Bike finder: Which lightweight folding e-bike should I buy?

For: Sophie Connor, aged 42, from Cardiff.
Bike needs: A folding e-bike for my commute to work, which is currently: uphill walk, train, flat walk. The walking portions take 40 minutes each way. I love my Gazelle Chamonix C7 but it’s too heavy to carry down the stairs at one of the train stops, and I find it too hard for hills as I have anaemia.
Must have: Electric assist for the uphill parts. Folding, so I can always take it on the train and can store it in my small house. Upright riding position and step-through frame. As light as possible, ideally less than 15kg.
Must not have: Drop handlebar.
Budget: Around £2,000, but can include some Cycle to Work scheme discount.

Richard Peace

The obvious choice is a Brompton Electric. Bromptons are without rival as a quick-folding ‘train and ride’ commuting tool. Brompton’s own Electric C Line Urban (£2,900) features the latest 4-speed derailleur gearing, a punchy front hub motor and a 300Wh battery that removes easily at the click of a button.

It weighs 16.6kg but when you remove the 2.8kg battery (which has a shoulder strap for easy carrying) you have a reasonably portable 13.8kg folded package, measuring around 60×60×30cm. With Cycle to Work savings that may come within your price range.

If that looks too heavy, there is the part-titanium Electric P Line Urban (15.6kg or 12.8kg without the battery) but it costs £3,695. You would have to be a higher-rate taxpayer to bring this anywhere near your price range.

There’s also a plethora of conversion kits. These void Brompton's warranty but I’ve heard of no problems caused by quality kits. The best option is the superbly made Cytronex which adds around 3.2kg – including a 1.5kg, 198Wh removable battery. Ready fitted, it’s £1,330.

Added to a secondhand Superlight XL Brompton (2005-17), it produces a superb, lightweight e-folder (potentially sub-12kg with the battery removed). Alternatively, a new entry-level Brompton A Line costs £950 and weighs 11.5kg (not including the Cytronex), so that’s still pretty close to your budget.

Brompton Electric C Line Urban – 4 Speed £2,900 (£2,291 with Cycle to Work)

Dan Joyce

The Cycle to Work scheme should save you 21% on the price of an e-bike if you’re a basic rate taxpayer. That’s because you won’t pay income tax (20%) or national insurance (8%) on the cost of the bike; it’s deducted from your gross salary.

The reason you won’t save 28% is that you’ll pay an ‘ownership fee’ as well, which will be 7% of the bike’s price – assuming that it cost more than £500 (it will have done), and that your Cycle to Work provider has an ‘own it later’ option (it probably will). You can run the numbers on any e-bike with an online savings calculator.

Without Cycle to Work savings, there are few folding e-bikes that are cheap enough, light enough and good enough to meet your needs. One that ticks most of your boxes is the Eovolt Morning 16in Origins (£1,799). At 16.5kg, it’s just over your weight limit but it folds to a train-friendly 58×75×42cm and is well under budget.

With Cycle to Work savings, however, I think the same as Richard: your best option is to stretch your budget and get a Brompton Electric C Line Urban – 4 Speed. You can’t beat Bromptons for daily train use. Assuming you save 21% via Cycle to Work, that will cost £2,291 rather than £2,900 – which is a bit cheaper than adding a £1,330 Cytronex to a Brompton C Line Urban – 2 Speed (£1,295 or £1,023 via Cycle to Work).