Fiido D11 E-Bike Review: Fast, Foldable, Fun, and Less Than $1000

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Folding electric bikes are a growing niche within the cycling industry. Once thought of as tools only used by older riders, e-bikes have gone relatively mainstream. Now, you can find riders from all walks of life using their battery-powered bicycle for different types of transportation. Recreational e-bike riders populate cycle paths on the weekends, hoping to enjoy the sunshine. Meanwhile, daily commuters zip through bustling city streets juiced on caffeine and battery power.

For electric bike maker Fiido, this change means supporting a wider variety of consumers, including the more budget-conscious. That’s where the company’s new D11 electric bike comes in. This sub-$1000 e-bike promises to deliver a genuinely exhilarating e-bike experience at a more palpable price. But is it any good?

Meet the Fiido D11 Foldable Electric Bike

A quick search for “best foldable electric bike” doesn’t generate many hits for the Fiido D11. That’s because consumers could previously only buy Fiido’s bikes in China. Fiido, however, has been making electric bikes since 2017. Recently, the new D11 became available for purchase in both Europe and North America. Currently, Fiido is offering this bike for preorder at $999 on its website.

The D11 is a compact, lightweight, electric folding bike that sports a 417Wh battery capacity and offers a Xiongda 250W motor with three different modes of assist customization. The battery of the D11 is unique here because it does double duty as the seat post for the bike. It’s also detachable, meaning you can bring it inside to charge rather than having to lug the whole unit up several flights of stairs.

To charge the bike’s battery, you’ll connect it to the included AC adapter. Total charge time is about seven hours, and at full charge, Fiido claims that the max range on the unit is between 80 and 100 km in moped mode. The top speed of the unit is 25 kph (15.5 mph).

The total weight on the D11 electric bike is 17.5 kg or 38.5 lbs, which is a bit chunky for a bike labeled as lightweight. However, the weight spec also includes the seat battery, and removing it decreases the heft of the D11 to 12.9 kg or 28.4 lbs. As a result, Fiido claims that the D11’s weight is the lightest of all 20-inch bikes in this class.

The bike also comes with a front headlight, rear tail-light, and an electronic horn. In addition to the rear brake lever and LED display, the controls for these items are positioned on the left side of the non-adjustable front handlebar. You’ll find an SRide DSL-D200 in-line gear indicator, the front brake lever, and the thumb pad for the throttle on the right side.

The D11 also includes a 7-gear Shimano cassette with an exposed derailleur and a 52-tooth steel crankset. The wheels on the unit are 20-inches in diameter, and the entire bike sits atop a pair of 20 × 1.75 Heng Shin all-season tires. For stopping, the D11 uses front and rear mechanical single-piston disc-brake calipers adorning respective 160mm cross-drilled brake rotors.

Finally, Fiido chose to run the cabling through the bike’s frame, except for the foremost cables, which are neatly tethered together. You will have to be careful with these exposed cables when you fold down the head tube, as they can snag on the frame.

Related: Use Your Android Phone as a Bike Computer With These Apps

Assembly and Unboxing

The D11 came via FedEx in a rather sizeable plain box. Inside were the folded bike assembly, the pedals, a pair of splash guards, the battery, the AC adapter, an opened-end wrench (spanner), a set of hex keys, a double-sided screwdriver, and a Fiido electronic bike lock. You may notice that I didn’t include any instructions or user manuals here. That’s because the only paperwork I received for the D11 was a user manual for the li-ion AC charger.

Fiido protected everything in the box via bubble wrap and packing foam. The movable components were also zip-tied to the bike’s frame to not allow any shifting during shipping. Once I removed the zip-ties, the bike was easy to unfold. Then, I connected the top tube assembly with the latch on the side of the unit.

Securing the handlebars was a little more difficult as the brake cables offered a bit of resistance. Rather than pull or force the cables, I shifted the handlebars around a bit until the top of the front fork popped up and slid into place. I latched it, and from there, it held firm.

Next, I carefully installed the pedals, which went on quickly. Then I installed the battery into the frame of the bike. I set the seat at the lowest level, mainly because I’m pretty short, and then connected the charging cable to the battery. I was surprised to find that the lowest point on the seat post was a bit too short for even someone my size, so I adjusted it until it was at proper hip level. Like Fiido states, the majority of the assembly was completed before the bike arrived.

The only issue I ran into during installation was the addition of the fenders. Because there were no instructions included, I had to research a few pictures for the correct fender orientation. The front fender went together quickly. The rear one, on the other hand, was a more troublesome ordeal. Adding the fenders took an additional half-hour, and after finding the rear fender slightly warped, I eventually removed both.

Related: Essential Gadgets for Bike Riders and Cyclists

Riding the Fiido D11

To say that the D11 is fun to ride is an understatement. Not only does the unit feel light and agile, but the motor also has a noticeable pull when you tickle the throttle. It’s not rigid as much as responsive. At top speed, it feels like you’re piloting a nimble mini-moped, and I found myself instantly excited about bombing through traffic.

The D11 has three levels of pedal-assist. Each mode increases the amount of work the motor does, and the full assist made riding effortless, save for a wiggle of your thumb. Even during initial launches, at full assist, you can feel the motor taking over quickly. Once you reach top speed with the throttle, cruise control engages, and you can enjoy a pedal-free experience.

Here in Massachusetts, bike lanes are abundant, which means you can spend a long time in the saddle. These extended excursions are excellent for testing the comfort of a bicycle, and the D11 did not disappoint. An hour of cycling went by without any significant discomfort, despite the bike’s lack of suspension.

During this ride, I estimate I pedaled about 30 percent of the time, with the motor of the D11 doing most of the heavy lifting. As a result, I was never winded and didn’t have to strain to get up hills. On the other hand, steeper inclines did require pushing to help the motor, but nothing unexpected.

The solitary bugaboo during this first excursion was the brakes. Pulling both levers resulted in an attention-grabbing squeak every time. Hopefully, this issue is just the new pads breaking in. That said, my initial impressions of the D11 are favorable, and I’ve used it almost every day since it was delivered.

On a separate note, I came across several reviewers who complained that this bike was sub-par for shorter riders during my research. The prominent issue others were flagging was that the battery extends slightly lower than the crankset when you’re under six feet tall.

Relative to these other riders, I’m certainly on the short side, standing only 5’4″. That said, once I’d adjusted the bike correctly for my stature, I had no trouble with the battery contacting any surfaces as I was darting around the neglected Boston city streets. Based on this experience, I’d say that shorter riders would be just fine with the D11, as long as they were aware of the battery limitation while curb-hopping.

Additionally, some reviewers complained that there was no way to secure the D11 battery to the bike when using a lock. I beg to differ. I found the included Fiido lock slipped easily between the seat stays and under the rear portion of the seat, with plenty of room to attach the bike to a stationary object.

Battery Life and Range

After my longest ride on the D11, which was 15 km based on the LED display, I found the unit’s battery depleted by only one out of four bars. I completed this ride using level-three full assist, and based on the 15 km distance, I’d estimate around 60 km before the battery is dead if you’re only using the throttle.

That’s good enough for a decently long ride or several shorter rides before you’d have to recharge the battery. Is the range faithful to Fiido’s 100 km claim? That’s hard to say, though based on testing, it would seem that there is a notable amount of variance.

Of course, less motor and more pedaling would preserve the battery. On the other hand, more motor means more power used, but, admittedly, the D11 seems to sip battery life rather than guzzle.

Like many cheap bikes in this class, the Fiido D11 does suffer from a battery monitor that provides incorrect readings while the bike is under heavy load. For example, while climbing, the LED display reported that the battery life was approximately one segment less than it showed on the flats. This misreading wasn’t a significant issue, but it is something that you might want to note if you’re considering this unit.

Related: How to Charge Your Phone While Riding Your Bike

The Fiido App and Smart Lock

The Fiido app isn’t an app for the bike itself as much as it is an app for the Bluetooth lock that comes with the unit. Using the app, you can unlock your bike without entering any codes into the lock keypad.

The app is incredibly buggy, and I found that I had to reset the lock a few times to make it work when using it. The app could be a decent value add, but not until some of the annoyances are corrected.

Additionally, holding down the reset button on the lock reset the unit to the default code. If someone knew this code, then they could easily reset the lock, input the default code and subsequently steal your bike.

Download: Fiido Smart Lock for iOS (Free)

Best Features of the D11 by Fiido

The extended battery life and the compact form factor of the D11 are notable pluses here. Based on these features, it’s clear that Fiido designed this e-bike with the commuter or urban cyclist in mind. The bike is also easy to fold and light enough to take with you to most places. You could even toss it into the trunk of your car for weekend getaways. It’s also easy to unfold once you get to where you’re going.

The unit is great-looking, and several times during my rides, I’ve had people come up to me and ask about the unit. I’m sure some of this is general curiosity, as the D11 looks different from many other bikes on the road, but it’s almost as if people couldn’t help but be attracted to the novelty of the bike. One gentleman even commented solely on the bike’s appearance before asking where he could purchase his own.

The $999 price on the unit is also exceptional, and riders curious about e-bikes can save some money with the D11 instead of shelling out thousands for a more expensive unit. That said because the bike is roughly half of what other e-bikes cost, there will be some differences in overall quality.

Agile handling and easy-to-operate controls provide the D11 with an edge as well. There wasn’t a single point where I felt the unit needed crispier responsiveness during all of my test rides. Every corner, every stop, and every tight turn echoed in the handlebars, and steering adjustments felt like second nature. The BMX-like handling of the D11 is a truly satisfying feature.

Finally, assembly was fast and easy out of the box, and except for the awful splash guards, reasonably painless. If you want the best assembly experience, then you may want to skip these splash guards altogether. But, many riders will love how quickly they can be riding this bike around their neighborhood once they unbox it.

What Needs Improvement?

During testing, we did find a few issues with the D11 that are important to note. The first would be the lack of foldable pedals. On a unit like this, foldable pedals seem like they would come standard. Unfortunately, with the demo, that wasn’t the case. This missing feature is not a dealbreaker but, still, something that would be nice to have.

Second, during testing, there was a slight issue with the adjustment bolts for the seat. Using the hex-head keys supplied with the D11 caused the soft metal of the seat adjustment bolts to feel as though they might strip. You could probably replace these bolts with a more robust set, but if they strip when you’re adjusting the seat, you’re going to have a problem on your hands.

The final issue here is the lack of suspension. The D11 isn’t the most comfortable bike when pedaling down bumpy roads. The stiff frame allows you to feel every dip and divot in the road surface.

If a marshmallow-soft ride is what you’re after, you’re not going to find it here. That may rub some folks the wrong way, both figuratively and perhaps literally. But for someone like me, whose previous experience was darting around Boston on the back of a fixed-gear, it might be a non-issue.

Can You Repair the D11 E-Bike?

Certain components of the bike are repairable, and certain parts aren’t. Users can replace things like pedals, the chain, derailleur, brake pads, and even the brake levers as long as they have the right equipment and know-how.

As for the warranty, Fiido has broken up its warranty into several sections, covering each component on the bike for a different period.

For example, Fiido warranties essential elements like the battery for 1.5 years, while headlight, rear derailleur, and mechanical shift components fall between 3 and 6 months. You can read more about Fiido’s official warranty policy by visiting the warranty subsection of Fiido’s website.

Should You Buy the Fiido D11?

After putting around 30 miles (48 km) on this bike, I can honestly say that it’s well worth its $999 price tag. It’s inexpensive for an e-bike, and the features that matter are well-designed. If you must have an e-bike around this price point, then you’ll have a hard time doing better than the D11.

Overall, the Fiido D11 boasts some terrific specs. It’s practical, and that is one of its greatest strengths. It’s not a Brompton or a Van Moof, but it doesn’t claim to be. Instead, the D11 beckons to the budget-conscious rider who lusts after an engaging e-bike experience without the high price tag. On that promise, the D11 certainly delivers.

Source: makeuseof.com