The Bike 2023 - BTWIN 500E Review

After developing severe Plantar Fasciitis, I realized that my lifestyle of walking everywhere and hiking for fun and travel was at an end. I know its hard to believe that I found walking 19 miles to Edinburgh every Saturday "fun", but I truly did.

The problem with PF is that you can not stand for long periods or walk too much without being in a lot of pain. And I mean the kind of pain that you can't sleep.

I basically have a number of steps I can take a day and each step after is a gamble that I will be in a lot of pain for days or weeks. I am literally like, "That's 17 steps to answer the door...Nah. They can leave the package on the porch." Mind you I will take those 17 steps to get to my coffee in the kitchen. Priorities.

I am really fortunate in that I work in tech and I work from home full time. My job does not require standing or walking, so that is a huge relief. I would be in serious trouble if I had an active job. I really feel for people in that position.

Cycling would get me around saving me thousands of steps a day. It would allow me to continue to enjoy the outdoors, and if I pedal correctly (correctly is the key word here!), would not aggravate my condition. Thus, I needed a bike.

I considered several, and I definitely had the constraints of a budget. I knew I needed an eBike as I really need to be careful about too much strain on my feet. Pushing hard up hills is pretty stressful, so the e-assist would be necessary. If you saw the size of my badunkadunk (that is Missy Elliot for bottom) you'd agree.

Because we have a small home and no where to store bikes outside (yet), and now because of me everyone would need to get a bike, we decided on folding bikes. They take up a lot less room and a folding bike would help me still be able to achieve my goals of travel. Like everyone, some day I hope to get a Brompton (haha!) but that is a long, long way away.

So lacking the ability to get my bike of ultimate dreamy choice, I checked out the Halfords brand Carrera Crosscity Folding Electric Bike 2020 but at £1,100 - it was out of my budget. I was not so sure I liked the look of it either.

Next I checked out the BTWIN Fold which was actually quite a pretty bike. But again, at £1,000, it was out of my budget range. It was also quite heavy, and needing to lift it around would be difficult.

I came along the BTWIN 500E. At £750, it was still out of my budget, but with some shifting around of stuff I was able to swing it. I ordered it and waited for delivery. Once it came, it was basically assembled. I just had to swing the handle bars up and lock them in place. I charged up the battery, and then my husband and I left the house. It was the first time I had gone out in a month not being able to walk far with my PF.

The first ride on the BTWIN 500E - My first eBike

I had never ridden an eBike before, so I pedaled along like normal until a hill loomed up before me. Now or never I thought. I turned on the eAssist, pedaled and never looked back. I don't think I would ever ride a regular bike again. I sailed up the hill smiling the whole way. True freedom. I was so happy to be out of the house and knowing I would be able to get around easily with the help of this bike, it was healing. My bike is my mobility device.

My husband ended up with a BTWIN 500 which you can see there folded in half in the background. It is a manual bike. I marvel at him as he chugs up the hill, but that's not for me. Not anymore. I need to accept my limitations and the e-assist is what I need to keep my feet from torturing me for days.

I have had the bike for a few months now and I have taken it on many short (3 miles) and multiple long (20 miles) journeys. Off and on roads. I have some thoughts about it.

Pros:

• It folds up so it is easier to store than a full sized bike.

• If the battery is fully charged, it has good power on the first setting, and a great boost on the second.

• It has lights that you can control from the eBike panel.

• There is a handle on the frame for carrying and also makes it easier to lock up.

• Folding is simple and pretty quick.

• It does ok on all surfaces including gravel and dirt. (with new thicker tires)

Cons:

• The bike has no suspension. After a few rides my back was really starting to hurt. I had to add a thudbuster seat post and change the seat out to a padded one.

• It is heavy. Lifting in and out of the house is difficult. If there is no lift in a train station, getting it up/down stairs can be dangerous due to its weight.

• Its awkward to lift when folded as it really doesn't "stay together" very well.

• It didn't come with a luggage rack and it took me a long time to find one that fit. Decathlon finally started selling them again but it was an extra £30.

• The tires were really slippy. I had the bike come out from under me twice and finally took it in to get new tires put on.

• The battery is not great. I am not a skinny girl so between my weight and the new thick tires, it drains it pretty good. That being said, on the first power setting, using it about 75% of the time, I can get 20 miles out of it and be on 1-2 bars.

• You really feel the difference in power once its not fully charged.

• If you are using the e-assist and turn it off, you will feel a very noticeable "drag" when trying to pedal manually. You can sometimes avoid this by shifting to first gear and continue pedaling when turning it off, but not always.

• Battery can take 4-6 hours to charge. Not great for a bike tour when you need to top up in a cafe or something.

• You have to get air in the tires after nearly every ride or you will definitely notice the difference in difficulty pedaling.

• Its not a great bike for pedaling without the eAssist.

Overall:

The bike is great for getting around to stores and things. If you're going to do long distance on it, you will need an extra battery to get more than 20-30 miles a day out of it, and expect to get less with hills, wind or more weight. You have also got to keep the tires at the proper pressure or the ride is very difficult.

It's not a great bike to pedal without the e-assist on and as mentioned above, turning it off after using it can lead to a very noticeable drag on the bike. It almost feels like you're trying to pedal with the breaks on a bit.

All over, I would probably buy it again because I know what I am getting, but since this is my long term mobility device, in the future, I will definitely upgrade to a better bike. It will just take time to save up and this bike will get me around until then. It will be interesting to see how it does for touring!