Leitner Tirol

Brilliant....! – I read the reviews... and bought one. I wanted a bike that I could ride around Brisbane (Hot, Humid & Hilly) with my 2 y.o. in a baby seat. I've only had it a week or so, but been out almost everyday. I only use the first stage pedal assist, which takes about 50% of the effort away. The range is OK... after 23 KM with me (70kg) and my son… Read more

(13kg) there were still 2 bars of power left. This included some hills. It folds easily and fits in the boot of my car. It's a bit heavy (but I guess the battery and motor would be a significant contributor) and you really notice the weight going up a hill (but again, that's with my son on the back!) It's also a bit low geared, you need to pedalling like a madman to go fast.... (that's with the lowest level of battery assist though). An "overdrive" gear wouldn't go astray. It appears well made, with quality components used throughout and assembly was very easy.. Overall though, for the price it is an fantastic recreational or commuter bike. NOTE: A Repco baby seat fits easily, and is easy to take on and off, but you have to replace the carrier with the one that comes with the baby seat, and you can't remove the battery after fitting it (but that's no issue for me)

Now I can ride a bike to work – I have been taking the bus and/or train to work for a long time. This adds up door to door to between 45 minutes and 1.25 hours+ depending on how reliable the public transport is at the time. Looking at the actual distance (7 km) I realised I could probably get to work quicker on a bike. The main thing that held me back was being afraid of the… Read more

hills, and worrying about whether I'd actually stick to it given how much effort that would likely be.

I bought myself a Tirol so I could chuck it in the boot of my small car, and have been commuting back and forth to work on it for a few weeks now. Love it. If I'm feeling like giving my legs a bit of a workout, I turn the assistance down to low or medium, and if I'm feeling lazy I put it on high. When it's on high, you can put it in a low gear then just move your feet in a pedalling motion and it'll power you right up hills, and blast you up to the full 25km/h without any effort.

This has been a great purchase, and the other bike riders who I've shown the components to say that they're not top of the line, but they're not cheap either.

Oh, I'm also 135kg, so was worried about the stated 120kg weight limit. I got some metal pedals so I've got a bit more strength to push on, and so far so good, and I also put a heavy lock in a pannier bag on the back. I'll update this review if I have any equipment failures further on, but so far so great. I get to work in 25 minutes, and I even get some exercise on the way if I want. So glad I bought this.

Great value, easy assembly, good product support, and makes riding easy (mostly!) – I bought a folding Leitner Tirol Electric bike. Why? Because I only live around 14kms (bike-ride) from the city, and after 5:30PM, the bus to my area runs every 30 minutes and is inconsistent with random cancellations.. meaning I can wait up to an hour for a bus sometimes. I thought an electric bike would enable me to ride to and from work with… Read more

(hopefully) little to no effort, in my work clothes.. and on inclement days, I'd bus it. . . or on days when the weather changed for the worse in the afternoon, leave the bike folded under my desk, and bus home (NOTE: It's *just* slightly too tall to fit under my desk, folded, when upright - I'd have to lay it down).

The legal restrictons: Aussie law says the motor must be 250W max, and with the motor speed capped at 25km/hour.

Why the Leitner:

- It had a combination of Pedal Assist, and a throttle that could be unlocked to work from a standing start, and accelerate up-to 25km/h (**that part is only legal for off-road use).

- Value - I'd find it very hard to buy, at retail prices, all the components of a Leitner myself, at the price the bike is sold.

- The full package - it had everything I needed on it for a daily commute - Front and rear light, rear bike rack, full chain guard & good coverage mud-guards.

I bought the extended battery, because I found that online claims on range to be often overstated, or based on parameters that don't apply to me as they are dependant upon the weight of the rider, the terrain/hills, wind resistance, and the level of Pedal Assist used....They only time I'd NOT have pedal assist on max, is if I thought I needed to save power to ensure I got home! :-)

I found the cairns-electric-bikes.com.au site to have lots of good information on e-bikes, and closer to reality claims on range for battery types. For example: http://www.cairns-electric-bikes.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Leitner-Pricing-Policy-A5.pdf - they claim the the 16Ah range to be "45km (really)", versus the 80km range on the Leitner site (which has the caveat that this is based on a 70kg rider with medium pedal assist.. lol - why whould I use medium !)

So... do I get to work without sweat ?, how much do I need to pedal ?, how MUCH effort goes into the pedalling, and how much range do I get ? The short answer: It depends.

I live in Chapel Hill, to the west of Brisbane. As inferred by the name, it's hilly. I've used https://www.doogal.co.uk/RouteElevation.php to find the gradient of sections of the route. You can do the same to compare. I'm 50, 6 foot tall, weigh 93kgs, and my work gear adds another 4kg to this.

To understand how much power is needed to ride up hills, I found this site simple and useful - http://bicycleaustralia.org/ebikes.php - it gave me fore-warning that the 250w motor limitation meant that for ME, with a combined bike-and-load weight of around 120kg, I'd be needing to add pedal power to anything more than a 5% gradient, to keep the bike moving at more than 7km/h.

Here's my real-world experience - I'm using the bike on Max Assist level...with throttle only on flats. I am NOT fit - I don't do gym, and the only exercise I get is doing normal stuff - walking to/from places, home maintenance, etc. No running (I have a knee that plays up). No Bike Riding (for the last 8 years at least). First up... I need to add pedal power to anything more than a 5% gradient to keep moving at a reasonable speed (eg:above 7km/h). But at lower gradients, the effort on pedalling is very, VERY low - i'm basically just turning the pedals, with the smallest of effort...little more than the weight of my leg putting any pressure on the pedal...it's a cinche! Using throttle only, I will only get to 25km/h on the dead flat or slight decline, with no headwind..but I'm OK with that. For pedal assist, a 5% gradient over 300m is reasonably low effort in the lowest gear...no sweat on a 28C day... the motor-assist makes it easy. A 7%-8% ascent over 200m requires a fair bit of effort in the lowest gear (thighs feel it!), but I can still stay seated & the motor-assist makes it OK..I WILL work up a light sweat there on warmer days.. The steepest gradient on my route is 11% over 300m - I'm standing up in lowest gear to get up it. . . . It's a workout!. I COULD always get off and walk that, and use the unlocked throttle to move the bike up beside me, so I don't need to push it... but let's face it... I can do with the exercise, so will stay on the pedals in the hope that it'll get easier over time as my legs get used to riding again :-) .. fortunately, I only do that one on the way home, and I get the joy of coming DOWN it on the way to work.. Overall, I get to work with barely a drip of sweat on a typical Brisbane day in Feb (26 - 28C most mornings), and get to use throttle-only on about half the ride. Coming home.. where there's more hill-climbs..yes - I get hot, and crack a sweat in the last few km.

I'll point out here, that the morning door-to-door trip on the bike right now, is close to 15 minutes faster than the bus. Awesome. The savings in bus fares alone, will mean the bike cost is paid for in 36 weeks, if I ride every day (9 months!).. in reality, it'll be closer to a year as there's some days I opt for the bus instead (rainy, or over 35C). That's a pretty good investment as far as I'm concerned :-)

The range ?. Fully charged, I get to work and back home on a single charge. I have 3 of 4 charge lights on by the time I get to work (14k), and by the time I'm home, the last light is on. Based on that, I'd guestimate that I'd get no more than 35-40km range from the 16aH battery - so the claims of 80km are to be taken with a grain of salt - less weight, less motor assist, and less hills would mean more range, of course.

So... be realistic about what you can expect from a 250W motor. Overall, I'm happy - it makes the ride easy (mostly), it makes small inclines a cinche and steeper ones a LOT easier, and thanks to the unlocked throttle, it enables me to cruise the flats, and I get to work in my slacks and collared shirt, comfortable, and dry.

The good, about the Leitner setup:

- The build instructions. They're excellent, complete with photos. Well done Leitner!

- The bike quality itself. The bike seems solid, the paint work great, and overall it's a good package for the price in my opinion.

- The controls - they're all within finger-reach on the handle-bars, so I don't need to let go of the handle-bar to turn anything on, or off - that includes the lights, the pedal assist levels, the throttle engagement, the gears, and the bell... some other electric bikes with the computers (for example), MAY mean that you find you need to take your left hand off the handlebar to engage modes etc.

- The kick-stand .. it's in the CORRECT position, at the rear - so you can wheel the bike backwards when the kickstand is down, and not worry about the pedals catching on it.

- The throttle setup ... once you disconnect a single cable in the controller (good instructions again), pressing (and releasing) the red button on the right handlebar enables the twist-throttle to be engaged from a standing start - without that, you'd need to pedal to 6km/h before the motor engaged. I've found this great when I've needed a quick(ish) take-off, and for motoring the bike up a STEEP hill when I've had to get off and walk. Press the red button again to turn off that feature (good to do when you're around pedestrians)

Keep in mind, that when you need to pedal up a hill, that throttle control need not be used, as the pedal-assist on max setting provides the same level of assist. Even if using pedal assist (and no throttle) on the flat, you can keep that max power assist running just by turning the pedals, without any force...and that would maintain the same speed that throttle-only would provide. The throttle is only of use for take-off, and in places where you can maintain the speed you desire, without pedalling (which I do ... why turn those pedals when you don't need to !).

The not so good:

- Weight - it would be nice if the bike was lighter, even if only a few kg's. To pop it in the car I remove the battery & seat first, to drop a few kilos before lifting the bike.

- Government regulation ... 250W is too small. Ideally 350-500W would be the power limit, with a 30k/h speed limit. That means you'd have greater power to get up the hills, with less effort on the pedals.

I give it 5 stars, considering the price-point - GREAT value for money for the equipment levels. Also worthy of note, is Leitners responsiveness to queries - I've had great responses both via the phone, and over email.

The only reasons to drop stars, is if you wanted more from the 250W motor, or you wanted a higher gear ratio (via an extra cog) to enable higher speeds, a lighter package, or a frame-integrated battery... but you'd pay more for any of those.

A Top Shelf Product - The Leitner Tirol – Now and again, one purchases something that is exceptional value for money. Two years ago, this 79-year-old and partner purchased two Leitner Fold up Tirols. They have both traversed several thousand kilometers taking us to places we would normally never have gone to and met extraordinary people. We were recently asked whether we would buy the… Read more

same products again. Our response, "in a heartbeat". If you are in the market for a foldup E-Bike, don't hesitate. A Leitner will not disappoint.

Stress relief and having fun at 59 – In October 2022, I had the opportunity to ride an E-bike while on holiday at Port Stephens NSW. So much fun. On returning home, I researched E-bikes and purchased a Leitner Tirol bike. Absolutely loving it. The Leitner Tirol manages hilly areas really well and I'm thrilled I don't need to get off the bike to walk up the hills. Assembly was… Read more

completed by using both the Leitner user guide provided and a youtube link I found online by Sofwan Sandy. The youtube video made assembly appear less daunting and was the deciding factor to purchase the Tirol. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFf44ysjJmk

Outstanding Bike – I love this bike. My arthritis had stopped me riding as far or as frequently. My Triol has now changed this. It is superbly engineered and beautiful to ride. It is exceptional value for money. I thoroughly recommend this bike. Show details

the bike met expectations – on delivery it was easy to put together,and I've ridden over 300k and it has not missed a beat. So impressed I've bought my wife a Libelle. Very happy!! Lietner responded to my E mail quickly and also my phone call Show details

Super impressed – Very impressed with bike and only a small amount of assembly required. Ed from Leitner after sales service was excellent after a problem was found with crank arm and they were very quick in replacing arm and having it installed. Highly recommend Show details

Good solid fun bike – Was very impressed by the build quality of this bike. Very solid. So much fun to ride. Highly recommended. Will be buying a second one so we can go for longer rides and not leave my husband behind!! Show details

Great bike: Wonderful customer service – Love my bike! So much so that I bought another Leitner bike for my partner. Superb customer service. Prompt and helpful. Would totally recommend if you are considering buying a great electric bike. Show details

Bought as a present, been very good – Our 80 year old father had been banned from riding his petrol powered pushbike around our small community. So we bought him a LEFB, and it's been brilliant! Recently the charger failed and the backup service was fantastic!

It took a while but – Leitner folks have been wonderfully supportive during some trying times when my bike went missing with the freight company. I finally unpacked it last night and in under two hours I was away. I’m impressed with so many things about the bike; did an 8km trip this morning sitting on 17km/h with battery support at 15km/hr. Really helped me get back… Read more

into bike riding, something I haven’t done for many years. The folding mechanism is so good; it will make transportation in our caravan so much easier.

Excellent fun! – Easy to assemble straight out of the box (30 minutes), seems sturdy, battery lasts well (I got the bigger one but live in a super hilly suburb). If you are prevaricating, get one, you won't regret it. Show details

Super impressed – Very impressed with the Leitner organisation and particularly their customer handling processes.. as well as the two folding bikes we have purchased! Arrived in just a week into Perth from Melbourne. Very well packaged and good instructions provided as a download over the web. A 'not technical' husband and wife team managed to unpack and construct… Read more

each bike in just an hour. We chose a Tirol and Libelle model because when folded they easily slip into the back of the Pajero Sports. These bikes will make such a difference when we go camping and we want to explore the local area. Early days, but the range provided by the batteries is comfortably four times that we'd ever see ourselves needing. One is 10Ah and the other 16Ah. We're both very pleased with both bikes' style, design and performance indeed, much better than expected. Price indicated was for the Tirol, including shipping. The Libelle was cheaper. Go Leitner!

Excellent bike I’m selling my car – Really good experience I’m only going to commute with this. No good it rain but ego rides a bike in rain anyway?It is powerful enough so you don’t have to make and effort if you don’t want to. Show details

Car replacement – My partner and I purchased a Leitner Super T and a Libelle respectively. We live in Broome with periods of time in Perth. With the heat and humidity in Broome over the summer months it is good to be able to get to destinations without being sweaty. My partner works full time and me part time and we use the bikes to go to work and also do most of… Read more

our shopping. It has substantially replaced car use and been fun to ride. I changed the seat on the Libelle and fitted and soft sprung seat which works well. Great to be able to fold the bike(s) to put in the car for the trips to Perth.

It was good to be able to negotiate on the freight as the regular freight charge is expensive. No regrets. Excellent buy.

Outstanding ebike – I am very happy with my electric bike. I have been using it for already 5 months and works as the first day even in Brisbane which is a really hilly city. I had to call them for a little issue and they fixed it really quickly and kindly. 100% recommended. Show details

Love my Leitner electric bike – Have owned my Leitner folding electric bike for over a year now. I gave away my regular push bike as I never use it now that I have the Leitner. Easy to use, reliable and makes the hills much easier to ride up. I feel safer riding this bike compared to a regular push bike.  Show details

I ordered the bike last Wednesday night and received it on Monday morning, I assembled it and off I – I am a very keen bike rider and recently, due to a medical condition, I have had difficulty riding my push bike. This "Leitner Tirol" model hybrid bike is everything that I need to enable me to keep riding a bike, enjoy life and keep fit. Thank you to the Leitner people for your great PRODUCT & for your great SERVICE!  Show details

Flattens hills!!! – I purchased two Leitner bikes - a Berlin (26 inch wheel) and a Tirol (folding 20 inch wheel). I believe that the motor is unchanged for both models - it hasn't been recalibrated for different sized wheels. As a result, it provides a lot more torque (ie. assistance) on the Tirol with the smaller wheels. The Tirol is also geared shorter - it is… Read more

rare that I need a lower gear, but often I need a taller gear.

As a result, the Tirol provides a lot of assistance if one were unfit, say, or had a very hilly commute.

But there's no such thing as a free lunch, and I believe the extra torque will mean shorter range than the 26 inch wheeled bikes, so consider buying the bigger battery.

Also, the Tirol will fit a narrower range of body sizes (fine for me, a smaller than average male).

Leitner's service was great, sending me a replacement part no questions asked when one failed, probably due to it not being fitted tightly enough.

Leitner Electric Bikes are awesome! – My partner and I purchased two folding bikes in January 2018. (1 x Tirol & 1 x Libelle). The bikes arrived quickly and were easy to assemble. They are compact, easy to ride and very affordable. We have been enjoying many long rides and haven't looked back! We highly recommend these bikes.  Show details

Highly recommended! – 5 out of 5, reviewed on, 2017 Well built bike. Good looking bike. Great service from staff...every inquiry answered (and I had lots of questions. Excellent delivery time. Easy and quick to assemble. Didn’t take long to adjust to working the gears, power assist mode or throttle. A joy to ride. Well worth the 5 star rating every one is giving it.  Show details

Best car replacement – When the transmission in my car died, I took the opportunity to buy the Leitner Tirol to replace my car. It's the best move I've ever made. I was previously driving 260km per week for work and training. I now happily make this trip on my Leitner Tirol in faster than it takes me to drive in traffic (given they're multiple 10km trips). This… Read more

has saved me over $250 a month in petrol, and not to mention it is an absolute pleasure to ride. Hills are not a problem and the throttle makes it very easy to cruise when I feel like it.

Folding it takes seconds, and storing it both under my desk at work, in the training hall and in the cupboard at home is a cinch.

I would highly recommend this bike and my wife is sold on it too, so we'll have 2 soon.

Quality, Quality – Bought the Tirol as my knee's are no good and can freeze up without warning. The peddle assist is especially great in high gear as I peddle easy the Tirol makes going up hill very easy. Well built and finished. I have just bought the Libelle for my wife. She was happy with her Aldi foldup but is over the moon with her new Libelle.  Show details

Fantastic service and product - thoroughly recommend to anyone – Safe , strong , solid - easy to put together and very very easy to ride ... Live on an Island off Brisbane Ride the bike to the passenger ferry , put it on the ferry and ride it to my car ... Despite having very steep hills to negotiate - Have only had to use pedal assist ... Have put a milk crate on back rack with cable ties Bike still folds easily up and fits easily into my Toyota Yaris City car ... Kind regards Stephen  Show details

Fantastic Product – I purchased the bike some 12 odd months ago. I have found this bike easy to fold up and unfold. I have a dodgy knee so the electric motor assistance it gives me when going uphill or very windy is great. It folds up easily into the back of the cruiser when on caravan trips. The main mention here is after sales service. I had a small issue with the… Read more

rear light so I beamed off an email to them and I got a phone call back....Problem solved and on my way again

I have no hesitation in recommending one of their bikes....Go on buy one ...You know you want to

Thanks team...

Exactly what we need – My wife and I own a small campervan with which we go camping whenever we can. More often then not the campsite is some distance from a town or place of interest. As we are getting on in age, it is often too far or difficult to walk Thus, each time, we had to pack-up all our stuff and drive the camper to the town or interesting site. Thus, we… Read more

thought of buying a pair of electric (need help on some hills :-)) ,folding bikes. After much research we bought our first Leitner for me; the Tirol, received weeks ago. It is exactly what we need. It is of good quality and well made and at a reasonable price.After assessing mine, I have just ordered a second one for my wife (the Libelle model). Finally, I would like to praise the people at Leitner for there friendly and helpful service - a delight to buy from.

A very good product for its price!!!!!!!!! – Delivery was fast, the bike looks sturdy and everything is working perfectly...thanks Leitner.. It was very easy to assemble, the motor was powerful enough and it was really quite. The range is good. Already unlocked it to go 25 km/h on throttle. Me and the partner is now saving up for another one..  Show details

I used my Tirol model in our Campervan and Motorhome Club of Australia - CMCA Rally – I used my Tirol model in our CMCA Rally in Tasmania ( March 2017 ) and I was very pleased, members asked for info about this bike, thanks again .Some members were already using this model , all of us liked because they are strong and with power for any road.  Show details

Awesome bike – Recived the tirol on the 24th march , was impressed on the quality, easy to put together, was super happy with the first ride , now I look forward to a daily ride , I have rode it every day with highest pedal assist and battery still reads full on my return home , would recommend this model to anyone,  Show details

Great Bike – The bike is great! Went for 20 km ride this morning and was very pleased with the operation of the bike. I did have a 20" E bike before (not a Leitner)) and this is far superior, the controls are easy to use and I can ride the bike without power or power assist and love the fact I have 3 grades of power which was great as I often tow a small trailer with our Jack Russel in..  Show details

Good bike – Happy with the product. Decent quality. Recommended for fellow bikers!