The Eelo 1885 throws an interesting spanner in the works for anyone looking for a motorised folding bikeOli Woodman / Immediate Media
The 14in wheels of the Eelo wear relatively wide Kenda tyres and its brakes are unbranded veesOli Woodman / Immediate Media
The chunky aluminium frame of the Eelo actually contains the bike’s battery packOli Woodman / Immediate Media
The large main hinge is simple to use and includes a safety catchOli Woodman / Immediate Media
Fold the frame and you get a glimpse of the battery insideOli Woodman / Immediate Media
The Eelo folds down to a form that’s not far from that of a folded BromptonOli Woodman / Immediate Media
Unbranded vee brakes at both endsOli Woodman / Immediate Media
Cute mudguards come already fittedOli Woodman / Immediate Media
14in wheels are usually reserved only for children’s bikesOli Woodman / Immediate Media
The LED front light is also standard fit and is controlled via the handlebar-mounted control unitOli Woodman / Immediate Media
I’m looking forward to properly trying out Eelo’s 1885 folding electric bikeOli Woodman / Immediate Media
That’s a seriously short rear triangleOli Woodman / Immediate Media
Collapsable pedals make for a tighter foldOli Woodman / Immediate Media
The Eelo’s handlebar-mounted control unitOli Woodman / Immediate Media
Editor’s note: We’ve since fully reviewed this bike and have found it to score 2.5/5 stars. Read the full review now.
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For those who want the convenience of a folding bike but don’t want to be without the assistance of electric power, here is the 1885 from Eelo.
Two main points are likely to draw a buyer towards the Eelo — its cheapness and its lightness.
It currently retails for £899/$1,181, which places it well under the likes of electric folders from Brompton and Tern, but still above the popular Carrera Crosscity.
The chunky aluminium frame of the Eelo actually contains the bike’s battery packOli Woodman / Immediate Media
At 14.81kg/32.6lbs, it’s nearly 2kg/4.4lbs lighter than the lightest motorised Brompton, and at least 3kg lighter than Carrera’s Crosscity.
The weight has been saved through an extensive use of aluminium where you’d sometimes find steel, as well as the bike’s smaller-than-usual 14in wheels — a size most regularly used for children’s bikes.
The Eelo folds down to a form that’s not far from that of a folded BromptonOli Woodman / Immediate Media
Anyone familiar with folding bikes will likely find the Eelo both quick and easy to fold thanks to its large quick-release style clamps and folding pedals. Once folded, it takes up a similar amount of space to a Brompton, though it lacks the straps and fittings that hold certain folding bikes together so securely.
Cute mudguards come already fittedOli Woodman / Immediate Media
The Eelo hides its 36V, 7.8Ah LG lithium battery within the bike’s front triangle and this feeds power to a 250w motor at the bike’s rear wheel via a singlespeed transmission.
The whole shebang is controlled via a neat handlebar display, which allows the rider to pick from five levels of pedals assistance. It also includes a lever that acts as a throttle to speed you up to as fast as regulations will allow.
Also controlled at this display is the bike’s integrated LED front light, which is a nice touch. It’s also nice to see a pair of mudguards fitted as standard.
Fold the frame and you get a glimpse of the battery insideOli Woodman / Immediate Media
Eelo Claims the 1885 takes up to six hours to charge — it then goes on to deliver a range of up to 49 miles (79km). Should this turn out to be true then that’s a pretty impressive range (and will help keep the bike away from the plug socket).
That’s a seriously short rear triangleOli Woodman / Immediate Media
Folding bikes will always feature some sort of compromise in terms of geometry, and the 14in Eelo is a classic example.
Its wheelbase, for example, is a full 7.5in shorter than that of a Brompton folder, while its chainstays are so small that a rider is placed almost directly over the rear hub.
We’ll reserve our judgement on this until we’ve put real miles on the bike, but experience tells us this will likely lead to a bike with a very light front-end in certain scenarios.
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Stay tuned for a full review.
I’m looking forward to properly trying out Eelo’s 1885 folding electric bikeOli Woodman / Immediate Media
Now officially part of the furniture, Oli enjoys bicycles of all sorts and has a keen eye for technical detail. An unhealthy interest in older motor vehicles keeps him poor but happy
