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Velotric Fold 1 Review | Cheap Junk or Awesome Value?

This affordable folding e-bike largely raises the bar for feel and performance at its price point, though it’s not without flaws.

Velotric Fold 1 Review 2025
The first time I hopped on the Velotric Fold 1, I thought to myself “This seems like a decent folding bike for somewhere around $1,300 or $1,400.” I liked its bright blue paint job and slim-but-reinforced frame. The bike’s ride felt appropriately comfortable, nimble, and controlled.

Then I learned that it was priced at $1199.

It’s funny how perception changes with price; my initial reservations about things like the bike’s cadence sensor and entry-level components turned to appreciation. At this price point, some tradeoffs are expected – but with a reframed perspective, I found little to critique.

The Fold has plenty of expected features like a hinged frame and stem, 20×3” knobby tires, a 7-speed drivetrain, hydraulic brakes, and a front suspension.

But it also has unexpected elements like an uncommonly large 608 Watt-hour (Wh) battery, a 750W rear-hub motor, and a total payload capacity of 440 lbs including both the rider and any passengers or cargo on its 120-lb-rated cargo rack.

Basically, it seemed to be a fantastic deal. But feel and performance are two different factors, which is why the team here at Electric Bike Report has built a reputation on our detailed reviews and standardized performance tests.

The question remained: would the Fold 1 match or exceed the performance of its budget-friendly peers? Or would it fall short in our testing and send Velotric’s engineers back to the drawing board? Continue reading our full review below to find out!

[Read more…] about Velotric Fold 1 Review | Cheap Junk or Awesome Value?

Study Shows 45% of Bike Theft Victims Give Up Cycling

The study indicated that prior cycling behavior gave clues to behavior following a theft; casual riders were less likely to resume riding than enthusiasts.

Study Shows 45% of Bike Theft Victims Give Up Cycling

A new study shows that 45 percent of bike theft victims give up cycling rather than replace their bike. That’s the finding in a study published in the International Journal of Sustainable Transportation.

The purpose of the study was to find out how bike theft affects the cycling behavior of its victims and many of its findings were a surprise. The study focused on North America and surveyed 1,821 victims.

The study found that pre-theft behavior was the greatest predictor of how someone would behave following the theft of their bike. Those who were more avid cyclists were most likely to replace their bike and continue riding, while occasional riders were more likely to give up cycling.

Other findings of the study included how 6 percent of the victims began riding more after suffering their theft. Unfortunately, 40 percent of victims transitioned to unsustainable modes of transportation (i.e., cars with internal combustion engines). Though some people stopped riding, 69 percent of the victims went on to replace their stolen bikes and 49 percent replaced their bike with a new model that was equal to or greater in value to the stolen bike.

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That the study focuses on bike theft in North America makes the results relevant in a way that might not translate had it been conducted in Europe. The finding that the most casual cyclists were most likely to give up riding following the theft of their bike was not surprising, but what was encouraging was just how many people replaced their bikes and kept riding, or even increased their riding.

Security for an e-bike has improved but can still be a challenge. The market is full of different kinds of locks and security devices.

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Lyft Removes Several Thousand E-Bikes From Operation Due To Brakes

A small number of Citi Bike renters complained that the front brake was too powerful; no injuries or malfunctions were reported.

Lyft Removes Several Thousand E-Bikes From Operation Due To Brakes

The popular ride-hailing company Lyft is removing several thousand e-bikes from its Citi Bike service in the cities of New York, San Francisco and Washington, due to a braking problem.

According to the company, they received a small number of reports from riders who experienced stronger-than-expected braking forces at the front wheel. They revealed this to customers in an email sent on Sunday.

Citi Bike is a division of Lyft and the company is working to replace roughly 3,000 e-bikes with traditional bikes in order to prevent service interruptions. They will join the roughly 17,000 bikes already in use in New York, San Francisco and Washington.

Customers may see e-bikes in Citi Bike docks, but they will be unavailable for rental.

“After a small number of reports and out of an abundance of caution, we are proactively pausing our electric bikes from service, Citi Bike spokeswoman Julie Wood said. “Safety always comes first.”

Lyft purchased previous Citi Bike operator Motivate last fall, prior to the company’s IPO in March. The move was meant to keep Lyft competitive following Uber Technologies Inc’s purchase of e-bike sharing startup JUMP Bikes.

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The Citi Bikes use a drum brake in the front hub and it doesn’t seem difficult to foresee that some consumers would be alarmed by power of the brake unless they received some introduction or education about the brake prior to renting one of the Citi Bike e-bikes.

We would be less inclined to wonder if education might help had the issue been poor braking due to a lack of or insufficient maintenance. Complaints that the brakes are too powerful is, as we like to say, a happy problem as it’s always possible to educate riders to use less force when braking. Citi Bike would have a bigger problem if the brakes weren’t working well enough.

Here’s to hoping the e-bikes are back in circulation before summer is over.

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Vvolt Alpha II Review | A Relaxed City Cruiser with Serious Style

A chic, zippy city cruiser with easy operation and a relaxed, ergonomic feel.

Vvolt Alpha II E-Bike Review
The Vvolt Alpha shared much of its visual styling with the brand’s Sirius and Centauri models. Now, with a refreshed design and a more relaxed feel, the second-generation Alpha II is here and proudly standing out from the crowd. We got our hands on this smart, cool-looking city cruiser and put it through its paces; let’s dig in and talk about its features and performance in this Vvolt Alpha II review!

A defining feature of the Alpha II is its ease of use. The bike has a single-speed drivetrain with a Gates Carbon belt: this combination requires no shifting, results in less wear and fewer replacement parts, and is generally cleaner and quieter than a traditional cassette and chain. Our testing revealed some tradeoffs with this setup (e.g. ghost pedaling), but these worked with the bike’s easygoing vibe.

At 45 lbs, the Alpha II is relatively light for an e-bike. This manageable weight paired well with the bike’s curved Dutch-style handlebars and 27.5×2.4” street tires to make for a remarkably nimble and spirited ride.

Throughout our testing, we kept coming back to appreciate the bike’s visuals; the fusion of its integrated headlight with the down tube created a unique and uncommon appeal. At the time of writing, the bike is limited to just two color options, but their two-tone approach adds an extra layer of flair.

Overall, we like what the Alpha II offers, though it has some room for improvement. Swipe up or scroll down to see our full review, where we cover the bike’s results in our standardized tests and find out how it compares to the competition.

[Read more…] about Vvolt Alpha II Review | A Relaxed City Cruiser with Serious Style

E-Bike Tariff Exclusions Set To Expire Soon

Following multiple extensions of an exclusion that protected e-bikes, a 25% tariff will begin to be levied on Chinese-made e-bikes.

E-Bike Tariff Exclusions Set To Expire Soon

Importers of Chinese-made e-bikes will be levied an additional 25 percent tariff on them beginning June 14, 2024. The U.S. Trade Representative’s office announced that exclusions to the Section 301 tariffs will expire, followed by a transition period.

The tariff exclusions had received several extensions. In addition to e-bikes, the exclusions had covered juvenile bikes, carbon fiber frames and hydration packs.

The exclusions end at midnight on June 14. Other exclusions will be extended however. Chinese-made bicycle trailers and some bicycle helmets will be renewed, extending their exclusions to June 1, 2025. An index of the full set of exclusions can be found on the USTR’s site.

PeopleforBikes has said that it continues to advocate for tariff relief and further clarity on USTR rulings. With new tariffs coming for lithium-ion batteries, e-bikes could be subject to two tariffs in the near future, not one.

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We can’t help but wonder if product safety can or will affect these tariffs. With “potted” e-bike batteries starting to hit the market, it seems reasonable that a new exception could be carved out for products that are UL certified, but there is no news on what new efforts might be mounted to avoid trade tariffs on e-bikes.

The bottom line here is simple: For people currently shopping for an e-bike, you’ve got roughly two weeks until many e-bikes go up in price. And for many of us, a 25 percent tariff has the power to render many e-bikes unaffordable.

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UK Trade Changes Could Lower E-Bike Prices By $330

Eliminating the tariff could inject an additional $65 million into the U.K. economy and result in an additional

UK Trade Changes Could Lower E-Bike Prices By $330

In the U.K. the Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) has announced that they intend to eliminate the anti-dumping duties it placed on Chinese e-bikes. Currently, the U.K. levies duties ranging from 18. percent at the low end up to a high of 79.3 percent on Chinese e-bikes.

The duties are meant to address dumping and government-subsidized manufacturing, which the U.K. implemented on January 19, 2024. The TRA will enter a 21-day waiting period to allow other government agencies to argue for or against lifting the duties. If no one argues against it, the duties will be terminated, and the decision will be back-dated to January 19, essentially wiping out the previous decision.

However, a final decision isn’t due until September, months after a new U.K. government is seated. The final decision will be rendered by the Secretary of State at the Department for Business and Trade.
The TRA is a new legislative body, one that was created following the U.K.’s exit from the European Union. It now handles duties that were once handled by the EU Commission.

Estimates suggest that the average e-bike price could be cut by $330 and sales could be boosted to the tune of an additional 31,000 units annually, according to the TRA. Cutting e-bike tariffs on Chinese imports could, the TRA believes, benefit the U.K. economy by as much as $65 million per year. Cutting prices to consumers could result in more people being able to afford safer e-bikes.

In a statement issued by the TRA, its Chief Executive Officer Oiver Griffiths said, “We always assess the impact of a trade remedy measure on the U.K. economy. Our interim conclusion is that the benefits to U.K. bicycle producers from continuing the current measures on e-bikes would be significantly outweighed by harm to the rest of the economy.”

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Our take

It’s hard to see how a trade tariff on e-bikes would have helped bike makers in the U.K. Tariffs typically take a disproportionate bite out of the buying power of lower-income households—the very people who most need affordable products. Eliminating this tariff will help more than consumers; it will also help retailers whose product lines have been made artificially more expensive by the tariffs.

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iGo Core Elite 3DHD Review: A Sleeper Commuter Option?

A useful, feature-rich commuter e-bike designed for a smooth, practical ride.

iGo Core Elite 3DHD Review 2024
In a market dominated by e-bikes equipped with bulky tires and versatile designs, iGo introduces a refreshing focus on dedicated commuting with the Core Elite 3DHD. Despite its somewhat cumbersome name, the bike makes a compelling case as a practical choice in the commuter e-bike category.

It’s equipped with a 500W rear hub motor that powers 28×1.75” Maxxis commuter tires, a front suspension fork, and it includes other essential commuter features like front-to-back fenders, integrated LED lighting, and racks.

After running it through our testing paces testing, the Core Elite 3DHD shined with its smooth handling and well-thought-out amenities that enhance its everyday usability. This testing highlighted several standout characteristics and identified some areas needing a little improvement. Let’s delve into the specifics and outcomes of our evaluation to determine whether the Core Elite 3DHD meets the practical demands and expectations of daily commuters in this detailed review.

*iGO has shared an exclusive discount code with the Electric Bike Report audience. Use code: GOELECTRIC100 at checkout for $100 off your e-bike purchase.

[Read more…] about iGo Core Elite 3DHD Review: A Sleeper Commuter Option?

Swytch Launches the Go; an Uber Cheap E-Bike Convsersion Kit

The Swytch is a new e-bike conversion kit that uses a front-wheel hub motor and straps a moderately sized battery to the top tube or mounts on the handlebar.

Swytch Launches the Go; an Uber-Cheap E-Bike Conversion Kit

E-bike conversion kits have been around for a while, but because the challenge to install them can be considerable, they haven’t enjoyed widespread acceptance. Most people have found that it’s easier to simply buy an e-bike new. Some folks, however, need to keep their budget snug as an overtightened belt. That’s where Swytch’s latest innovative kit, the Go, comes in.

The Swytch Go is a new e-bike conversion kit that aims to make conversions both easy and affordable. The design is so innovative it won a Red Dot Award. Their approach simplifies matters to a great degree. Rather than replacing the rear wheel, the Swytch Kit goes with a 250W front hub motor, so only the front wheel is replaced.

The kit comes with the front wheel with brushless, geared hub motor, battery, charger, pedal sensor and LED display/controller. Buyers can choose between several different batteries, depending on how clean you want the installation to look and how much range you want.

go hybrid bike

The Swytch Go comes with all of the above and a battery that straps to the top tube and seat tube. The battery comes in three different capacities: 187Wh, which Swytch says should offer 15-20 mi. of range; 280Wh, which should offer 30-40 mi. and 378Wh, which should give riders 45-60 mi. per charge.

Swytch also offers the Swytch Air, which comes with all the same components, but instead of a battery pack that straps to the frame, it comes with a smaller battery that mounts to the handlebar and comes in either 98Wh (7-10 mi.) or 180Wh (15-20 mi.).

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The Swytch Go and Swytch Air are refreshing approaches to retrofitting a bike with a motor. What typically sours people on such a conversion is the difficulty of running the wires from the controller to the pedal sensor, battery and the motor. The Swytch kits simplify installation by saving the rider from dealing with the rear wheel, but it doesn’t eliminate running leads from the controller to the cadence sensor, battery and motor.

Running the cables to the components won’t be especially difficult. They also simplify installation by including a two-piece cadence sensor so that you don’t have to remove a crank arm to install it. In fact, installing the Swytch Go or Swytch Air requires only a handful of tools.

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McLaren Joins eMTBs With Interesting Claims

The legendary Motorsport giant has introduced four eMTBs, and two are said to be the most powerful trail-legal eMTBs on the market.

McLaren Joins eMTBs With Interesting Claims

Supercar maker McLaren is entering the e-bike business. They have introduced four eMTBs—two full-suspension models and two hardtails—all of which are assisted by a mid-drive motor bearing the McLaren logo on its housing.

McLaren’s big claim is that two of the models, the Extreme 600 and the Sport 600, are the most powerful trail-legal eMTBs on the market. The other two are built with 250W motors. The claim that they are the most powerful trail-legal eMTBs on the market comes with an asterisk (*). Normally, when someone uses an asterisk like that they include an explanation at the bottom of the page, but we can’t find one on the McLaren site.

Without any deeper explanation from McLaren, it appears that the Extreme 600 and Sport 600 feature motors that produce 600W nominally and 161Nm of torque, with power peaking at 852W.

There’s a lot to unpack in this announcement, some of it awesome and some just curious. With no clarification from McLaren, we’re drawing the conclusion that what they mean by trail-legal is that these are all Class 1 eMTBs that max out their assistance at 20 mph and come with no throttle. They offer four PAS levels: Eco, Trail, Sport and Race.

So what does that extra power get you? Let’s compare it to Bosch’s very desirable Performance Line SX motor. The Performance Line SX maxes out at 600W and 55Nm of torque, so the McLaren motor offers 42 percent more power and nearly three times the torque. What that gives you is better acceleration and more raw climbing power. Compared to many other eMTBs, the McLaren Extreme 600 and Sport 600 will allow a rider to soft-pedal through most terrain. You could climb our infamous Hell Hole all day and not break a sweat, maybe.

Some readers are probably wondering why McLaren would choose to enter the e-bike market with high-end eMTBs. This isn’t exactly McLaren’ first rodeo in cycling. They have worked with Specialized to produce special versions of Specialized’s Tarmac and Roubaix road bikes. These bikes featured optimized carbon fiber layups that yielded frames that were lighter, stronger and offered a more lively ride. There’s a special division of McLaren called McLaren Applied that takes the company’s know-how and applies it to other technologies.

There’s another curious statement on McLaren’s page, that their designers spent more than 1000 engineering hours crafting the carbon fiber frame to Class A surface standards. If you’ve never heard of this, that’s okay. It’s an automotive standard—not one used in cycling—that translates to a flawless surface finish. There are no visible surface imperfections of any kind and the whole of the appearance is, to cut to the chase, impeccable.

The four e-bikes also include an integrated carbon fiber bar and stem that incorporates a relatively large display and a 1550 lumen headlight into a single, swooping component. The full-suspension Extreme 600 and Extreme 250 feature a 160mm-travel fork and 145mm-travel rear suspension, while the hardtails are spec’d with a 140mm-travel fork.

The full-suspension Extreme uses a mullet wheel setup with a 29-in. wheel front and a 27.5-in. wheel in the rear; the Sport goes with 29-in. wheels front and rear. All four bikes will be spec’d with high-end SRAM components.

The McLaren eMTBs are priced as we would expect to see high-end eMTBs from big manufacturers. The least expensive of them, the Sport 250, costs a little less than $8000 and they go up from there. Each model comes in three sizes.

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When word got out that the motorsports home of Ayrton Senna, one of the greatest Formula 1 drivers of all time, was going to produce eMTBs, we were a touch giddy. We had already seen the results of their work with Specialized, and they are, after all, McLaren, not Yugo.

That said, we are surprised that McLaren didn’t release the geometries for the two frames. This is the sort of information that a dedicated bike nerd wants to rabbit-hole. There isn’t a single reputable mountain bike or eMTB maker that withholds their geometry.

Their decision to report the eMTBs’ power-to-weight ratios is interesting, but what most of us want to know is how much these e-bikes weigh in pounds or kilograms.

We can’t verify McLaren’s claim that these are the most powerful eMTBs on the market, but their motor does give us some clues. A motor that produces 600W nominally and 161Nm of torque is well within the current abilities of Bafang and it seems more than plausible that McLaren would have worked with a company currently producing e-bike motors to private-label their motor rather than build a factory of their own. One of Bafang’s current offerings comes very close to the McLaren motor’s performance. The Bafang M615 can be ordered as an OE motor by brands and spec’d on their e-bikes, configured to either produce 750W or 1000W, with torque measuring 160Nm; this may well be the basis of McLaren’s motor, though even if it’s not other manufacturers are free to order it.

Also curious is their boasting of spending 1000 hours getting the surface finish perfect. Cool, but that won’t make this eMTB ride any better than the Ibis Oso or Specialized Levo. Tell us something useful, like what sort of suspension design is being used.

That McLaren will offer only three sizes telegraphs that their production level will be modest. Not cutting tooling for either an XS or XL size will leave some riders out, and not many dedicated riders will want to drop more than $10,000 on an eMTB that doesn’t fit perfectly, which brings back the no geometry issue: What is the reach and stack for each size? If you’re 5 feet 10 how do you know whether to order the medium or the large? No one drops this much money on an e-bike and chooses their size solely based on their height.

More surprising still is their decision to integrate the bar, stem, light and display. We’ve seen multiple examples in the past of companies that were new to the bike industry and launched a bike or e-bike with the display integrated in the stem and sooner or later that display breaks, which means that while it is being serviced the owner either goes without their ride or they are forced to purchase other components in order to ride while the display is being serviced. Adding a light means there are additional opportunities for something to break. And for those who care about their fit, integrating the bar and stem means that you can’t change the rotation of the bar, which is a fundamental part of establishing a good fit. And what if the rider wants a bar with some rise? There’s no way to swap this out. Finally, because McLaren isn’t a bike company it seems likely that at some point in the future—be it three years, five years or eight—they are likely to leave the eMTB business, unlike Specialized and Trek. McLaren’s warranty is two years.

These are impressive eMTBs, but we’d like to know a bit more about them.

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Update: House Approves Lithium-Ion Battery Standards Bill; Now Awaits Senate Approval

The House of Representatives passed H.R. 1797 with strong bipartisan support. It grants the CPSC authority to establish new standards for li-ion batteries.

House Approves Lithium-Ion Battery Standards Bill; Now Awaits Senate Approval

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill that sets minimum safety standards for the lithium-ion batteries used in mobility devices such as e-bikes. H.R. 1797, known as Setting Consumer Standards for Lithium-Ion Batteries Act, passed with significant bipartisan support in a vote of 378-34. The bill was introduced in 2023 by New York Rep. Ritchie Torres and was endorsed by New York Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kristen Gillibrand.

The bill now goes to the Senate for approval.

H.R. 1797 would give the Consumer Product Safety Commission the express authority to set a standard for quality in lithium-ion batteries used in e-mobility devices. The standard would cover batteries, as well as chargers, cables, connectors and even charging stations.

“We need coordinated federal leadership to mitigate the threat that unregulated and untested lithium-ion batteries pose to individual consumers and communities across America,” said Matt Moore, PeopleForBikes policy counsel. “The Setting Consumer Standards for Lithium-Ion Batteries Act is a necessary first step towards a safer e-mobility future. We’re proud supporters of the bill and look forward to working with the sponsors in moving it through the Senate, to the president’s desk, and on to the CPSC to implement.”

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Considering the widespread bipartisan support the bill received in the House, smooth passage through the Senate seems possible, and if that happens, a signature by President Biden shouldn’t be a stretch. This is an issue that concerns everyone, whether they ride e-bikes or not.

If passed, the law will place the establishment of the standard in the hands of the CPSC. This puts the proper authority—a scientific body—in control of its administration.

Should the law pass, the combination of it plus the ever-increasing number of manufacturers seeking UL certification for their e-bikes and other e-mobility devices will usher in a new, safer era for e-bikes.

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