REVIEW – Biking is a great pastime, but sometimes, getting to the place you want to bike is a bit fraught. I’ve got bikes now that require more transport ability than my tiny Prius can provide, so I volunteered when the DYU C9 long-range fold-up e-bike came up in the review list. I’ve ridden it exclusively for the few rides I’ve been able to make between snow and rain, but have put together the review below. I think you’ll like it.
⬇︎ Jump to summary (pros/cons)
Price: $1099.00
Where to buy: Company Webstore
What is it?
The DYU C9 is a fold-up e-bike designed for long-range trips.
What’s in the box?
- The bike itself (some assembly required!)
- Pedals
- Charger
- Charging Cable
- Spanner & Hex Key
- Thumb-operated bell
- Owner’s Manual
- Warranty Card
Hardware specs
- Battery – 48V 15.6AH
- Motor – 750W
- Net weight – 30kg (66 lbs)
- Max load – 120kg
- Max speed – 45km/h
- Assistant-Mileage – 83km
Design and features
The DYU C9 20 inch Long-Range E-bike has 20” tires and a very comfortable, full-sized saddle. The handlebar has standard brake calipers, with a nice little bell mountable near the right thumb. The throttle is close to the left thumb, which engages without the pedals so that you can walk it through pedestrian areas easily. There is a shifter for the 7-level Shimano derailleur, which works flawlessly and is controlled by the right thumb and right index finger. I was sent the Emerald Green colorway, but there’s also the basic Wedding White if you’d prefer.
The rear equipment rack bolts firmly with four solid attachment points. The rear brake light is built into the rack, and there is a wiring harness plug opposite the derailleur. The rack is welded together and has solid bolt holes for the available child seat, cargo basket, or any third-party item you’d like to add. There is a front basket option as well.
Setup
You’ll need to attach the handlebar (with a friction lock instead of four Torx screws!), insert the saddle into the seat post, mount the front wheel, and attach the pedals. The front light , along with the front fender, and the rear cargo rack (which has the taillight) also need to be mounted and connected. Not too difficult, but you’ll have to flip the bike over a time or two. Pretty standard bike assembly stuff.
Performance
Fold-up bikes are a compromise for the sake of convenience, so they will never match up to your standard whip. This little 20-incher, however, brings a lot to the party. There is a very low (15”) step-through passage, possibly the lowest I’ve seen in any e-bike, especially a fold-up. The hinge for the main frame is easy to release and folds up readily. (It’s a little tight to start, but you don’t want it falling apart while you’re riding, so I’ll take it.) The handlebar post-release has a very nice twist-lock to prevent it from flapping over if you hit a rogue hedge. I could open or deploy the bike in under two minutes after just a time or two. The video below was my first attempt at folding it. I did leave the handlebar post until last on subsequent deployments.
On the initial ride, I was surprised when I kicked it up to the second level of assist. Suddenly, I was flying along at a much more brisk pace than I was expecting. The lower setting was fine, but when I needed that little boost for a larger hill, I got a LOT more assist!! I see this as a good thing, but it was quite unexpected.
The battery for the DYU C9 20 Inch Long-Range Ebike was amazing. On my several trips to my Taco Dive Bar (about a mile each way), I was never able to get it below 80% charge during my testing. I can’t wait to take it on longer trips later this spring/summer and see how it fares over longer routes. I did a 20-mile ride with a group as the only fold-up and the only e-bike a few days ago. I kept up with them without any problems. I was able to fold and stow my bike into my little Prius in about the same amount of time it took my fellow riders to mount their full-sized “acoustic” bikes to the racks on their SUVs. (Yes, this made me feel smug. I’m a bad person, I know.)
The saddle is very nice for a small fold-up bike. It is well-padded, full-sized, and has a center vent. The post has a shock absorber in it, which makes the ride a bit smoother. I did find that this was a bit stiff, so when it “gave”, I feared the friction lock that holds the seat in place was slipping. But the lock never once slipped.
The electric assist display is attached by the left grip. It’s pretty standard, with memory for tracking your trip distances and showing the current level of assist. I’m a bit spoiled by the displays that are now being built into the stem, rather than looking like an afterthought, but this display is large and backlit. The buttons are very responsive to touch.
After using full-sized bikes for so long, the short crank arm is a bit irritating. I know the small front gear wheel needs to be small, but do the pedals have to be on such short crank arms? It feels like you’re pedaling furiously all the time!
Final thoughts
I love the concept of a fold-up bicycle. I have a small car, and hate trying to balance my larger bikes on a rack on the back. I had a larger car with a receiver rack for many years, but even then, I always worried about one of them falling off on the highway. Having the bike folded up in the trunk is such a comfort. If I’m meeting a friend in a near-by town for a ride, I can just toss the DYU C9 20 Inch Long-Range Ebike in the back of my car and go – no cap. Wide tires, good range, and low step-thru means I’ll be comfy getting onto and off of this bike anywhere. And the higher-range assist means no hills are going to pose a problem.
What I like about the DYU C9 long-range electric bike
- Great rear rack – very solid!
- Amazing assist at higher levels
- Easy folding
- Very low step-thru
What I’d change
- Seat constantly felt like it was sinking into the tube.
- Short pedal crank length – (Can’t the crank arms be longer than the diameter of the front chain wheel?)
Price: $1099.00
Where to buy: Company Webstore
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by DYU Cycle and the company did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
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