TRANSPORT

Fold fast. Roll anywhere.

The Flit-16 folding electric bike, designed in Cambridge by an ex-Jaguar Land Rover engineer, has been launched. Easy storage, lightness, vivid design and smooth ride quality- Flit is ready to offer you this experience.
2 September, 2019
"Our vision was to make an electric folding bike that feels great to ride, whilst keeping the convenience of a compact commuter bike,' says Dave Henderson, technical lead at FLIT. "Using my background as an automotive engineer, I focused on the e-bike's geometry to give a comfortable and responsive ride, perfect for city journeys."
The Flit 16 is approximately 6kg lighter than competitors, with Dave using his background as a Jaguar Land Rover engineer to design everything into the frame while ensuring that it keeps the stiffness and handling of a much bigger bike. That is why a custom lithium-ion battery pack is hidden in the aluminium top tube, not immediately giving away the fact that this bike is the electric one. The 250 Wh battery uses the latest generation of LG cells, offering 50 kilometers range on a single charge.

Images: DesingBoom
"People were particularly attracted to the look of the eBike," says managing director and co-founder Alex Murray, "both because of the color and design, and because the built-in battery means that at first glance it doesn't look electric.

"Test riders were also impressed by how well the eBike handles. There's a preconception that most folding bikes ride poorly because of their smaller wheels, but it doesn't need to be this way. By designing from scratch and fully integrating parts like the battery into the frame, we've also managed to reduce both the weight and the folded size of the eBike. Combined with the ability to roll it when folded, this was a major plus for lots of our test riders who often want to use or store it in places without a lot of space."

Images: DesingBoom
Powerful LED rear light is built into aluminum frame and additionally functions as a stop light. The front and rear lights can be controlled from the handlebar display, which also shows the battery level, help mode and ride data. The display has a USB port for charging mobile devices and is compatible with Bluetooth.

One more advantage of the eBike is its weight. It is only 14 kilograms including the battery, and it can be folded in ten seconds. The frame is made from a heat-treated 6000 series aluminium alloy, providing incredible strength to weight ratio and corrosion resistance. Some key contact surfaces have been reinforced with stainless steel.

The FLIT-16 was launched this July and has already won the Acid design & IP Champion Award and has also been selected Eurobike startup award finalist. The Flit 16 will initially be sold via a crowdfunding campaign Kickstarte before going retail next year. Three colors will be available: the charcoal grey, smokey white and "a light blue that is a hat tip to our Cambridge origins".
Banner image: DesingBoom