But there are a few important caveats.
For another, youll be even more paranoid about locking them up.
Youll need at least two heavy-duty locks to protect your pricey purchase.
Thats where a folding bike like the$1,999 Oyama CX E8D Series IIcomes in.
But in practice, I hardly noticed the difference in stop and go city traffic.
The bike has eight levels of power and assist and felt positively zippy in its maximum power mode.
Mind you, Im a 270lb rider, so power shouldnt be a concern for most users.
The relatively small, 20 x 2 tires likely help here.
Smaller tires generally mean less inertia, equating to slightly faster acceleration at the expense of less stability.
More important is the bikes 42lb weight.
By comparison, the RadRunner and CCX are 65 pounds.
Like the CCX, the E8D has another trick up its sleeve: a torque sensor.
A torque sensor, on the other hand, adjusts power delivery depending on howhardyoure pedaling.
Combine that with whisper-quiet operation, and you might hardly tell theres a motor at work.
Well, other than the fact youre able to speed up hills like nobodys business.
Its an immensely satisfying ride.
you could, however, set a different maximum speed in the display to meet local ordinances.
Also keep in mind the E8D has no throttle, if thats important to you.
Youll be doing at least some pedaling all the way.
I was pleasantly surprised by how smooth the ride felt on rough city roads despite a lack of suspension.
And the sturdy rear rack meant I didnt worry about loading the bike with panniers full of groceries.
Despite those caveats, the E8D feels like a great bike before we even get to the folding capabilities.
There are some clever touches here too.
My test unit did not, so I just used a bungee instead.
There are several subtle benefits to a folding bike I didnt realize until I started testing them.
When I had a meeting, I could generally bring the bike inside the venue.
If Im visiting a friend, the bikes small enough to bring inside without being obnoxious.
Folding bikes are free and can go basically anywhere you want.
I do have some caveats though.
To sum them up:
Despite a few caveats, the E8D is an impressively versatile package.
The Oyama CX E8D Series II is available fromOyamas websiteor adealerfor $1,999.
