I think an updated opinion is due.
I had nine months now with the Kwiggle, and probably around a thousand kilometers. During the 2, 3 coolest months I did not use it, since the cold temps corresponded with rainy weather and slippery underground, smear and grease fro wet leaves. That are conditions I do not feel so comfortable with the Kwiggle, because i now use such a high and elevated position for the saddle that when I need to stop at a white line or red traffic light, my stand is much more instable than with on a normal bike where I can easier connect to the ground with foot. Sometimes I jumpo off, its safer and easier. But you must not have your saddle this high, btw. I do it for the speed. And boy, this little speed demon in unbelievably fast and agile!
Surprisingly the Kwiggle has taken over a lot from my mechanical (non-electrical) bike with 28" wheels, if I must not transport a lot of stuff and do not go shopping, I now take the Kwiggle. To go in town from A to B, the Kwiggle is now my preferred choice -
simply because I am faster than with the e-bike or the mechanical bike in the urban environment. Believe it or not, but its true.
In the first months I had the saddle a bit too low, still too low, I thought it already was high since it was higher than on my other bikes. The result is that the Kwiggle's unique design could not work to its full advantage, and I did not realise it, but I meanwhile learned that this way I wasted power, and speed. This spring, for some reason, I changed the position of the saddle, and put it closer to the steering bar and higher. The saddle now is one handwidth ABOVE my navel! Note that it swings up and down by maybe 10cm, however, its feather steel (stable to minimum 250 kg). The technical change was not dramatic to how it was before, but the felt difference it made could not be any more dramatic! I now indeed "drive-walk" in a fully upright posture, both legs and body are in a vertical straight line as if I were walking. My feet can fully push the pedal only when I
fully stretch the legs. This has several consequences. You drive very relaxed, your leg muscles stay very relaxed and comfortable, rested. Because you must not use your muscle as much as on a n ormnal bike, it is the weight of your body that you just let drop onto the pedals. That increases your endurance, obviously. And increases the speed even further! The speeds I drive with this
are isane, absolutely insane, in excess of 30km/h, and that I sometimes hit 35 km/h can happen and does happen every drive. (On my normal non electical bike I drive with 15-22, 23 km/h, usually) Why I know this so precisely?
The answer is surprising. I think I so far have not had a single ride where I have not been approached by people and got asked about it, sometimes even during driving. Even a full group of racing bike riders once encircled me in movement and asked me questions from all directions - while riding together at high speed. They were perplexed. THEY ALWAYS ARE
Another biker once drove with me ho had a speedometer, from that opportunity I knew what speed I had at that time - thats why I know the maximum speed I can reach with this little thing (I also have good feeling for speeds in this range since my other two bikes both have speedometers). Today, this evening a service car suddenly was on my left side on a long empty road, the window went down and a - apparently ukrainian - man laughed and asked me about it and was totally perplexed and was fascinated and wanted to know everything about it. There were many occasions when I was approached and when the chemistry was right when i willed to demonstrate people the folding mechanism because I know they cannot find the bike in any shop. The reaction is always the same: perplexion, fascination and sort of disbelief (I can now fold the bike in less than 20 seconds, and unfold it in 5 seconds by throwing it into the air - the old and the young: you should see some of the faces! Mouth open, eyes wide. Its always the same.
I did not expect to use this thing this intensively, I saw it more as a freetime leasure toy, I was curious. But now I have it in regular routine use, and found my big "saddle bags" for the other bikes can be mounted on the front and do not block the light as I initially thought they would, its bigger bags.
A fantastic thing. The price is now between 15 and 17 hundred - and by that it is so much cheaper than other folding bikes, not to mention overpriced Bromptons. Direct sale from the manufacturer without intermediate traders - thats the secret. In a shop a Kwiggle would cost 800-1000 Euros more.
No technical problems, no loose chain, no visible wear and tear. The thing is more robust than my two other bikes, can you believe it! It still looks like new.
So after now nine months, my long time experience is overwhelmingly positive - even more so than last year after I bought it. To me it now feels like a natural extension of my body.
Negatives: you must think in advance about the route you drive, too rugged ground is a no go, cobble stone is not your friend, things like this. However, I drive this without problems on regular "civilised" forest paths made of condensed sand and fine gravel. The creator disocurages oyu to try steeper elevations than 10%, and I think 19% already is heafty with this. Starting to gia ns peed when laucnhign from standstill takes lyu longer, also if the wind is on your face you have disadvanbatges to normal hbnikes, since your upright body serves like a sail catching the wind. Going upwards at elevations I am slower than with a normal bike.
My summary is even more positive than it was last year: Kwiggle is a brilliant thing! And you are FAST. Racing bicycles and sports drivers you do not keep up with, of course, but more than 9 out of 10 city and touring bike drivers I overtake - with leaving a wind in their faces.
You wouldnt believe the accoustic reactions I sometimes hear in my rear. From shoutings of disbelief, to something like hysterical giggling...
