Its fun to ride, versatile, well-built and integrates a powerful motor.
Powerful motor assist
Bright and clear display
Easy step-thru design
UL-certified
IPX7 waterproof.
Heavy
Expensive for a folding ebike.
Here’s why I rate it as potentially one of thebest electric bikeson the market right now.
More details will be available after that date.
As such, the battery is IPX7 waterproof-rated, and the entire bike is IPX6 rated.
Whip out the pressure sprayer to wash off the Fold 1 Plus; its designed to withstand it.
The Fold 1 Plus is also UL2271 and UL2849 certified.
Not all ebikes have these certifications, and Velotric is wise to tout them.
The handlebars are also adjustable, as is the seatpost.
The rear light also indicates when youre braking.
Another cool feature I havent yet seen on competitor bikes is the integration ofApples Find My.
Its the best of both worlds, allowing you to truly tailor how you ride this bike.
Out of the box, the Fold 1 Plus is set up to max out its assist at 20mph.
you could change this setting to a max of 28mph.
Theres also a walk mode, which gives you a low-speed assist when walking the bike.
If you dont want to pedal while riding, theres a trigger-style throttle mounted on the handlebar.
With all that speed, Velotric wisely specs hydraulic disc brakes to slow you down when needed.
The Fold 1 Plus lives up to its name by folding down for storage.
Its a 48V, 13Ah battery with an IPX7 waterproof rating.
Of course, you’re able to always pedal the bike with the motor completely off, too.
I rode the Fold 1 Plus for about eight miles on my first ride.
I mostly used the highest assist setting, with the max assist speed set at 20mph.
Presumably, that would put me at an average range of about 40 miles.
I can envision getting the full 68 miles or close to it using lower assist levels and less throttle.
The 3-inch-wide tires help with that, of course.
In my mind, the front suspension is largely superfluous.
The bike rides wonderfully, even with the assist turned completely off.
Its a fair trade-off.
The motor is very powerful.
Riding up sustained hills was a breeze, too.
The highest assist setting often felt like overkill.
Thats common on cruiser bikes, and less common on more performance-oriented bikes.
Is that good or bad?
Of course, with all that assist power, you probably wont need it anyway.
I mostly kept the bike set to the torque sensor setting.
This is best for folks who want to push the pedals and feel theyre doing some of the work.
If you prefer to exercise, this is the setting you should stick with.
If youre new to riding ebikes, Id go with the cadence sensor position.
I wouldnt mountain bike on this thing, but it would be fine on tame dirt roads.
That makes things a lot easier when hoisting it up into the back of the van.
The Portola doesnt offer the ability to change between the torque and cadence sensor.
Nor does it offer nifty features like the Apple Find My integration.
While both are excellent bikes, the Fold 1 Plus justifies the extra money with those features.
More importantly, its fun to ride and quite comfortable.
It feels stoutly built, and Velotric has done the hard and unglamorous work of getting it UL-certified.
Thats a huge benefit, even if its not something youll feel while riding.
So, amongfolding ebikes, the Fold 1 Plus ranks among the best.
