Folding E-bicycle.

The Brompton A line goes for $1,150. That’s for the standard non-e bike.

I believe the swytch ebike conversion kit referenced above currently sells for $600.
 
Paul V said:
I believe the swytch ebike conversion kit referenced above currently sells for $600.
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I think you mean "used to sell for $600". It's not currently available.
 
Paul V said:
the bromptons are excellent. The folded size is more compact than any of the other folding bikes I’ve seen. I’m surprised more pilots don’t buy them.
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Found out the other day that they used a picture of their bike in my airplane at Oshkosh for one of their ads. Totally forgot about the gentleman who came out of nowhere to ask if he could do that in 2019.

Other than that I can only add that I bought a refurb Jupiter X5. Haven’t flown with it yet but it has to be better than the mountain bike I have been using.
 
On another note I think flying with an e bike could get exciting if the battery overheats.
 
I got a Onewheel instead dog a hike. My rv doesn’t quite fit a bike unfortunately.
 
aggie06 said:
Found out the other day that they used a picture of their bike in my airplane at Oshkosh for one of their ads. Totally forgot about the gentleman who came out of nowhere to ask if he could do that in 2019.

Other than that I can only add that I bought a refurb Jupiter X5. Haven’t flown with it yet but it has to be better than the mountain bike I have been using.
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I'm sort of impressed that he asked first. +2 Classy points to Brompton.
 
schmookeeg said:
I'm sort of impressed that he asked first. +2 Classy points to Brompton.
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If they did not get permission, they would have to pay you if you found they used that photo.
 

No open flame but lots of smoke, and that’s just a drone battery. Most are 40-80wh batteries. Those Brampton bikes have a 300wh battery. The bag might give you a fighting chance of throwing it out of the aircraft.
 
Has anyone tried an electric unicycle or or E scooter? Something good for 15-20 mile range at 15-20 mph weighs about 30 lbs. The scooters fold flat but are long. A TurboAnt M10 scooter is about 42 x 18 x 16 folded and costs about $450 new. A KingSong 14D EUC is 19 x 17 x 8 and costs about $700 new. The EUCs seem to be better built and should last a long time, but there is a difficult learning curve compared to e-scooters. I think in the long run an EUC would be a better choice, but e-scooters are quicker to use by novices, so a friend could easily use one.

I have a last mile problem I am trying to resolve for when I fly to our family's lake cottage. The airport is 5.2 miles away, 85% paved and 15% gravel/dirt. I think one of the two mentioned would make a good option. If anyone has experience with them I'd like your feedback.

Thanks in advance.
 
William Pete Hodges said:
Has anyone tried an electric unicycle or or E scooter? Something good for 15-20 mile range at 15-20 mph weighs about 30 lbs. The scooters fold flat but are long. A TurboAnt M10 scooter is about 42 x 18 x 16 folded and costs about $450 new. A KingSong 14D EUC is 19 x 17 x 8 and costs about $700 new. The EUCs seem to be better built and should last a long time, but there is a difficult learning curve compared to e-scooters. I think in the long run an EUC would be a better choice, but e-scooters are quicker to use by novices, so a friend could easily use one.

I have a last mile problem I am trying to resolve for when I fly to our family's lake cottage. The airport is 5.2 miles away, 85% paved and 15% gravel/dirt. I think one of the two mentioned would make a good option. If anyone has experience with them I'd like your feedback.

Thanks in advance.
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I have rented a couple of eScooters; in general they do NOT handle anything except smooth pavement very well. The lady giving us a demo on one rental unit opened it up as fast as it would go, hit a rock and flip over the bars. Needless to say, we never opened that model up :D
There is one I have seen with much larger tires, I would guess 10in wheels. It is designed for "off road". I do not recall the brand, but that is what I would look for.

Tim
 
I have no experience with them, but I recently saw the Carbo folding electric bike. A little over 29lbs seems perfect for flying.

At $2900 they are pricey though.

https://ridecarbo.com/
 
asicer said:
Weight is but one factor, but can it fit through the baggage door?
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That’s been my issue. I got two Ninebot scooters. They’re great to get around town on sidewalks. Probably fine on good gravel. Can haul me up a moderate hill. But the steering post folds too high and the handlebars don’t fold back, so it is too tall/wide to really say it folds flat.
 
My Gocycle folding ebike fits (barely) thru the baggage door of my Tiger. Takes about 3 minutes to unfold it...not super fast but easy to do. It weighs 36 lbs. Much more convenient than carrying it up the wing and putting it in the back seat. Sitting in the baggage area...out of site out of mind. So nice to fly around without it being crammed into the back seat.
Screen Shot 2022-10-30 at 1.14.28 PM.png
 
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mr_happyland said:
My Gocycle folding ebike fits (barely) thru the baggage door of my Tiger. Takes about 3 minutes to unfold it...not super fast but easy to do. It weighs 36 lbs. Much more convenient than carrying it up the wing and putting it in the back seat. Sitting in the baggage area...out of site out of mind. So nice to fly around without it being crammed into the back seat.
View attachment 111878
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Thanks for the pic. Looks like it might take more time wiggling fit in/out of the baggage area than it does to fold/unfold it :)
 
asicer said:
Thanks for the pic. Looks like it might take more time wiggling fit in/out of the baggage area than it does to fold/unfold it :)
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It goes in/out fairly easily (as long as you have folding pedals). but I usually take a little time to wrap the bike in a furniture blanket in the baggage compartment to prevent scratches on either the bike or inside the plane.
 
asicer said:
Post #21, #26 and #27. @schmookeeg to provide make and model.
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Oops! I was unintentionally coy on that one. :D

Current scoots are Minimotors IV pros, found here:

https://minimotorsusa.com/products/speedway-mini-4-pro



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My actual advice to those new to e-scooters, though, is to grab one off of Costco (one of the underpowered Segways or similar) to see if they even like the form factor and the harsh ride of the tiny little wheels. They're not for everyone. You might wanna return it and report back that e-scooters are nonsense and to be hated. :D

...however if you rock the sad little segway around, like the ride fine enough, but wish it had more range and speed and uphill ability -- you'll land on something like mine.

I love mine to pieces. Solving the "last mile/first mile" problem at a weird airport is just done. No more wondering if Bumbleslap, Nebraska has uber drivers running or am I going to need to call Rando McRanderson who put his business card on the FBO corkboard and who can collect me in a windowless Astro Van. Possibly filled with shovels and lye..

I can zip just about anywhere I need to in the airport radius. Add backpack and I can re-provision at the nearest Walmart. I can fold the thing and toss it in the shopping cart while I replenish gatorades and jerky.
 
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I drop in on this site from time to time to see what others are doing. About 1 1/2 years ago, I had an ongoing discussion with another POA’r who bought 2 Jupiter X7s for his Cirrus. While I wanted an E bike also, I opted for 2 full suspension folders from Downtube, which have a very comfortable ride, and which fit my PA28-181, but are pedal powered through its 10 spd. I put each in a bag and tease them through my baggage door to stay in the baggage compartment. Each weighs about 28 lbs which makes the W&B quite doable. I had looked heavily into motorizing them with various options, but have not pulled the trigger. One possibly easy add on could be the purchase of a motorized 20 inch front wheel that could be transported in a separate bag with battery and quickly put on at destination, or so I hope.
 
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Hello to all. I have taken the plunge and purchased an Electric Unicycle or EUC. I purchased a KingSong 14D for about $735. It measures 19 x 17.25 x 8 wide and weighs 30 lbs. It cruises 15-18 mph with a 15-18 mile range on a single charge. The foot pedals are 5 inches wide and fold out for use, making it 18 inches wide for riding. It is supposed to be one of the easier wheels to learn on, so we'll see. It has a carry handle and can be carried like a suitcase, or extended up to a trolley handle (32" tall) so it can be walked beside you like a dog. They also make the14S, which is almost the same machine but with twice the battery for 30-40 mile range, weighs 34 lbs, and costs about $1200 +/-. There are at least four other manufacturers, like Gotway, Begode, Inmotion, and Segway, and there are at least 40 different models of EUCs to choose from.

I am really looking forward to learning to ride it. I figure if you can ride a bike without hands while coasting downhill and standing, then you already have about half the skill set needed to ride an EUC. I've seen videos of people who have taught themselves to ride in just a couple of hours.

I'll keep you posted with my progress.
 
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As I stated, I bought a Jupiter X5 at Oshkosh this summer.

second time I've had to contact them about a bad battery. We will see if they even respond this time.
 
asicer said:
Here's another way to do the conversion:
https://onemotor.co
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Saw some guys with what looked like line trimmer engines that they powered with avgas a few years ago. The motors sat on a platform over the rear wheel and had a friction drive wheel that engaged the back tire. Pretty slick and also interesting to have lawn equipment powered bikes. Not great for neighbors though.
 
William Pete Hodges said:
Hello to all. I have taken the plunge and purchased an Electric Unicycle or EUC. I purchased a KingSong 14D for about $735. It measures 32 x 17.25 x 8 wide and weighs 30 lbs. It cruises 15-18 mph with a 15-18 mile range on a single charge. The foot pedals are 5 inches wide and fold out for use, making it 18 inches wide for riding. It is supposed to be one of the easier wheels to learn on, so we'll see. It has a carry handle and can be carried like a suitcase, or extended up to a trolley handle so it can be walked beside you like a dog. They also make the14S, which is almost the same machine but with twice the battery for 30-40 mile range, weighs 34 lbs, and costs about $1200 +/-. There are at least four other manufacturers, like Gotway, Begode, Inmotion, and Segway, and there are at least 40 different models of EUCs to choose from.

I'll keep you posted with my progress.
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This is the best EUC review I have seen so far. The reviewer not only explains what an EUC is but shows you what he likes about this EUC in particular. If you've never seen one, this video is a treat!

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...o7QBegQIDRAF&usg=AOvVaw2rjr24D41qUHxBPSV9lCIk
 
William Pete Hodges said:
Hello to all. I have taken the plunge and purchased an Electric Unicycle or EUC. I purchased a KingSong 14D for about $735. It measures 32 x 17.25 x 8 wide and weighs 30 lbs. It cruises 15-18 mph with a 15-18 mile range on a single charge. The foot pedals are 5 inches wide and fold out for use, making it 18 inches wide for riding. It is supposed to be one of the easier wheels to learn on, so we'll see. It has a carry handle and can be carried like a suitcase, or extended up to a trolley handle so it can be walked beside you like a dog. They also make the14S, which is almost the same machine but with twice the battery for 30-40 mile range, weighs 34 lbs, and costs about $1200 +/-. There are at least four other manufacturers, like Gotway, Begode, Inmotion, and Segway, and there are at least 40 different models of EUCs to choose from.

I am really looking forward to learning to ride it. I figure if you can ride a bike without hands while coasting downhill and standing, then you already have about half the skill set needed to ride an EUC. I've seen videos of people who have taught themselves to ride in just a couple of hours.

I'll keep you posted with my progress.
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If I didn’t have my own bikes already, this EUC also looks good to me. As apposed to a ONE WHEEL that looks to me more way more dangerous, the KingSong 14D seems controllable with less practice. And while my bikes folded measurements are 14X24X35 @28 lbs, two of these EUC’s would fit in my Archer’s baggage area with room to spare.
 
My take as unicycler since age 15, now in his mid-50's. And I mean a real unicycle without gyros and motors and crap.

Riding one of those wheels over age 50 it's just a matter of when not if you end up in the ER. At age 25 in the city with nice even pavement, go for it. At age 50+ out in the country where airports are, no thanks!
 
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Salty said:
My take as a mid-50's unicycler since I was 15. And I mean a real unicycle without gyros and motors and crap.

Riding one of those wheels over 50 it's just a matter of when not if you end up in the ER. At 25 in the city with nice even pavement, go for it. At 50+ out in the country where airports are, no thanks!
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The way you have written this, my inexperienced sensibilities tell that you are correct. However, traveling more than 20 would be my limit if I used one. And really, I took the extra effort to seek out a full suspension folding bike to smooth out those bumps.
 
I'm sorry, I used numbers without units. the 20 and 50 in my last sentence is age, not speed.
 
A EUC is tempting, but they're not that different from onewheels, and it seems just about everybody with one of those gets hurt eventually.
 
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MajorTurbulence said:
William Pete, you’re our Ginny pig.
Ps:use lots of padding please.
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Well... I appreciate the sentiment. Over the last two weeks I have watched a ton of videos about EUCs, especially as it pertains to commuting and learning how to ride. The main thing is to take your time and let the skill develop slowly enough not to get ahead of yourself. I have seen videos where people actually started from scratch and learned to ride in about 90 minutes. I have about four 10-minute sessions and so far I am just riding next to a wall or fence railing. I have come off a few times, but have remained standing each time. One Miracle at a time!
 
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Just a warning to those thinking about a Jupiter bike...Jupiter Bike Electric Bikes | Folding Electric Bikes | Electric Mountain Bikes

I purchased an X5 at Oshkosh and immediately had a battery issue with it. The vendor at OSH swapped the battery for me on the spot.

Get home and ride it occasionally, but never draining it completely or even past 50%

Get ready to take a trip with it to the beach and so I go to the Hangar and charge it overnight. Load it up the next morning and go to the beach where the bike fails at 65% battery life left. Tried multiple times to get it back going and ended up having the pedal it two miles back to the airport (these things are not meant for pedal only)

Get home and contact the seller, crickets.

Call Jupiter Bikes tech support and the first question he asks me is "Tell me how you charged it". Told him I plugged it in the night before and loaded it the next day.....

His response was "You ruined the battery, you can't plug it in overnight"

First, one of the things I do for a living is manufacture batteries...AGM and LiFePo4 for offgrid solar setups in industrial applications. These batteries have my brand on them and I warranty them. I deal with battery failures every day. These lithium batteries are very finicky, but they get around that by inserting a $2 computer module that is called a BMS (battery management system). One of the things it does is to prevent overcharging, ruining the cells. You can add it multiple ways, in the battery pack itself, or in the charging mechanism. Usually, you have it added to the battery pack as it also can control how the battery discharges and keep the battery from getting too hot and too cold. It's literally on all new Lithium battery packs, even cheap ones you buy off Amazon.

I asked the "tech" guy why their system didn't have a BMS, and to direct me on their website or operating instructions where it said you couldn't charge it overnight. He couldn't answer my questions, just told me that I ruined the battery pack and that the conversation was over.

The next day I called and asked for somebody higher up the food chain and talked to a guy that didn't want to hear about the lack of a BMS, but he would fix the issue by sending a new battery pack. I pressed the issue and asked him to email me explicit charging instruction to prevent me from ruining another of their battery packs. He said they were on the website, and as I expected this, I read him verbatim what is says about charging. Nothing about not charging overnight, just a blurb about not leaving it plugged in for extended periods of time (which if they had a BMS, you could leave it plugged in forever). He took my address to send the battery but never did tell me how not to ruin it.

I like the bike, the size and the range when the battery works, and I was prepared to buy another for my wife. Nope. Not going to happen. Once I get the new battery, I'm going to sell this one and start the research for a reputable company that knows the technology and how to install a $2 computer board to keep from overcharging the batteries (and to me, the biggest worry is if they don't have a BMS, this could overheat the pack and cause a fire, as has been seen on the news lately with other models.)

Just a buyer beware, and a few keywords for if anybody in the future decides to research the purchase of an ebike from Jupiter.
 
cowtowner said:
Get ready to take a trip with it to the beach and so I go to the Hangar and charge it overnight. Load it up the next morning and go to the beach where the bike fails at 65% battery life left. Tried multiple times to get it back going and ended up having the pedal it two miles back to the airport (these things are not meant for pedal only)
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That's the problem with a lot of E bikes. They're just too heavy to use without the battery helping you along. It's why I'm adding battery power to my Bromptons. The bromptons fold and unfold quickly but more important, the ride is excellent. It's no problem to ride them with no help from the battery.

Unfortunately, I'm still stuck waiting for my Swytch kit. They're now promising the end of year. They haven't met any dates yet so I'm not hopeful. I may go ahead and just order a Nano kit.
 
David said:
That's the problem with a lot of E bikes. They're just too heavy to use without the battery helping you along. It's why I'm adding battery power to my Bromptons. The bromptons fold and unfold quickly but more important, the ride is excellent. It's no problem to ride them with no help from the battery.

Unfortunately, I'm still stuck waiting for my Swytch kit. They're now promising the end of year. They haven't met any dates yet so I'm not hopeful. I may go ahead and just order a Nano kit.
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I followed the same reasoning. The most important aspect, aside from being able to fit through my baggage door and fold so that 2 bikes could fit in the baggage compartment of my plane, and that both bikes together were light enough to not threaten the W&B envelope, was that the bike must be able to be ridden in a normal manner, assuming battery power was exhausted. I further wanted the most comfortable ride given that smaller wheel sizes are harsher on the body. That led me to a full suspension bike from Downtube.

Regarding E-bike conversion, there are several ways to accomplish that. While the most efficient are mid-drive conversions, they are over-kill for our purposes. But it is a challenge to find economical and safe yet easy add-ons to accomplish that goal.
 
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