The Jupiter Foldable Electric Bike ($895) is a lightweight portable bicycle that you can take with you on the train for your morning commute or toss in the trunk of your car for a weekend getaway.
Its unique design allows it to be folded down to a size that will fit in a backpack, and it reassembles quickly and easily.
There are no pedals on this bike—it's powered by a well-hidden battery and motor combo.
It can reach speeds of up to 15mph and comes with a handy mobile app that tells you how fast you're going, what direction you're heading in, and how much battery life you have left.
The Jupiter isn't cheap, but it's fun to ride as long as you don't mind a few bumps along the way.
Honest, Objective Reviews
Daxdi.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering Labs-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services.
Our expert industry analysis and practical solutions help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.
Design and Features
The Jupiter Bike uses an aluminum alloy frame that is shaped like a figure eight.
It weighs 24 pounds and measures 35.5 by 6.2 by 49.9 inches (HWL) when unfolded and 16.3 by 20.5 inches when folded.
It has two 10-inch black hard rubber wheels and can handle a rider weighing up to 250 pounds.
The bike comes in black, blue, green, orange, or white.
Most electric bikes and scooters sport a battery pack and an electric motor somewhere on the frame, but you won't find either on the Jupiter.
That's because they are actually embedded in the wheels: the front wheel holds a lithium-ion battery and the rear wheel holds a brushless motor.
There's also an embedded Bluetooth radio that communicates with your Android or iOS phone, and on the upper part of the frame are a power jack and a power button.
A thumb-controlled throttle on the right handlebar increases and decreases speed, and there's a thumb-controlled electric brake on the left.
Folding and unfolding the bike is easy, but takes a little practice to fully master.
There's a hinge between the two loops of the frame that lets you fold it in half.
The wheels then fold into the loops, the handlebars fold down, and the seat pops off.
To assemble the bike, unfold the frame and lock it in place using the hinge lock.
Unfold each wheel, making sure to engage the quick-release locking mechanisms that hold the wheels in place so that they don't buckle while riding.
The handlebars fold up and are pressed into their sockets and locked in place using a clamp, and two footrests fold down on either side of the frame.
Press the seat into place on the seat bar and you're ready to ride.
The mobile app is very straightforward.
Upon launching, the app will begin searching for the bike, which must be powered on and within Bluetooth range.
Once it finds your bike, tap the button with the bike name to connect to it, at which point the bike and the app will emit a beep.
This also launches the Dashboard, which contains a large speedometer, a battery level indicator, and a compass that shows you which direction you're heading in.
At the bottom of the Dashboard screen are a Home button that takes you back to the Dashboard, a Discovery button that links you to reviews of the Jupiter Bike, and a Support button where you can find links to YouTube, Facebook, Instagram pages.
It also has a support phone number and a Contact Us option to leave your email address and a short message.
In the upper left corner of the Dashboard screen is a button that opens a menu with a Connect tab (for connecting via Bluetooth), a Dashboard tab, a Discovery tab, a Support tab, and a Settings where you can set speed units (MPH, KPH) and language (English, Espanol, Deutsche).
There's also a Speed Limit setting that you can use to restrict the top speed of the bike.
There are a handful of accessories available for the Jupiter Bike.
A Universal Cross-Grip Cell Phone Mount ($24.95) lets you attach your phone to the handlebars where you can easily view your speed and direction, and the Rolling Backpack ($89.95) provides an easy way to take the bike and charger with you wherever you go.
Jupiter also sells a seat upgrade ($44.95) and various replacement parts such as wheels, seat bars, and spare chargers.
Setup and Performance
Once the bike has been unfolded and all of the clamps are locked in place, plug in the charging cable and let the bike charge for around two hours.
Jupiter recommends unplugging the cable once the bike is fully charged to avoid damage to the batteries.
You don't need the mobile app to use the bike, but if you're taking a longer ride you might want to use it to monitor your battery level, or you could wind up Lyfting your way home.
The Jupiter Bike provided a relatively smooth ride in my tests as long as the road I was riding on was smooth.
When I drove it over a rough section of road I could feel every bump, courtesy of the small, hard rubber tires.
Larger inflatable tires like the ones on the newly announced (and more expensive) JupiterBike Discovery could offer a more comfortable ride.
I also felt that with the smaller tires I might lose control if I tried to make a sharp turn, which makes sense since there's just not that much rubber meeting the road.
I'd suggest sticking to nice wide turns to avoid a nasty spill.
The bike showed good acceleration and had no trouble moving my 200-pound frame up moderate slopes, and the electric brake was responsive without being too sensitive.
I consistently got a little over 10 miles out of the battery before needing a recharge, which never needed more than two hours to fully juice the battery.
While the mobile app does a good job of letting you know how fast you're going and what direction you're heading in, there's room for improvement.
I'd love to be able to see where you are on a map, in real-time, with a breadcrumb trail of where you've been.
This would come in handy while riding in an unfamiliar area.
An odometer showing how miles traveled would also be welcome, as would a user-defined battery life notification.
For example, a visible and audible alert when you've used half of your battery would ensure that you can make it back to your point of origin before running out of power.
Conclusions
Whether you're an urban commuter or just looking to get out and feel the wind on your face, the Jupiter Folding Electric Bike will get you where you need to go.
The ride can get a bit bumpy depending on road conditions, but it's a fun way to travel nonetheless.
Small enough to carry around in a backpack, the Jupiter Bike can be conveniently stowed in a boat, camper, or in the trunk of a car, and it's easy to take along on a train or bus.
It's a good fit for space-constrained apartment dwellers who want to buzz around town without leaving a carbon footprint, though its $895 price may be too steep for some.
Jupiter Foldable Electric Bike
Cons
The Bottom Line
The Jupiter Foldable Electric Bike is a smart battery-powered bicycle that folds up to fit in a backpack and connects to your phone to display battery life, direction, and speed.