Category: Folding Bicycle
Summer Mountain Trail Ride – 20″ Fat Tire Folding Bike
#scootercowboy #ebikes #vitilan
I live in the American West and it gives me a variety of places to ride. This ride video is in the summer, riding a mountain trail. I love the views, the blue skies and the wildflowers. I had audio issues, so this has a soundtrack, you can turn it down if you like. I’m riding a 48v 16ah 750W Vitilan i7 Pro. Multiple companies sell this frame, so if you are looking at buying this type of ebike, be sure to check the specifications. These bikes can look the same and perform quite differently.
This is a folding 20″ fat tire bike. It is easy to put in the back of my vehicle and take it places. This bike weighs 80 lbs, 20 lbs less than my non-folding 20″ fat tire bike. The suspension is great, especially if you upgrade the rear shock. The seat height is adjustable so it can be set up for a variety of people to ride. I switched out the thumb throttle for a half-twist and the response has smoothed out and made it better to ride. There’s a lot to like about this bike. It’s great for a ride like this.
Vitilan recently update this bike to version 2.0 and it now comes with either a 16 ah or 20ah battery. https://www.vitilanebike.com/products/i7-pro-folding-full-suspension-electric-bike?variant=43319802888370
Ebike laws are changing now that so many people have ebikes. I’ve tried to be conscious about the bikes I’ve purchased and the trails I ride them on. I haven’t gone higher than a 750W motor because once you do you are no longer an “ebike” in some of the states that I ride in. I try to follow the markings for the trails. Because of my age and physical condition, I could never be out in the outdoors like this without the aid of an ebike. I’ve been scowled at, yelled at and had long discussions with other riders about what is and what isn’t legal to ride on trails.
There are so many different types of bikes now, and so many more people riding them, that places traditional bicyclists had to themselves are now impacted. And after someone stays in good shape and works hard to climb up a mountain trail, I can can see how they would get a bit miffed when an ebike goes cruising by. But people are crawling all over everything. It’s not just ebikes that are disruptive. UTV’s didn’t exist a few decades ago, now they are driving over everything and having a far bigger impact on the available space to recreate than ebikes. People who don’t ride ebikes don’t know which bike is what, so the confusion is quick and real. We are having to adjust to each other.
So I’ve learned to take it on the chin, but sometimes I don’t. Just depends on the situation. But when I have a talk with most people they don’t have a problem with someone like me riding an ebike on mountain trails.
Vitilani7 Pro Spring Campus Ride
Here’s a ride video from this spring, took my Vitilan i7 Pro up to the university and rode around campus. I don’t like reviews where someone just goes through the specs. It’s good ti know the specs, but what I really want to know is how it performs. And not just hopping on an ebike and taking it for a spin, but how does it perform over time and in different situations.
That’s why I make these ride videos, so people can see the machine in the situation. What’s it really like to ride? How does it respond to different conditions? How do people react to it? You can’t know these things without putting in some miles.
I was able to switch out the thumb throttle for a half-twist throttle and it makes the riding experience much more enjoyable. It is easier to control the speed at slow speeds and accelerates smoother. I also replaced the lower shock with a air shock and that has greatly improved the ride as well. It gives a softer feeling, feels like it should, rather than how it did.
My kickstand broke off and I contacted Vitilan. They tried to get me to take a plastic clamp-on kickstand to fix it, but that didn’t sound fair after I just bought the bike a short time ago. I held out and they send me a new swingarm, but they won’t pay for the repair. So I have to find time to switch it out. Ugh.
I’ve been working on my audio/video setup and I’ve made some improvements. They don’t start for a few videos, but it has taken some time to find a good setup and get comfortable with it. More coming.
Also, I’ve made a recent purchase of an amazing mobility scooter, the Afikim S4, more to come on that.
I ride every day, rain or shine. Sharing my experiences with other mobility users.
#mobilityusers #vitilan #vitilani7pro #ebikes
Vitilan i7 Pro – Urban Ride
The snow has melted and it’s time to hit the streets! You can see what it is like to drive this bike in traffic. Vitilan i7 Pro urban ride. See the bike in traffic. I ride throttle only, top speed around 26-27 m.p.h. Used to get top speed of 28 m.p.h. until I added Flat Out and the bag. The acceleration is good off the line and the top speed is good. Can handle a hill too. I am wearing my full-faced motorcycle helmet, felt appropriate on the street. Also helps keep my head warm when it’s cold out.
I’ve put around 80 miles on the bike up to this point. It’s great. It’s easy to load into my SUV, I don’t fold the bike, just the handlebars. I strap it down and it is easy in and out. I’ve taken it on the train, no problem. I’ve been using it on a work shoot this week where parking is extremely limited. I park a little bit away, then pop out my bike and head to the site. I work as a photographer, so I use the bike to move around the site that I’m shooting and it was fantastic.
Still wish it had a twist throttle, my first attempt failed, but I’ll find one. I’m going to replace the shock and see if I can’t get a better ride.
Be careful out there. Stop talkin’ and ride!
#vitilan #vitilani7pro #insta360
Bike: Vitilan i7 Pro https://www.vitilanebike.com/products…
Flat Out: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08X6JSXB8?…
Camera: Insta 360 https://www.insta360.com/product/inst…
Bag: Rock Bros 35L https://tinyurl.com/4rdep7ea
Bag on Aliexpress tinyurl.com/4k3nt2fc
Hafny E13 Mirror https://tinyurl.com/uh9d8bun
Schwinn Comfort Bike Seat https://tinyurl.com/aw7wdu25
Vitilan i7 Pro Desert Trail Ride
Vitilan i7 Pro on a single track dirt trail ride in the desert foothills. This is a stock Vitilan i7 Pro out of the box.
I found the bike capable and ready-to-go out of the box.This bike has more than enough speed and power for any casual rider. It’s potent. I took it out and rode it hard in tough conditions and it came through. I didn’t crash and it didn’t break! I wouldn’t recommend a ride like this for an inexperienced rider, but if you know how to ride, this bike is good fun off-road.
I lowered the tire air pressure to around 8 PSI and put on a Schwinn comfort seat (big improvement). I changed the settings to allow full throttle all the time and moved the throttle control to the right side. Also added Rock Bros bag which stayed secure throughout the ride. You can see my GoPro on my helmet, had to improvise because the handlebars are too thin for my mount. You can also see the shadow of my 360 camera that I used to shoot this video.
As an over 60 rider, my joints aren’t good, and as you can see in the video, stepping over the frame on this bike is right at my limit. I’ve found some tricks to getting on and off, but it’s a bit of a challenge. I have an ebike with a step-thru frame and it’s much easier to get on and off. Aside from that, I do pay a substantial price in pain after a ride like this. I can only ride like this occasionally, not every day. I got an ebike with suspension because I want a softer ride. But when I’m feeling it, I can also put that suspension to work on the trail.
The Vitilan or Rock Bros 35L bag is a perfect fit for this bike. I got the Rock Bros version because I liked the muted logo, but it’s essentially the same bag. Very convenient for taking things along on the ride. It can be removed quickly and easily.
Be careful out there.
#vitilan #vitilanebike #vitilani7pro
Vitilan i7 Pro: https://www.vitilanebike.com/products…
Schwinn Comfort Seat: https://www.amazon.com/Schwinn-Comfor…
Vitilan Bike Bag: https://www.vitilanebike.com/products…
Rock Bros Bike Bag: https://www.amazon.com/RockBros-Water…
HafnyE13 Mirror: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BJDYCXG?…
Vitilan i7 Pro Snow Ride
Got a new ebike, the Vitilan i7 Pro. It’s 48v 750W 16aH, which keeps it legal on the trails and as a bike in my state and many others. It has an impressive set of features for an entry-level bike. But calling this entry-level isn’t fair. This ebike will get a lot done. I’ve only had it for a short time, and this is one of the first rides I took. It has been snowing and I got tired of waiting so I took it out for a ride in the snow to see what it could do. Overall, I was impressed. It seemed to be able to handle the snow without much trouble. When you combine snow, ice and mud it gets sketchy, but it’s sketchy for any two-wheeled vehicle. The first part is just snow on a grass field, the second part is trail riding. This is the ride I took to the place where I took this photograph.
I’ve since ridden it off-road on dirt trails, I’ve got another video coming with that, but thumbs up for the Vitilan i7 Pro off-road! More later.
iZip EZGO Folding Bicycle Spokes
Need rear spokes for your iZip EZGO? They are HARD TO FIND and expensive when you do. I am selling 10 for $10 plus shipping. They are 94mm in length, 13g. The bike calls for 93mm for the left and 94mm for the right, so you can use these on both sides and just trim the length. My iZip breaks spokes on the back with the small 16″ tire, no suspension and a hub mounted motor. I trued my wheel using this excellent guide and I quit breaking them regularly. Now I break them occasionally. It took a long time to true the wheel, but I did it using simple tools.
iZip EZGO spokes. You need ’em, I got ’em.
GoPed Knowped Kick Scooter Seat Build – DIY
Lacking proper knowledge but never letting that stop me, one of the best ideas I’ve had in a while is putting a seat on my GoPed Know Ped. Originally a friend, and my son and I, welded up a seat for my TRX Personal Transporter Scooter. We cut a seat post from an old bike and welded a foot plate on it. Somehow, without any planning or engineering of any kind, we built it just right. You can check out the ride in this YouTube video here that I made a while ago. It was unreal fun. BTW, the video is a parody of, well… We were just having fun.
Eventually the TRX wore out (sadly) so before I sold it to someone for a build, I pulled off the seat we made. One day I was sitting and looking at the seat and then my GoPed and started thinking about it. Turns out if I turned it around from how I had it on the TRX, it would fit on the board of the GoPed. Not exactly, but close enough. On the back bolt pattern that I realized if I used metal washers I could over-lap the GoPed frame support for the deck. Plus, I used wing-nuts, figuring I could easily take it off for travel. 
(Looking back, if I were making one now, I would try to drill the holes in the seat plate for the bolts to fit through the factory holes on the frame support.)
Anyway, I drilled the holes through my deck board where they already where on my seat post plate. Then I used bolts, large metal washers and large rubber washers to connect the seat plate to the board. I figured the rubber washers would act like a spring and compress the nut, holding it tighter. I prayed it would hold. I was right! I never have to tighten the nuts. It’s been unreal.
One more thing I did…
I wanted to fly with it when we go visit family. I did it once without the seat folding. I just took the seat off and put it back on. But that was kind of a hassle. One day, as I sat and looked at my pile of old scooter parts, something came to me. I had an old Schwinn electric scooter with the fold down handlebars. It hit me to take the handlebars and turn them into the seat post.
Here’s how I did it:
First, I took the handlebars out. Then I cut off the crossbar “handlebar” with an angle grinder. I had another seat piece from another scooter that slid down perfectly over the handlebar insert part that tightens. So basically I flipped the handlebars upside down. I basically mounted the foot plate where the handlebar was.
I took it to a local weld shop. They had an ENORMOUS machine that they used to cut the metal foot plate to size. We also cut braces. The metal with the cutting was $15. I brought the scooter in and showed the guy what I was trying to do and left it with him. A while later I came back and it was ready to go with nice welds. About $35. I took it home, drilled the holes and painted it. 
An extra step I took was to cover the bottom of the metal foot with rubber. I had an old motorcycle tube that I cut to lay flat, then used contact cement to glue pieces to form the solid bottom, then I trimmed it. I think this rubber helps keep things together and keeps it quieter. 
Then I attached it the same way as before, bolts with metal and rubber washers and wing nuts. 
It rides great, and I can quickly fold it down and put it in the trunk or a bag ready to fly. I can check it with the airline for free as my mobility aid and I just drop it off at the end of the skywalk with the strollers.
The folding seat has added a lot of functionality. Luckily, we made it just right so the GoPed handlebars are the last thing to fold and go right on top. When I slip on the web strap it is compact and sturdy. I did end up gluing another piece of rubber on the deck to prevent the sandpaper from rubbing my seat off.
I have been riding my scooter on a regular basis for about 2 years. It has been incredible. There is enough room to stand in front of it and kick. My grandkids like to stand on the deck and go for a ride.
The GoPed itself is super strong and capable. I ride it indoors and out, great for big stores. The front brake is a necessity for seated kickscooting. This scooter is tough. On a trip to a National Wildlife Refuge I put it against the back bumper of the truck to load later. Only I forget and drove right over the scooter with our trailer. Not a problem. I few things got turned or twisted, fixed easily enough and still glides like a champ. The scooter can go forward or back, turns tightly and is very responsive. Very easy to ride around people and in tight spaces. And when I ride it in stores kids stare at me like I am Santa! I would love to get a read one eventually.
GoPed Know Ped makes an excellent scooter, the seat mod makes it even better!
Folding Bike On The Train
I often ride the train to get places. To get to the train station I ride a folding bicycle. It takes me about 10 minutes. Then I fold the bike up and get on the train. With the bike folded I can keep it with me in the seat, it’s great. When I get to my stop, I can unfold the bike and ride farther still.
I took a ride the other day and snapped a few pictures out the window. This is mobility to me. The ability to go, to do, to get places.
My folding bike is great. It has 12″ wheels and is a bit wild to ride, which to me makes it more fun. It is a one speed but is a pretty good gearing, I can ride most everywhere without much trouble and it actually goes pretty good. I have never seen another one exactly like it. It is a great ride, folds quickly and fits in the trunk. Super easy to transport. I have taken it with me on several RV trips and it allows me to ride wherever I go.