A Kickstarter campaign In the summer of 2025 caught my eye: a dinky, clip-on, 750w ‘rub motor’ called Kamingo from China which converted your regular hardtail to on demand e-assist. Comprised of the motor clipped to a seat stay bracket, a 266w battery in the bottle cage and a controller on the bars, the whole kit claimed to be just 2.3 kilos. I paid my $250, they closed at over a million, and we all sat back and waited for delivery in the New Year.

My reasoning for buying was the Kamingo would be a low-commitment e-biking experiment without selling out quite yet (that would come later ;-). The Mrs had just got herself a Lapierre Over Volt e-MTB and was loving it. She now left me for dead up hills, and elsewhere we were now closer paced. I still really enjoy my Merida Big Trail 500 as it was, and figured I had another couple of years before needing to resort to the expense and weight of an e-bike. Now, with a Kamingo I could pedal my cake, and nibble it. Specifically, we could take on longer days with me engaging the lightweight rub motor on hills to eke out my range.

There is Kamingo talk of 90km from a charge depending on weight and mode. I revised that down to more like 50km or 30 miles by multiplying marketing puffery by my 95kg divided by π². But that would still be enough to help the day along. With luck I’d not have to spend three grand on a decent e-MTB and could squeeze out a few more years from my brilliant Merida.
There was some doubt that my Big Trail 500 had the required 45mm space between the upper seat stays, but I’d bridge that gap when it arrived; the motor mounting bracket could be adapted somehow. And I’m also not convinced the motor’s rubber drive will have enough pressure and traction to propel me up every hill, depending on tyre and weather. But for 200 quid it’s all worth a punt.

Then the New Year 2026 delivery slid down the calendar and the latest we hear is they’ll be shipped this August. In the meantime we rode Alps to Ocean on e-MTBs, I discovered e-SUVs and here with are with a Tero X5 SUV e-bike in the shed. I’ve never owned three bikes before but I can now see how it happens.

With my e-needs now sated, I could flog the kit for more than it cost me. I could try it on the Merida (now worth only £400). Or perhaps I could fit the Kamingo to my Dahon Mu two-speed folder. It has its uses (particularly bikerafting) but, if I’m honest, is a bit sluggish on the road when you need to be nippy. Even lawn grass kills any momentum from the small wheels. With the narrow bars, checking over my shoulder to turn right while puffing uphill dodging potholes feels downright sketchy. A rear view mirror might help.

Luckily, since the Kickstarter ended, Kamingo responded to demand and developed the V-brake mount which I’d need for the Dahon. So now we just sit back and wait, the decide which bike gets the treat.

The Dahon reminds me of the Ferrari-red Moulton (above) I had in the late 60s, the first two-wheeler I remember owning. Along with being a groovy Sixties design, I think my mum thought small wheels would equal ‘sensible’, like a shopping bike.
‘Sensi-Schmensi? Hold my Tizer!’

One day my innovative ‘full suspension’ Moulton folded too, only not in a good way. Too much bombing around on Mitcham Common doing Evel Kinevel jumps one weekend saw the seat tube and stays fold backwards after one heavy landing. We tried, but the warranty department were not having it. Happily, 15 years later, California brought us not only the Apple Mac, but mountain bikes too, and we’ve never looked back.