Published: 15:33, 20 August 2026

FLIT has launched the M2i, the latest iteration of its folding ebike model, with frames assembled from scratch in Cambridge and is now 1.2kg less than the standard FLIT M2.

Originally launched as the FLIT-16 in 2019, FLIT’s Cambridge team engineered the M2i for urban commuters who carry bikes up station steps or onto crowded trains, and “travellers who want to extend boat or aircraft adventures”.

FLIT M2i on road

Frame construction takes place at FLIT’s base Trinity Hall Farm Industrial Estate, Nuffield Road using advanced structural adhesives using a process adapted from aerospace and high-performance automotive manufacturing.

The technique, developed with support from Innovate UK, the Royal Academy of Engineering, and the Advanced Propulsion Centre, eliminates heat distortion caused by traditional welding, ensuring “tight alignment across hinges, wheels, and locking mechanisms while preserving structural integrity”.

FLIT M2i spokes

To achieve the required weight loss, FLIT integrated precision components from premium British and European performance brands. The specification features Lancashire-made Hope XCR Pro X2 hydraulic disc brakes, Goodyear Eagle F1 R tyres, an Italian fizik Vento Antares R3 saddle, TPU inner tubes, a hollow-pin KMC chain, and an ultralight finishing kit – representing more than £875 in component upgrades.

Crucially, the M2i retains full everyday practical functionality: it folds compactly to fit into train luggage racks, rolls smoothly when folded, and features integrated front and rear lighting.

The result is 500g less than the Brompton Electric T Line at nearly half the price – £2,999 vs £5,799.

Top Alex Murray lifts the FLIT M2i , as centre Max Pinkney lead engineer works on a frame       Picture: Keith Heppell

Alex Murray, co-founder managing director at FLIT, said: “We didn’t want to build a 13kg bike that only looks good on a set of scales. A folding ebike earns its keep when you have to carry it up station stairs or squeeze it onto a busy commuter train.

“The idea behind the M2i was simple: take weight out without sacrificing usefulness. We already had the M2 platform, so we went through the bike looking for every place we could save weight while keeping it something we’d want to use every day.”

FLIT M2i brake grips

FLIT co-founders – Alex and Dave Henderson – met in 2015 and bonded over their shared love of getting around cities on ebikes. Dave, an ex-Jaguar Land Rover engineer, loved making things (like the hovercraft he built aged 15) and Alex had finished cycle trips across the US and China and was thinking of ways to use his commercial and public policy experience to help people find better ways to move around cities.

Together they wanted to create a product that made city travel effortless and that would fit neatly into urban lifestyles. They moved to Cambridge in 2016 and designed the FLIT-16 folding ebike from a blank sheet of paper. Since then, they have built a team of engineers and designers in Cambridge who have curated the ambition of helping new riders join the ebike revolution.

FLIT M2i saddle

FLIT will deliver an initial batch of 10 M2i ebikes by the end of this month, with further limited batches released as production capacity becomes available. Cycle to Work orders and trade-ins of existing FLIT ebikes are also available.

Alex concluded: “If manufacturing is going global, the UK wins by doing the hard stuff well: innovation, design, and advanced manufacturing. We’re bringing that approach to the bike industry.”

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