With soaring gas prices, electric transportation is becoming a more attractive option and for most people, I think the best choice is an electric bike. Why? Well, it’s like riding a bike—literally. The great benefit of electric bikes is pedal assist. Why work so hard when you could have some help? Still, the big issue is storage. Bikes are great, but can be tough to store if you live in a small space. Today, I may have a bike that solves that problem.
I’m reviewing the Gyrocopters Frost electric city bike. This is a foldable electric bike where the handlebars collapse down for easy storage. Put it in a car trunk or keep it under your work desk. Is this really as convenient as it sounds? Let’s take a look.
Gyrocopters Frost ebike specs
- 350W motor with a top speed of 25 km/h
- Dual shock absorbers on the front and back tires
- 3-speed modes: 15km/h, 20km/h, 25km/h
- 3 – 4 hours to full battery charge
Assembling the Gyrocopters Frost ebike
The Frost comes in a box and requires minor assembly. In the box, you’ll find the Frost bike, two pedals, the seat, and the manual. A hex key and spanner wrench is also included. First, the seat is placed onto the bike and adjusted to height. Next, the pedals need to be screwed on. Here’s where I made a mistake. I couldn’t get one pedal to screw in. Later I realized that the right pedal screws clockwise while the left pedal screws counter-clockwise. This was stated in the manual. Clearly I didn’t read it; learn from my mistakes.
Design of the Gyrocopters Frost
At first glance, the Frost looks like a kids’ bike. It sits low with 14 inch tires and weighs approximately 54 lbs. However, both the handlebars and seat are adjustable and it can support a max weight of 264 lbs. Both the front and back tires have shock absorption and fenders. This helps to absorb shock from bumpy roads and protects the rider from the rain splashing up. If you’re looking at an e-bike for daily commuting these are important things to consider and look out for.
On the top of the handlebars are the controls. The power button is located on the left side along with the speed mode and bell. The right side has the head reflector, battery display, and cruise button. Turning the right handlebar activates the throttle for acceleration without pedalling. Brake levers are located on both sides of the handlebars.
Folding the Gyrocopters Frost
The Frost e-bike has a one-step folding design. This makes it easy to fold down and back up in seconds. On the bottom of the handlebar is a quick release and folding riser. To fold down, simple release the quick release, and release the folding riser. The handlebars can then be folded down. This makes it much easier to store indoors, or in a dedicated storage area. To fold up, the handlebars must be extended up and locked into place. It’s quick, easy, and can be done in seconds. However, for longer term or more compact spaces, you’ll likely want to put the seat down as well.
Using the Gyrocopters Frost electric bike
I tested the Frost e-bike in and around my neighborhood. There are some roads and sidewalks with cracks and bumps from roots growing underneath. This made for a great test of the shock absorption. Overall, it did a great job on bumpy terrain. The ride felt smooth so it’s definitely working. However I think my older brother—an avid mountain biker—would disagree. However, we are talking about a foldable e-bike here.
The pedal assist also works well and is nice to have up hills. I then tested the various speed modes using the throttle. The first two speeds felt slow. In fact, the fastest speed mode felt slow to me. That’s because I’m used to going 30 km/h on other e-bikes and this only goes up to 25 km/h. Back home, it was very easy to fold down. I do wish there was a handle or better way to carry it with one hand. It’s awkward to walk and carry because one pedal is always in the way. Carrying this up stairs would not be fun.
Charging the Gyrocopters Frost
The charging port is located on the left side of the Frost e-bike. I plugged in the charging block and attached it to the bike. A small red LED light on the charging block was visible. This tells me that the battery is charging.
After approximately 3 to 4 hours, the LED light on the charging block turned green. This indicates that the battery is fully charged. With pedal assist, the Frost electric bike can travel up to 30 km on a single charge. Thus, it’s a good habit to adopt a regular charging routine with a dedicated area to charge the Frost e-bike.
What I like about the Gyrocopters Frost
The Frost has a compact design. Folded down it doesn’t take up much space. This has always been my issue with traditional bikes. They are hard to store. The other thing I like about the Frost is the quick folding design. It’s all done in one step. There are other folding e-bikes that fold down at the frame. Those are even more awkward to carry. Finally, I like the shock absorption. It gets the job done to make the ride a little smoother.
What I don’t like about the Frost electric bike
I have three issues with the Frost ebike. First, I wish it went faster. That might be too much to ask for an ebike of this size and price point. I’ve gotten used to 30 km/h bikes and this one would have a tough time keeping up. Perhaps they will release a 500 Watt motor version of the Frost in the future. Second, I wish it had a speedometer. I like to know how fast I’m going and this doesn’t have one. That’s a shame because it’s the one accessory it’s missing. Lastly, it’s hard to carry. I wouldn’t take this on a bus or train. I had a hard time carrying it and walking around.
Final thoughts
Everyone needs to start thinking about electric transportation. There are a lot of government rebates out there to help people make the switch. Since everyone knows how to ride a bike, getting an electric bike makes sense. If space is an issue, there are foldable options like the Frost available. If you’re looking for one such e-bike, then I highly recommend you read this electric transportation buying guide and check out the Gyrocopters Frost electric city bike.
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