2023 Blaupunkt Henri Review

The Blaupunkt Henri is rocking a magnesium alloy frame & wheels, which is durable, lightweight, and vibration damping. It folds down small which is great for storage, with a magnetic latch mechanism to keep it locked in the folded position, making it fairly easy to maneuver and roll around while folded. The 350-watt motor is no speed demon but still capable of 20mph speeds using either pedal assist or the half-grip twist throttle. It's priced a bit on the high side... but it does seem to be built very well and should hold up well over time, and it certainly looks beautiful!

Video Review

Written Review

Greetings, fellow riders of electrons! Today's subject of interest is the Blaupunkt Henri, a German-engineered micro-folder that comes in only one size but with three different color options. The three color options are shown as different models with unique names on Blaupunkt's website - the Henri, the Fiene, and the Fiete - but aside from color differences these three bikes are identical.

Before we dive into the review, I have to be honest: micro-folding bikes just aren't my jam. I'm a big dude at 6'3" and these small folders just aren't a good fit for my size or for my lifestyle. However, if you're a smaller person, and you want something more portable that folds down for storage... then I can see the appeal.

The Henri is small and folds better than most... but it's also a bit heavier than I expected

I love the look of the Henri, it has a sleek design with an eye-catching lightning-bolt shaped frame, and I'm definitely impressed with the folding mechanism. It's rock solid sturdy when unfolded, it's easy to fold, and when folded down it's kept securely in place by a surprisingly strong magnetic latch. It balances well when folded, and you can easily grip it to roll it around while folded - but only pulling it forward, so don't back yourself into a corner! However, try to pick up the Henri (folded or otherwise) and you'll immediately notice that it's a bit hefty for a micro-folder... but to be fair, the Henri is more "mini" than it is "micro".

The frame is magnesium alloy which is lighter and stronger than aluminum, but this frame is quite a bit thicker than that of most micro-folders. However, I think the biggest culprit here is the cast alloy rims; they are very durable and certainly look cool, but they are a lot heavier than traditional spoked rims. I like a more sturdy ride as much as anyone, but I think it's an odd design choice considering the typical use case for a micro folding machine like this.

Suffice it to say, with a curb weight of 47 pounds the Henri is pushing it when it comes to folding up and carrying on the subway. It is incredibly easy to maneuver while folded, so rolling it onto the subway? no problem, as long as it's not too packed with people. Plus, 47 pounds is not bad compared to electric bikes in general, and I certainly found the Henri easier to carry up the stairs to my third floor apartment than most.

How About that Magnesium Frame?

The Henri is rocking a magnesium alloy frame which as already mentioned is lighter than aluminum but with greater tensile strength. It's also not as stiff, which means it has some natural vibration damping qualities, which helps explain the surprisingly comfortable ride feel. Even the rims are magnesium!

Magnesium has been used on-and-off for bicycle frames since the 1980s, never quite catching on but never quite dying away either. It's less popular than aluminum and for some very good reasons: it's more difficult and thus expensive to manufacture, it's flammable (not really in bike frame form, but definitely a complication when manufacturing), and - important for bike frames - magnesium highly susceptible to corrosion if not properly treated or coated. Now the Henri is rocking a beautiful coat of protective paint, but if yours gets any scratches or chips you'll need to cover them up ASAP to prevent corrosion. This means the Henri isn't a great fit for high-corrosion areas, such as coastal cities, or in areas with a lot of snow that use de-icer and salt on the roads.

You can read more about the use of magnesium in bicycle frames here.

Small battery and motor that still feel zippy

The battery is cleverly tucked away behind the seatpost, completely invisible until you lift the protective cover. With a capacity of only 378 watt-hours you won't be doing any marathon rides... but why would you want to? That's not what this little cycle is designed for. The Henri has a 36 volt electrical system with a 350 watt rear hub motor, so it's certainly not a speed demon, but you'd be surprised at how peppy the acceleration is. That's due to the small diameter wheels, which give a mechanical advantage to the hub motor. When it comes to range I estimate 15-20 miles with moderate to heavy motor usage, but of course your results will vary depending on your weight, terrain, and so on.

This is a Class 2 electric bike which means it has both pedal assistance and a throttle with a top speed of 20mph. It is possible to unlock the speed limitation in the display settings, but due to the limited range of the pedaling drivetrain (and limited power of the electrical system) you won't be able to get much past 20mph anyways. The cadence-based pedal assistance is tuned well and gets the job done here, though it's definitely not as responsive as a more costly torque-based setup would be. The throttle is a half-grip twist on the right grip, and during my ride test the Henri did a good job of climbing a hill on throttle-only power. It should be able to conquer some steep inclines with some pedaling help.

The Henri lacks suspension, but it's still the most comfortable micro folder I've tested

Like virtually all small folders the Henri lacks suspension, but it's somehow not uncomfortable to ride, even for my lanky self. The magnesium components have vibration damping qualities, and these 2.25" wide tires have a good volume of air, but that's not the whole story here. The Henri is simply a very well built bicycle, well designed and impressively sturdy. I was able to ride no handed at 20mph and I've definitely never felt safe enough to do that on competing mini folders. This definitely makes the 47 pound curb weight easier to accept; it might be a bit less convenient, but it sure as hell feels better when you're riding.

The rest of the cycling components on the Henri are pretty basic, with a 6-speed Shimano Tourney drivetrain, color-matched thumb shifter, and mechanical disc brakes. Usually I say "I wish we had hydraulic brakes instead", but they really aren't needed on the Henri considering it's size, weight, and speed limitations. No, these mechanical brakes do a great job and they have large four-finger levers so they're relatively easy to activate. There's also an integrated headlight that's fairly bright, and a buzzer-styled horn, but that's about it - no turn signals, no integrated taillight, although the Henri does usually include an independent taillight that you can mount on the seatpost. (My review unit didn't have one).

There are fenders, but they're not great - only providing about half the usual amount of coverage. They should protect the rider well but the bike frame is going to get very wet and dirty. Remember how I said magnesium is prone to corrosion? You'll want to keep your frame clean to prevent that, so the Henri is probably not a good choice if you live somewhere like Seattle and have to do a lot of riding in rain or snow. Normally I'd say you could upgrade the fenders, but you really can't; there's no mounting bosses on this frame for fenders, racks, or baskets.

Ultimately, I'm not sure who to recommend this e-bike for 😬

Take that with a grain of salt; as I mentioned at the start of this review, micro-folders aren't for me. I do think the Henri is very well built and rides very comfortably, and I especially like the folding mechanism and how rock solid stable it is when folded. If those things are important to you, and you're limited on storage space, then the Henri might make a lot of sense for you! While these originally retailed at $2,000 they have had a price drop down to $1,599... which is still a little steep in my opinion, but hey, those magnesium components are more expensive, and due to the build quality the Henri should last for a long time.

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