There are a few things to consider when analyzing the speed test for the Efold. A huge factor of how this bike’s programming felt is the fact that it’s a single speed – there’s only one gear to handle every situation this Ebike finds itself in.
On one hand, this is the beauty of electric assist. When that single gear doesn’t have enough low end range, the motor can step in and level the playing field. Conversely, there are limitations to single speed drivetrains, which we’ll get into below.
Another consideration is the power delivery. In each assist mode, the motor only provides boost up to a certain speed cap; this isn’t uncommon, but it does affect the feel of the programming, especially in the low assist modes.
Beginning with no pedal assist on, I averaged about 8.6 mph at a natural cadence. From there, I increased to PAS 1. It was difficult to tell that the motor had engaged; after a few turns of the crank, I started to feel a very slight amount of assistance, and my speed increased to 9.6 mph.
In PAS 2, the motor starts to feel much more present. In fact, once it reached its settling speed of 11.6 mph, I was beginning to feel some ghost pedaling. In this assist mode, the motor was just barely outrunning the single speed drivetrain. To engage the gears, I would’ve had to pedal at just a slightly faster pace than would have been comfortable.
The ghost pedaling continued through the rest of the assist levels. I averaged 13.5 mph in PAS 3, 16.5 in PAS 4, and topped out at 20 mph in PAS 5.
As I said, the Efold’s drivetrain setup puts it in a unique situation when it comes to programming. The bike’s motor is essentially doing all of the work above PAS 2 (due to the ghost pedaling), and so the power curve through the assist levels is almost completely dictated by the bike’s default setup; in other words, my pedaling input didn’t contribute to the results much.
Each step up from PAS 1 to PAS 3 feels predictable and incremental. The speed climbs about 2 mph with each increase, but there is a caveat. PAS 1 is programmed to settle around 9.6 mph, which feels a bit slow to start the curve at. Most riders will hit that speed ceiling at a natural cadence and feel the need to intensify the assist quickly. Beyond the first three assist levels, the jumps in power become less incremental, as seen in the numbers. Each increase in the higher tiers feels rapid and assertive.
I also tested the Efold’s twist throttle. From a standstill, the acceleration isn’t particularly quick, but it is smooth. On flat paths, it doesn’t struggle to hit the 20 mph speed cap. The 350W motor isn’t a monster powerhouse, but it does enough for a decent result in the throttle test.
At a glance, the Efold’s programming could use some improvement. I suspect that most riders will skip past PAS 1 due to the somewhat low assist speed. The high power modes could also use more predictable acceleration. My recommendation would be to raise the PAS 1 speed just a bit more – not only would that make PAS 1 a more comfortable mode, but it could help shift the curve towards the top speed, meaning the higher assist levels could more approachably work up to 20 mph.
However, there are some solid upsides. The throttle is good, and the programming quirks don’t mean that the bike isn’t functional and useful. There’s still a lot of value here, and the assist mannerisms aren’t a deal breaker. The Efold still offers real capability at a bargain. It doesn’t have the most refined programming, but for the price, it doesn’t need to.
