2019 JupiterBike Discovery Review

To run the forums, host the website, and travel, I charge a universal service fee for my reviews. This review was sponsored by JupiterBike. My goal is to be transparent and unbiased, this video and written review are not meant to be an endorsement of JupiterBike products.

Compact is the first thing that comes to mind when looking at the small JupiterBike Discovery. This bike is purpose built, an almost perfect last mile companion to cart around or even just to have fun with on the weekend. The Discovery is a mini folding ebike that comes in 3 colors, 1 small frame size, and a cool aesthetic to emphasis the slim and lightweight 42lb design. You may notice the shorter wheel base and 16” wheels. This, without a doubt, is to keep the bike trim for folding and carrying around. Those tires are a 16” x 1.9” and offer reflective sidewalls and feature a cast magnesium wheel. The wheels are accented nicely with these stylish plastic fenders… these help keep you dry and it looks like they are not full length, but that is a convenience for folding. Speaking of folding convenience, there are 2 magnetic plates on the front and back to keep the bike more securely folded when moving it around, and there is a little roller on the bottom of the frame to better maneuver it when walking it around if you would rather not carry it. Surprisingly, there is quite a bit of comfort in this small package. You get ergonomic grips, a comfort gel saddle (one of my favorite parts), and even a rear suspension. This rear suspension has a really unique design to it… not a ton of travel, but then again this isn’t meant for mountain biking. It is still pretty comfortable and serves its purpose well running around on paved environments. I love the battery integrated lights here. The front headlight points where you steer, and the rear is designed under the seat. That seat light has an independent button to turn it on and off, so don’t forget to turn it off like I did or you will drain the battery. I should also mention it is near the seat enough that if you were wearing a jacket or backpack, it could potentially cover that rear light. Other features include a kickstand mounted in the rear to eliminate annoying pedal lock, plastic folding pedals, and a loud electric horn.

Driving the bike is a 250 watt rear hub motor. This motor is cast into the rims and while it may seem small, it has great power for a bike of this size. It offers 1-3 levels of pedal assist via the sealed cadence sensor and it moves pretty well given the mechanical advantage you have with the smaller wheel size. You won’t be flying by at Mach 1 however, the top speed is limited to 16mph, which is understandable as any faster would feel unstable on such a small machine. Still, you are plugging away much faster than a regular bicycle. There is a throttle here too, this is tied to the pedal assist, so the top speed will be dictated by which level you are in, 1-3. Mechanically, you have normal sized 170mm crank arms, so the pedaling rotation feels nice and natural compared to other small bikes or trikes that feel more like tip-toe-ing when you pedal. It is a single speed 11 tooth sprocket with a 48 tooth front chain ring. Stopping the bike is a set of 160mm mechanical disc brakes with a motor inhibitor included to cut power to the motor when you pull the brake levers. Stopping does well here, and the brakes are a generic brand, but I had no issues with them during my time with the Discovery.

Powering the bike is a 36v 5.2ah lithium-ion battery pack. The pack is mounted in the frame near the main folding tube. Simply remove the main latch and being to fold the frame in half to access the battery for taking it in and out. 5.2ah may not be the largest range… I suspect a charge would take you somewhere around 14 miles or so, but the small amp hour rating was done for a reason. The 5.2ah rating meets federal regulations with the FAA so you can take the battery with you when you fly! This is nice since as a last mile vehicle, it stows away nicely, so it really makes the ultimate travel companion. To really care for this and other lithium-ion packs, I have heard that storing in a cool dry location vs. extreme heat or cold will extend the life, and try to keep it about 50% full when not using for long periods so you won’t stress the cells. Try not to let it run down to zero, because that’s really hard on the cell chemistry.

The display here is a compact little grayscale display. While the display may not be removable, it does have a backlight to make it easier to read. To power it on, press and hold the M button. Once the display is on, you will see a battery infographic at the top along with a battery percentage. I love that it shows this since it takes the guess work out of how much battery you have exactly left when there is only 1 bar on an infographic. Pressing the M button will scroll through trip-set, odometer, and a timer. The speed is shown in MPH and the + and – buttons will raise or lower that pedal assist level.

Wrapping up, I found that the JupiterBike Discovery was a great little ride and I love that it meets FAA regulations to make it a perfect travel companion. There are some tradeoffs though. I found that the single speed mixed with the cadence based pedal assist means you have to pump it a little more for the electric system to kick in and get going. Luckily, there is a throttle here, so you can use that to get you going if pedaling is difficult. Also, the bike is small in a lot of ways which can be a bit of a negative. Small battery, small drivetrain, small wheel base… but at least all of this somewhat serves a purpose to keep it compact and portable. As mentioned before, the bike has a purpose, and if it fits your needs, this could be a great setup. Thrown in the smaller price too of $1,295 and you have your self a value bike that could check off your boxes. I want to thank JupiterBikes for sending me the Discovery to review and I look forward to future offerings.

As always, I welcome questions and feedback in the comment section below. Whether you own a previous version of the bike, have taken a test ride, or are brand new to the space, my goal is to provide an objective and honest resource. You can also join the JupiterBike ebike forums and share your own photos, videos, and review updates to help others! Have fun out there, and ride safe :)

Pros:

• A stylish, small, compact, and lightweight folding ebike with rear suspension, fenders, cast rims, and is approved by the FAA to travel by plane
• Quite a bit of comfort in this small package, you get ergonomic grips, a comfort gel saddle (one of my favorite parts), and even a rear suspension
• This rear suspension has a really unique design to it, pretty comfortable and serves its purpose well running around on paved environments
• The tires are 16” x 1.9” and offer reflective sidewalls, feature a cast magnesium wheel, and have a great mechanical advantage to get the motor going, pedals, and brakes as well
• Stylish plastic fenders that help keep you dry and while like they are not full length, the shorter length makes it a convenience for folding
• I love the battery integrated lights here. The front headlight points where you steer, and the rear is designed under the seat
• A 250 watt rear hub motor, this motor is cast into the rims and while it may seem small, it has great power for a bike of this size, it offers 1-3 levels of pedal assist via the sealed cadence sensor and it moves pretty well given the mechanical advantage you have with the smaller wheel size, there is a throttle here too, perfect if you don’t want to pedal
• Normal sized 170mm crank arms, so the pedaling rotation feels nice and natural compared to other small bikes or trikes that feel more like tip-toe-ing when you pedal
• 160mm mechanical disc brakes with a motor inhibitor included to cut power to the motor when you pull the brake levers, the brakes are a generic brand, but I had no issues with them
• 36v 5.2ah battery charges quickly and that small amp hour rating was done for a reason, the 5.2ah rating meets federal regulations with the FAA so you can take the battery with you when you fly! This is nice since as a last mile vehicle, it stows away nicely, so it really makes the ultimate travel companion
• For folding convenience, there are 2 magnetic plates on the front and back to keep the bike more securely folded when moving it around, and there is a little roller on the bottom of the frame to better maneuver it when walking it around if you would rather not carry it

Cons:

• I found that the single speed mixed with the cadence based pedal assist means you have to pump it a little more for the electric system to kick in and get going, luckily, there is a throttle here, so you can use that to get you going if pedaling is difficult
• The bike is small in a lot of ways which can be a bit of a negative, small battery, small drivetrain, small wheel base… but at least all of this somewhat serves a purpose to keep it compact and portable
• The battery integrated rear light has an independent button to turn it on and off, so don’t forget to turn it off like I did or you will drain the battery, also it is positioned under the seat enough that if you were wearing a jacket or backpack, it could potentially cover that rear light
• The top speed is 16mph which is not fast for ebikes, but I understand why it was chosen here, any faster could be dangerous on the smaller wheel base, it still is faster than a regular bicycle and works well