Electric & Folding Bikes Northwest

My girlfriend and I were biking around Seattle on a weekend getaway from Phoenix when we stopped by this shop on our Brompton’s. We needed a chain lube and of course wanted to see some cool bikes. We received very friendly service and ended up buying a helmet and a Brompton bag to boot. They have some great bikes there — definitely worth checking out if you’re in the market for an electric or folding bike.

I’m on my third ebike from these guys in 15 years. They have a great selection, will not oversell you, and will go out of their way in service to get you and your ebike going strong. David is a top notch mechanic and DJ, the owner, also fixes and adjusts the bikes. What a great team! They have real integrity and dedication. I wish I could give them six stars!

This review is about a year late! Sorry DJ!
I was shopping around for a new bike last year as an early birthday present from my parents and I stopped in here since I live around the area and passed by the shop so often. To be honest, I thought I wouldn’t find anything I wanted and keep shopping around Seattle. But after DJ let me test ride a brompton, I was completely hooked. I had explained that with my size (4’11) it was always difficult for me to carry bikes around the bus or walking up and down stairs, but I still wanted to be able to bike up from Ballard to UW everyday. He walked me through the whole process of how the bikes were actually made and the benefits and disadvantages of the folding bike to make sure I knew exactly what I was getting myself into. He broke down the cost of adding the different features and additions like lights, extra gears, and etc and let me know I could email him later if I wanted to purchase my bike… and I did the very same day! :)
1 year later… I still love my brompton and don’t regret it at all! Some people might be a little thrown off by the price tag but once you ride one it’s really really really hard not to love it. Plus DJ is one of the best and friendliest mechanics around! I’ve only dropped by the shop 3 times but he always remembers me and does repairs and tune ups very quickly to get you back on the road!
If your still a little skeptical about how a folding bike would do around Seattle, don’t be! If a 4’11 girl can ride it for 6 to 10 miles a day up and down hills, then anyone can do it! Just head down to electric & folding bikes NW and ask for DJ!

Tiny little shop with great selection of e-​bikes of all ranges and great enthusiastic staff. They are very knowledgeable about all the bikes and encourage you to go out on test rides, and I pretty much guarantee that if you do ride one you will be walking out with a bike because they are so much fun.
I went there on a Saturday and it gets pretty busy for such a small store, so just plan for that and schedule some extra time. It takes a while for them to explain all the differences between the bikes to each customer so just wait your turn and you will get amazing service. This is actually a bonus, because it means that when it is your turn they will spend the time to answer all your questions, just like they did with the person before you.
Also, the E3 Dash is amazing fun so don’t leave the store without testing it :). Even if you don’t have a lot of cash to throw down they are more than willing to let you try out the more expensive bikes.

If I could I would give zero stars. When I walked in the guy behind the counter was talking to another customer so I looked around… a hey I’ll be with you as soon as I’m done or a hi welcome would have worked. After finishing up with the other customer he still didn’t bother to say anything, it’s a very small shop so it’s not like he didn’t see me.
Anyway, I finally walked up to him and asked about a $ 999 bike I had seen online. He laughed and said we don’t have anything $ 999. I mentioned I thought the name was Currie and he said oh they have the cheap models available at Walmart and Target. I told him that I was pretty sure it was listed on his website and he just shook his head so I looked it up and showed him. He sighed and said let me look. Oh I forgot this one is available with a lead battery for $ 999 but they’re very heavy and not good so noone buys them. Then he showed me the difference in weight and he was right but there was a whole page on his website about how lead batteries might be a great option and went on to explain why… hmmm.
Then I asked if he had his $ 1250 model in the step thru model… oh that one would fit you fine he says… I assured him I would prefer a step thru could he please check the warehouse. He said yes and then just left me standing there while he went to talk to someone he was buying an ad from… never asked do you have any questions… let me take your number so when I feel like checking I can let you know… nothing.
This ‘salesperson’ if you can call him that was one of the most arrogant, rude and dismissvie people I’ve had to deal with in a very long time. They have a great website with lots of wonderful information but in person they have no interest in talking to you at all, I very much felt like I was interrupting him even tho I was the only customer in there… maybe it was because I was looking for a $ 1,000 starter bike, apparently not worth his precious time.
Do not shop here… if he was that awful as a salesperson can you imagine what would happen if you had a problem?

These guys are awesome! I had a Giant Triway that I bought in Austin, TX and brought it to Seattle to tool around town. When I was in San Diego a few weeks earlier, this metal hook on the handlebar post clamp broke. Without this metal hook, the clamp would not secure the handlebar post. I had used a couple hose clamps to try and keep the post secure but they kept coming loose. I took the bike to these guys and they called Giant to see if the part is available and after some back and forth it turned out what they had was not compatible. I got a call giving me the bad news and was going back to pick up the bike and in defeat. When I got there, the owner had come up with a Plan B of using some stock parts he has on hand to build me a new handlebar post and handlebar. This solution worked like a charm and the cost for the parts and labor were reasonable. If you have any folding bike service you need done, this is hands down the place to go if you are in Seattle.

I found an electric cargo bike to carry my new kids and be able to commute to work. D.J. was awesome and very patient with me. I test rode a bike and loved it. What was really unique is that when something happened and the bike stopped working and I was stuck on the Fremont hill, he came a picked me up in his van and drove me home. I called desperate because the bike is so heavy it would not make it up the hill. He drove me home then took the bike back and replaced the parts and delivered it back to my house. It was amazing service and I’m so glad I bought from them!

I was investigating folding bikes a few years ago during a visit to Seattle, and found these folks via online search. In the course of my initial store visit, I received an in-​depth presentation of Folding Bike Universe from David. In the course of our conversation, I began to understand that I didn’t have the resources to invest in the folder that would really meet my needs, so I left sans bike.
I often thought back to that quiet informational (not sales) talk, infused with erudition and wonder, by staff who were passionate about the possibilities of cycling. So, when my wife’s ankle would no longer permit her riding a standard 21-​speed hybrid bike, I headed straight back to Electric Bikes Northwest in hopes of the same laid-​back, knowledgeable treatment in the area of electric-​assist bikes.
Not only did David lead us to an excellent choice, but the owner, Eric, was eager to make sure that all of our concerns and questions were addressed before we closed the deal; as before, there was no «selling», only shared enthusiasm and knowledge. Test rides are encouraged at the store, and prices are competitive.
My beloved is excited to be getting back on the streets with her new iZip Rapido !
This is not only a righteous bike shop, but a healthy business model worth supporting and emulating !

I just went to the store yesterday and today and had an amazing experience.
I had been thinking about getting an electric bike for awhile — and I am really glad that I choose Electric Bikes NW to feel it out. I don’t think you get a better experience if you’re buying an expensive car — and for many of us, a bike like this is a major purchase.
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The staff are incredibly personable and knowledgeable — I really was able to get the answers I needed that online research couldn’t provide. Plus I enjoyed all the unnecessarily compliments about how I am clearly in good shape and the gentle ribbing. It’s just a fun place — even their website is quirky and enjoyable to read. I can’t remember the last time I laughed reading a local business website.
I also agree with other reviewers that the bikes are competitively priced — and they have a solid variety of high quality options.
My favorite part of the process was being able to take the bikes around the lot and around town. I feel really good about the decision — it’s a heck of a lot cheaper than a car. And I can’t wait to get my bike once they finish getting the fenders and other pieces added on that I asked for.

These guys are awesome — super responsive, fast to make a repair, and great service.
I told them that I wanted to remove my broken rear rack on my Brompton and very quickly got a friendly response and a quote. As a previous reviewer said, their prices are ridiculously competitive. I’ve been holding off on getting this repair done b/​c fancy British things don’t come cheap. But this quote was, well… cheap… so decided I needed to get this done.
A week later, I dropped in thinking I would need need to leave my bike there for the week. They said they could probably get it done the same day. An hour later, while I was doing errands, they called back and said my bike was ready!
Labor took a bit more time than I was quoted, so I was ready to pony up the extra money but the guy who repaired my bike honored the quoted time, and so I ended up saving a bit there, too.

After getting the idea in my head that I could use an electric bike, I started researching them online, and eventually discovered that there’d been a store specializing in electric bikes right here in seattle since the mid 90s. I’d been to one other bike store that had a couple of electric assist bikes in stock, but they didn’t seem to know much about them.
But here they really know all about them– yet there is no hard sell. They answered all my ignorant questions simply without trying to baffle me with a lot of jargon. I made three visits and several test rides before finally settling on a model. There was never any feeling of being pushed towards getting a more expensive model nor one that wasn’t right for me. When I expressed interest in some used models they had, they were happy to show me those, and didn’t try to push me away from them. Ultimately, I bought a new bike, an iZip Via Rapido, which so far, I am very happy with!

UPDATED 2014:
TL;DR: I’ve bought a Brompton and a Dahon D7HG here. I would never buy a new folding bike in Seattle anywhere other than this store. Their focus is on satisfied long-​term customers, not making a quick buck.
My favorite quip about this store was when I brought in a used Brompton and asked for help with it: «of course we’ll help you! You may have bought your last Brompton from someone else, but I guarantee you’ll want to buy your next one with us after we’re done with you!»
I’ve referred at least 4 people who also bought Bromptons at this store, and everyone had a great experience, too.
PRICE: Their prices are highly competitive. The Dahon came within 2% of mail order (not counting the considerable value of their doing the setup & tune-​up work). Accessories are also extremely reasonably priced, in an industry where these are often inflated to make up for margins on the bike: only $ 48 to get a cycle computer, a drink stand, and a mirror put in — with tax and a bottle of chain grease.
SERVICE: Highly skilled people, and no «hard sell». Their bike technician is a former aviation technician. I have a graduate degree in engineering, and this guy positively scares me with his aptitude.

FOLDING BIKES!!! In Ballard!!!
I bought my little folding orange Brompton from here back in Sept. of 2009. I had been in here before, scoping the place out. I had originally bought a cheap folding bike on-​line. But the service here at at Electric Vehicles Northwest (aka, Folding Bikes Northwest) is outstanding.
Erik and Co. are super helpful and knowledgeable. Erik let me ride all of his folding bikes in stock to compare to see if I really wanted to spend the money and upgrade to a Brompton. And I’m glad I did.
They also serviced my little Dahon and it rides better than when it was new. I suggest anyone curious about folding bikes to stop by this little place and talk to Eric or any of his staff. They have a wide selection of folding bikes (and electric bikes, and some folding electric bikes), as well as the accessories for these little things.
This is a no pressure place. If Erik feels that you wouldn’t be comfortable with a folding bike, he won’t sell you one. And he gives great explanations of why certain bikes cost more than others, and he will be honest, and he has no problems selling the lower end folding bikes because they do have their place and they might be the best options for some individuals.
I recommend this place to everyone who asks me about my folding bike. Happy trails and ride safe.