Sounds like a great idea, but they definitely need to bring that weight down!

Dear Treehugger,

I think you need a bicycling editor. This is one of the worst bicycles I've seen.
It's nothing more than a really cheap mountain bike, the sort you'd buy at a big box store, with a hub motor slapped in.
It's an important issue, getting people to ride bikes.
A bike like this could put someone off bicycling forever.
If you need a second opinion I would be more than glad to oblige.

Sincerely,
George Krpan

Why on earth someone needs a 60 pound folding motorized full suspension bike motors is beyond me. The second any of those cheap and useless gadgets breaks (and trust me they will) this thing is in the dumpster. Maybe thats why it folds- for easier disposal? seriously, TH needs to ask a few more questions before touting these cheap gimmick products (editor) . Bike buyers, do everyone a favor support the LBS Local Bike Shop get a regular bike that can be easily repaired and enjoy.

I have to agree with the other statements, plus perhaps I am just dumb, but I could not find the pricing very easily. A crappy too heavy e-bike is still a good deal if the price is right for some folks.

Although I am probably going to be getting a kit from Electricrider.com, and retrofitting my already owned crappy big box store bike. Plus when I move on to a better bike, I can just transfer the kit, and give my old bike to my niece. No waste.

Tout: To promote or praise energetically. To solicit customers, votes, or patronage, especially in a brazen way. Hardly. We were merely bringing it to peoples attention. If anything, we alluded to the excessive weight being worthy of consideration.

I checked out Electricrider.com. They sell Crystalyte hub motors. Another dealer, www.evsolutions.net, is enthusiastic about this brand. On the Electricrider site threre are some videos made by one of their customers riding her bike. The bike she installed it on is a cheapo dept. store bike.
Something to consider, the lighter the bike the better the performance and the longer the range.
Also, 700c wheels with the Crystalyte hub motor achieve higher speeds than 26" wheels with the Crystalyte hub motor. The 26" wheels will accelerate and climb hills better, however.
I realize that hub motors are the easiest way to motorize a bike but it is not the ideal way. The ideal way is to power the crank or chain. That way you fully utilize the the gearing of the bike.
The Machine X powers the chain but it is somewhat heavy, 55 lbs., and expensive, $4200.
You can read about it here, http://greenspeed.us/machine-x_zvo-bike.htm.
It's a beautiful piece of machinery, however, I find it's 20" wheels a major faux pas.
The 700c wheel (aka 29" wheel) is the ideal size wheel. Even mountain bikes are acknowledging this with a new genre of mountain bike they call "29ers". Traditionally, mountain bikes have used 26" wheels.
I'll leave you with some things to ponder. A typical cyclist makes one quarter horsepower.
I can easily pedal my road bike at 20 mph for long periods. What if I had a one quarter horsepower electric motor (approx. 200 watts) on my bike? That would give me a total of one half horsepower. That would put me in the superhuman class. What if I had a one half horsepower motor (approx. 400 watts) on my bike?
Lance Armstrong couldn't keep up.

Hey guys I talked to a rep from the company and they were able to give me more info on the lightningcycles bikes. The reason that the folding bikes are on the heavy side is because they are steel and the rest of their bikes are aluminum and quite lighter. They have a good waranty and are solid bikes being steel. They claim 2 can fit in an average size trunk. I wish I could put my 2 Cannondales in my trunk when travelling! Anyway I think they are worth examining in more detail. Jus

I have to disagree with the first two posts because if I had not bought an electric kit for my bike I would not be able to ride at all due to my health as well as the steep inclines in my area. I think the electric bike should be shown as a step in the right direction to helping the environment. Most people have a hard time accepting electric cars so perhaps electric bicycles will be a start to a diferent way of thinking. My kit is a front hub motor with a big battery on a back rack. The Mountain Folder looks like a much better design and the Beach Cruiser is a very nice design as well. They are great for elderly people that beleive bicycling is out of range.

I'm 65, love bike riding, but have arthritis like most people my age. I'm retired, have a good pension and enjoy the outdoors. Last year I bought, what I thought was a good electric bike, from Canadian Tire for $999. It gets me out of the house, and lets me breathe fresh air. But it's heavy, (84#). Well guess what?..I just put my order in for a Lightning Cycle, that I found on the internet. I'm amased at what they are offering, an all aluminum, 26" electric bike with a NiMH battery in the front wheel, not the heavey lead acid that I've got in mine, and the electric motor in the rear wheel hub. Besides the headlight and horn that I've got on mine, it has a tailight, brakelite and turning signals. Besides that, when the battery gets low, peddeling recharges the battery. Best of all it only weighs 54#. That's 30# less than the one I have. I was looking at the Bionic Kit for $1300, but that's just a kit, without the bike. For just $1495, I got it all. Only problem is I have to wait 6-weeks for delivery, cause their stock ran out.

Hey,
I'm having the same issues with lightncycles. I ordered on june 28th 2007 and have yet to receive it. They just wrote on July 5th that they are out of stock on the particular model that I ordered but the new one is an upgrade from the original bike. They further state that I'll be receiving a better bike than the one I ordered but that I'll have to wait until Aug 2007 to get it. Seems rather suspecious in that I'm not the first. So I'm wondering if anyone has ever received the folding mountain bike from Canada lightningCycle co.?
They are selling them on ebay. As a seller they have no feeback yet. Do you? Please respond...Thanks BB

I have the same problem with lighningcycles.ca. I ordered 8 weeks ago and have no response. I believe they are a small organization and have bitten off more than they can chew. They fund the orders from the suppliers with the payment in advance, hence the huge delays.
I will wait another 4 weeks then its off to court i shall go to recover the money

About a year ago I found a website for a Chinese bike manufacturer called Flyingstar Darich. Their website has the same bikes pictured as Lightingcycles. I backed out from importing the bikes because they refused to accept a letter of credit ( safe method of transfering money for a buyer) Since that time Lightningcyles is the only company in north america to claim to have imported these bikes that I was able to find. It is all very strange that these electric bikes arn't showing up somewhere after a year since Flyingstar claims to be able to manufacture 15,000 electric bikes every month several places in thier website