City dwellers and bikes go together like baseball and apple pie. If you live in the city and do not have much need to travel, combining public transportation with a bike meets just about all of your needs. So it’s no surprise that bike makers looking to score big with lightweight, folding bikes target the urban crowd.

One of the newest entries in this field is a startup that goes by the name Morfuns Bicycle. They are in the midst of a crowdfunding campaign in hopes of taking their first two bikes into mass production next year. Both are folding e-bikes with all-carbon fiber frames and a revolutionary battery compartment built into the seat post.

Salt Lake City’s Rock West Composites confirms that carbon fiber is the perfect material for a lightweight, folding e- bike. Carbon fiber offers the stiffness and strength you need for a dependable bike without the weight costs of aluminum. And because a carbon fiber frame is so much lighter, it makes coming up with a folding design easier.

Just Unfold and Go

The two models from Morfuns are similar in some ways and different in others. The one thing they have in common is the unfold-and-go concept. The company says you can pull one of their bikes out of the trunk of your car, unfold it, and be on your way in 10 seconds. That seems a little far-fetched but give them the benefit of the doubt.

City dwellers without cars can carry them out of their apartments, unfold them, and hit the road pretty quickly. Those headed to work can fold their bikes up and take them inside. If they are planning to take the bus, their bikes should fit easily on any standard bike rack.

Needless to say that the folding design is one of the most attractive components to urbanites. A city dweller doesn’t want to leave his bike on the street all night. In the absence of a garage in which to park, the only other option is to take the bike inside. A lightweight bike that folds into a neat package is easier to get indoors than a full-size bike that doesn’t fold.

One Size Fits All

Morfuns Bicycle helps its own cause by making the two bikes in a single size. In other words, this is a one-size-fits-all e-bike that can accommodate most riders. Individual bikes are fitted to their riders by adjusting seat and handlebars. Frames do not have to be sized accordingly because of the strength and rigidity carbon fiber offers.

If there is one downside to this design, it is that it eliminates the possibility of outfitting the bike with saddlebags, water bottle holders, etc. Owners are pretty much left with a rather smallish bike frame and nothing else. Any cargo that has to be carried must be carried with a backpack.

The cargo issue is not necessarily a deal-breaker for city dwellers. Their needs tend to be pretty basic for the most part. And when those needs do dictate carrying quite a bit of cargo, there is always public transportation and ride-share options. The e- bike is good for most other journeys.

Carbon fiber’s resistance to weather is the proverbial icing on the cake. Owners of carbon fiber bikes do not have to worry about their machines rusting after exposure to rain and road salt. Carbon fiber is also not bothered by temperature swings and other environmental variables.

Morfuns Bicycle is one of a number of startups targeting urban dwellers with lightweight e-bikes. The bikes are perfect for this demographic in just about every way.

Joyce Laroche