Review of Argos £285 Folding Bike

[saneagle]

Mine came today. They gave me a 2hr delivery slot yesterday, then I got a 15 minute warning, then a 5 minute one, then they delivered it on time. 10/10 for delivery, like the last one.

There were copious amounts of bubble wrap all over it, which was a pain to untape and remove. Again, one of the boxes holding stuff inside was empty and its contents were loose in the main box, but it was only the tools and other minor stuff. There were three minor issues, all of which were easy for me to solve, but two of which could be a problem for some people. The first was a ding in the front mudguard:



The second was that the rear mudguard was rubbing on the tyre because the stays were adjusted too short. A quick bang on the bend with the heel of my hand on each side fixed it. The third is just a cosmetic issue. The wires are very untidy. I'm sure there's room in the controller box for them. I'll check later some time:

 

[saneagle]

Here's the bike fully assembled. The brakes and gears were adjusted properly. I had to tighten the hamdlebar and seat clamps quite a lot:




The proof of the pudding is in the eating, and if I'm honest, this is not my favourite dish. The first thing I noticed is the ridiculously low gearing. I had to get off to check that it was in top gear. The next issue is the speed control controller. It makes the bike ride a bit like a moped. On level three, you run out of gears to pedal on the flat, so you have to go down to level 2 if you want to do any pedalling yourself. Even on level one, the start up is a bit fierce.. Basically, speed control doesn't work very well on a bike that has small wheels.

The brakes were very poor initially, but they're already getting better as they bed in. I think they'll be acceptable after a bit more use.

I took it to my 14% test hill. I wasn't impressed with the power. I had to go down to first gear and pedal moderately hard to get up the hill. I was expecting more from it, though the battery was only half-charged, so there is a bit more power to come, but on a long ride when the battery goes down, it's going to be worse. Without looking, I'm going to guess that the controller gives no more than 12 amps.

One final point that might be personal to me, and I don't think it would affect smaller people. I kept banging my foot on the right side seat stay as I pedalled. I was able to adjust my foot position to avoid it, but that wasn't a natural position. When I raised the saddle a bit more, it seemed to be better.

As mentioned by Ghost, the bike is very heavy for what it is. You don't notice it when riding, but you do when lifting it over a step or anything like that.

Final conclusion: The £360 27.5" wheeled bike from Argos was brilliant. Everything about it worked well. I'd be happy to have it as my main bike if I had to. This one is not my cup of tea at all. The crappy control system lets it down and something needs to be done about the low gearing. The rest is OK. For £285, I'm not complaining. If somebody just wanted a bike to nip down to Tescos or a few miles commute to work, this would do it, as long as you didn't have any serious hills. Everything is pretty robust and the electric system well-proven, so should give years of service if treated properly.

I'm thinking about swapping the controller for a KT, but no point unless I can sort the gearing out first. It needs a 7 speed shifter and derailleur so that I can fit a 7 speed DNP freewheel as a start. I have the freewheel, but I'll have to dig deep into my junk box to see if I have the other bits.

lastly, the rear light stays on after you switch the bike off. I'm pretty sure that it's because it has a capacitor to hold charge. It lasts for a few minutes after switching off. That would be a bit worrying for some people if they didn't understand what was going on.

 

[Ghost1951]

I agree with all your remarks except that for all the rough edges, it works for me.

As i said elsewhere earlier today, my neice who is 5'8" and 65 kilos, rode it 15 miles uphill and down dale and loved it and after about 800 feet of climbing it still has about five miles left in the battery.

Had i paid the £700 they were charging in May, i would think i had been jipped, but at £245, it is a snip, and if the dragster type controller needs replacing, i will still be in pocket.

Dont know if you saw it saneagle, but riding on a flooded road the other day, i pressed the pedal and got wheelspin, the back end stepped out on a grating and i fell off at about 3 mph. It is a fierce start up for sure.

I will read with interest if you do modify yours.

 

[Peter.Bridge]

.It needs a 7 speed shifter and derailleur so that I can fit a 7 speed DNP freewheel as a start. I have the freewheel, but I'll have to dig deep into my junk box to see if I have the other bits.

I fitted a 7 speed DNP freewheel on my 6 speed folder and just left the 6 speed shifter (iirc you suggested it) and just don't use the largest cog. Needed a bit of messing with washers and stretching and indexing gears to get the wheel centralish. It completely transformed the bike (52/14t -> 52/11t : 27% difference) and it would be the first thing I would do on a folder that had > 11t as the smallest cog - the best "bang for buck" upgrade ever (£25 ?) - even better than hydraulic disc brakes !

I find the 52/24t "1st gear (thats really second gear)" fine with the motor assist

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[saneagle]

I took the bike to the town centre for shopping today. It was OK, but I found the exceptionally low gearing to be annoying. The return journey with about 8kg of shopping is up a relatively steep hill. I was right down to first gear and pedalling hard. I was going so slow that I was in danger of being overtaken by pedestrians. I found this very surprising because small wheeled bikes normally have plenty of torque.

The first issue exposed itself today. On the way back, I noticed rattling from the rear. The mudguard stay screws in the mudguard had come loose and one was on its last thread. It's no problem to re-tighten them.

The £360 27.5" wheeled bike is still going well with no issues at all. I really like that bike,

 

[Ghost1951]

I went around all my nuts and bolts and tightened them after the first few miles. I am up to over 70 miles right now and have had no issues, other than the failed power switch, which I am ignoring since it failed in the 'on ' position.

I did cut and remake the zip ties on the motor cable to get a bit of extra length and make a proper drip loop down at the cable entry point to the motor. Only a quick job and there is plenty of length down on the cable if set up properly, which it wasn't from the factory.

Mine does not climb hills like the BBS01, but although it does slow on hills, it isn't that bad, but I am about 73 kilos and you are a bigger chap than I am, so I think your earlier remark about the controller being about 12 amps might easily explain why it doesn't enjoy towing you up hill. You might also be right when earlier you suggested you might fit a KT controller. That would give you more power and more flexibility about how it comes on.

I have ridden my one up a very steep hill on the cycle track alongside Greenhead Bank and it wasn't delighted, but it did the job, also going up there with my niece riding it, but she is about ten or more kilos lighter than me.

As a friend of mine once said, 'It is what it is'. I'll only add that it cost £245 and £252 delivered.

I would say it is probably an ideal runabout shopping bike for a lighter person or a woman.

Bank out of Greenhead rising up to about 700 feet asl.

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.com

 

[esuark]

ha! I went up that hill (Google Maps) and there was a a horse and cart. What amused me was that not only was the mans face fuzzed out but also the horse`s as well .

 

[saneagle]

I went around all my nuts and bolts and tightened them after the first few miles. I am up to over 70 miles right now and have had no issues, other than the failed power switch, which I am ignoring since it failed in the 'on ' position.

I did cut and remake the zip ties on the motor cable to get a bit of extra length and make a proper drip loop down at the cable entry point to the motor. Only a quick job and there is plenty of length down on the cable if set up properly, which it wasn't from the factory.

Mine does not climb hills like the BBS01, but although it does slow on hills, it isn't that bad, but I am about 73 kilos and you are a bigger chap than I am, so I think your earlier remark about the controller being about 12 amps might easily explain why it doesn't enjoy towing you up hill. You might also be right when earlier you suggested you might fit a KT controller. That would give you more power and more flexibility about how it comes on.

I have ridden my one up a very steep hill on the cycle track alongside Greenhead Bank and it wasn't delighted, but it did the job, also going up there with my niece riding it, but she is about ten or more kilos lighter than me.

As a friend of mine once said, 'It is what it is'. I'll only add that it cost £245 and £252 delivered.

I would say it is probably an ideal runabout shopping bike for a lighter person or a woman.

Bank out of Greenhead rising up to about 700 feet asl.

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.com

30kg is a massive difference, when it comes to climbing. I'd need 41% more power to climb at the same speed as you on the same incline. If you want to see how it is for me, grab a 25kg sack of cement and fix it on your rack, then stick half a dozen house bricks in a rucksack and try your bike up those hills.

 

[Ghost1951]

30kg is a massive difference, when it comes to climbing. I'd need 41% more power to climb at the same speed as you on the same incline. If you want to see how it is for me, grab a 25kg sack of cement and fix it on your rack, then stick half a dozen house bricks in a rucksack and try your bike up those hills.

Ha ha ha - I know! One of my sons is about 110 kg - he might be more. He also put the same point to me when we were walking up a steep hill and I complained about him going slowly.

Funny thing is - I used to carry him on my shoulders!

 

[sjpt]

Funny thing is - I used to carry him on my shoulders!

No - the funny thing would be if you had to carry him on your shoulders now.

 

[guerney]

What's the continuous current discharge rate of the battery? Has anyone inspected the cell markings?

 

[Ghost1951]

The battery case screws are filled with some sort of adhesive, maybe epoxy, or maybe hot glue. I refrained from opening my case to avoid warranty problems. The glue has obviously been used to discourage tampering and removal would void the warranty.

In my view there is no need to do anything to the bike by way of major surgery. You just have to adopt the view, 'It is what it is'. It might not suit everyone. It is an extraordinarily cheap shopper, come runabout, not suited to very big people either in height or in weight. Anyone buying one with a view to taking it on expeditions or mountain biking, or hoping for Brompton levels of quality in materials and construction would be sorely disappointed.

 

[saneagle]

The battery case screws are filled with some sort of adhesive, maybe epoxy, or maybe hot glue. I refrained from opening my case to avoid warranty problems. The glue has obviously been used to discourage tampering and removal would void the warranty.

In my view there is no need to do anything to the bike by way of major surgery. You just have to adopt the view, 'It is what it is'. It might not suit everyone. It is an extraordinarily cheap shopper, come runabout, not suited to very big people either in height or in weight. Anyone buying one with a view to taking it on expeditions or mountain biking, or hoping for Brompton levels of quality in materials and construction would be sorely disappointed.

The controller gives a maximum current of 8 amps!!!!!!!

That's the lowest I've ever seen by a long way. I think most people would find that inadequate. Most cheapo ebikes run with 15 amps max, and a few folding ones go as low as 12 amps because you don't need as much current for climbing on a folding one and too much current makes the start-up fierce on them if you have a speed control controller.

 

[Ghost1951]

Wow - so if the battery is fresh it might get 320 watts to play with, and if it was down at 35 volts - maybe 280 watts.

This must be why I managed to get 23 miles out of an 8Ahr battery, and why it doesn't feel that keen to pull me up steep hills.

 

[Nealh]

The cells used must be junk cheap china cells.
You guys really need to open the battery to see.
If I had bought one I would have done so as I would 100% replace with a Kt controller.

 

[Ghost1951]

The cells used must be junk cheap china cells.
You guys really need to open the battery to see.
If I had bought one I would have done so as I would 100% replace with a Kt controller.

I might be misunderstanding you, but i think it is the controller that is limiting the wattage, rather than the cells.

EDIT:

And from what Saneagle says about the start up shove on small wheeled folders, that may have been in their mind when they limited it so far. It already starts off fiercely. Of course Nealh - as you say, you would have junked the controller and got rid of that problem by having one that was likely programmed to start off more gently, and anyway, can be programmed easily to do so.

 

[Nealh]

Before upgrading controller , it would be nice to know ehat crappy cells are used and their spec however if they are no name china cells then one would be playing a guessing game.

Most on here who poo poo hub bikes do so because they ahve only tried crappy speed controllers very few try out a decent KT system first where one has far more control on power use.
But as we see a lot on the forum many are only interested in max power offering very little rider input.

 

[Ghost1951]

You are assuming these bikes have 'crappy' cells.

I have so far had no indication that they are not perfectly functional cells, though they may not be big name ones. I got easily 23 miles range and the bike was riding properly. I didn't continue the range test, simply because there was no reason to empty the battery. A bike like this is not for long range expeditions. The battery is only 8.5 Ahr, so i would not expect more than I got.

I think i got a total bargain and i like it. Is it perfect? No. What would anyone expect for £245?

You are taking a pretty negative view of a bike that cost about the same as a cheap battery, but which has nonetheless taken me on several hilly jaunts over 15 miles in a perfectly well functioning fashion.

 

[Bonzo Banana]

The controller gives a maximum current of 8 amps!!!!!!!

That's the lowest I've ever seen by a long way. I think most people would find that inadequate. Most cheapo ebikes run with 15 amps max, and a few folding ones go as low as 12 amps because you don't need as much current for climbing on a folding one and too much current makes the start-up fierce on them if you have a speed control controller.

8A with a freshly charged battery of 42V is still over 330 watts and pretty sure the 24V folding bikes with low capacity battery packs like 120Wh or 144Wh are only delivering around maximum 120-160 watts of assistance and only about 15Nm torque for some models. It's a significant upgrade on those. Argos were selling their own very low performance 24V 20" folder at £180 in the same sale as this £245 model and that was single gear too.

Looking at the similar spec btwin bike it provides 100W, 160W and 250W in its 3 operating modes which is basically about 2.7A, 4.5A and 7A output modes. It has a similar capacity battery although slightly less I think as they give a range of capacities it might have which is a bit naff. I think this ebike is about what you would expect with regard performance even comparing well to a Decathlon model that sells for £900 which is over 3x as much. Clearly the Decathlon ebike claims 3 different power levels though but unsure if this Argos ebike actually has 3 different cut off speeds and the same power for each mode like some basic ebikes or maybe the Decathlon simply uses those watt figures as maximum consumption for each of the maximum assistance speeds for each of its 3 modes. So simply consumes 250W at 15.5mph maximum. It was interesting to see Decathlon give wattage figures though as quite rare it seems.

Electric Folding Bike E-Fold 500 - Green BTWIN | Decathlon

With its 20" wheels, steel frame, adjustable stem and seat post, accessories (pannier rack), and battery life up to 50 km, it's the perfect partner…

www.decathlon.co.uk

 

[saneagle]

8A with a freshly charged battery of 42V is still over 330 watts and pretty sure the 24V folding bikes with low capacity battery packs like 120Wh or 144Wh are only delivering around maximum 120-160 watts of assistance and only about 15Nm torque for some models. It's a significant upgrade on those. Argos were selling their own very low performance 24V 20" folder at £180 in the same sale as this £245 model and that was single gear too.

Looking at the similar spec btwin bike it provides 100W, 160W and 250W in its 3 operating modes which is basically about 2.7A, 4.5A and 7A output modes. It has a similar capacity battery although slightly less I think as they give a range of capacities it might have which is a bit naff. I think this ebike is about what you would expect with regard performance even comparing well to a Decathlon model that sells for £900 which is over 3x as much. Clearly the Decathlon ebike claims 3 different power levels though but unsure if this Argos ebike actually has 3 different cut off speeds and the same power for each mode like some basic ebikes or maybe the Decathlon simply uses those watt figures as maximum consumption for each of the maximum assistance speeds for each of its 3 modes. So simply consumes 250W at 15.5mph maximum. It was interesting to see Decathlon give wattage figures though as quite rare it seems.

Electric Folding Bike E-Fold 500 - Green BTWIN | Decathlon

With its 20" wheels, steel frame, adjustable stem and seat post, accessories (pannier rack), and battery life up to 50 km, it's the perfect partner…

www.decathlon.co.uk

View attachment 59513

Don't get confused between engine output and engine input. The Argos bike has 8A input, which is about 200w output under ideal conditions, but when climbing, it would drop to about 144w. Also, I wouldn't trust those figures in that manual. How do they get those figures? They would imply that they use a current control controller, which I doubt they have.

The 24v Decathlon/BTwin folding bikes have 12A controllers, so, even with only 24v, will be the same power as the Argos one.