British folding e-bike maker FLIT has just unveiled its latest lightweight folding e-bike, the FLIT M2i. And at just 13.3 kg (29.3 lb), this thing is getting impressively light for a fully equipped electric bike.
In fact, FLIT is rather proudly pointing out that the M2i weighs 500 grams (1.1 lb) less than Brompton’s Electric T Line, while carrying a £2,999 price tag that is nearly half Brompton’s £5,799 price.
In the past, the company has poked fun at its local competitor, once offering its own premium folding e-bike for the same price as Brompton’s, but doing so by packaging a 1 lb (450g) can of expensive luxury caviar along with it.
I’ve previously tested an early version of FLIT’s folding e-bike, and it was one of those products that stuck with me. It definitely wasn’t merely another folding bike with a motor bolted onto it. The bike rode surprisingly well for something that folded down so compactly, and the engineering was genuinely interesting. There simply aren’t that many companies trying truly new things with the basic folding e-bike formula.
That’s why I’m particularly excited to see what FLIT has done with the M2i.
The new model sheds 1.2 kg (2.6 lb) compared to the standard M2, but FLIT didn’t resort to an exotic titanium frame to get there. Instead, the company uses its custom aluminum frame manufactured in Cambridge with structural adhesives rather than traditional welding.
It’s a technique borrowed from aerospace and high-performance automotive manufacturing, where structural bonding can avoid the heat distortion associated with welding and help maintain precise alignment. FLIT developed the manufacturing process with support from Innovate UK, the Royal Academy of Engineering, and the Advanced Propulsion Centre.
The rest of the weight savings comes partly from some seriously nice components. The M2i gets British-made Hope XCR Pro X2 hydraulic disc brakes, Goodyear Eagle F1 R tires, a fizik Vento Antares R3 saddle, TPU tubes, a hollow-pin KMC chain, and other lightweight components. FLIT says those parts represent more than £875 in upgrades over the M2.
“We didn’t want to build a 13kg bike that only looks good on a set of scales,” explained Alex Murray, Managing Director at FLIT. “A folding ebike earns its keep when you have to carry it up station stairs or squeeze it onto a busy commuter train. The idea behind the M2i was simple: take weight out without sacrificing usefulness. We already had the M2 platform, so we went through the bike looking for every place we could save weight while keeping it something we’d want to use every day.”
Importantly, this isn’t a stripped-down weight-weenie build. The M2i still has integrated front and rear lights, can roll on its wheels while folded, and folds small enough to fit into train luggage racks.
That combination is what makes the bike so unique. Lots of folding e-bikes exist, but most of the “light” ones hover around 20-25 kg (44-55 lb), which starts feeling decidedly less portable when you’re carrying one up a staircase.
At 13.3 kg, the M2i is getting into the territory where “carry it onto the train” is an actual, easy-to-do feature instead of an optimistic suggestion.
FLIT is pricing the M2i at £2,999, with Cycle to Work savings potentially dropping that considerably.
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