For the past few weeks I’ve been on the hunt for a new folding electric bike with certain features. 1.) It needed to be lightweight – under 50 lbs. 2.) It needed some type of suspension for a more comfortable ride. 3.) It had to have available replacement batteries and not be from a fly-by-night company and 4.) I didn’t want to spend more than $1000. Oh, and 5.) It needed to look good! I think I finally found one that ticks all the boxes.
I was starting to get discouraged in my quest for an affordable folding ebike. It seems like the ones that were more affordable lacked must-have features on my list or were just too heavy to be lifted into the back of my Subaru Forester, at least not without straining my back.
Then I found some folding electric bikes with 16″ wheels from Swagtron, Macwheel, and others and was at first turned off because I thought I’d look massive on such a small bike even though I’m only 5’1″, but after watching videos of much taller people having no issues with the size of the bike I began liking the bike more and more.
If you live in the city and need a lightweight folding bike to carry onto a subway or up several flights of stairs to your apartment smaller folding ebikes make tons of sense without weighing a ton.
I soon realized that many folding ebikes miss the mark at being truly portable. Many come with massive fat tires and weigh up to 70 lbs. Yes, some are really cool to look at and ride but when it comes time to load them into a vehicle you soon wish they were far lighter.
So, I expended my search to include bikes that I may not have even considered before.
What attracted me to these smaller bikes was that I could pick them up easily by myself and toss one in my car. Heck, I could even fit two in the back of my Subaru and with some costing less than $500 I could afford two.
So, I was just about to pull the trigger on the Jupiter Bikes Discovery X5 when I saw that a new Discovery model was coming out at the end of 2020 called the Discovery X7. Instead of 16″ wheels the Discovery X7 features 20″ wheels which are the most common wheel size for folding electric bikes.
Update: I was sent the EB5 instead of the EB7 by mistake, so it looks like I’ll be reviewing the EB5. Now back to your reading. :)
The best part is that the X7 only weighs 48 lbs. It also looks cool with a streamlined design and a unique rear suspension.
Having previously owned a folding bike with a 250 watt motor, I wasn’t at all turned off by the 350 watts equipped on the X7. Yes, bikes with motors this size can be very zippy if you’re of average weight. Plus, I wasn’t looking for a bike to break speed records. I just wanted something to ride comfortably at a leisurely pace. I typically enjoy riding between 12-14 mph even on my fastest electric bikes.
Quick Specs of the Discovery X7 Folding Electric Bike
20″ alloy mag wheels
45″ wheelbase
36 V 7.8 Ah battery
350 Watt rear hub motor
6-Speed
Shimano Tourney derailleur
Front and rear 160mm disc brakes
LCD display
Pedal assist and twist throttle
Rear shock suspension
Integrated front headlight
Front and rear mudguards
Electric horn
Comfortable seat with integrated rear light
Max Speed 18mph
Range of up to 34 miles
Seat height 32″ min – 38″ max
Folded dimensions: 36″ x 17″ x 25″
Unfolded dimensions: 63″ x 23″ x 45″
Standover height: 23.5″
Weight limit: 275 lbs
Bike weight: 48 lbs
Colors available: White and gray
Warranty: 1-year limited
Price: $995
As this is being written you can put down a $295 deposit and pay the balance when the bike is ready to ship. First shipments are advertised to begin in late December 2020. Being that this is December 26th, I’m assuming mine will be shipping soon.
As soon as I get the bike I’ll share my first impressions. I hope it proves to be a reliable and fun bike. The X5 has good reviews, so I’m hoping the X7 follows suit. Check back for a full review!
