VeloMini, photo by David Herron
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Does your commute involve taking a train or bus? Do you want to avoid driving your car to the station and instead ride a bicycle? But maybe taking a normal bicycle adds hassle that then has you abandon the whole idea. That is one of several scenarios the VeloMini bicycle performs very well. The VeloMini is a new folding bicycle that's just entered the U.S. market. It is sturdily built, small, lightweight and easily folds into a very carryable compact unit. Additionally it's electric motor makes it more practical for commuter use.
The small size and light weight suits this bicycle to a range of uses. It can be tossed in the trunk, carried as luggage (verify with airlines before taking it to the airport), taken on board a train or bus, and so on. The folding mechanism is very simple, one simply loosens a knob, break down the seat and steering tubes, and then retighten the knob. While folded down the steering tube becomes a carrying handle, and it also comes with a shoulder strap and carrying case. The VeloMini can easily facilitate a "multi-modal" commute in which you ride the bicycle to the station, carry it on-board, and at the other end ride to your destination.
Riding the VeloMini is very simple, everything works just like a full size bicycle. It is an electric bicycle but that fact is sometimes easy to forget. The control system is what's called "pedal assist" (or pedelec) where it senses that you are pedaling and powers the motor to match. This means you hop on the bike and start pedaling just like any bicycle, but after a few turns of the cranks the motor kicks in with a faint whir, amplifying your speed. If you like there is a throttle enabling one to go even faster. It very easily gave what felt like the rated top speed of 12 miles/hr.
The motor is a relatively modest 180 watts but the bike has power beyond what that rating implies. While just pedaling the motor feels strong and quickly takes you up to full speed, and twisting the throttle adds a fair bit more. It's possible to ride at a comfortable speed just with the motor at full throttle. While the motor feels powerful it is not a speed demon bicycle. While the default mode for the VeloMini is pedal assist you have freedom to choose your riding style between pedal assist, pedal and throttle, or throttle only. The range you achieve of course depends on how much you pedal.
The pedal assist system does great things for hill climbing. The hill climbing test involved pedaling uphill with no throttle, and it repeatedly climbed the test hill without having to stand on the pedals, without having to twist the throttle, with very little extra effort, and with very little loss in speed. This is an impressive performance that surpasses some full size electric bicycles. While the hill climbing test was on a short hill the bike behaved as if it would have kept on climbing up a long hill.
Another test was to keep the throttle at full power for a long distance and see if the motor became hot. This test demonstrates whether the bike can keep up with demanding riding, and at no time did the motor become hot.
A more practical test is to compare travel time riding the bicycle to riding a bus along a similar route. For one route, in San Francisco, the bus takes 30 minutes (or more) and during commute hours is jam-packed. The bicycle ride took 15 minutes, facilitated by the bicycle lane along the Embarcadero. On another test route in Mountain View the bus ride is faster due to the lesser traffic density (suburbs rather than city).
The ride to San Francisco also served as a range test. That day included a mile ride to the train station, a three mile ride in San Francisco, a return three mile ride in San Francisco, and a couple miles upon returning home. The bike was still going strong after that 8 miles or so of riding with only a hint of the battery charge running low, fitting well with the distributor claim of an 8-12 mile range. The charger is very small, easy to carry in a backpack, and one could easily plug in the bike everywhere one goes.
The build quality is excellent and the bike feels very sturdy while riding it. It feels like a bike you could ride for years. The wheels of course are on the small side but it rides like a normal size bicycle. The brakes are a normal V-brake in the front and a drum brake in the rear, and work very well with excellent stopping power. The only negative consideration is the default seat. It is a normal standard seat that may be too small for some people, but by being a standard seat it is easy to get a more comfortable seat at the bicycle shop.
The VeloMini has been on the market for about a month and carries a price tag of $995. A dealer network is being built, check their website for more details.
Specs:
Weight: 31 lbs
Gears: 1 Speed
Folding: 18” high
Motor: 180 watt Brushless Hub Motor
Battery: 24v, 6AH Lithium-ion
Range: 8-12 Miles
Max Weight: 210 lbs
Top Speed: 12 mph
No License, Registration, Required
Charging: Under 3 hrs
Includes: Case, Carry Strap, Charger, Tool Kit, Manual
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Comments
Is the battery in the frame? or is it not shown in the photos?
Yes, the battery and controller are buried in the frame.
Excellent job on the review. I own one, and agree with all of your points. I would like to add one thing about the saddle, though, that for me the comfort is quite acceptable; I also ride a road bike with a racing saddle on my other bikes. I too did a hill test, on some steep ones in Providence, RI New England, and was amazed at the VeloMini's power because I'm just over 200 pounds. I'll let you know when I post the videos.
I guess I'm spoiled with my daily commute of 2 miles each way on my Kona Dew. My locker is only $50 a year, so it's hard for me to justify schlepping a bike along on the train. However, I must say, on those days when I'm running late and can't get my bike into the locker in time, the Sounder Trains here in the Pacific Northwest are quite accommodating to bicycles. Same is true of the various regional bus services and the Link Rail trains.
If I needed a folder, $1K for a folding electric assist bike with Li-ion batteries would be very hard to resist.
Hi,
Would you know who is the manufacturer of VeloMini Folding Electric Bikes please...
Many thanks,
Manoj
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