Folding Bike Shootout

 

 

give it an edge on range. Its display is big and mounted right at the stem for easy viewing. There’s plenty of information, even for the geekiest of riders (e.g. those who like to know the current battery voltage, etc.).

WHO IT’S MADE FOR

These folding bikes are all for people who want to ride short to medium distances and want to be able to carry/store the bikes in small spaces. They’re even good for last-mile commuters that want to fold their bikes up when on the train or bus and store the bike in their office at work. Of the three, the Gocycle is aimed at a premium buyer. 

THE RIDE

Gocycle

The Gocycle is much like every other Gocycle we’ve tested. Fit and finish are outstanding, and it rides like a precision instrument. All of the Gocycle models we’ve ridden enjoy handling that is precise and predictable. It gets up to speed quickly and quietly. The suspension travel, while minimal, still makes a big difference. There are some streets here in Los Angeles with ruts and roots pushing up the road all in the same stretch, and the GX rolls over it like it was nothing—smooth as silk.

The E-Joe Epik Carbon when folded.

 

Surprisingly, the GX rides like a true performance vehicle. It has traction control, racing slick-style tires, mag wheels, and some of it is made from semi-exotic materials. It’s also really eye-catching. We had several people walk up to us and ask about it, and many were surprised that it’s electric. 

If you’re riding for longer distances, the Gocycle proved to be the most comfortable of the three to ride. Just remember that it does have the smallest battery. There’s a GXi version that has a daytime running light (required in Europe) and a 375-Wh battery. We likely spent the longest amount of time on the GX, partly because it was so comfortable yet spirited.

Gocycle has the entire human-powered drivetrain enclosed to keep out dirt and moisture.

 

One place where the Gocycle is weak is in locking it up. The only places to put a cable or a U-lock through it are the PitstopWheels, which detach easily, or the rear shock, which isn’t hard to remove. If you frequently ride to places where you need to lock the bike up, this may be an issue, though you can fold it and take it into places with you sometimes.

Aventon

The first ride we did on the Aventon Sinch was at their SoCal office where we hit 20 mph almost immediately. Smaller wheels mean more torque. The high-volume tires made the ride pretty comfortable, even without factoring in the 45mm of travel in the RST fork. While 45mm of travel may not seem like much, in the era of 200mm+ travel mountain bikes, it’s plenty on a small-wheeled commuter/touring bike. 

The Gocycle GX when folded.

 

Because of the 4-inch tires, the bike was…

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