Fiido C11 commuter e-bike: Fun, gorgeous, and affordable
Spring is here so dust off the chain and get ready to ride. The new Fiido city commuter is a lovely e-bike that is also priced at $900.
Hyperdrive Hits
4/5 Medals of Yavin: Gorgeous, functional, city commuter e-bike that is priced right for the features
Removable battery, bright headlight, rear brake light, fenders
Color LCD display with USB port
Range is a bit limited
The time has finally ended for riding to work in the cold, wet, and dreary winter months here in the Pacific Northwest with days of brilliant sunshine and cool mornings. For the past few weeks I have been riding around the neighborhood and commuting to work with the Fiido C11 city e-bike.
The Fiido C11 is the successor to the D4S, but with features that D4S customers regularly requested. These include a removable battery and hydraulic brakes. The removable battery is important for this bike since the range isn’t going to help propel you forward for an extended period of time.
My commute into the city is comprised of bike and train riding with seven miles a day on the bike. The Fiido C11 is a great fit for this commute that also supports me riding around Seattle to pick up lunch, enjoy a leisurely ride along the waterfront, or take care of errands.
Rating:
As explained in my palmsolo’s Refresh Rating Scale post, I’m awarding the Fiido C11 four (4) Medals of Yavin. The reasonable sub-$1000 price for such a high quality bike might warrant a higher rating, but the battery life isn’t as long as I would like and the 500W motor cannot propel me up my steep hills as well as a 750W bike. It’s a lovely bike with high quality fit and finish though so it looks like a 5 and rides like a 4.
The Good and the Bad
It’s pretty rare for me to not find something that can be improved with a product and for things like electric bikes the pros and cons can depend on your riding needs.
Pros
Stunning Emerald Blue color, lovely fit and finish
Affordable price
Comfortable seat and handlebar design
Lovely integrated color display with USB port for charging a phone
Hydraulic disc brakes and a removable battery
Fairly light weight for a commuter bike with power
Cons
Have to scroll through all pedal assist modes with no up and down option
Front fender was tough to get properly aligned
Battery life doesn’t support extended commutes
Experiences
The Fiido C11 arrived in a large cardboard box in a mostly assembled condition. I had to install handlebars, front wheel/tire, front fenders, headlight, and pedals. All of this was detailed in the included manual with clear graphics and directions. I spent way too much time trying to get the front fender properly aligned and still had a bit of tire rubbing as I continue to tweak the hangers to achieve perfect alignment. I finally figured out that I had to raise the center support on the fender to get it all aligned and it is perfect now.
Fiido provides you with all of the tools needed to assemble and maintain the bike, which is great for first time bike owners and those who don’t have a set of tools to facilitate assembly.
The removable battery is one upgrade from the D4S and it is secured in the frame with a key provided to unlock the battery from the frame. There is a battery status indicator light on the battery as well.
The color LCD display is mounted on the left side of the handlebars. The display is vibrant with large numbers that even my aging eyes can read clearly. I’m not a huge fan of having to press the assist button repeatedly to scroll through the assist levels. Most bikes I’ve ridden have up and down, or plus and minus, buttons to help you quickly move up and down through the electric assist levels. It’s not a showstopper, but it is a bit annoying at times.
The Fiido C11 is capable of a 28 mph top speed. The default is set to 15.5 mph, but with the simple press and hold of the up arrow on the center controls you can unlock the top speed and fly. I enjoyed the fast speeds on the road, but settled down to more reasonable speeds on the trails.
Fiido advertises up to 37 miles range with just the throttle in the default speed setting while lowest level of pedal assist could get you over 80 miles. Given the terrain I rode on, my 235 pound weight, and the level 2-4 assist I used most of the time, I was seeing about 30 miles of range. The battery does well and provides excellent assist and torque. I was able to tackle the steepest hills with a bit of effort in a lower gear.
An extra battery is priced at $267, which is pretty reasonable for an e-bike battery so if you love the bike and need longer range then this is a nice option that is available to you. Even with an extra battery, the total package price is reasonable.
Specifications
Specifications alone don’t mean much, but they are useful for comparing similar devices and checking that you are getting value for your money.
Frame: Aluminum alloy in two colors
Motor: 500W rear hub, peak 678W, 55Nm torque
Bike weight: 54 pounds
Bike capacity: 265 pounds, 55 pounds for rear rack
Pedal assist: Five levels with throttle
Max speed and range: 15.5 mph, but can be unlocked with 28 mph limit
Transmission: 6-speed
Brakes: Hydraulic disk brakes, 40mm travel
Tires: 700x40C tires
Bottom Line
I love the freedom and experience of being outside that is provided by riding around on a bike. The Fiido C11 is a stylish e-bike with the battery well integrated into the frame for security and easy replacement. The bike is built for a comfortable ride with a lovely seat, angled handlebars, and pedal assist modes to make riding a sheer joy.
The $899 price is reasonable for an e-bike that looks fantastic, has a minimal number of exposed cables, is built well, and rides easily for all riders. It has an accessible design with a low step-through frame and my wife was thrilled to ride the bike.
Thanks for the review! I'm between buying the Fiido C11 or spend a little bit more and go for a Velotric Discover 1 ($1100, 500W, 65Nm, 14.4 Ah) or even a the Velotric Nomad 1 ($1200, 750W, 75Nm, 14.4 Ah)