[Guerney]

What's the weight of the bike after conversion with accessories?

Weighs a little over 22.41kg, plus a couple of lights

It's a little awkward to weigh, but I might attempt it again at some point with those two extra lights, plus spoke lights, laser blinker and other small lights.

What's the range and top speed?

it's set up in firmware specifically to require zero pedalling effort for over 40 miles over varied terrain

About 43 miles tops, I live in a hilly area - getting to or returning from anywhere involves hills. I'm not legally allowed more than 25km/h in the UK - I don't want to end up with 6 points on my licence and fined for riding an unregistered motorbike etc.c etc. and/or chased through the courts by crash victim insurance company lawyers for my house. I might do a speed run at some point on a private road, but I don't think it'll be substantially fast without installing replacing the 52T (94.5 gear inches) chainwheel with a 60T (109 gear inches) or larger; perhaps a dual chainwheel up front. As it's a folding bike - I wouldn't want the additional stresses from higher speed to fold the frame permanently, or break it.

I watched some of your gnarly night riding videos? Looks scary! I don't ride at night, period.

I'm out all hours, it's the 6pm to 2am drunk and drugged or otherwise mentally and physically addled you've got to watch out for! And all the bloody stupid taxis and careless delivery moron drivers in a hurry. This orange plastic contraption on my handlebar, has kept them all away for over two years:

 

[Guerney]

It's impressive how you've optimized it with the Bafang mid-drive and 20" wheels for superb hill climbing and acceleration. The fact Your setup sounds well thought out, especially with the 691Wh battery ensuring consistent power even with heavy loads.
Well my ebike specs are almost the same my ebike uses 9.8Wh/Km which is 15.77 wh/mile when it comes to the battery capacity is 480wh and right now the weight is between 18 and 20 kg depends on the accessories.

It happened by chance - the Bafang BBS01B was the only conversion kit available to buy in the UK before the Brexit date, to convert the only bike I owned, which had been in the loft ever since I bought it from a friend many years ago for £100. I originally was intending to buy a hub motor kit, but I'm fortunate that didn't happen, because with this mid-drive I don't need a more expensive higher continuous current discharge capable battery (and/or a higher voltage) to get the same hill climbing ability. I did a lot of hauling of 90kg+ bike trailers up steep hills when the controller was at 15A = 540W. The only reason why I have increased the controller's limit to 20A, is to stay further away from gremlins giving chase on foot uphill, as happened late one dark night, in a land far far away: I'd passed a pub after closing time, and all of a sudden a car engine started and a bunch of drink and drug maddened gremlins started chasing my bike uphill. They came too close, I could hear their footfalls getting closer for a short time along with shouts of "Grab him! GRAB HIM!!! FUCKING GRAB HIM!!!!", then they ran out of puff running uphill. Then their mates in the car shouted "SHALL WE GRAB YA?!?! SHALL WE frocking GRAB YA?!?!!?" and drove off. I'd need an entirely different kind of bike to outrun the car. Turn up the volume:

(Controller limit @15A ie 540W, the snappy noises are my gear changes, and the absence of crunching sounds demonstate perfect functioning of my gear shift sensor )

Luckily, my bike looked too weird to be of interest to the car gremlins.

Even when the controller was limited to 18A = 648W, I'd accelerate to the 25km/h cutoff on most small hills, then the motor would reactivate assistance up to the 25km/h cutoff etc. My bike cares not about the incline of hills.

The moral of this story is, more power means more safety. And muggers aren't interested in weird looking bikes.

That hill is faster ascended with the controller limit raised to 20A, here's a side to side 15A vs 20A comparison, plus a 18.4A hill climb and a bit of downhill. It's well worth utilising the advantages small 20" wheels afford, to make small commuting folding bikes with mid drive motors powered by large capable batteries, resulting in excellent and fast hill climbing ability. Who doesn't want the option of easy peasy UK legal 25kph hill ascents? I'm not even a fit dude.

Gremlin Hill Part II... The Sequel... Now with thrilling 25kph hill climb! And with only 36V and 20A! Hill climbing speed limited by UK legality :-(​

https://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/gremlin-hill-part-ii-the-sequel-now-with-thrilling-25kph-hill-climb-and-with-only-36v-and-20a-hill-climbing-speed-limited-by-uk-legality.47601/