MiRiDER One Folding Electric Bike review
Introduction
Hi everybody this is the MyRider One. It's a funky single-speed folding e-bike from a UK-based company. There's a link to our full review popping up now and it's also in the description below.
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| Photo Credit By Google |
Now this is the second MyRider that we've had. We originally reviewed it back in 2020 and the basics of the bike haven't changed. It's a quirky-looking fold-in-half style folder. There's a little 170 watt hour battery in this unusually shaped frame, and that's made from a lightweight magnesium alloy. Now the frame has an elastomer here in the middle and adjustable height handlebars and seat post here to fit a range of rider sizes.
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| Photo Credit By Google |
Now it's had a bit of an overhaul for 2021 in the form of a new lighter motor in the rear wheel that MyRider claims gives better performance. The previous incarnation of this bike had forged wheels, but these now they're a standard spoke design, which will save a bit of weight. And it also gets these narrower Schwabe Road Cruiser tyres in place of the heavier balloon-style ones that featured on the 2020 version.
Is It Really New and Improved?
They say it's newly improved. Is it really new and improved? Well, the first test is popping the bike on the scales now—17.7 kilos against 19 kilos for the previous model. The motor and the wheel change has knocked considerably more than a kilo off the weight. MyRider also claims that the new motor performance has 15 more torque than the old. Now the new motor really is impressively small and claim torque is 40 newton meters, which is pretty respectable for a small hub motor.
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| Photo Credit By Google |
Performance
The bike uses a motion sensor by the crank, which can be a bit of a crude solution, but on this bike the motor kicks in pretty quickly once you start pedaling, cuts out soon after stopping—so much so that these brake levers which cut the power to the motor when you brake don't really seem necessary. The Clarks cable-operated disc brakes, they stop the bike pretty effectively although you need to apply them carefully as they can be pretty grabby on the 16-inch wheels.
MyRider also claims that the new bike is more efficient and during testing we were impressed with its performance on hilly commutes—a 13 kilometer route with 300 meters of climbing that used a little bit more than half the battery. Of course you're going to need to put in a bit more human input on something like this than you would on a larger mid-drive e-bike, but the performance is still pretty impressive, you know. Hit a steep hill and then—and this bike is a pretty lively performer.
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| Photo Credit By Google |
If you want something to tackle the steepest gradients, then of course you should look somewhere other than a single speed folding bike. But this MyRider One means moderately hilly country doesn't pose a problem. The bike still has this trigger throttle, and although it gives a very small amount of assistance as a walk assist, it can be useful for hill starts to give you just enough momentum to start pedaling.
It really comes into its own though when you're in town, because as long as you're turning the pedals, the throttle will engage the motor at full power irrespective of which of the five levels you're in. So in effect, it acts as an instant boost button, which can be really handy.
Urban Use and Portability
Overall it's a fun ride. It's excellent around the city, which of course is what it's really designed for. Its compact size and super maneuverability combined with the throttle—I mean it can snake through the congestion and then cut onto your favorite traffic-free route with ease.
The lighter weight makes it easy enough to lift up onto public transport or up steps into a flat, and the folding pedals and fold-down handlebar stem mean it's great for storing easily in a hallway or by your desk at work without the bother of doing full fold, which in many ways makes the bike more cumbersome to cart about.
A lot of the time the MyRider One feels more like a super e-scooter with pedals really. You do need to adapt your riding style to adjust to the lively handling and keen braking. MyRider says the bike is okay for riders between 147 centimetres–185 centimetres, and that larger riders can ride it comfortably. Now a longer seat stem has been incorporated on the current model specifically for bigger riders, but even so it's probably going to be a better fit if you're in the middle of that range rather than at either end, as is always the case with a single size frame. The maximum ride weight here is 120 kilos.
Weight and Folding
The folding is quick but it's not that compact. It's producing a pretty stable package that uses a well-established magnet system seen on the likes of Tern e-bikes for example. It's possible for the magnets to release as the bike is knocked, so if secure locking is important it's best to use the adjustable locking strap that comes with the bike. MyRider says a new magnet system is on the way which should provide even more secure magnet-only locking.
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| Photo Credit By BikeRadar |
If you want to carry modest loads, you can fit this bespoke MyRider rear rack that'll carry 10 kilos. The battery is removable by undoing the main frame here and you can insert the battery lock key to remove the battery. You can have an extra battery for about 200 pounds which is par for the course, and it's fairly easy to carry if you need to extend the bike's range.
The MyRider One also gets a kickstand and a front light that's powered from the main e-bike battery. Clip-on mudguards are included too.
Conclusion
Are there any things that we would change? Well, that 187 watt hour battery isn't the biggest, so it'd be nice to see if they could squeeze a slightly larger battery into the frame. 50 watt hours more might make a little bit of a difference in terms of the range. It's fine on flat or rolling terrain, but somewhere hilly like Bath with steep hills, it's not ideal.
So overall we really like this smaller Rider One. It's a fun, quirky little bike for nipping around the city and it's great for multi-modal commuting.