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YOUR SHOPPING BASKET |
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Member of the Association of Cycle Traders |
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We have for some time now been of the opinion that what the two wheel market needs is a quality folding Electric Bike that can be used without a licence, Road tax or Insurance on the road. Until it was discontinued we stocked the Dahon Roo EL which sold for over £1,200.00. This was a very good machine but suffered from a few niggling problems at times mainly due to connections. The Sram Sparc system employed on the bike, being an internal 5 speed hub gear and motor combined was probably unnecessarily complicated for it’s own good and at only 16V it was not quite as powerful as many other motors now available, it came complete with a small NiMh battery pack which was very light but had limited capacity. The whole bike however was probably the lightest folding electric bike in the world. On researching the market, and examining what is currently available we have turned away in mild disgust from the majority of folding electric bikes currently on the market, not primarily because of the electric motors or the associated electronic parts, but because they are such extremely poor bicycles with bottom of the range components. Probably a couple of the reasons for this is the type of factories that they are sourced from, and a misguided concern to hit an unecessarily low price point. Realizing that there must be a balance between being a marvellous showpiece of engineering and prohibitively expensive on the one hand, and on the other, deliberately pitching the price down to a level where the quality suffers seriously. We have arrived at producing what we consider to be an ideal combination. This has involved us in choosing appropriate comfortable and respected Dahon models, namely the Ciao P5 which is well suited to the type of rider that invests in an electric bike, it benefits from a very low step-through frame (the design was bike of the year in Holland during 2006) and is suitable for both Ladies and Gents to ride, the Stylish Mu P8 for those of you who also want the lightest option, and for the more serious and discerning the Dahon Impulse 24 which is a complete delight to ride, as it employs the Sram hub/derailleur giving you a huge range of gears. We have also sourced some quiet running intelligent brushless motors, battery units etc. that when fitted in our workshop are both pleasing to the eye and unobtrusive. When pedalling with the motor switched off you would not realize that you are riding an electric bike, since the front wheel hub motor spins so freely. The total price is £879.99 including delivery and carrying bag on the Ciao and £979.99 on the Impulse including delivery and carrying bag. This also includes on both models, lights, mudguards, stand, and special carrier that houses and includes the battery pack, but still leaves room for panniers and top bag. Although there is still much debate over which is the best type of battery to use, (this is evident if you research the information available on the web), with all things considered we still prefer NiMh. The reason for this in ‘laymans speak’ is that the switch-off circuits that have to be present on Li-Ion and Li-Pol batteries in order to protect the cells when the voltage drops below a certain level, can often catch you unawares despite low battery warning lights, and leave you totally without assistance, whereas the NiMH will continue to provide some power at a lower voltage level. |
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The rear carrier also houses the aluminium battery case which is locked in situ. |
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The original LED rear light is mounted centrally to the back of the carrier in the case of the Ciao. The Impulse has two Cateye rear lights mounted one each side |
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The mudguards we fit are wider than the ones originally fitted to the Ciao and have flaps attached, together this provides extra protection in wet conditions. |
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The Impulse does not originally have mudguards or rear carrier in the UK but we fit wide silver guards with flaps which blend in beautifully with the mix of black and aluminium coloured parts that exist already on the bike. |
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Speed controller partial twist grip and switch showing power indicators. Some controllers have a push button switch instead of the rocker |
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Specifications of Electrical parts |
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Specification of Ciao P8 with electric conversion |
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The Dahon Ciao is very easy to fold and takes about 15 seconds only when you are used to it. As can be partly seen above, the handle is first rotated by releasing a quick release lever at the top of the handlebar stem. The handlebar complete is then folded down after releasing a lever and clipped into a bracket mounted to the right-hand side of the frame. The main joint is then released and the frame folds in half and is held by the Magnetix system, the seatpost is lowered and the folded bike stands upright without assistance by resting on the seatpost end stop and the two tyres at the other end. |
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Specification of Impulse P24 with electric conversion |
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The motor responds progressively as the speed controller is twisted around up to the maximum permitted speed of 15 miles per hour. Both brake levers as a safety feature have switches to cut the motor immediately you brake regardless of the speed controller position. The big advantage of these systems is that when on the level you can ride the bike unassisted with the switch turned off and there is no drag from the motor, in fact far less than a hub dynamo that the Ciao’s were originally fitted with. The best policy is to inflate the Schwalbe puncture protected tyres on both models to at least 60 PSI to keep the rolling resistance to a minimum. |
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It is of course possible to ride without pedalling at all, but this will reduce the milage considerably that the battery has to offer. The really great thing about electric bikes for those of you who need some help, is that it takes all the sweat and struggle out of climbing normal hills, and if because of inclines you lack enthusiasm it puts the fun back into cycling. |
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The Electric motor kits are professionally fitted by ourselves in our workshop. The wires into, and the control box itself, also the aluminium battery case are sealed ourselves with silicon cement to prevent ingress of water. The Battery is locked into the carrier and can be removed for charging, or left in situ. if there is a powerpoint suitably positioned. An intelligent charger is supplied with the bike which takes 4 - 6 hours to recharge the battery if it’s exhausted. |
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We can also supply it with this quality Trek expanding rack pack. This not only expands upwards as it has a double zip system, but the side pockets also flap down forming side panniers as shown. This is a padded bag suitable for cameras and is supplied complete with a shoulder strap. |
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The top elastic can be used to secure extra items, such as a helmet or jacket etc. |
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The top of the aluminium carrier hinges up once unlocked to release the battery, it also allows the easy fitting of the top bag, which uses the velcro and buckle system typical of this form of rack bag. |
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The internal separators are velcro attached and can be moved to alter the spacing or removed altogether. |
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We can also supply the bike with the Klick fix Wicker basket system shown on a picture above, this mounts onto a special bracket on the frame headstock, we will fit these brackets for you if you order the bike and basket. The basket is released at the push of a button and can be carried using the integral hinged handle. This is a high quality basket system with a steel band interwoven to provide both strength and a convenient secure method of attachment . |
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The front light supplied with all deals is a quick removable Trek Ion LED light worth £16.99 |
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In order to purchase a Ciao P5 Electric see the 4 options below |
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Price £879.99 including free delivery + free gift of a Ridgeback carrying bag (worth £32.99) |
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Part no. DAHELCIAOP5 |
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