After a summer on the EELO, I am generally pleased.
I was able to take a shorter route because I didn't have to factor in hill climbs, and a back issue that is aggravated by the effort of uphill pedalling has eased off.
I got to work feeling more energised and without needing a shower or change of clothing.
Oddly, I feel that drivers treated me differently on the little bike compared to a normal one. It seems that the folding bikes suggest 'office commuter' while a regular bike says, 'anti-car activist'. I have not done peer reviewed research into this.
The down side is that there is very little storage space, so after-work shopping didn't happen. I hung an Air Bag pannier behind the handlebars to hold my work bag with laptop, and cable-tied a plastic box to the rear pannier for my lunch and rain kit. I hadn't realised that the rear pannier can really only take a case that is narrow enough to fit within the pannier footprint, otherwise heels hit it when pedalling.
The bike was kept in our open office, so locking was not an issue. My D Lock died this week, so I now have a lock like the hiplock, for the next time I'm using the e-bike.
There are no gears, so there's a limit on speed, especially on the flat. That was a bit annoying. Also, the pedals continue to move when I walk the bike, so if I forget to turn off the motor, that will engage and rip the bike out of my hands. That was scary.
The customer support was fantastic. Really pleasant people to work with.
I'd recommend it for people who want to cycle around but don't want to be sweaty, or who have a health issue that affects cycling--and who can't afford the higher end e-bikes. They're also marketed to people doing the RV lifestyle; park up the RV and pootle around the town on the folding bikes.
After I'd bought it, I accidentally found out how cheap Zoomo bikes are to rent--if I'd known that, I would have gone that route instead.
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