Update 1: I fixed the motor activation issue over here - ua-cam.com/video/VFP2wf3Dcm4/v-deo.html Update 2: Gotta love my typo in the intro title! *electric
I owned a brompton and now I am looking into bikes again... after watching your video I remembered the brompton... I used it everyday to go everywhere...
Bought this one 6 years ago and still going strong (3500+km done). Has been one of the best buys i feel i have done. Bought a back rack and upgraded some of the cheaper/plasticy parts: Pedals, bottom bracket, saddle. Also upgraded my disc brake to a Shimano BR-C6000. Great product.
I have similar issue with the flaky motor after replacing my rear wheel. Apparently there is a sensor on the brake which turn off the motor when the brake shifter is engaged. Try checking if one of the brake shifter is loose, if so you might want to adjust the brake cable to tighten it. There is a thumb screw near the brake shifter to adjust it. Your review is spot on about the mud guard, and as for the cargo problem, I installed a front basket which works wonder.
Very good video, thanks for sharing. You made a rally good content with useful info. For mudguards, even if they have it for you, it is absolutely crap because when you fold, the mudguards goes right under it, making it look so ugly.
Do you know if it's possible to turn on/off assist mid-ride or would I have to stop and turn it on? Would be nice to get the exercise in when you can, and use assist for those times when you can't
@JSyntax would it be possible to add a rubber stop to the bottom of the seatpost to create some suspension? (this is how the Brompton's suspension works)
I don't think it was meant as a shopping bike really. I had like one point attachment cargo rack which I fixed around seat tube. It also allowed rear suspension to work. That was ideal for bag, tent or other things. Have you fixed that electric motor ?
Kinda, it works but it requires a lot of fiddling around. You need to sometimes power toggle the bike and press hard on the peddles for it to accelerate.
Yes, the Brompton is more expensive, but you nailed it with your comment about the fold. The Brompton is the most compact and easily folded bike that I'm aware of. And it's still a reasonable compromise. It comes in an electric version and is probably sold by a local dealer. While not a cargo bike, the front bag is super convenient. Consider raising your seat high enough so your legs almost fully extend. Non-cyclist reviewers (which means most ebike reviews) almost always have the seat too low. This saves knees and is more efficient. Return or sell the Xiomi. They make great robot vacuums, but apparently, not such good robot bikes.
Right now there is a promotion in Belgium for 500 euros for this bike which is almost half of what most e bikes cost. Would you buy that at this price? Equivalent to 500 USD in the States given the usual prices in Europe are more expensive than just current conversion?
6:13 it doesn't run the motor if it thinks you don't need help. that's what the torque sensor is for. if you pedal and have no resistance at all. it won't help you. the motor won't go. in only run the motor if you pedal with resistance. this is the reason that bike can run 45km. it's just tooooooooo power savy. if there is something wrong with it.. try loosen the nuts on the sensors or tighten it. it can help. 7:25 lol we have the same saddle. I also hate the original that came with it.
All of this is exactly why it's taken me so long to find a small, foldable ebike - the latest I'm debating is a Qualisports Nemo (with belt drive) It seems like a compromise between the flaky/not compact Xiaomi and the super compact/very expensive Brompton, but still waiting on some answers from Qualisports before making a final decision
i just looked another review and the guy had the same problem with the bike that stops working or something of the kind... i think it's not an unit problem but really a model problem! BTW, do e-scooters and e-bikes also get stolen with a good padlock or even 2 different padlocks?
Dirty chain is really a mess. But waxing should solve this problem. I bought "squirt" lubrication (120 ml for 1200 RUR) and it worse it. In other parts I tottaly disagree. Brompton is a bit lighter but it costs like 5 or even 10 qicycles. It doesn't worse it. Living in 26,2 square meters apartment is really necessary to have a folding bike. And qicycle is way more foldable than my previous bikes.
@@nolanr1400 very funny. It's like a huge studio apartment in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Most of them are 18-21 meters. You probably messed up something, do you understand what "square metre" means? If you have bathroom of that size you probably live in very big palace. Common size of bathroom - 2-6 square meters. Mine is 4.
@@protiv_bio Yes I understand what it means, we use the metric system over here. For some reason I thought that apartments were large in poor countries because real estate is cheap... I must be wrong. Most studios in Paris are the same size around twenty square meters and worth ten thousand dollars per square meter. No I'm not living in a palace hahaha. My house is thirty kilometers far away from Paris, two hundred square meters on a three thousand sq meter land, around only one million dollars worth so definitely not a palace hahaha . But we've allocated a former room to the bathroom, I'm not saying it's the standard size.
I got this bike and I haven’t experienced the motor issue yet. Must be a defective unit. The criticism about folding it is valid, I only use it to transport it in a car of to stow it away at home. Other than that though I can recommend this bike. There are cheaper e-bikes out there, but most don’t have a torque sensor. They have cadence sensors, which makes for a much less pleasant riding experience. Locking the bike is my main annoyance with it. There aren’t any holes in the frame. But since Halfords offers good warranty afaik, I’d totally recommend this bike if you’re looking for a good e-bike with a torque sensor that you’d like to be able to fold occasionally.
This thing is way too small for you man. I didn't know there were thefts in Toronto. I thought it was a safe place way safer than Paris for example. I don't know, I heard that Brompton was overrated... And I'm researching for a folding ebike... Still dont know...
@@JSyntax Yeah, indeed. See my comment auto-removed by UA-cam to learn why. TL;DR: in my case, I was even lucky to be able to rush-order a QiCycle from another edge of my country.
Yes, you could spend thousands of dollars on an eBike ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxUiL0GnyDjP32RJdd660sP8mZk4CRLTCJ and get something much higher quality. However, if you're looking for a basic model to try out eBiking this is a great choice. The assembly is easy as far as bikes go (took about an hour for me to do, I'm not an expert). All tools needed are included. I added the plastic mud guards you see and a more comfortable seat. The other reviews are correct that you're probably going to want a better seat (Giddy Up! Bike Seat is what I got - super comfortable). The battery easily handles a 2-4 hour ride if you add some of your own pedal power. I haven't even gotten it up to top speed yet - it is very fast. Components are not top of the line, but decent for the price and work just fine. It works great on dirt roads and singletrack and pavement although too heavy to do tricks or any serious technical mountain biking. I'm looking forward to using it a lot over the summer. Tons of fun!
been looking for a long time for an exhaustive and literate review of that bike and I finally found it, thank you
Great review! All practical comments and analysis.
Update 1: I fixed the motor activation issue over here - ua-cam.com/video/VFP2wf3Dcm4/v-deo.html
Update 2: Gotta love my typo in the intro title! *electric
Thanks for the in depth review! Was always curious about your thoughts on this thing. Hi Tesla!
I owned a brompton and now I am looking into bikes again... after watching your video I remembered the brompton... I used it everyday to go everywhere...
Bought this one 6 years ago and still going strong (3500+km done). Has been one of the best buys i feel i have done. Bought a back rack and upgraded some of the cheaper/plasticy parts: Pedals, bottom bracket, saddle. Also upgraded my disc brake to a Shimano BR-C6000. Great product.
What rack?
I have similar issue with the flaky motor after replacing my rear wheel. Apparently there is a sensor on the brake which turn off the motor when the brake shifter is engaged. Try checking if one of the brake shifter is loose, if so you might want to adjust the brake cable to tighten it. There is a thumb screw near the brake shifter to adjust it. Your review is spot on about the mud guard, and as for the cargo problem, I installed a front basket which works wonder.
Thank you so much for tip
Thanks for your review. This is a good commute ebike review without a doubt.
yeee!
Great advices! Tks
I don't find this bike uncomfortable. I've rode 30km straight and no issues at all. My butt didn't hurt.
Maybe it's because I'm used to cycling my MTB
Thank you bro thats the video that everyone should watch before buying ebike
Agreed!
Very good video, thanks for sharing. You made a rally good content with useful info.
For mudguards, even if they have it for you, it is absolutely crap because when you fold, the mudguards goes right under it, making it look so ugly.
thank you!
Do you know if it's possible to turn on/off assist mid-ride or would I have to stop and turn it on? Would be nice to get the exercise in when you can, and use assist for those times when you can't
Yes you can!
Your dog is so cute:) appreciate for your review!
Thank you
I have this ebike. Love it. No issues.
price?
@@jamilxt cheap
@JSyntax would it be possible to add a rubber stop to the bottom of the seatpost to create some suspension? (this is how the Brompton's suspension works)
Don't think so. I just bought a think gel seat! Been great and comfy.
Thanks, very informative! :-)
Glad it was helpful!
I don't think it was meant as a shopping bike really. I had like one point attachment cargo rack which I fixed around seat tube. It also allowed rear suspension to work. That was ideal for bag, tent or other things. Have you fixed that electric motor ?
Kinda, it works but it requires a lot of fiddling around. You need to sometimes power toggle the bike and press hard on the peddles for it to accelerate.
thank you very much !
Yes, the Brompton is more expensive, but you nailed it with your comment about the fold. The Brompton is the most compact and easily folded bike that I'm aware of. And it's still a reasonable compromise. It comes in an electric version and is probably sold by a local dealer. While not a cargo bike, the front bag is super convenient. Consider raising your seat high enough so your legs almost fully extend. Non-cyclist reviewers (which means most ebike reviews) almost always have the seat too low. This saves knees and is more efficient. Return or sell the Xiomi. They make great robot vacuums, but apparently, not such good robot bikes.
I'm too tall for the bike. My legs will bend whilst biking
@@JSyntax Brompton can be had with an extra-long seat post. One more reason to consider it.
@@arevee9429 Brompton cost like 5 times more than Xiaomi, at that price I can buy a good electrict scooter like NIU
Lol, strida is the most foldable bike
Can the xiaomi bike ride without paddling, or it just paddle assist. No one seen to talk about this. Xiaomi 1s or s1 model. Pls reply. Tks
Peddle assist only
thank you so much, you saved me from buying this one - finally I bought not electric, but classic Brompton and I am happy with my choice
so jealous!
Right now there is a promotion in Belgium for 500 euros for this bike which is almost half of what most e bikes cost. Would you buy that at this price? Equivalent to 500 USD in the States given the usual prices in Europe are more expensive than just current conversion?
That'd be great a Gr8 price!
I bought it from Fnac .be definitely worth it. A no brainer if you need a folding bike.
Thanks a lot
Brompton Electric is about £3000 so comparing this which is now €465 at FNAC is like comparing a Fiat 500 and a Rolls Royce
True
They still sell it cheapest 999€ in Finland... Our prices are insane.
They still sell it cheapest 799€ in Germany.
I like that you keep stuttering and changing what u wanna say. Its all narrated and not scripted hehehe
I just discovered Ahooga, which makes folding electric bikes, their folding system is similar to Brompton's.
Interesting
Thanks for the review! When folded can you push/ pull the bike as a trolley?
No you can't 😭
6:13 it doesn't run the motor if it thinks you don't need help. that's what the torque sensor is for.
if you pedal and have no resistance at all. it won't help you. the motor won't go. in only run the motor if you pedal with resistance.
this is the reason that bike can run 45km. it's just tooooooooo power savy.
if there is something wrong with it.. try loosen the nuts on the sensors or tighten it. it can help.
7:25 lol we have the same saddle. I also hate the original that came with it.
Super useful, thanks for sharing! Man, I hate that the Brompton electric is so expensive. Might as well buy a car.
but can u fold your car into... nvm, you'd just park it at the grocery store lol
@@JSyntax I do need one to bring with me on my sailboat though, my car won't fit on there. So, thanks for the tip!
All of this is exactly why it's taken me so long to find a small, foldable ebike - the latest I'm debating is a Qualisports Nemo (with belt drive)
It seems like a compromise between the flaky/not compact Xiaomi and the super compact/very expensive Brompton, but still waiting on some answers from Qualisports before making a final decision
I agree I wish there was some Middle Ground so it doesn't cost so expensive buy a Brompton Electric
so almost wonderful beautiful bike i love it
Hello, how bluetooth active? Help me pleas☺️
Not possible on international model sadly.
Would you consider an electric unicycle?
No haha
idk but its just sounds funny comparing a xiaomi to a freakin brompton. get a better comparison at least
i just looked another review and the guy had the same problem with the bike that stops working or something of the kind... i think it's not an unit problem but really a model problem! BTW, do e-scooters and e-bikes also get stolen with a good padlock or even 2 different padlocks?
I never let me bike out of sight. I only use the bike if I can safely store inside
They still sell it cheapest 799€ in Germany.
I will buy one electric bike
Dirty chain is really a mess. But waxing should solve this problem. I bought "squirt" lubrication (120 ml for 1200 RUR) and it worse it. In other parts I tottaly disagree. Brompton is a bit lighter but it costs like 5 or even 10 qicycles. It doesn't worse it. Living in 26,2 square meters apartment is really necessary to have a folding bike. And qicycle is way more foldable than my previous bikes.
26 square meters really ? 😂 😂 😂. You're likely trolling but it cracked me up it's the size of my bathroom hahaha 😂
@@nolanr1400 very funny. It's like a huge studio apartment in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Most of them are 18-21 meters. You probably messed up something, do you understand what "square metre" means? If you have bathroom of that size you probably live in very big palace. Common size of bathroom - 2-6 square meters. Mine is 4.
@@protiv_bio Yes I understand what it means, we use the metric system over here. For some reason I thought that apartments were large in poor countries because real estate is cheap... I must be wrong. Most studios in Paris are the same size around twenty square meters and worth ten thousand dollars per square meter.
No I'm not living in a palace hahaha. My house is thirty kilometers far away from Paris, two hundred square meters on a three thousand sq meter land, around only one million dollars worth so definitely not a palace hahaha . But we've allocated a former room to the bathroom, I'm not saying it's the standard size.
Check the brake switches
It works okay now, I made a comment about it in my skate rack video.
I was about to buy this from Halfords in Liverpool England, purely because it looks cool, and that's it, but now I'm not, so thanks for that🥴
It's still a bike I use daily to take to the skate park
I got this bike and I haven’t experienced the motor issue yet. Must be a defective unit. The criticism about folding it is valid, I only use it to transport it in a car of to stow it away at home. Other than that though I can recommend this bike. There are cheaper e-bikes out there, but most don’t have a torque sensor. They have cadence sensors, which makes for a much less pleasant riding experience.
Locking the bike is my main annoyance with it. There aren’t any holes in the frame. But since Halfords offers good warranty afaik, I’d totally recommend this bike if you’re looking for a good e-bike with a torque sensor that you’d like to be able to fold occasionally.
This Qycycle EF1 not suitable for you, I m 5'3 120 lbs is good for me to drive , i think is good for small people
This is what you compare an e-bike which is a third of a Brompton. It's like comparing a Yugo with a Rolls...
agreed
"Compact enough to fit in a grocery cart"???
I suppose if you are not intending to buy any significant amount of groceries
Thank god for this review! Thanks. Certainly will not buy the Xiaomi.
It's not bad after all
This thing is way too small for you man.
I didn't know there were thefts in Toronto. I thought it was a safe place way safer than Paris for example.
I don't know, I heard that Brompton was overrated... And I'm researching for a folding ebike... Still dont know...
It silly for not having full throttle for ebike.
Agreed. For us lazy
Agreed.
The xiaomi is too small for you
This video was sponsored by Brompton 😅
I can't afford one
Ein Prombton Bike für 3.500 Euro ist besser. Wer hätte das gedacht?
#firstworldproblems
So tru
@@JSyntax Yeah, indeed. See my comment auto-removed by UA-cam to learn why. TL;DR: in my case, I was even lucky to be able to rush-order a QiCycle from another edge of my country.
Garbage bike like garbage scooters
Yes, you could spend thousands of dollars on an eBike ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxUiL0GnyDjP32RJdd660sP8mZk4CRLTCJ and get something much higher quality. However, if you're looking for a basic model to try out eBiking this is a great choice. The assembly is easy as far as bikes go (took about an hour for me to do, I'm not an expert). All tools needed are included. I added the plastic mud guards you see and a more comfortable seat. The other reviews are correct that you're probably going to want a better seat (Giddy Up! Bike Seat is what I got - super comfortable). The battery easily handles a 2-4 hour ride if you add some of your own pedal power. I haven't even gotten it up to top speed yet - it is very fast. Components are not top of the line, but decent for the price and work just fine. It works great on dirt roads and singletrack and pavement although too heavy to do tricks or any serious technical mountain biking. I'm looking forward to using it a lot over the summer. Tons of fun!