The Pedego Latch is a folding e-bike that makes it easy to take almost anywhere in almost anything. Folded up, it fits into the small trunk of my Audi. It’s ideal for tucking into an RV so you have some local transportation when you get where you’re going. It’s easy to put on a decent sized boat so you’ll have a way to get from the dock to a local fast food joint. Or, if you’re an apartment dweller, it’s small enough to tuck into a closet. Really.
The Latch isn’t for everyone. It’s not going to be a substitute for the e-bike you want for a full day of recreation on or off the roads. It’s really not intended for a 40 or 50 mile tour. But for what it’s supposed to do, it does it well. For starters, it is really a snap to fold up and put back together again. It takes its name from the big latch that holds the two sections of the frame together. Even with my arthritic fingers, I found no problem in lowering the seat, lowering the handlebar stem, folding the pedals, and unlatching the frame. One note of caution, be careful with the cables when you take it apart and maneuver it. You can (and I did) pull out the cable powering the motor. Fortunately it’s relatively easy to re-insert.
The bike has a 250 Watt front motor. That helps balance the weight when you are carrying the folded version. But it’s a somewhat different feeling from riding a rear motored, or even mid-drive bike. There’s a bit less traction on gravel or dirt since there’s not as much weight from your body pushing down on the motor. I expected the steering would be a little awkward with the motor up front, but I didn’t have any problem. It uses a Samsung designed 10 Ah 30 volt battery. There’s a larger 15 Ah battery available if necessary.
The Pedego Latch has five levels of power assist. It also has a throttle, which I really like for getting started after a red light or from the bottom of a hill. It also give you a boost up the hills if you don’t want to shift gears. There are only three gears, but combined with the five levels of power assist, I didn’t find that to be much of an issue. The LCD display shows you the power left, the power level, speed, and distance. It also has a USB charging port for your phone. The Latch comes with both both front and rear lights.
For a folding bike, it’s a little on the weighty side – 43 pounds without the battery, 50 pounds with. It has a cruising range of between 20 and 30 miles depending on the rider’s weight, the terrain, and which pedal assist and throttle levels you choose.
It does have some really nice features that will make you forget you’re on less than a full-sized bike. The seat and handlebar stem come up quite high, so even a six footer can get a good leg extension and you can ride in a comfortable upright position. The folding mechanisms are really clever and easy to use. The video below shows it well. It also has disc brakes. It’s available in three colors: lime green, dark blue, and black.
This is a really well-built bike. It’s not cheap at $2,595 (add another $300 for the larger battery), but still quite reasonable. I’m not thrilled about the weight, but I like almost everything else about it. Especially the notion that I don’t have to think twice about transporting or storing it. It’s a comfortable ride and if space is a constraint, or if you need a local form of transportation when you’re docked, or you’ve parked your RV, this is certainly worth a close look.
This video does a much better job of showing you how to fold up the Pedego Latch than I can explain it:
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