Who runs this site
I'm Brian Crumrine. I live in Carlsbad, California, and I run a small portfolio of affiliate review sites covering products I actually use. Folde Bikes is the one for folding and electric bikes.
I've ridden folding e-bikes daily for years - short hops to the coffee shop, longer coast rides, trips where the bike has to live in a car trunk or a closet. I've owned bikes across the price range, dealt with batteries that faded years three and four, worn out drivetrains, and had enough opinions about hinges and stems to fill a site.
How I pick products
Four things matter more than anything else when I'm evaluating a folding e-bike:
- Motor wattage and torque. Wattage is what the marketing copy loves. Torque (measured in Nm) is what you actually feel on a hill. A 500W motor with 50 Nm will climb better than a 750W motor with 35 Nm. I pay attention to both, and I say when a spec sheet is hiding weak torque behind a big wattage number.
- Battery range (real-world vs spec). Manufacturer range claims assume a light rider, flat ground, lowest assist level, and no wind. Real-world range on most folders is 55 to 70 percent of the quoted number. I share real-world ranges in reviews, not the marketing number.
- Folded dimensions and weight. For a folding bike this is the whole point. A 65-pound folder that folds to 40 inches wide is not a bike you lift onto a train or carry up stairs. I measure folded size, weight, and how fast the fold actually is with pedals down and battery in place.
- Frame quality and rider weight limit. Cheap folders flex at the hinge under hard pedaling, and flex means broken hinges over time. Rider weight limits are often optimistic. I flag bikes where the frame feels under-built for the stated limit and bikes where the hinge has a history of failures.
What I test and what I don't
Some of the bikes covered here I've ridden myself. Others I've evaluated through spec analysis plus aggregated owner reviews (hundreds of them) plus head-to-head comparisons by testers I trust. If a pick is based on research rather than direct riding, I say so in the review.
I'd rather be honest about what I know than invent experiences I didn't have.
What I won't do
- No pay-to-play. Brands don't pay to appear in my guides.
- No commission-rate ranking. If a $999 Lectric beats a $3,500 Tern for most buyers, that's what goes on top of the list, regardless of which one pays a better commission.
- No list padding. If there are four good folders worth buying in a category, you'll see four. Not ten.
- No PR-as-review. I don't republish press releases as editorial coverage, and I don't link to press-kit language dressed up as independent reviews.
Contact
Questions, corrections, or tips on new models - reach out through the contact page. I read every message.