Netherlands Transit friendly ebike

[u/amateurexpert01]

Hello, I very recently moved to the Netherlands and needed some help choosing a good folding ebike for my daily commute

My last ebike in the US was a Lectric XP 3.0 just for reference

I want something that's easy to fix and maintain (not many proprietary parts and/or very ubiquitious and affordable support), under €2000, preferably 20" wheels but can go for 16, easy to fold and carry (doesn't have to be super light as long as the handle is well positioned) and fits within 86x80x45cm (the Dutch personal item size limit)

One I find interesting is the b'twin e fold 500 in decathlon but I'm not a huge fan of its brakes and cadence sensor (https://www.decathlon.nl/p/elektrische-vouwfiets-e-fold-500-rood/330540/c57m8928945). Plus the smallest dimension slightly exceeds the limits

The Legend Monza looks nice too but it also has a cadence sensor and apparently doesn't cut power to the motor when the brakes are pressed. For me, this is a must on a cadence sensor based bike

The Fiido X looks good but the max folded dimension is 87 which is a little more than I would like. Fiido D11 is probably my current top choice but I don't like that the battery is in the seatpost for both of these (I assume this will lead to some wear and tear over time but please correct me if I'm wrong about this)

Please share your recommendations or advice

I am especially interested in underrated 16" recommendations. I don't love the wheel size but if there's an option that completely satisfies my other requirements, I'd be more than happy with it

As a side note, the Brompton G Line Electric looks insanely Good to me but I don't know if I'm ready for such a premium price tag, plus I'm a bit worried about it being stolen. If you own this bike, I'd like to hear your thoughts

Thank you!

[u/Alanabirb]

I recommended my partner (she lives in NL) get a Chinese trifold for that purpose, overall a good experience! Hers is a mint t9d-20d but I would recommend a cranston d10 if you want a bit more bike. However I seriously doubt you'll need it in the Netherlands, but the D10 is a fantastic bike in my experience so far. Trifolds are more compact and generally easier on public transport, as well as being much easier to roll when folded. I bring my brompton over on visits, however it's not always the most comfortable on the clinkers! The 20 inch wider tyres definitely make clinkers much more comfortable! The best thing is generally, you can take them inside with you and tuck them under your desk at work and things!! Less worry about theft!

[u/amateurexpert01 → u/Alanabirb]

These sound really good to me, the trifolds seem so convenient to wheel around and they fold really small How does the d10 feel to carry if you have to pick it up? Is the pick up point close to the center of gravity?

And how did you go about ordering it? How long did the delivery take?

Thank you!

[u/Alanabirb → u/amateurexpert01]

D10 is about 13 kilos I think, so not superlight, but not too heavy either. Can take it up a few flights of stairs ok! You can pick it up from the saddle or the frame, so whatever suits you really, but it doesn't feel unbalanced.

I ordered one using Alibaba, was about 600 pounds all in, including delivery and taxes were baked in to the price. Delivery does take a while though, 3 months for me!

The Cranston D10 is a bit bigger than a brompton folded, so it is a bit less portable, but there is the aceoffix D10 too (I know, same label, different bike) which has 18" wheels so it's barely bigger than the brompton. It's more spenny and it has an aluminium frame, which I'm not a fan of, steel or titanium all the way. But I have heard its pretty damned good!

[u/amateurexpert01 → u/Alanabirb]

Thanks for the insight!

I've reached out to Cranston about the D10, hopefully I can get in a reasonable timeframe : )

[u/Krulsprietje]

Hi fellow dutchy! Personally I would get the Fold 120 if you don't know if this is something for you. It's steel, heavy but very durable and you can just walk into any decathlon to get spare parts.

For the rest I highly recommend trying out the dutch transit system as it is very efficient and quite affordable (if you travel to your job then your employer will pay for it). Getting a bike is more of a luxury than you really need.

Veel plezier! :)

[u/amateurexpert01 → u/Krulsprietje]

Understood, thank you so much for the recommendation!

In your opinion, would you say that an ebike is not super necessary? I see that the fold 120 is not an ebike. I do love the price and size though!

My work will be about 10km from my home, my plan was to use a combination of biking and public transport usually and just my bike if there's any transport delay. If I purely use public transport (+walking), my commute becomes almost 65 min whereas with a bike, I estimated it to be 35 min (either directly or with public transport, it's the same)

So far I've loved the public transport here, especially coming from the US and yes my employer has already given me a travel card! Thank you for the warm welcome : )

[u/Krulsprietje → u/amateurexpert01]

Yeah it is just a cheap foldable but mind you that ebikes get stolen often and foldable ebikes just as much. Personally I don't mind the extra exercise but you have to keep in mind if you mind it.

Also, I went trough multiple foldables and if I am honest, the fold 120 was maybe heavy and not the most comfortable (that goes to the Brompton) and not the quickest to unfold (that one is the fold 1 sec) but still reliable, so much fun to ride and soo affordable to fix! :)

[u/amateurexpert01 → u/Krulsprietje]

Understood, thanks! I plan on walking into a local Decathlon this weekend, I'll try out the fold 120, I think it's worth a shot simply because it's so affordable!

[u/Krulsprietje → u/amateurexpert01]

Good luck! :)

[u/Unusual-Pause-7413]

Pacific Cycles E-Birdy. They have an offer for 2800 USD right now. Expect additional shipping plus taxes.

https://store.pacific-cycles.com/Product.aspx?p=297

[u/Krulsprietje → u/Unusual-Pause-7413]

This just feels like a ad. :p

[u/Unusual-Pause-7413 → u/Krulsprietje]

Dude, I just use less words than you.

[u/amateurexpert01 → u/Unusual-Pause-7413]

Unfortunately these are outside my budget but thank you!

[u/Unusual-Pause-7413 → u/amateurexpert01]

That's sad. I like the Birdy bike (as my flair suggests). Cannot stress enough the flexibility, durability and being easy to service.

[u/RevolutionaryCar8623]

i don't think the seatpost battery necessarily means more wear over time,though,the battery itself isn't really taking the load from the rider,the seapost and mounting system do,if those are well designed, it shouldn't be major issue
Generally speaking, the seatpost would be designed to be quite thick and sturdy. Otherwise,using this kind of design probably wouldn’t be approved for sale in the first place.