MiRider's fold-up One is well built and well specified for the money. Is it the right electric bike for you? Find out in our review.
Pros
- Cheaper than some rivals
- Torque-y motor
- UK warranty & support
Cons
- No gears
- Slightly limited range
Our Verdict
- The MiRider one undercuts other folding electric bikes but still offers a great quality ride.
Price When Reviewed
- £1300
MiRider is a relatively new UK-based company which currently sells just one electric bike model, the MiRider One.
This is the second-generation 2020 model which has had a few tweaks and upgrades such as a telescopic seat post and handlebar stem. These make it possible for taller riders to cycle comfortably, but it is also great for shorter people too.
It comes in orange, white or grey, so you can choose how conspicuous you want to be.
The One is designed to be a city bike, folding up small for public transport or popping in your car’s boot. It measures 770x430x680mm when folded, and weighs just under 19kg with all the accessories fitted.
Folding and unfolding takes less than a minute and useful magnets help to hold the wheels together when folded.
In common with quite a few folding electric bikes, the One has a single-speed drive so there are no gears to worry about. And this is absolutely fine so long as there’s battery power available. Once that’s gone, you’ll be able to continue cycling until you encounter an uphill stretch, at which point you’ll no doubt be forced to get off and push since the ratio requires too much effort from your legs.
However, this isn’t aimed at those who want to go touring: it’s for a 5-10 mile commute. MiRider says that you can get up to 30 miles from the 5.2Ah LG battery and that if you really want to you can buy a spare for £200. They weigh only 1.2kg, so you can pop it in a rucksack or even onto the optional rear luggage carrier.
There are five power modes available ranging from almost no assistance up to the motor’s maximum power. Full power is great fun to use, and you’ll likely spend your first few rides honing around in mode 5, surprising a few car drivers at traffic lights with your 0-15.5mph time.
On the right is a throttle, except unlike the (illegal in the UK) bikes you can buy from China, this will bring the bike up to walking pace to assist hill starts, and will then act like the boost button on the VanMoof S3 if you're pedalling and going slower than 15.5mph.
The KT torque simulation sine wave controller, to give it its full name, does a great job at delivering power smoothly despite the cadence sensor rather than the more expensive torque sensor. There’s none of the horrible – and frankly dangerous – surge that you get with some electric bikes. It also fades out nicely when you reach the 15.5mph / 25km/h limit, but the gearing means it’s only really possible to achieve 17-18mph beyond which the cadence becomes silly and your legs won’t be able to keep up.
If you spot a similar-looking bike available from certain Chinese retailers, you may wonder why you shouldn’t just buy a OneBot S6 instead, since it’s cheaper. When I quizzed MiRider about the similarities, the helpful staff explained that the magnesium alloy frame and wheels are sourced from OneBot, but that’s where the component sharing ends.
The One is the first electric bike I’ve ridden which claims to use a canbus system – a method of communication that requires fewer wires. It might be clever, but the MiRider still has plenty of external wiring and cables.
A couple of those are for the mechanical disc brakes, which do a fine job of scrubbing off speed.
There’s no discernible flex in those or the frame, so the One feels nice and sturdy at speed.
Price & Availability
Talking of price, the MiRider One costs £1300. That’s a good price for a folding bike, and you could buy two for the price of one GoCycle GX. It’s also a lot cheaper than the Furo X Max.
The company provides a reassuring two-year warranty, and that’s something you certainly don’t get when you buy a bike from China.
At the time of review, MiRider said pre-orders should ship in September, which isn’t a terribly long wait. Many electric bikes have a lead time of several weeks, as you’ll find out when you try to buy them.
Verdict
The MiRider One is a great-looking electric bike. It folds up small enough to fit into the average hatchback’s boot and not get in everyone’s way if you take it on the train.
Build quality is very good and while I’d prefer it to have a few gears, that’s no issue as long as you can keep your rides to under 30 miles.
The fact it doesn't have any built-in tracker (like the VanMoof S3, say) isn't a major issue either as you're less likely to need to leave it parked outside thanks to the fact it folds up.
Specs
- Motor: 250W
- Max Speed: Assisted Motor Speed: 15.5 mph
- Location of Motor: Rear hub
- LCD Display Showing battery power, speed, mode, odometer
- Frame: OneBot S6 Magnesium alloy
- Weight: approx 18.8Kg With kickstand and mudguards
- Max Person Weight: 120 Kg
- Frame Size: One size fits most: 152-195cm / 5'0-6'4
- Wheel Size: 16in
- Wheels: OneBot S6
- Tyres: 16 x 1.95in with reflective sidewalls
- Seat: Telescopic
- Gears: None
- Brakes: Mechanical Clarks CMD-24
- Lights: Front LED
- Handlebars: Telescopic
- Battery Type: Quick-removable LG lithium ion 5.2Ah, 36V
- Distance: Up top 30 miles (depends on level of assistance)
- Charge Time: 2-3 hours
- Warranty: 2 years
- Dimensions folded: 770*430*680mm
- Dimensions unfolded: 1340*575*1100mm
0 comments:
Post a Comment