Brompton electric kit vs standard 26 inch wheeled pedelec?

[Hubear]

Hey guys,

I currently have a 26 inch wheeled pedelec (Woosh Zephyr-B to be exact), and have had a great 2 day experience so far. However, being an extremely small person, it doesn't fit me quite like a glove.

Does anyone have experience with the Brompton electric kit? (I am considering this one maybe: https://www.electricbikesales.co.uk/Sparticle-Electric-Brompton-System)

I really like my current Zephyr because it feels solid and I even sometimes worry about going too fast on the cycle lanes. Would the Brompton electric kit feel the same, or would everything feel more difficult, e.g. slower acceleration, less control, etc?

It looks like I could fit a 36V 14mAH battery on the brompton, and the motor is 250W... so the specs if anything seems to match the Zephyr (except brompton costs more)

Is this wishful thinking that it can be comparable in riding experience?

 

[Deleted member 4366]

When you convert a Brompton, it becomes heavier, which makes it much more difficult to carry and fold. The weight isn't so noticeable when riding it unless you have the battery at the front. The small wheels mean that you can use a small, light hub-motor and still get plenty of power for hill-climbing.

I can't see any mention of a pedal sensor in the Sparticle kit. You'd need to check that with them. It's a big advantage to have at least three levels of pedal assist on an electric bike.

 

[patpatbut]

The best to do is to test ride and have a feel of it. I have been with my ebrompton for 3 years and I find it a lot nippy than my 26 inch electric bike.

 

[Hubear]

The best to do is to test ride and have a feel of it. I have been with my ebrompton for 3 years and I find it a lot nippy than my 26 inch electric bike.

patpatbut - Woah seems like you have very relevant comparisons between the 2! I am definitely going to test ride the Brompton. Thankfully they have a London store around Camden. Would you say you prefer the Brompton over the 26 inch, for mostly flat riding?

Many thanks. Any info helps! =D

 

[patpatbut]

patpatbut - Woah seems like you have very relevant comparisons between the 2! I am definitely going to test ride the Brompton. Thankfully they have a London store around Camden. Would you say you prefer the Brompton over the 26 inch, for mostly flat riding?

Many thanks. Any info helps! =D

Yes I do ride brompton a lot than my 26 as it is a lot easier to get around the traffic. If you do go for a test ride from them, do ask about the PAS option. I was riding it without one before and it was killing my thumb. Small bike does a lot of impact from the road (elc potholes) so having PAS installed would make a huge difference.

 

[Hubear]

Yes I do ride brompton a lot than my 26 as it is a lot easier to get around the traffic. If you do go for a test ride from them, do ask about the PAS option. I was riding it without one before and it was killing my thumb. Small bike does a lot of impact from the road (elc potholes) so having PAS installed would make a huge difference.

If you don't mind me asking, which electric conversion kit are you using? I can't seem to find one where there's a throttle and Pedal Assist System.

Also might want to hold off as I read an article last year about Brompton themselves looking to release a pedal assist bike!

 

[patpatbut]

I did not buy the kit as brompton rim is different from standard 16 inch. I bought the motor, controller, LCD etc from bmsbattery. My signature has the info. Btw, I am sure TETS can do it for you as it is quite easy to install.

I heard about the electric brompton news but it has gone really quite about it for a long time. Not sure if it is still under development.

 

[Hubear]

I talked with TETS (assuming they are electricbikesales.co.uk), and they confirmed that they cannot install the PAS system. Something about couldn't get it to fit after several attempts.

What a shame, I may just stick with the Zephyr until hopefully Brompton releases something.

 

[patpatbut]

I talked with TETS (assuming they are electricbikesales.co.uk), and they confirmed that they cannot install the PAS system. Something about couldn't get it to fit after several attempts.

What a shame, I may just stick with the Zephyr until hopefully Brompton releases something.

Really? I am not sure why they can't. For me it is a 5 minutes job and the PAS fits perfectly to the bottom bracket. That is very strange.