From the moment you unbox your Mycle compact folding electric bike you know you have in your hands something pretty special.
For a start it’s an electric folding bike and comes completely folded down in the box when it arrives.
You lift it out of the box fold it out from the middle lift up the handle bars stem clip them in and your literally ready to go.
First impressions are that it looks really cool and you can already imagine yourself zooming around some neon lit metropolis on it or on the mean streets of Camden.
However this is Cornwall, so would it live up to those exceptions?
I live in a village outside of my workplace and the Mycle would have to tackle little rough country lanes and the hills that surround my village.
Well first of all, while current electric bikes are incredibly heavy and bulky, the Mycle is not.
While it is obviously heavier than a normal bike of this size, it is still a lot lighter than the regular sized EBike. Plus the folding option makes it easier to carry and it even comes with a sturdy carry bag to put it in.
This makes it really simple to take onto the tube if you live in the city or more importantly the train or car if you want to take it somewhere for the day in Cornwall making it ideal for camping. Once you reach your destination just pop it up and off you go.
Unusually for an EB the battery is stored on the saddle stem which can be removed very easily if you want to. The bike itself is charged through an input into the stem under the saddle.
The bike itself comes in really cool colours and is really well-made and sturdy. I particularly liked the little extra touches like the stitched leather handlebar grips and saddle, although it isn’t the comfiest in the world but you get used to it.
The small tyres are chunky and more than capable of handling the sometimes a little rough Cornish roads. It has seven gears and five gradient levels, there is also the option to turn the power off all together if you want to when it just handles like a normal bike if you’re feeling up to it.
Having seven gears is fine but I would have liked a few higher ones as my little legs couldn’t keep up the pace going downhill, but then you can just go into cruise mode (i.e. stop pedalling).
One thing I would point out is make sure you put the clip in place to keep the handlebar stem rigid when you put it up. It’s not obvious it’s a clip when you first put the stem up but the handlebars will fold back if you don’t. Not ideal when you’re zooming downhill, as I found out!
Going up the hills is a different matter. Going up steep hills like St Gluvias you will have to put some effort in even on the highest setting but you still get up there easily.
The upright riding position takes a bit of getting used to at first but, once you do, it is such fun to ride. It’s really nice to be able to see over the Cornish Hedges into fields as you glide along!
My commute to the office to work in Penryn is delightful. No more struggling up the hills and arriving all sweaty at my workplace. I can even arrive in my work clothes without having to change. It also gives me the opportunity to glide through the campus gardens. Very civilised.
Other extras include a smallish rack on the back and a front light, although strangely no back one, and I still haven’t worked out how to switch the front one, but I’m in no hurry at the moment.
READ NEXT:
Woman who blocked a railway line by entering tunnel breached conditional discharge
Overall the Mycle is just a great little bike, just right as well if you want the choice of an EBike and an ordinary sized bike as well, which I do.
Overall It is extremely well made and the battery life easily copes with the commute to work and back on a single charge with plenty of life left over.
The folding aspect is just great, meaning you can practically take it with you anywhere.
I loved it and really don’t to have to give it back!
8/10
The Mycle is currently on offer at Mycle website for £999.
For more details go to www.mycle.co.uk/products/compact-folding-electric-bike
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here