First real test of the $799 Indiegogo electric bicycle

The Fiido D11 folding electrical bicycle just launched last week on Indiegogo for pre-order at $799. That’s an superior value for a slick-looking e-bike, however who actually is aware of upfront if a brand new product launched on Indiegogo is bang or bust?

So I talked to the corporate and satisfied them to ship me one of many solely Fiido D11s in existence in order that I may put it via its paces to find out if it was definitely worth the value.

To be honest, the truth that Fiido even agreed to ship me their solely manufacturing prototype was already an excellent signal. It reveals they imagine within the bike sufficient to let me give the world an sincere evaluation (Electrek doesn’t cost for opinions) whereas their crowdfunding marketing campaign remains to be stay.

And as soon as I acquired the bike out of the field, it was rapidly obvious to me why Fiido was so assured: That is truly a candy e-bike!

Not all the pieces is ideal, and it has a few flaws that I’ll level out, however for probably the most half, I can undoubtedly suggest the Fiido D11. Try my video beneath the place I check out the bike, then proceed studying for my full evaluation.

Fiido D11 e-bike video evaluation

Fiido D11 tech specs

• Motor: 250 W nominal rear geared hub motor
• Prime velocity: 25 km/h (15.5 mph)
• Vary with pedal-assist: 80-100 km (50-62 mi)
• Vary with throttle: 40-50 km (25-31 mi)
• Battery: 36 11.6 Ah (418 Wh)
• Weight: 17.5 kg (38.5 lb) with battery
• Max load: 120 kg (265 lb)
• Body: Aluminum
• Wheels: 20 inches
• Brakes: Mechanical disc brakes
• Extras: LED headlight, tail mild constructed into seat publish, mounting factors for fenders, three ranges of pedal help, giant LED show with speedometer, battery gauge and tripmeter, sturdy kickstand
• MSRP: $1,299
• Indiegogo sale value: $799

What do I like concerning the Fiido D11?

Moreover the low gross sales value (when do this stuff ever promote for his or her MSRPs?), there’s so much to like right here.

To begin with, the Fiido D11’s body is novel and I respect that. It’s modern, trendy, and doesn’t appear like each different bike on the market. There’s no high tube or down tube, there’s simply the tube. They usually get away with that by hiding the battery within the seat publish.

The seat publish is surprisingly lengthy, which you don’t understand at first as a result of it’s hidden by the two-tone seat tube portion of the bike. However that explains how they stuff over 400 Wh of battery capability right into a seat tube.

The 250W motor would possibly sound weak, nevertheless it’s truly lots highly effective on flat floor. It zips me round on throttle-only driving simply and has a lot stronger acceleration than a variety of other 250 W motors I’ve tried. You don’t want the pedal-assist to get good energy, however after all, the pedal-assist helps. The throttle is a welcome addition on hills, however can solely deal with mild hills by itself. On pedal help, medium hills have been no drawback. Large hills would possibly nonetheless be robust although, and count on to decelerate an excellent bit, even with the Fiido D11’s pedal help.

Happily, you continue to get a 7-speed Shimano transmission although, which is greater than I can say for a lot of budget-level electric folders that go for single-speed drivetrains. By with the ability to downshift on hills after which discover a smaller cog for flat floor, the Fiido D11 is usable in a a lot wider vary of functions.

There’s nothing too fancy concerning the folding mechanism, aside from that it isn’t stiff or annoying to make use of. The security locks are there, however they aren’t frustratingly sturdy like on some e-bikes. Weirdly, the pedals don’t fold, however I think about that’s simply because this was a prototype they usually didn’t have the folding pedals prepared. I can’t make certain of that and I’m nonetheless awaiting a ultimate reply from the corporate relating to the pedals.

The bike doesn’t fold any smaller than most traditional folding e-bikes, nevertheless it’s lots small to slot in any regular automotive trunk.

Primarily, the Fiido D11 is only a regular electrical folding bike with good efficiency and a slick design.

However after all, I nonetheless have my complaints, like I do with nearly any e-bike.

What are the downsides?

To begin with, the LED display is troublesome to learn in brilliant daylight. It appears very nice indoors and I just like the shiny end – nearly like an Apple product. However when you get into the brilliant daylight, the display would possibly as nicely be a easy sheet of black glass.

It’s not a dealbreaker because you don’t even really want the display (who cares in the event you’re going 13 mph or 15 mph?), although checking the Fiido D11’s battery capability generally requires holding your hand over the display to create a shadow.

Subsequent, the body generally is a bit difficult to lock. Most folding e-bikes have a triangle someplace, even when simply within the rear, which lets you feed a lock via. Not the Fiido D11. The body appears nice, nevertheless it lacks any closed loops. I discovered that I may get my Kryptonite New York U-lock over the principle body tube however that the angle meant I couldn’t lock it across the widest of poles. As an alternative, I largely used both a Hiplok wearable chain lock or an ABUS folding lock. Locking actually wasn’t that huge of a deal, nevertheless it’s one thing to think about in the event you’ll be locking usually because it takes a bit extra thought than a typical bike body.

Lastly, and talking of locking, my ultimate critique is that the battery/seat publish can’t be locked natively. There’s no built-in locking mechanism. Meaning in the event you’re locking the Fiido D11 to a motorbike rack outdoors, you’re principally pressured to take the seat/battery with you. In a means, it’s a good factor because you shouldn’t be leaving priceless elements like that outdoors in any case. However it’s additionally a bit annoying, particularly in the event you have been planning to run right into a comfort retailer for 60 seconds.

I suppose you can slip a lock via the bars on the seat used for adjusting seat place, however the area is cramped and also you’d want a narrow lock to get in there.

My takeaway

So what’s my backside line?

I’m undoubtedly a fan of the Fiido D11. Fiido did an important job with the design and was capable of create one thing distinctive and crowd pleasing.

Most e-bikes that may be described with phrases like “distinctive” or “eye-catching” even have eye-catching costs. So for the Fiido D11 to be priced at $799 is fairly progressive itself.

The bike after all isn’t excellent, however I can stay with its few small downsides if meaning having a light-weight, decently highly effective, and handy e-bike that appears pretty much as good as it really works.

What do you consider the Fiido D11? Let me know within the feedback part beneath!

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