The VeloMini (http://velomini.com/) is a new electric bicycle coming to the US and the distributor has lent me a review copy for a couple days. I'll be doing up some review-like postings here and I'm very curious what questions y'all have for things I should try out. I may be able to get it again next week but at the moment it has to go back on Friday.
Specs:
Weight: 31 lbs
Gears: 1 Speed
Folding: 18” high
Motor: 180 watt Brushless Hub Motor
Battery: 24v, 6AH Lithium-ion
Range: 8-12 Miles
Max Weight: 210 lbs
Top Speed: 12 mph
No License, Registration, Required
Charging: Under 3 hrs
Includes: Case, Carry Strap, Charger, Tool Kit, Manual
Price: $995
This isn't a speed demon - that's not what it's designed for. It's an ultra-light compact foldable bicycle, so it's designed for commuters and others who need compactness. It's very well built.
The max speed quoted seems very believable. I've taken it on one trip, about 4 miles length, on flat ground. With the throttle on full and no pedaling it seemed about 12 mph maybe a bit less after the battery wore down.
The design is a mix of pedelec (pedal assist) and throttle. It uses the "pedal first" approach meaning you have to pedal a couple times before the motor kicks in. With the throttle on zero the bike detects your pedaling and adds some power as you pedal (this is the pedelec or pedal assist mode). You can alternatively twist the throttle for more power. I really like this combination of pedelec and throttle because I currently prefer pedelec anyway because I find manipulating the throttle is enough of a distraction from the bicycling to be, well, a distraction. The pedelec idea just lets you ride. And the VeloMini implementation is pretty good.
An interesting tidbit is that after a long stretch of motor only at full throttle and no pedaling the motor had no hint of heat.
The 140watt power might sound like it's wimpy, but it comes across as pretty torquey. It had better power than the Pedego Umbrella bike (250 watts) they let me ride a bit when I picked up the VeloMini. In the pedelec mode the power adds enough to feel useful but not so much that pedaling seems superfluous. With the throttle at full it does get into that space where pedaling doesn't do anything.
It says max weight 210 lbs but I (ahem) uh (cough) weigh slightly more than that and it handled me fine.
The build is excellent with good looking welds and solid construction.
Quibbles: The seat cannot be raised very high, nor can the handlebars. I'm big enough that the bike as-is is too small. The distributor said they were looking into a better seat option (?? a longer seat tube??).
Folding the bike is a bit of a rigamarole with multiple levers and whatnot to manipulate. But hey making a folding bicycle that's also sturdy can't be easy. Anyway it's pretty straightforward, just several steps involved. It's not like that umbrella bike where there's one thing to flip and it picks right up. But, once folded it's extremely carryable, very lightweight and the steering tube turns into a carrying handle. It also comes with a shoulder strap that you can leave on the bike full time.
Here's the bike, folded up.
Close-up
Partially unfolded
Ready to ride
Rear struts and the Peace Brick
