Fortis Urban Speeder 20" Folding eBike | $549 (Was $799) + Delivery @ Kogan

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GenghisGun on 06/12/2018 - 10:00 kogan.com (1878 clicks)
Last edited 06/12/2018 - 22:23 by 2 other users

Although I cannot find reviews for this version (the 'eBike' electric version) - the unpowered folding version of the same bike appears to review very well at Kogan, with around 4.3/5 stars from over 200 reviews. Bearing in mind that I have no knowledge of how Kogan makes their reviews appear on their website, whether they are filtered, authenticated or whatever. My general observation though, is that Kogan seems to have a lot of reviews from people who haven't even used the product in earnest yet - meaning they probably wouldn't have reviewed after long-term use for durability and from much usage.

I got $63.39 postage quoted for inner Brisbane suburbia.

I am also a n00b when it comes to bikes, especially powered bikes, with my most vivid experience of them being childhood memories of a guy who had strapped a lawnmower to his mountain bike and terrorised the neighbourhood children in the 90's… so I would appreciate any discussion around what makes these battery ones good or bad, and any links to good quality models available out there.

From the Kogan website:

Make getting to work your favourite part of the day with the help of the electric-assisted Fortis Urban Speeder 20” Foldable eBike.

-36V 8AH Samsung lithium battery
-Foldable frame for easy transport and storage
-Pedal assistance mode
-Rechargeable USB function
-Adjustable handlebar and seat
-20-23km/h maximum speed

Breeze past gridlocked cars and beat the daily parking rat race as you speed to the front of the pack propelled by the electric Fortis Urban Speeder 20” Foldable eBike.

Go further for longer

With a powerful Samsung lithium battery and pedal assist mode, this electric-assisted bike shores up your peddling as needed, making climbing hills or riding long distances less taxing and daunting than the same ride on a standard bicycle.

With a staggering range of up to 40km run time, you could comfortably get to and from work on a single charge (depending on where you live).

Flexible storage & transport

This foldable bike fits unobtrusively beside or under your desk for safekeeping – which means you can forget the daily hunt for a pole or bike rack.

It’s also conveniently-sized to hop on and off public transport. Simply unpack your electric folding bike in seconds and ride to the next alternative station, or straight to work.

Power your fitness goals

Even with an electric motor, this foldable bike will help you smash your fitness goals. Simply pedal manually when you can and switch to the electric pedal assist mode when you’re tired.

It will also make exercising more enjoyable since you won’t have to work through painful cramps, worrying that you won’t get to work on time.

Highlights:

2-3 Hour charging time
30-40km run time, dependant on speed
Brushless motor
100kg max. capacity

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• 

  HelpfulMilk on 06/12/2018 - 10:05

  This bike can get up to 23km/h which sounds pretty good. However, isn't there a law in Melbourne where vehicles like this are banned?

  • 

    GenghisGun on 06/12/2018 - 10:07

    Banned from..? I thought, like the Lime scooter thingo that's going on currently, that would have something to do with whether they can travel on the footpath and/or roadway. Admittedly I am uneducated on this topic

    • 

      HelpfulMilk on 06/12/2018 - 10:11

      +1

      Banned from use on the road like those powered scoots and hoverboard.

      Just checked Vicroads and it seems the motor can't be more than 200 watts and max speed of 25km/h. So as this only hits 23km max I'm assuming it is barely ok but still wouldn't go max speed just in case.

      So guess I was wrong and this is good to use!

      https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/safety-and-road-rules/cyclis…

      • 

        Devil on 06/12/2018 - 12:31

        This is actually considered a Pedaec so is legal.

        For pedal assisted bikes you can run up to 250W and 25km/h assist.

        • 

          ajd4096 on 07/12/2018 - 16:11

          @Devil: It has to be certified as a pedelec.

  • 

    [Deactivated] on 06/12/2018 - 10:12

    Off the top of my head, I think the rule in Victoria is, a 200W maximum for the motor, and it can only be powered under pedal assistance, so yea, this wouldn't be legal. Not sure how clued in the cops would be though ?

    • 

      HelpfulMilk on 06/12/2018 - 10:13

      Yup I was wrong

  • 

    bargaino on 06/12/2018 - 11:31

    -1

    Looking at the pictures, the components appear to be very poor quality.
    Ok for occasional use, but will not last long under the extra strain of a motorised bike. I'd be particularly worried about the brakes.

    There is only one gear, so pedal assist, or riding with a flat battery, is going to be very bad.
    Lack of any detail in specs is a bad sign.

    This bike can get up to 23km/h which sounds pretty good.

    How is that good, unless you are climbing a hill?
    It is very easy to pedal at that speed on a normal folding bike.
    Which is the problem with most "legal power" eBikes, and by design.
    The laws are intended for disabled people who cannot pedal. I hope this will change to make 500W bikes legal, but might need to ban them from footpaths.

    Good if you live somewhere very hilly or hot ? (not Melbourne) Or underpowered for hills?

• 

  seb on 06/12/2018 - 10:15

  +1

  Dimensions Unfolded: 1500 x 1100mm | Folded: 835 x 400 x 690mm

  Height Handlebar: 930-1100mm | Seat: 800-950mm

  Tyres 20" x 1.75

  Weight Bike (including battery): 20.5kg | Bike (without battery): 18.9kg | Battery: 1.6kg

  I'm tempted, but as you say - is it any good?

  • 

    bargaino on 06/12/2018 - 11:33

    A more expensive bike might be 5kg less.
    Not a big deal unless you need to carry it up stairs a lot.

• 

  Johnny L on 06/12/2018 - 10:24

  +4

  Can't say for this one but i bought the non-battery powered one, its clunky, heavy (18kg) and feels flimsy when assembled. the handle bar doesn't lock properly and it slides when applied pressure. then again that only cost $150, so u might want to check

  • 

    GenghisGun on 06/12/2018 - 10:31

    helpful feedback, thanks Johnny

  • 

    bargaino on 06/12/2018 - 11:41

    that only cost $150

    Minus the e-bike kit, you wouldn't pay $150 for this clunker.

    Does your bike have gears?

• 

  peanutbutter123 on 06/12/2018 - 10:25

  -1

  so as a result we shouldn't buy it?

• 

  SteveAndBelle on 06/12/2018 - 11:14

  Hi GenghisGun. Looks OK but from someone who has been through the eBike thing before and have learnt a LOT from it I suppose it's all down to personal preference and what you plan to use it for ie. is there any reason you think you need either the folding or in fact the motorised features of this? I'm also an inner Brisbanite so I may be able to assist with specific requirements.

  • 

    GenghisGun on 06/12/2018 - 11:25

    Hi SteveAndBelle, thanks for the info - I will say I am not looking for a bike of any kind, was mostly just sharing this one because it looked cool, but if a was I would say folding it wouldnt be something I would look for.

    What's your best bang for buck eBike today? Do you have one that you like? What do you like about them in general?
    Cheers!

    • 

      bargaino on 06/12/2018 - 11:42

      What's your best bang for buck eBike today?

      Probably a regular bike plus e-kit, if you want something cheap that is not crap?

    • 

      SteveAndBelle on 06/12/2018 - 11:58

      +2

      Ah OK. I assumed you were looking to buy :)

      My personal eBike experience… moved close to the city a few years ago and decided to build an eBike to commute the very short distance to work, a measly 10km daily round trip but hey I hadn't ridden much in the years previous so thought an eBike would be the way to go. Being a bit of a electronics nerd and good on the tools I decided to build my own so used a decent commuter bike I already had (but never really used) as the donor bike. Got it all up and running and had a great time both building it and riding it. I then streamlined it to keep it as minimalist as possible so converted it to a single-speed, built a custom LiPO battery pack from RC Batteries etc. and boom this was the finished product. I even ended up using a couple of spare solar panels to trickle charge a couple of spare AGM batteries during the week to then charge the eBike at the end of the week… just 'because' :) It worked really well and was super-reliable however just as I had it all working the way I wanted I realised I had slowly been getting fitter & fitter over the 6-9 months I had the eBike, so much so that I found myself knocking the motor power/pedal assist back and back so far that I eventually only used it for the extreme steep hills. One week I decided to challenge myself and leave the motor off completely and just get up the hills under my own power and it was after that week of success I decided I no longer needed an eBike! If I could pedal a stupidly heavy (20-25kg) eBike then I'd have no worries pedalling a standard, lighter bike.

      The rest is history. I ended up dismantling the eBike and began my journey building my own custom 'non-motorised' bikes including single, 2 & 3-speeds in both chain & belt drive. I'm currently running a lovely KVA Stainless framed Single-Speed Belt drive which weighs a cool 7.1kg. I've also built up some lovely bikes for others using classic track frames and they've come out at around the 8-9kg mark. I even just bought a bog standard 'Gotham' 3-Speed from 99-Bikes for $350 for my wife to use as her sacrificial commuter (because her nice bike is far too nice to leave anywhere) and left it bog standard but at just under 12kgs it's no lightweight but is still heaps of fun, very easy to ride and the perfect machine to commute with… and no-one's going to bother stealing it :) Worked out that it'll pay for itself within 50 days based on the return bus trip ticket saving which of course wont take long.

      So yeah, eBikes definitely have their place, especially for those with physical barriers/disabilities or much longer distances to travel but before you or anyone goes down that route and spends more than they need it's good to consider all options first. A $350 bike (or even less) may be all you really need!

      • 

        turbodude on 06/12/2018 - 19:45

        How much did the bike in the link that you built cost (in parts)?

        • 

          SteveAndBelle on 06/12/2018 - 21:10

          @turbodude: Hmm, let me think as it was a while ago now but the basics would've been approx:

          • Fluid Bike (Anaconda) = $350 on sale
          • Bafang Motor Kit = $750 (eBay via China)
          • DIY LiPO Battery = $50 (7x2S RC LiPO packs from HobbyKing on sale)
          • Battery box and other misc parts = $50

          So yeah, about $1200 absolute best-case scenario… but there was a lot of trial & error when building that Battery Pack and to save space and unwanted weight (ironic really) I left all the battery 'smarts' in the charger rig which was a good few hundred bucks by itself as it needed to be able to balance-charge a 14S pack! Could be done a lot simpler these days using Power Tool Battery Packs either 'as is' or torn down as a source of 18650 cells… but that's just technology.

• 

  amanda89 on 06/12/2018 - 11:37

  Is the battery removable? Can take it out to charge?

• 

  Saturday on 06/12/2018 - 11:45

  I am keen in getting a Xiaomi foldable ebike, which is much lighter than this one and may also have a better battery. The problem is to get it delivered here for a reasonable price.

• 

  lawyerz on 06/12/2018 - 13:24

  +1

  That's the cheapest e bike I've seen. I've got a few bikes, one of which is the non-ebike Fortis as well as a normal ebike which cost 3x as much.

  Seems like pretty great value.

  The only thing I'd say is don't trust the range. That's probably on the slowest setting on flat road with the lightest rider they can find. Divide that range in 2, so 20km, which is still pretty good.

  • 

    GenghisGun on 07/12/2018 - 10:49

    Thanks for the info and your experiences with it. Do you find the build of the Fortis bike to be of any decent quality?

    • 

      lawyerz on 07/12/2018 - 11:08

      yeah its actually pretty decent. no complaints for a $100 folding bike. I'd say the e-bike has more components and parts to go wrong though.

• 

  Seven8Nine on 06/12/2018 - 20:38

  Seems like following bike is used plus battery kit..

  Bike itself for $299 at kogans

  https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/www.kogan.com/au/buy/fortis-…

  • 

    GenghisGun on 07/12/2018 - 10:48

    Thanks, I already linked that one in the description. Cheers