Cyclamatic CX2 Bicycle Electric Foldaway Bike with Lithium-Ion Battery

This is one nice looking piece of kit, lots of really nice touches. No self-assembly required and almost everything worked straight from the box, even the 6 easy-changing gears (thumb-switch upchange and button downchange) seem perfectly set. Both of the neat folding pedals were loose (the unusual 15mm spanner, which also does wheel-nuts, is in the toolkit). The pedal bearings had been left on the loose side and presently one went graunchy inside (workshop fixable).The frame-folding and handle-bar clamps are excellent, self-locking against coming undone on the road. Sophisticated electronics sense pedalling movement and engage "assist" function with a slight whine.Performance is good, several shopping trips and at least 8 miles before the amber light starts to flash and I bother re-charging. I may have run it flat after one trip of 13 miles ... but can't be sure whether I went out fully charged. I peddled the last mile home with no problem. And I'd have no fear of being stranded no matter how far I strayed. After all, if I exhaust the power-plant, I only have to reach a bus-stop or a taxi-rank!Weight-wise this aluminium framed cycle is not bad, 23Kg all up. Without the 3.25Kg battery it'd be in the mid-range of day-to-day cycles (though obviously way bigger and heavier than a Brompton). Lifting in folded condition is not Brompton-easy, but not bad ... except that there is no clip to hold it together, you have to add your own aerolastic, tut-tut. A trucker's loop with a single hook is ideal. I'm strong enough to carry it onto a bus without too much difficulty - even so, the shopping in its panniers would have to sit on the pavement while I lifted it up the steps. A wireless speedo is useful/essential as a fuel gauge.Not long after taking delivery the bolt holding the saddle came loose and the vital charging fuse in the battery lost contact. Presently I heard a tinkling from the back wheel - the spokes had come loose. Not difficult for me to make perfect immediately. Oops, just had to do that again [March 2012]. Nor was it difficult to release the front-wheel, which had tightened itself on its bearings. Oops, just had to do that again [March 2012] and again in July. At 110 miles, the head-stock came loose - the work of a moment with a 12" Crescent wrench and a pipe grip. Many users will choose to have this bike delivered to a local bike-shop, where they should fawn over the mechanic. He's likely to be your best friend in the first days/weeks. Despite telling you this (and despite having still only covered 250 miles!) I'm confident of a long and trouble-free life thereafter.I've had one opportunity to test it on real hills - which it devoured. LPA (light pedal assistance) has me going up some long slopes at more than 15mph - the biggest problem is the relatively low gearing and high pedal speed!My regular hybrid bicycle was more than half the price of this thing, yet the Cyclamatic appears to be both better thought out and better built. The Cyclamatic has better wheels than my Raleigh. Metal mudguards are almost certainly better (if heavier).Almost the biggest downside is security, because the battery is so desirable. The Cyclamatic has lugs that safeguard the wires and cabling - why's it not got lugs and an integral lock? Every Dutch bicycle has one ... but the famous horseshoe lock cannot be retro-fitted, it will not reach round these specially deep wheels .... hmmmm. Doesn't have lugs for a pump either.I hated the prop-stand fitted but I've got used to it. Leaving it down by mistake hasn't proved as dangerous as I expected. I've even come to like it. In Nov 2012 this first Cyclamatic got squashed.Immediately bought another ... they're not properly packaged and this one arrived slightly damaged ... but may be much better built. Only one tightening needed in the first 200 miles, the steering column clamp. And the front brake squealed, so I fitted replacement blocks. And the front wheel spindle has tightened once. Worryingly, SQsports sent me the wrong replacement mudguard, I bashed out the bent one instead. Nor could they provide the rubber buffer that protects the wiring. However, bicycle parts (even for the electronics) are generally interchangeable and common.Oct 2014 - #2 Cyclamatic now has 800 miles and nothing further gone wrong.Feb 2015 - #1 Battery, just over 3 years old, has died. Maybe 3 miles of capacity left. That is pretty disappointing.

This is (I hope) a balanced report of my experiences with the Cyclamatic fold-away. I LOVE this bike, but read-on for more... I bought one of these last year and when it turned up (already built, in a BIG box), I immediately had to swap the pedals for some pedals off my old folding bike because the supplied ones were faulty. Not a big deal. In use, this is an EXCELLENT piece of machinery and has brought interested folks gathering round to "have a go". It puts a smile on everyone's face. After a while, the saddle came out of its clamp. Again, not a big deal. Good job I had another bike I could cannibalise for the bits. After a very short while, there began a clickety-clack from the back wheel. This is loose spokes. Again, not a big deal if you have the correct tool or pop it in a shop for maintenance. This spoke problem has been mentioned by other cyclamatic fold-away owners. I must admit to being over the maximum recommended weight for this bike so I suppose an extra bit of maintenance every now and then comes with the territory. At present, there is also an issue with the pin holding the handlebars upright (where they fold for carrying). Just a gentle tap with a rubber mallet every morning makes this right again. Do NOT attempt to fill the tyres-up at a garage... there's not enough room between the hub, the gears and the spokes to get the filling-nozle connected properly and the tyre will eventually go flat as you panic to get it filled. I got a puncture on the rear wheel (which has all the electrics connected). Tried to fix this myself but couldn't get the tyre (or the wheel) off. A local shop fixed the puncture in-situ without taking the wheel off AND filled the tyres to their recommended 65psi. YES, 65! It went like a rocket after that little bit of maintenance and still is going like a rocket now, 5 months later. It rusts very quickly, so wipe it down with WD40 on the exposed metal bits (mudguard stays etc). All in all, a superb concept, saving me loads in bus fares and taxi fares. No issues with the battery at all (except one of the 2 supplied "ignition" keys has fallen to bits). I love this bike, probably all the more because it has a certain quirkiness to it. Arrive in style - no puffing and panting just for the commute to work and back - why should you have to combine your daily travel with a workout?! Once you've tried an electric bike you'll wonder how you ever got around without one. I even went to a local wedding on it :-)