Summary:

• Folding eBikes should ideally have long battery life, sturdy tires for varied terrains, a comfortable seat, a powerful motor, and additional accessories like rear racks and headlights. These features ensure a balance between portability and performance.
• When properly designed, folding eBikes can be used for a variety of activities, including off-roading, mountain biking, and daily commuting. Depending on your preferences, you may want to look for specific features (like mini fat tires for off-roading or suspension seatposts for mountain biking).
• The misconception that folding eBikes are compromised in terms of power, versatility, or comfort is incorrect. Rather, the folding feature adds a layer of convenience to an eBike.
• Surface 604's Twist model demonstrates that a folding eBike can have high-quality components comparable to those in eMTBs, Commuter Bikes, and Fat Tire models, but in a more compact and portable package.
• The Twist has been well received by customers, who praise its powerful motor, torque sensors, bright headlight, and other features.

Folding eBikes take the power and versatility of electric bicycles, then put it in a portable package. That’s the idea, anyway—but getting a folding eBike right can be a tall order. After all, it’s not much use to have an eBike that folds up for easy travel if it doesn’t come with features that make it fun to ride once you set it back up! Fortunately, it’s more than possible to make an awesome folding eBike without cutting any corners, and we should know—after all, we did it!

Surface 604 is dedicated to the intelligent pairing of high-quality components to create performance-driven eBikes that deliver more than the sum of their parts. Read on to find out what makes our Twist model the best folding eBike in its price range.

Oh, and if you don’t want to take our word for it, check out this Twist review from webBikeWorld.

Must-Have Features for Folding eBikes

If you asked a new rider what the most important quality in a folding eBike would be, they’d probably tell you that—well, it folds. But a truly great folding eBike needs more. Here’s a list of features you should look for when shopping:

• Battery life: Regardless of how easy it might be to throw in the back of your vehicle, the point of a folding eBike is still to ride it. You don’t want something that will die quickly after you take it out of the trunk, so look for a model with long-range batteries built-in.
• Tough tires: You want a folding eBike that you can take out to remote areas for serious adventuring—after all, if you were only planning to ride it around your neighborhood, why would you ever need to pack it up for travel in the first place? Choose a folding eBike with tires that can handle tough terrain (mini fat tires are particularly useful).
• A comfortable seat: Convenience and comfort can go hand-in-hand; don’t let anyone tell you they can’t. If your folding eBike doesn’t come with an ergonomic gel saddle, you might want to think twice before committing to it.
• A powerful motor: Good things often come in small packages—and so it should be with your folding eBike’s electric motor. 500W should be enough juice for your adventures.
• Extra accessories: You’d be surprised at how much bike you can pack away when it’s designed right. Look for a folding electric bicycle that comes with accouterments like rear racks and high-quality headlights.

Where Should Your Folding eBike Take You?

There’s a common misconception, especially amongst newer riders, that folding eBikes are limited in terms of their usability. The argument goes something like this: if you want to go off-roading, get a full fat tire eBike instead—ditto with eMTBs for mountain biking or cruisers for day trips through town, etc.

But here’s the thing: you’re not necessarily reducing an eBike’s power, versatility, or comfort by making it foldable. You’re actually just adding a degree of convenience, as long as the bike comes with everything you need for the activities you want. 

• Want to ride dirt trails? Get one with mini fat tires. 
• Want to head into the mountains? Consider adding a suspension seatpost. 
• Plan on commuting? Make sure you have that gel saddle and a good solid headlight. 

If you know where to look, you can even buy a folding eBike that comes with all of the above.

How the Twist Puts a New—Um, Twist—on the Folding eBike Formula

We set out to dispel once and for all the myth that buying a folding eBike is somehow a compromise. That’s why the Surface 604 Twist takes some of the very best features from our eMTBs, Commuter Bikes, and Fat Tire models—and puts them in a frame you can stow in the back of an economy sedan.

Punchy Power Delivery

For power, you get a 500W Bafang geared rear hub brushless electric motor that puts out 80 Nm of torque—which is actually 15 Nm more than you get with our highly-popular Shred eMTB. 

That’s enough to get you up and down a ton of the trickiest trails in your area, especially since the bike comes stock with torque sensors for the pedal assist system that deliver power intuitively based on how hard you’re pushing (don’t worry; there’s a thumb throttle too, in case you just want to open ‘er up).

Tough Tires

The all-purpose CST Big Boat 20” x 4” mini fat tires don’t hurt, either. Not only are these ideal for traversing dirt, snow, and other rough riding surfaces; they also help you stay firmly planted while in traffic or on the bike path.

If you plan on paved rides with your Twist, air up the pressure to that 25 psi range. Tackling sand or snow? Air down to 15 - 18 psi. Versatile!

Small Bike; Big Battery

The Twist is tiny when it’s firmly folded away, but it’s built for big trips. An included 48V 14Ah/672Wh battery with 18650 Samsung lithium-ion cells gives you up to 45 miles (72 kms) on a single charge. Filling the battery up from empty with the supplied charger is relatively quick, too—just 3-4 hours to get to 100%.

Bonus Features

We weren’t satisfied with just the basics when we set out to build this eBike—we also threw on a comfy gel saddle, Büchel Shiny 120 LED headlight and rear light, and even a rack for the back so you can pack to attack your favorite trails.

Real Riders Love the Twist

The best endorsement of the Twist doesn’t come from us, though—after all, you’d expect us to love the thing we made. But it turns out that other people love it just as much. Here’s what customers have been saying so far:

Loving it!

“This is my new daily commuter and I'm loving it. The throttle picks up really fast and the pedal assist is almost instantaneous. I like that the pedals fold because it's easier to get through the door. The frame is sturdy, and the fat tires make for a super soft ride. The lights are bright and the reflective substance added to the tires helps me to be seen. The fenders that are included keep me dry, and the bell Is handy as I am passing people all the time. Truly the new joy of my life!”

- Charles, Canada

Ride a Twist Today & Feel the Difference

Folding bikes like the Twist prove that you can put just as much quality into a packable and portable eBike as you can into a full-sized model with a rigid frame. Buy a Surface 604 Twist online or locate a dealer near you to see one up close and personal or request a test ride.