Michael Thompson
Looking for a quality city commuter e-bike? Well, the EBKAROCY Folding E-Bike may be a great choice. Sure, it isn’t going to accomplish that typical cycling experience i.e., you probably aren’t going to cycle for miles comfortably on this thing, but if you want something affordable and highly portable, we don’t think you can do much better than this. We can’t wait to tell you more about it in this EBKAROCY Folding E-Bike review.
This review is going to cover everything that you really need to know about the e-bike. This includes the spec, performance, and our overall experience with the bike. We’ve got a lot to cover, so let’s jump in!
Technical Specifications of the EBKAROCY Folding E-Bike
Let’s start by giving you an overview of the technical specifications of the EBKAROCY Folding E-Bike. We’ll take a better look at the performance a little later. For now, we’ll just give you the need-to-know facts.
Motor
- Power Output: 400W
- Type: Rear-Drive
- Maximum Speed: 3 Speed Settings – 15.5mph, 18mph, 22mph
Battery
- Capacity: 15Ah
- Voltage: 48V
- Estimated Range: 32 miles in pure electric mode.
- Charging Time: 4-5 hours.
Frame & Components:
- Frame Material: High-carbon steel
- Suspension Type: Front-only + Shock Absorber Under Seat
- Brakes: Front & Rear Disc Brakes
- Wheels & Tires: 14” Puncture-Resistant Tires
Control System:
- Pedal Assist Options: Only light pedal assist.
- Throttle: Three speeds.
- Display Unit: LCD Screen Displays Speed, Current Speed Mode, and Battery Level.
- Additional Features: Integrated Headlight, USB Charging Port
Performance Assessment
Now you have the specs for the EBKAROCY Folding E-Bike, it’s time for us to look at the performance assessment. We’ve ridden this e-bike a lot so we are confident that we can give you a decent overview of what you can expect from this folding e-bike.
Ride Quality
Right off the bat, you need to realize that this is not your typical bike. You aren’t going to be going on long bike rides with it, nor are you going to be cycling off-road. In fact, if you even so much as tried to cycle off-road with the EBKAROCY Folding E-Bike, it probably wouldn’t end well. It has barely any suspension, so you’ll feel all those bumps along the way. Even with the comfortable seating, you would end up with some serious pain in the rear end.
This e-bike has been built for one job and one job only – for the commute into work or school. If most of your cycling areas are flat, paved surfaces then you are going to have a pleasurable ride on this bike. It can even handle a bit of an incline (although, probably not incredibly steep streets). In fact, it isn’t even the best commuter bike in the world. This is the best commuter e-bike if you want something affordable and foldable. So – if you need to hop on public transport at some point (or have limited space at home or at work).
One area that we do think the EBKAROCY deserves a bit of praise is on the shock absorbers. While it isn’t a full suspension system, they do an excellent job of absorbing the shocks that you may get from going over a pothole, or perhaps a poorly maintained piece of road.
Do bear in mind that this is mostly an electric bike i.e., it doesn’t expect you to pedal at all. So, the whole ride feel is a bit different. The bike is moving you, and you’re just along for the journey. So, once again, don’t expect it to feel like a real bike. While you can pedal (if you want), it is hardly going to be the greatest exercise in the world unless you switch off the electrics and if you are doing that, we don’t really see any point in you owning an electric bike.
Power and Speed
There is a 400W motor powering this thing, which is tiny compared to most other e-bikes (most e-bikes are around the 1000W mark). Although, since this isn’t going to need to take you off-road or up steep hills, it doesn’t need a huge amount of power. It has just enough to drive the bike, and up to 350lbs of weight, at a reasonable speed.
There are three-speed settings on this e-bike: 15.5mph, 18mph, and 22mph. Although, you may struggle to hit these speeds if the bike is carrying a slightly heavier weight, or if you are traveling up an incline. However, along flats, this bike zips along at a decent speed. This is surprising considering how small the motor is. The team at EBKAROCY has designed a bike that uses the engine power efficiently.
We do want to point out that while this bike claims to have pedal assist, it doesn’t have pedal assist in the traditional sense. Pedaling is just a way to engage the motor, the same as the throttle on the handlebars. Once you hit 10mph, pedaling doesn’t work. It won’t make you go faster. The only way to use this as a pedal bike (i.e., for exercise) is to switch off the electrics altogether.
Battery Life and Range
The range of this electric e-bike is between 20 miles and 32 miles in pure electric mode (which is really the only mode). It certainly isn’t a massive range although, to be honest, this isn’t a bike designed to go huge distances. It is purely to get you into work and back home. In fact, the lower range means that you will probably need to charge the battery while at work. Thankfully, with a 4–5-hour charge time, this isn’t too much of a problem.
Comfort and Ergonomics
This bike does look a little odd, although that is because it needs to fold up. It is surprisingly easy to fold up, despite all the electrical equipment attached to it. It takes mere seconds to fold up, and as it weighs under 50lbs, it isn’t too difficult to carry around either.
Since you won’t really need to put too much effort into riding this bike (since it requires literally no pedaling, unless your battery dies), you want to be sitting as comfortably as possible. Luckily, you will be. The seats have high-density foam at their base. We were surprised at how comfortable it was. It was like riding home in luxury!
Once again – this bike is not for long rides. It would be insanely uncomfortable to ride for long periods of time on this. At the most, you’ll get a few miles on it. You’ll be (mostly) in an upright seating position, and this doesn’t lend itself to a comfortable ride (although, it is fine for the commute).
The final point to note here is that this bike struggles to accommodate anybody over 6’ in height. If you are over that, the seat won’t adjust for you, and the ride will be so much more uncomfortable.
User Experience
This e-bike is designed purely for beginner commuters. It is ideal for anybody that wants to get to and from work, and who doesn’t really care about the exercise factor of a bike, since you won’t be pedaling much on it. In fact, most people will probably never engage the pedals. We rarely did.
While we didn’t take our EBKAROCY Folding E-Bike out on off-road trails (it is clear it wouldn’t last there), we did ride it through the city quite a bit, and we loved how fast it actually ran. It was very easy to steer around too. It could tackle most hills with ease, although some of the steeper ones in our city did require a small amount of extra pedal power from us (and we are talking about a very small amount of extra pedal power), but these hills were very rare.
We can’t really imagine serious cyclists wanting to use this bike often, mostly because you aren’t cycling. We wouldn’t use it often either. However, our morning commute does demand that we get on public transport, and we did love how easy this bike was to take on even the most crowded of buses. We also loved how easy it was to store at home (which was already overflowing with bikes). Pros and Cons.
Let’s give you a quick summary of the pros & cons of the EBKAROCY Folding E-Bike.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Very lightweight
- Folds up in seconds.
- Decent battery life, considering it is a cheap bike.
- Good shock absorbers
- Comfortable seating
Cons
- No true ‘pedal assist’ mode.
- Can only be used for city riding.
- Cannot tackle the steeper hills.
- Uncomfortable to sit on for lengthy periods.
Conclusion
While we have mentioned a few negative things in this EBKAROCY Folding E-Bike review, we do want to point out that this bike isn’t bad at all. It offers decent bang for your buck – it just isn’t for everybody.
If you’re looking for a good electric bike that you can sit on and head to work, then it is fine. It is even better if you want something portable. Just bear in mind that you won’t actually be ‘cycling’ it. The motor will be doing all the work.
If you’re a serious cyclist, this e-bike probably isn’t for you. Don’t get us wrong, it does have its benefits. It just isn’t that ‘fun’ to ride. It is just a practical piece of kit.
Read Also:
EUY F7 Folding Electric Bike Review
Top Best 10 Budget-Friendly Folding E-Bikes
