Aventon’s Guide To Buying A Folding Ebike

Some of you may be wondering, “Are folding bikes good?” And the answer is, Yes! Foldable ebikes are like any other ebike other than the fact they fold in half. This feature has many benefits for those looking for an alternative form of transportation, including easy storage at home, or on the go!

So what is a folding bike?

Simple. A foldable ebike is a bike that can collapse in half on a swivel hinge and then snap back together into a single frame with a locking system. Besides this cool feature, there’s more to look for when buying a folding ebike.

Here’s what we’ll be discussing in this blog:

• Benefits Of A Folding Frame
• Safety Certification
• Quality Components
• Motor
• Types of Sensors
• Types of Assistance
• Tires
• Other Folding Features
• Perfectly Priced
•  

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1. Benefits Of A Folding Frame

Are foldable bikes good? Well, the benefits of a folding frame ebike go far beyond the advantages of a regular bike. They’re exciting, convenient, flexible to different lifestyles, cost-effective and comfortable with ease of use. Let’s dive deeper!

Convenience

A bike that folds up is convenient when it comes to transporting and storing. Maybe you live in a small apartment without much room for a bike, or you own a small sedan without a tow hitch for a bike rack, or maybe the trunk space is too small. The foldable frame can get tucked in tight places where most ebikes wont’ fit. Even in a closet or under a desk at work.

Flexibility

Bring flexibility into your daily life with a folding electric bicycle that can open up new experiences. Besides the convenience of a foldable frame’s compact size, it can elevate your riding experience with a motor and pedal assistance, making it easier on your body by going farther faster and with less physical effort.

Cost-Effective

While the upfront cost of a foldable ebike may be higher than a traditional bike, it can ultimately save you money in the long run by reducing the need for a car and its associated costs, such as gas, maintenance, and parking fees!

Comfortable and Easy to Use

With the electric assistance provided by the motor, riding a foldable ebike can be much more comfortable and less strenuous than riding a traditional bike. The folding mechanism also makes it easy to adjust the bike to fit your height and riding style.

3. Safety Certification

The safety certification should be the first thing you look for when purchasing a foldable bike. This will tell you a lot about the brand, and the quality of the components found on the bike. When it comes to safety certifications in the US, UL 2849 is the standard.

This means your ebike and its components have been put through rigorous testing to ensure the product is safe to use and sell. If you’re not sure whether or not the foldable ebike is certified, check online.

Aventon’s Sinch models are TUV certified to the UL 2849 standard, meaning they’ve been rigorously tested for safety to give you ease of mind knowing you're protected every time you ride. TUV is the European standard when it comes to electric bike safety, and is universally accepted in the United States. To confirm Aventon’s certifications, click on the link here.

2. Quality Components

How a bike functions comes down to its components. These are vital to the quality of experience as well as to the rider’s safety. Quality components ensure peace of mind, every time you ride.

Battery

The battery is the heart of your folding ebike. It’s what powers the ability to go faster and farther than ever before. Batteries can either be semi-integrated or fully integrated. Semi-integrated batteries sit outside the frame, while fully integrated meansare built into the frame for a sleeker, cleaner look, and can easily be removed with a locking system.

When looking for a fold away bike, make sure that the battery is made with quality materials and has gone through safety testing to ensure it’s safe to use. Aventon’s batteries are made with LG cells and have gone through rigorous testing to ensure rider safety, that way they can focus on all the fun! Also, when you purchase any Sinch model you get $200 off an additional battery!

Learn more about how ebike batteries and how to handle them from our blog ‘Ebike Batteries And Fire Safety: The Do’s And Don’t’s’.

Display Screen

A display screen is an integral part of the ebike experience. A good display should inform riders of current speed, pedal assist level, and battery life. The quality of the display screen can tell you how much thought has gone into the user’s experience.

For example, Aventon’s Full Color Display is intelligible and vibrant. Besides the aforementioned metrics, the Full Color Display goes into great depth of the overall ebike experience, giving rider’s distance traveled, CO2 emissions reduced, trees saved, and can sync to the Aventon app allowing riders the ability to connect to a larger community and share routes and pictures.

4. Motor

When looking for a foldable ebike, one thing to keep in mind is the motor. The quality of the motor matters. This plays a large role in how fast you want to go and let the good times roll!

Power Output

The power output of the motor is measured in watts and determines how much assistance it provides to the rider. A higher wattage motor will provide more power and faster acceleration.

Torque

The torque of the motor refers to its ability to provide force to the pedals. A higher torque motor will be better for climbing hills and providing quick acceleration. You can feel the difference in the way it propels you as soon as you start pedaling.

Efficiency

The efficiency of the motor refers to how much energy it uses to provide assistance to the rider. A more efficient motor will use less energy and provide a longer range.

Brand and Warranty

It's important to choose a motor from a reputable brand that offers a good warranty to ensure reliable performance and peace of mind. At Aventon, we believe in the quality of our components. That’s why we offer a 2-year warranty when you purchase all of our ebikes.

On top of that we’ve teamed up with With Oyster for the option of added protection for a small monthly fee, should you choose to go in that direction.

5. Types of Sensors

A majority of ebikes come with either one of two types of sensors: cadence or torque. These are what help give riders that added assistance to go top speeds on and off the road.

Cadence

Simply put, a cadence sensor recognizes when a rider has started pedaling and sends a signal to the ebikes controller. It then produces a prescribed amount of power that helps propel the rider forward. This type of sensor can be found on Aventon’s Sinch models!

Torque

Similarly to the cadence sensor, the torque sensor recognizes the rider's actions and sends a signal to the controller. The difference between the two is that the torque sensor recognizes the riders’ efforts and matches the amount of power output. This intuitive signal provides riders with a more natural riding experience. Find a torque sensor on Aventon’s Sinch.2!

For a deeper understanding of these two types of sensors, visit our blog ‘Torque Sensor vs. Cadence Sensor on Electric Bikes’.

6. Types of Assistance

There are two types of assistance that an ebike can have, pedal assist or throttle assist. Some ebikes even come with a third option, and that’s both of these combined, giving rider’s the option to choose between one or the other. These features help propel your natural momentum. They’re what give you that extra oomph and make riding an ebike so much easier and fun!

Pedal Assist

Pedal assist powers only when the rider pedals the bike. The level of assistance can be adjusted by selecting different power modes on the ebike's controller. This type of assistance is generally more efficient and provides a more natural riding experience, as it allows the rider to control the speed through the various pedal assist levels.

Throttle Assist

This type of assistance provides power when the rider activates a throttle, similar to a motorcycle. It’s typically less efficient than pedal assist, as it requires zero pedaling and can drain your bike’s battery quicker. It's important to note that in some regions, throttle-assist ebikes may be subject to different regulations and may not be legal for use on certain types of bike paths, trails or roads.

Combined assist

Some ebikes offer a combination of pedal-assist and throttle-assist. This type of assistance allows the rider to choose between pedaling or using the throttle to provide power, depending on their preference or riding conditions.

When choosing the type of assistance for your foldable electric bike, consider your riding style, the terrain you plan to ride on, and any local regulations that may affect the legality of different types of assistance.

Learn more about state laws on our blog ‘Understanding Electric Bicycle Laws By State: The Ultimate Guide’ or by contacting your local or state representatives.

8. Other Folding Features

How can a fold away bicycle get any better? With other foldable features, that’s how! This means that more than just the frame folds in half and helps the bike become more compact, allowing it to fit in even smaller spaces than previously thought possible.

Handlebar folding

Many foldable e-bikes feature handlebars that can be folded down or removed to further reduce the bike's size. This is particularly useful for storage in tight spaces, such as a closet or trunk of a car.

Pedal folding

Some foldable e-bikes feature pedals that can be folded or removed to reduce the bike's overall width. This can be particularly useful for storing the bike in narrow spaces.

When selecting a foldable e-bike, it's important to consider the specific folding features that will be most useful for your needs. For example, if you plan to store the bike in a small apartment, handlebar and pedal folding may be particularly important.

9. Perfectly Priced

The right foldable ebike for you is one that meets all your needs and is within your price range. Knowing how much you’re willing to spend before you start looking will give you a good indicator into the quality of the overall bike.

Folding bike costs can rise pretty quickly depending on brand, materials, and components. They may seem costly upfront but they’re a great investment and alternative to other forms of transportation. Aventon’s Sinch models are perfectly priced with quality components. Our aim is to enable people to find happiness through the power of motion and emobility.

For a limited time, Aventon’s cadence-based Sinch models are on sale!

Closing

Are folding bikes worth it? That’s for you to decide. With the overall convenience, accessibility, and exciting capabilities a folding ebike has to offer, it can change the way you experience the world for the better.

Not sure an Aventon Sinch is within your price range? Many states, and counties, offer a considerable amount of rebates for purchasing an ebike to help save you money and to help the US move toward a more sustainable future.

Learn more about ebike rebates on our blog ‘Ebike Rebates: Saving BIG Money In The US By Switching To Emobility’.