Name: Platinum e-Bikes 3OND Review
Item: Platinum e-Bikes 3OND
Author: Court Rye

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Platinum e-Bikes 3OND Review

Platinum E Bike 3ond Electric Bike Review

Platinum E Bike 3ond Color Display Grip Shifter

Platinum E Bike 3ond Trigger Throttle Left

Platinum E Bike 3ond Shimano Nexus Internally Geared 7 Speed Hub Band Brake

Platinum E Bike 3ond Zoom Suspension With Lockout

Platinum E Bike 3ond Bafang 350 Watt Mid Drive Motor

Platinum E Bike 3ond 160 Mm Mechanical Disc Brake

Platinum E Bike 3ond Smart Phone Holder Included

Platinum E Bike 3ond Phone Holder Accessory

Platinum E Bike 3ond 36 Volt 14 Amp Hour Battery

Platinum E Bike 3ond Battery Charger 2 Amp

A stylish and well-balanced folding electric bike, you get fenders, a rear cargo rack and lights (the headlight is integrated, running off the main battery), mid-drive and integrated battery position weight well
Sturdy frame can handle up to 300 lbs, mid-step design is easier to mount and stand over for short riders, the seat tube is extra-long and the stem telescopes upward so it also accommodates taller riders
Stable double-leg scissoring kickstand, beautiful color LCD with lots of options and integrated USB port, upgraded disc brake in the front wheel, durable internally geared 7 speed hub that can be switched at standstill
A bit more expensive given the upgraded hardware and components, display is not removable but the battery pack is (great for folding and transporting given the 53 pound weight of the bike)

Make:

Platinum e-Bikes

Model:

3OND

Price:

$2,199

Body Position:

Upright

Suggested Use:

Neighborhood, Travel

Electric Bike Class:

Throttle on Demand (Class 2)

Learn more about Ebike classes

Warranty:

1 Year Comprehensive

Availability:

United States

Model Year:

2017

Total Weight:

53 lbs (24.04 kg)

Battery Weight:

6.5 lbs (2.94 kg)

Frame Material:

6061 Aluminum Alloy

Frame Sizes:

14.5 in (36.83 cm)

Geometry Measurements:

14.5" Seat Tube, 24" Reach, 24" Stand Over Height, 64" Length

Frame Types:

Mid-Step, Folding

Frame Colors:

Microcrystalline Matte Black, Microcrystalline Matte White

Frame Fork Details:

Zoom Suspension, Lockout, Preload Adjust, 9 mm Quick Release Skewer

Frame Rear Details:

10 mm Threaded Axle with Nuts

Attachment Points:

Rear Rack Bosses, Fender Bosses

Gearing Details:

7 Speed 1x7 Shimano Nexus, Internally Geared Hub

Shifter Details:

Shimano Nexus Grip Twist

Cranks:

8Fun Alloy, 170 mm Lenght

Pedals:

Wellgo LU-C25 Cage

Headset:

Straight 1-1/8"

Stem:

Folding, Telescoping

Handlebar:

Alloy, Flat, 22.5"

Brake Details:

Front: Clarks Mechanical Disc with 160 mm Rotor, Rear: Shimano Inter-M Roller Brake, Bafang Levers with Motor Inhibitors

Grips:

Flat Rubber

Saddle:

Comfort with Bumpers

Seat Post:

Aluminum Alloy

Seat Post Length:

500 mm

Seat Post Diameter:

31.8 mm

Rims:

SR Rain Bow DA-20, Double Wall, 36 Hole

Spokes:

Stainless Steel, 13 Gauge, Silver with Nipples

Tire Brand:

CST City, 20" x 1.75"

Wheel Sizes:

20 in (50.8cm)

Tire Details:

Reflective Sidewall Stripe, 35 to 45 PSI

Tube Details:

Schrader Valve

Accessories:

Steel Fenders with Rubber Mud Flaps, Steel Rear Rack, Integrated Blaze-Lite HL1900, Stand Alone Blaze-Lite Rear Light (Seat Post Mounted)

Other:

Locking Removable Battery Pack, 300 lb Max Rider Weight

Motor Brand:

Bafang

Motor Type:

Mid-Mounted Geared Motor

Learn more about Ebike motors

Motor Nominal Output:

350 watts

Battery Brand:

Samsung

Battery Voltage:

36 volts

Battery Amp Hours:

14 ah

Battery Watt Hours:

504 wh

Battery Chemistry:

Lithium-ion

Charge Time:

5.5 hours

Estimated Min Range:

25 miles (40 km)

Estimated Max Range:

60 miles (97 km)

Display Type:

Bafang DPC14, Fixed, Color, Backlit LCD

Readouts:

Time, Battery Voltage or Percentage, Battery Infographic, Speed, Max Speed, Avg Speed, Assist (0-9), Power, Trip Meter, Clock, Timer, Odometer, Range

Display Accessories:

Independent Button Pad on Left, 5 Volt Full Sized USB Charging Port Under Display

Drive Mode:

Cadence Sensing Pedal Assist (Internal Sensor)

Top Speed:

20 mph (32 kph)

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Make or Model

Model Year

Body Position

Suggested Use

Frame Type

Drive Mode

Availability

Price Range

$0 (0 €)$18,000 (16,920 €)

Total Weight

0 lbs (0 kg)227 lbs (103 kg)

Top Speed

0 mph (0.0 km/hr)50 mph (80.5 km/hr)

Battery Watt Hrs

0 watt3,456 watt

Frame Size

0 in (0.00 cm)432 in (1,097.28 cm)

Motor Power

0 Newton meters250 Nm

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The 3OND (pronounced BOND) is a folding electric bike with unique features and a stylish look. The founder of Platinum e-bikes, Cristine Wiseman, has been working in the electric bicycle industry for several years and I’ve seen her at trade shows and other events. She knows her stuff and it’s neat to see her first big product here, it offers a different take and I enjoyed hearing her perspectives during the video review above. And so, you may not have heard of her company before but the product felt solid to ride and it comes with a one solid one year warranty. I like how balanced the frame is, using a mid-drive and mid-mounted battery pack, and I like that it comes with reflective tires and two LED lights for safety. Folding electric bikes have to balance weight and compactness with performance and ride quality and the 3OND does this well. Instead of using a more traditional derailleur, that’s exposed on the side of the frame, it has an internally geared hub. Not only is it protected this way, it also requires a shorter chain that’s less likely to fall off and you can shift gears while stopped! This is a huge deal if you live in a hilly area with stop signs on the way up. The comfort saddle, basic suspension fork and adjustable height stem make it comfortable and possibly more upright vs. aggressive forward depending on how you set it up. While this e-bike only comes in one frame size, the seat post is extra long and I was able to dial it in easily and feel comfortable as a 5’9″ man… taller riders would get along just fine in my opinion and the black or white color schemes let you personalize a little if you order more than one.

Driving the bike is powerful 350 watt mid-drive from Bafang. These are sometimes sold as kits because they attach easily to the bottom bracket on many frames… but not all. Platinum e-Bikes chose a frame here that works with the BBS01 and allows enough space for the wires and keyed ignition above. One of the difficulties with kits and DIY is choosing a battery that will work with your non-ebike frame. The 3OND uses an ebike specific frame with internally mounted battery which looks great and stays out of the way. I was very impressed with the end result. The motor is responsive and powerful but not too quiet or overbearing. Since the wheels here are 20″ vs. 24″ or the more standard full-sized 26″ they are easier to turn and this empowers the motor. Normally I would complain that the BBS01 Bafang mid-drive motors don’t have shift sensing and can strain the chain and shifting mechanisms but that’s less of an issue here… internally geared hubs like the seven-speed Shimano Nexus here won’t shift if too much power is being exerted on them. It’s like a self-protection system and there’s no derailleur or chain movement happening that could get worn out either. In short, with 350+ watts of power and a top speed of 20 mph, this is a very capable folding electric bike and the max weight that the bike can handle is 300 lbs which should work well for a rider and some cargo in many cases.

Powering this folding electric bike is a compact but high-capacity battery pack that slides inside the downtube. You have to fold the bike to get it in and out but you can charge it while it’s in using a little port on the left side of the frame. I’d say average size for most ebike batteries is around 36 volts and 10 amp hours but this one has 14 amp hours. That means you can ride longer and go further without having to plug in. The battery cells inside the pack are made by Samsung, a higher end brand, and there’s a little handle to carry the pack around with so you don’t drop it easily. Earlier, I mentioned that the headlight runs off of this battery pack but the backlit color display and accompanying standard-sized USB port does also! This port is recessed below the display and could be very useful for an additional light, powering a GPS or keeping your phone charged. And, Cristine explained that the first batch of bikes will come with a phone mount. Pretty neat all around… I wanted to call out the charger here as well, it’s fairly compact, about average weight at 1.7 lbs and puts out 2 Amps which means it could take ~5 hours for a full refill of the battery. To really prepare yourself for longer rides I’d recommend using a trunk bag with a bottle holster and putting the charger and a tool set in the bag.

Operating the bike, switching it on, is one of the less-refined areas I explored. It’s a two-step process starting with insertion of the key up into the base of the frame (just above the motor). This requires hunching way down or getting onto your knees, fiddling with the wires to get them out of the way and then inserting and twisting the right way. If I owned this electric bike, I might just always leave the key in for convenience and I would definitely remove any other keys and keychains to reduce noise and possible snags. Up at the display panel and remote button pad (mounted near the left grip) things get much easier. You hold the power button for a few seconds and the bike activates. It started in assist level 1 meaning the throttle was hot… and that seemed like a default, so be careful not to bump the throttle accidentally. Thankfully, the power of the throttle is limited by assist so you wouldn’t be overwhelmed if you did bump it. You can arrow down to zero and the throttle turns off. You can also arrow up through 5 or 9 levels of assist to reach the top speed of 20 mph… but you might also have to change gears to reach this speed. As a mid-drive, the motor is dependent on the gearing to either climb efficiently or go faster. The motor RPM range is good however, and I hit 20 mph in the top two gears when testing. The button pad itself was easy to reach, well sealed against water and compact but I have seen this type of display before and the plastic buttons can get bent up and broken off if you somehow pull up on them. As a folding ebike, there may be more situations where this is possible so just be careful with it.

In my opinion, the 3OND is quite unique and well designed. No, it’s not the most affordable electric bicycle but it delivers a quality experience, some great accessories and a nice aesthetic. It would work well for heavier riders, people dealing with hills and those who might want a simpler more durable build without a derailleur. Those three systems (mid-drive, internally geared hub and throttle + pedal assist) mix really well and aren’t available on hardly any other folding electric bikes. At 53 lbs with the battery in and 46.5 lbs with it out… this might still be difficult to lift without help but Cristine did it herself before meeting me. We teamed up to put it away after the ride and I was surprised that she fit both into her compact Toyota Carola automobile (one in the trunk and one in the rear seat area… buckled up for safety). I’m excited to see her working with dealers because that means better assembly and support. I trust that she knows her stuff and am happy to see a female entrepreneur with a streak of geek and a sense for style getting into the space herself. This is certainly not a product limited to women riders by any means. It’s more powerful and rugged than a lot of others I’ve tested and I’d like to thank Cristine again for partnering with me on this post and taking the time to meetup with BOTH models :)

Pros:

One of the few folding electric bikes with a mid-drive motor, this improves frame balance and makes wheel maintenance easier… it also allows for an internally geared hub in the rear
The 7 speed Shimano Nexus internally geared hub can be switched at standstill making it easy to start pedaling, the design is also more protected than a derailleur when the bike is folded
I’m not sure who makes the saddle but I really liked it, you get an oversized surface with a gel-like comfort and some rubber bumpers that compliment the suspension fork
I like that the suspension fork offers lockout because rebound and stiffness didn’t seem very adjustable, it’s a great option to have in general and I like the integrated fender and headlight too
The 3OND comes with two LED Lights for safety, even though the rear light isn’t powered by the ebike battery, it’s fairly nice and would be easy to move from the seat post to clip onto a trunk bag like this (so it isn’t blocked by the bag)
The kickstand stows nicely and isn’t super huge but offers good balance when lowered, it’s a double-leg design that keeps the bike upright and makes loading it or working on the drivetrain easier
Both tires have a reflective tape line on them for increased visibility, I like that you can get the bike in white for an even larger visual footprint but the black looks good as well
The electronic wires, shifter cables and brake lines aren’t internally routed but they are well organized and kept out of harm’s way on the frame
Both folding levers have a secondary slide-lock to keep them from coming undone, I like that they are also adjustable so you can tighten them over time… in general, they were easy to understand and use
The folding design is unique, even though it doesn’t have a magnetic clasp or rubber band to stay folded it does come with a velcro strap and Cristine showed me how to do it in such a way that no metal makes contact and it stays folded… pretty cool
I like that you get throttle on demand as well as pedal assist, both were responsive, I like to start with the throttle to get some momentum then switch to pedaling and release the throttle
Even though the Platinum e-Bikes brand is new, Cristine has been working in the electric bike industry for quite a while (I’ve seen her at trade shows in Las Vegas), her company offers a one-year comprehensive warranty

Cons:

Due to the high capacity battery, strong mid-drive motor and internally geared hub, this folding ebike is a bit heavier than some others… consider removing the 6.5 lb battery before lifting it
There are no bottle cage bosses on the frame, this is common with compact electric bikes and at least you get a rack on the back, consider a trunk bag with integrated bottle holster like this one
They key has to be inserted, twisted and left in the frame in order to activate the display panel, this can be tricky due to the ignition slot position (just above the motor on the under-side of the frame tube)
While the pedals are not folding, and thus protrude a little more than some competing e-bikes, they are more solid and offer a larger surface area and better traction
Steel fenders are rigid and I like how wide these ones are but they can get bent easier or scratched and rust compared to Aluminum or plastic, they might also weigh slightly more
This isn’t exactly a con, just a head’s up that raising the telescoping stem too high then turning the handle bars really far can strain the wires, keep an eye on that so they don’t get disconnected

Resources:

Official Site: http://platinumebikes.com/
More Pictures: https://goo.gl/photos/C1bxB61rL6BSdncs5

January 29, 2024 (11 months ago)

John George Cunningham

8 years ago

Nice to see women in this industry. She was very smart to install a low powered mid drive with an IGH…now if it only had a belt…..!
Great job Christine!

Court Rye

Thanks for your feedback John! I’m sure she will read through these comments at some point and maybe there will be a belt option with the next one :)

I think there is some issue with bafang and the belt drive hence no belt option…..not sure of this.

I always enjoy your reviews!..Keep it up your doing great work…and I hope your doing well.

Does she have these bike ready to purchase or is this one of these promotions where maybe you can purchase in 12 months or so?

I see lots of these kickstarter funder projects that I have waited for more than a year after funding and some never even ship…I am pretty much done with those projects at this point…but I dont think that is the case here…but wanted to ask.

Hey John, I was just thinking that to myself… Wishing I had clarified why Cristine did not do a crowd-funding project. I believe she does have these for sale now. What we saw was a finished product, much more polished than some of the Kickstarter and Indiegogo ebikes I’ve seen at times :)

Cristine Wiseman

Hi John! Apologies for the tardy response. I just returned from a business trip. You are absolutely correct in regards to the belt drive and Bafang motor. My initial plan was to use a belt, but Bafang is unable to use one. There are, of course, pro’s and con’s to both chains and belts, so I figured I would use a chain now and see if it could be changed to a belt later. Another way more expensive bike is out there that has a mid drive and belt, but no internal gears. I personally think that having an internal hub was more important for the functionality of a folding bike.

These bikes are in stock and ready to ship. I opted not to do a crowd funding campaign because since this was our first bike build, I did not want to promise to deliver by a certain date and not be able to do it. Considering that we anticipated receiving product by December and received them by February (which was only delayed due to a minor hick-up), we now have a good understanding of time frames. Another thing to note is that running those types of campaigns often is beneficial for marketing, but can end up costing a lot of money in the long run since most campaigns sell the product at lower than the actual manufacturing cost to gain traction. Since we already had industry knowledge and the funding to move forward with the initial production, we chose to dive right in. Having said that, we offer a 6 month 0% APR option, and we are running a launch sale. Feel free to email me directly at [email protected] for more details :)

Thanks so much for your input, John! Happily and Sincerely, Cristine (the e-bike queen :)

fourdog

Thanks for the review, looks like a really well thought out design. I spoke to Cristine and it looks like she has bikes in country ready to ship. Love the Bafang mid-drive motor and hiding battery. I liked it so much I ordered one today . Will post what I think when I get it. Myself I would rather buy from someone that puts there own sweat in the game and brings an item to market . Then someone that has an idea and looks to other to fund it. I love her passion for that bicycle !

That’s awesome, thank you so much for sharing your updates and volunteering to report back once the bike arrives and gets you going. I really appreciate it and I’m sure others do as well. I agree too, that it’s inspiring to see someone invest in something they believe in and have it ready right when you’re ready to buy vs. making you weight and possibly suffer through changes you might not have expected or wanted. I like crowd funding but don’t love it when the theme is “bulk-buy” on something that’s really being invented you know?

Cristine

Hi Court, thanks for the kind words and for taking the time to create this review… in the rain! Being self-funded is hard (and let’s admit…down right scary!) but manufacturing takes a substantial amount of time and what can go wrong will go wrong, which is why most crowd funding campaigns do not usually deliver when they say they will. We started designing our product around March 2016, and factory after factory told us they could not make our product because they were unable to make it according to our very specific design specifications, we found one that could. However, even they were unable to get certain parts that we wanted, so we really had to think outside the box to get our product where we wanted it to be. That’s what it takes to deliver something entirely NEW!

Happily and Sincerely, Cristine (the e-bike queen:)

Dan Murphy

7 years ago

We have 2 of the Platinum E-bikes and have been riding them for several months. I returned to this review to refresh myself on the specs of the e-bike itself and to see any updates. We travel in a motorhome and these bikes have been very easy to transport and use wherever we go. I love the mid-drive and internal hub. I don’t have to worry about any derailler. We can take the bikes in the cargo area or we can load both in our car very easily.

Our e-bikes have garnered attention wherever we ride and we have really enjoyed riding them for miles and miles. We have ridden as much as 27 miles once in Madison Wisconsin. and still had battery charge remaining! We ride around our RV park and surrounding trails for days without a recharge. People ask us how far we can ride and I really don’t know what to say so I give the stock answer found in this review. One of these days I may ride till it quits to find out!!

We have had an issue with the speed control sensor and Error 21 but Cristine has been very helpful and we believe we have the problem solved. Better education on how the bikes operate would eliminate many user issues. Cristine sent some pictures and gave advice and was very pro-active. So far we are very happy with the bikes and the service and support from the company has been fantastic! I recommend the 3ond Platinum E-bike but suggest riding several makes and models to find the right fit.

What a wonderful testimonial Dan! I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed this bike and happy to hear that Cristine has been supportive with your error issue. It sounds like your friends are getting curious about ebikes too! Fun :D

Dan

6 years ago

In , it shows him struggling to get up a long incline due to the hesitation of the bike to shift gears without him pausing. He makes this seem like a pretty severe problem arguing that the nature of the internal gears and mid-drive engine make it a lot more difficult to choose gears than would be the case with a rear hub ebike. It didn’t seem like your test ride was on anything other than flat land. Do you have any thoughts about this critique. I also wonder whether the 350 watts in the BBS01 is a bit underpowered these days, with so many engines between 48v and 500 watts. Would it be worth it to buy a 350 watt ebike like this with a 36v/14ah battery versus a 500 watt ebike with a 48v/13 ah like the Green Bike GB500 (please review this one!). Would range be better in the 48v/13 ah bike?

Court

Hi Dan! I watched the video and saw Turbo Bob talking about the internally geared hub while climbing around 3:35. Yeah, if you’re riding with a mid-motor and it’s putting out constant power, shifting is not going to happen. This is a self protection feature on IGH system, and you can hear some of them make a clicking noise until the gear shifts. With some cassettes, you can shift gears, but it may bend the teeth on your sprocket, de-tune the derailleur, or even break the chain if you force it. I don’t see a big problem with the 3OND setup, or other mid-drive ebikes with efficient motors. Most of the big guys like Bosch, Brose, Yamaha, and Shimano are using motors that offer similar or less than 350 watts peak, and they work beautifully in off-road mountain biking conditions. I think this is more of a ride style thing, and maybe Turbo Bob just looking for an area to critique. To really do this point justice, I’ll make a clear statement: mid-drive motors can be very efficient for climbing, but you must shift before the ascent. If you try to shift during a climb, you will have to coast for a moment (gently pedaling forward to guide into the next gear) and this will lower your speed and could create balance issues. If you try to force it, IGH systems may not shift and traditional cassettes may take damage. A hub motor, by contrast, will give you a constant flow of power regardless of your pedaling gear, but will struggle with steep hills because that constant power output cannot benefit from the gears you have chosen. If you shift thoughtfully, mid-drives will be the winner every time for both efficiency and power. The more advanced mid-motors can start and stop faster, so shifting can be done more quickly and naturally vs. a cadence sensing BBS01 or BBS02 which are slower to respond. You can use the motor inhibiting brake levers to manually cut them to shift quickly, but this requires a bit of timing and coordination skill :)

Dakota

Hi Cristine! I love all of the thought you put into this bike. I especially love the mid-drive motor, front suspension fork, hidden battery, kickstand and rear hub internal gears. There is so much packed into this folding E-bike! I am looking for a folding E-bike that can handle my city surrounded by hills. I read that the mid-drive motors are the best kind of motors for this purpose. I am wondering if you will be designing any folding E-bikes like this with fat tires too?

Dakota
PS: this summary and review page is really helpful.

Great comments Dakota! I haven’t been in contact with Christine for a while and cannot say whether she is still selling this model or in the business. There are lots of great new options in folding fat bikes, like the RadMini… and now they make it in a step-thru model too, so it’s easier to mount and handle. As far as mid-drive folding models, I think Tern is one of the best brands to explore, but they only have regular tires on their ebikes right now. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts and support of Christine!

Mike

3 years ago

How to order I’m from the Philippines?

Hi Mike! I have no idea, wish I could be of more use to you with this question. Perhaps you can ask around online or find a freight forwarder or local electric bikes to buy?