ENGWE Zip from Fatbikeskopen.nl

The ENGWE Zip is ENGWE’s smallest electric bike: seventeen kilos on 16-inch wheels, with a folding mechanism that is ready in just a few seconds. What sets it apart is the USB-C connection, which lets the bike battery also function as a power bank for your phone. The battery itself is made by LG and is removable. This is a bike designed to be taken with you, not left outside. Here’s what you need to know about it.

Folding and carrying

The Zip folds at the frame and handlebars, after which it is small enough for a car trunk, hallway, or train compartment. Seventeen kilos is light enough to carry up a flight of stairs with both hands without having to stop halfway. That is exactly the difference compared with heavier folding bikes, which you can fold but often leave behind in practice because carrying them is too much hassle. With this one, taking it with you remains a realistic option.

Range and the USB-C function

The LG battery has a capacity of 360 watt-hours, and the stated range is up to 120 kilometers. That is an optimistic figure for this capacity and applies to a lightweight rider using the lowest assistance level. In everyday use, expect forty to sixty kilometers. The USB-C port is convenient: you can charge your phone with it while riding, which is worth more than it sounds on a long day on the road. A full charge takes four to six hours. A battery lasts longer if you do not routinely run it completely flat and charge it indoors in winter. The stated range is always a test figure, so expect somewhat less in practice.

Riding on 16-inch wheels

Small wheels make the bike compact and nimble, but you feel the road surface much more clearly than with larger wheels. The Zip has seat-post suspension, which absorbs the worst impacts before they reach your lower back, but no front suspension. You notice that in your wrists on cobblestone streets. For short trips through the city and the last part of a train journey, it is fine. For daily rides on poor road surfaces, you will want a bike with larger wheels.

Brakes and gears

Hydraulic disc brakes on a seventeen-kilogram bike are almost overengineered, which mainly means you can brake with two fingers and that performance remains the same in the rain. Seven Shimano gears provide enough range to keep pedaling without assistance when the battery runs out. Lights are permanently attached to the front and rear of the bike and run on the main battery, so you don't need to bring separate lights. Hydraulic brakes occasionally need bleeding, but otherwise require little maintenance. The motor uses a torque sensor, so assistance follows your own pedaling force and engages smoothly when you set off.

Who is the ENGWE Zip for?

The 43-centimeter frame is small, and the recommended height in our specifications ranges from approximately 1.20 to 1.45 meters. This indicates that the model is designed for shorter riders. If you're taller, consider a 20-inch folding bike, which will give you a more spacious riding position. The maximum total weight is 120 kilograms. This isn't the bike for heavy luggage or longer daily distances, but it is well suited to compact transportation. Consider where you'll store the bike, as that often matters more than the specifications. For commuting within built-up areas, this equipment is more than adequate.

Ordering from Fatbikeskopen.nl

A compact bike like this feels different from what you might expect, so come and try it before ordering. You can do so at ten showrooms, where you can also fold it and lift it up. For maintenance, you can visit more than 450 locations in the Netherlands. If you order online, the bike will be delivered to your home fully assembled and ready to ride. You can arrange insurance when placing your order. Three years' warranty on the frame and one year on the components and battery.

See also: ENGWE folding bikes | folding bikes | foldable electric bikes | folding bikes for camping