We have for some time now been of the opinion that what the two wheel market needs is a quality folding Electric Bike that can be used without a licence, Road tax or Insurance on the road. Until it was discontinued we stocked the Dahon Roo EL which sold for over £1,200.00. This was a very good machine but suffered from a few niggling problems at times mainly due to connections.  The Sram Sparc system employed on the bike, being an internal 5 speed hub gear and motor combined was probably unnecessarily complicated for it’s own good and at only 16V it was not quite as powerful as many other motors now available, it came complete with a small NiMh battery pack which was very light but had limited capacity.  The whole bike however was probably the lightest folding electric bike in the world.

On researching the market, and examining what is currently available we have turned away in mild disgust from the majority of folding electric bikes currently on the market, not primarily because of the electric motors or the associated electronic parts, but because they are such extremely poor bicycles with bottom of the range components. Probably a couple of the reasons for this is the type of factories that they are sourced from, and a misguided concern to hit an unecessarily low price point.

Realizing that there must be a balance between being a marvellous showpiece of engineering and prohibitively expensive on the one hand, and on the other, deliberately pitching the price down to a level where the quality suffers seriously.   We have arrived at producing what we consider to be an ideal combination.

This has involved us in choosing appropriate comfortable and respected Dahon models, namely the Ciao P5 which is well suited to the type of rider that invests in an electric bike, it benefits from a very low step-through frame  (the design was bike of the year in Holland during 2006) and is suitable for both Ladies and Gents to ride, and for the more serious and discerning the Dahon Impulse 24 which is a complete delight to ride, as it employs the Sram hub/derailleur giving you a huge range of gears.   We have also sourced some quiet running intelligent brushless motors, battery units etc. that when fitted in our workshop are both pleasing to the eye and unobtrusive.  When pedalling with the motor switched off you would not realize that you are riding an electric bike, since the front wheel hub motor spins so freely.

The total price is £879.99 including delivery and carrying bag on the Ciao and £979.99 on the Impulse including delivery and carrying bag. This also includes on both models, lights, mudguards, stand, and special carrier that houses and includes the battery pack, but still leaves room for panniers and top bag.

Although there is still much debate over which is the best type of battery to use, (this is evident if you research the information available on the web), with all things considered we still prefer NiMh. The reason for this in ‘laymans speak’ is that the switch-off circuits that have to be present on Li-Ion and Li-Pol batteries in order to protect the cells when the voltage drops below a certain level, can often catch you unawares despite low battery warning lights, and leave you totally without assistance, whereas the NiMH will continue to provide some power at a lower voltage level.

The front hub motor wheel on the Impulse P24 is identical to the one shown on the Ciao below, the tyre however is a Schwalbe Big Apple 20 X 2.0”

Speed controller partial twist grip and switch showing power indicators. Some controllers have a push button switch instead of the rocker

Specifications of Electrical parts

• Electric Motor: 24V 180W intelligent brushless motor
• Max Speed: 15MPH   UK maximum permitted speed
• Max Distance per charge: Up to 25 Miles Depending on the terrain, wind conditions, the rider's weight and amount of pedal assistance given
• Battery: NiMH, 24V 8.5Ah fused and thermister protected, encased in Aluminium,  and locks into the rear aluminium rack for security. Battery life is around 500 recharge cycles.
• Protective value of over current 15A
• Protective value of discharged battery voltage 20V
• Charger: intelligent 24V 1.8A and charges battery in 4 - 6 Hours. Input voltage 190 - 260 V AC

Specification of Impulse P24 with electric conversion

• COLOUR   Fire Red
• SPEEDS 24
• GEAR INCHES 21" - 114"
• DISTANCE: SEAT POST TO HANDLEBAR Min: 620mm(24.5") Max: 680mm(26.8")
• DISTANCE: SADDLE TO PEDAL Min: 730mm (28.7") Max: 970mm (38.2")
• FOLDED SIZE  (15" x 26" x 29.5")
• WEIGHT 23.5 kg total weight complete with battery and all standard fittings
• FOLDING TIME 15 seconds
• SUGGESTED RIDER HEIGHT 142 cm - 193 cm (4'8" - 6'4")
• MAX RIDER WEIGHT 105 kg. (230 lbs.)
• FRAME Y Series, SuperLite 4130 chromoly, forged Lattice hinge, patented Re-Bar™ frame design, forged drop-outs
• FORK Integrated, patented Fusion technology
• HANDLEPOST Radius Telescope™ adjustable, patented Fusion™ technology, forged aluminum, patented InSide™ lock
• HANDLEBAR Ritchey, 6061-T6 aluminum, straight
• HEADSET Dahon Fusion, Zero stack, cartridge bearings
• GRIPS Bontrager Ergo grips reflective end plugs
• SADDLE BioLogic™ AirFlo, Mojo Groove design
• SEAT POST BioLogic™ PostPump
• SEAT CLAMP QR Dahon Turtleneck clamp
• BRAKES Kinetix SpeedStop V brakes, stainless flex noodle, stainless link and anchor bolt, “SilentGrip” ceramic brake pads
• BRAKE LEVER Aluminium with adjusters and switches to cut motor.
• CABLES AND HOUSING Dahon LiveWire, SIS housing, slick cables
• FRONT HUB Brushless 24V motor 180W   3Kg
• REAR WHEEL Kinetix Comp, 28H radial/2 cross lacing, Kinetix road hub, CNC machined doublewall rim
• REAR HUB SRAM DualDrive, 24/27 spd., 28H
• SPOKES 14G, stainless, brass nipples rear 12G front
• RIM rear Kinetix Comp, doublewall, CNC sidewalls, wear line indicator
• TYRES Schwalbe Big Apple, 20” x 2.0”, KevlarGuard puncture protection, 70 psi, Reflex
• SHIFTERS SRAM DualDrive, single- sided shifter, 24 speed fitted to LH side
• DERAILLEUR SRAM X7
• CASSETTE Shimano HyperGlide 8 speed, 11-32T
• CRANKSET Sugino XD, cold-forged 6061 cranks, 2014-AL chainring
• BOTTOM BRACKET Cartridge, sealed bearings
• CHAIN KMC Z82
• PEDALS Suntour folding, non-slip
• KICKSTAND Aluminum, Dacromet bolt
• CLIP SYSTEM Magnetix™ system
• RACK aluminum, with luggage spring also houses Aluminium battery case.
• MUDGUARDS Silver Chromoplastic
• LUGGAGE BRACKET KlickFix frame mount on head tube fits hundreds of KlickFix bags and baskets
• ACCESSORY Reflective Trouser clip

The Dahon Impulse P24 is very easy to fold and takes about 15 seconds only when you are used to it. As can be partly seen above, the handle is first rotated by releasing a quick release lever at the top of the handlebar stem. The handlebar complete is then lowered to avoid overstretching the brake cables and swung down after releasing a lever, the handlebar is then extended further downwards to its limit. The main joint is then released and the frame folds in half and is held by the Magnetix system, the seatpost is lowered and the folded bike stands upright without assistance by resting on the seatpost end stop and the two tyres at the other end.

Panniers can be fitted onto the rear rack, or a very common addition is that of a rack pack which sits on top of the carrier, some of these bags have side pockets which open up and flap down forming small side panniers, for those customers not requiring bags there is a spring clip on top of the carrier to hold down that newspaper or waterproof coat.

The bike stands upright on it’s own when folded, but equally can be laid down in the boot of a vehicle.

The speed controller is fitted to the right hand side, so of necessity the Sram Dual Control shifter has been transferred to the left-hand side so inevitably operates in reverse. We have had a bike under test  and have found both controls very easy to use.

It is of course possible to ride without pedalling at all, but this will reduce the milage considerably that the battery has to offer. The really great thing about electric bikes for those of you who need some help, is that it takes all the sweat and struggle out of climbing normal hills, and if because of inclines you lack enthusiasm it puts the fun back into cycling. The huge range of gears on this model make it ideal for any type of ride even in very hilly areas, especially as the motor is there in addition take out all the hard work.

The motor responds progressively as the speed controller is twisted around up to the maximum permitted speed of 15 miles per hour. Both brake levers as a safety feature have switches to cut the motor immediately you brake regardless of the speed controller position. The big advantage of these systems is that when on the level you can ride the bike unassisted with the switch turned off and there is no drag from the motor, in fact far less than a hub dynamo that the Ciao’s were originally fitted with. The best policy is to inflate the  Schwalbe puncture protected tyres on both models to at least 60 PSI to keep the rolling resistance to a minimum.

The Electric motor kits are professionally fitted by ourselves in our workshop. The wires into, and the control box itself, also the aluminium battery case are sealed ourselves with silicon cement to prevent ingress of water. The Battery is locked into the carrier and can be removed for charging, or left in situ. if there is a powerpoint suitably positioned.

An intelligent charger is supplied with the bike which takes 4 - 6 hours to recharge the battery if it’s exhausted.

We can also supply it with this quality Trek expanding rack pack.  This not only expands upwards as it has a double zip system, but the side pockets also flap down forming side panniers as shown. This is a padded bag suitable for cameras and is supplied complete with a shoulder strap.

The top elastic can be used to secure extra items, such as a helmet or jacket etc.

The top of the aluminium carrier hinges up once unlocked to release the battery, it also allows the easy fitting of the top bag, which uses the velcro and buckle system typical of this form of rack bag.

The internal separators are velcro attached and can be moved to alter the spacing or removed altogether.

We can also supply the bike with the Klick fix Wicker basket system shown on a picture above, this mounts onto a special bracket on the frame headstock, we will fit these brackets for you if you order the bike and basket. The basket is released at the push of a button and can be carried using the integral hinged handle. This is a high quality basket system with a steel band interwoven to provide both strength and a convenient secure method of attachment .

The front light supplied with all deals  is a quick removable Trek Ion LED light worth £16.99

Important Customer Information

All Folding Bikes are thoroughly prepared and checked in the workshop in order to validate the warranties, this involves a thorough setup and adjustment of spokes, bearings, brakes, gears (stops and cable adjustment). The chainset and crank, handlebars and all nuts and bolts are checked for tightness and the pedals fitted. Finally the tyre pressures are set and the folding joints and all quick releases are lubricated and adjusted. After a brief test ride (mainly indoor) they are then carefully packed back into the original boxes using appropriate packaging, this means that the bikes when received and unfolded are ‘ready to ride’ .  All 26” wheel Dahon bikes arrive in the UK in boxes with the frame unfolded but the bike partially dismantled. We have taken the decision that in order to properly achieve our highest aim and that of the responsible manufacturers with whom we liase, that we therefore, properly prepare then fold the completed bike with only the handlebar removed, it is therefore necessary for us to repackage the bike accordingly on account of it’s larger size when assembled.

Clicking on the ‘Buy now’ links is a useful way to check stock position, as out of stock items will normally be indicated. This action in no way commits you to purchasing the item

ITEMS ARE NORMALLY DESPATCHED THE NEXT DAY, UNLESS AT THE WEEKEND, LARGER OBJECTS THEN TAKE 1 or 2 DAYS FOR DELIVERY IN THE UK. SMALL ITEMS ARE DESPATCHED NORMALLY VIA 1st Class Post

©2008 CH White & Son. All prices include Vat and this page was updated 13/03/2008. Online payment using secure server. (you will see the sign at far right when you come to pay)      Most credit and debit cards are accepted.

CH White & Son, 51 High Street, Malmesbury, Wiltshire SN16 9AG, United Kingdom
 Tel/Fax. (01666) 822330   e-mail   chwhite@btinternet.com