How to fold and unfold my e-bike

You don’t need to live in a small studio apartment to appreciate an e-bike that can be compacted for storage. When handlebars can fold down and out of the way—or the entire bike can fold in half—it’s easier to squeeze your ride under your work desk, carry it onto a cross-town train, or fit it in the backseat of a car to take it to boardwalk for a beachfront ride.

Here's the scoop on which Jetson electric bikes have foldability as a feature.

Jetson e-bikes with fold-down handlebars

When vertical space is in short supply, having an e-bike with a handlebar that collapses out of the way is a real advantage. The following models have fold-down handlebars:

• Axle
• Bolt, Bolt Pro, and Bolt Up
• Haze
• J5
• J8
• LX10
• Metro

The hinge point for folding down the handlebar is located at the base of the handlebar stem and secured by a latch that opens and closes. That latch needs to be open for you to fold the handlebar down, and closed in order for the handlebar to stay up.

But wait! Here’s a super important detail: For safety, we have built a secondary support into the latch to keep it closed and the handlebar secured upright while you’re riding.

Depending on the model, your bike will have one of two latch/lock combos at the handlebar hinge point.

Here are the details on which models have which kinds of latches:

1. A latch with a push tab lock
   
   
   • Haze
   • J5
   • J8
   • Metro
     
     
   The latches on these models have a tab in the center of them that needs to be pushed in order for the latch to open. Once the latch is open, you can fold the handlebar down
   
   The tab locks the latch in place automatically when you close it. To get the handlebar back up and into riding position—or, “unfold” the handlebar—bring it fully upright and forcefully push the latch closed onto the stem; it will “click” closed—and you’re all set to ride.
   
   
2. A latch with a locking ring
   
   
   • Axle
   • Bolt
   • Bolt Pro
   • Bolt Up
   • LX10
     
     Underneath the latch on these models is a locking ring that rotates around the handlebar stem. The ring has a tab extending from it that, when positioned correctly behind the latch, prevents the latch from opening.
     
     To open the latch so that you can fold down the handlebar, first rotate the ring counterclockwise so that the tab emerges from behind the latch. Once it’s fully out, you can pull the latch to open it.
     
     To get the handlebar secured back in the riding position from being folded down, bring it upright and then push the latch forcefully onto the handlebar stem until it “clicks” closed. Then, rotate the locking ring clockwise around the stem until the tab on the ring slides into the small opening inside of the latch. (Once the tab is fully inserted, you should not be able to open the latch—indicating that the handlebar is secure for riding.)
     
     Always use the secondary lock to secure the latch closed. Never ride without the latch closed and the lock securing the latch.

Jetson e-bikes with foldaway pedals

The following Jetson e-bikes also have pedals that fold up and out of the way:

• Haze
• J5
• J8
• Metro

To fold the pedals,

1. Rotate the pedals around the spindle so that the pedal platforms are horizontal (parallel to the ground.)
2. Push the pedals in towards the bike frame.
3. Pivot them upwards so that they are vertical.

To unfold them and get them back into position for riding, pivot the pedals back down until they “snap” into place horizontally.

Jetson e-bikes with fold-in-half frames

A few e-bikes in the Jetson collection have hinge points in the middle of their frames and can fold completely in half. They include the:

• Bike To Go
• Haze
• J8
• Metro

Like the one on the handlebar stem, this hinge point is also fastened by a locking lever. In order for the lever to be pulled open, the tab in the center of the lever must be pushed in.

Once the lever is pulled open, you can pivot the front of the bike around the hinge point towards the rear of the bike.

If you have the Haze, J8, or the Metro, there are magnets on the center of each wheel. Align those magnets and they will “connect”—securing the bike in this folded position.

To get these bikes into riding position, use a little force to pull apart the magnets (if it’s a Haze, J8, or Metro) and pivot the front of the bike back into place. Press the locking lever into the frame until it “clicks” and secures the frame in place.