ADO Air 28 Review 2024

E-bike companies love to give us exciting range expectations, and estimations are all well and good, but it’s out on the road where the rubber meets the…well, the road. So, it’s time to put those range claims to the test!

The ADO Air 28 comes with a 36V, 9.6 amp hour battery and they partner up to deliver 346 watt hours of juice to power your rides.

Now, the folks over at ADO gave a general range estimation of 100KM, which, on our side of the pond equates to 60 miles. So, we were as eager as you were to see where the range results landed.

In the minimum PAS level 1 range test, we covered a total of 56.9 miles, climbed 978 ft of elevation, with an average speed of 10.8 mph, and it took us a whopping 5 hours and 16 minutes. Conversely, in our Max PAS (level 3) test, we covered 25.6 miles with an average speed of 13.10, covering 449 ft in elevation and a total ride time of 1 hour and 57 minutes.

As you can see, these results fell right in line with the company’s range estimates which is always a pleasant surprise (and not as common as you might think). In this case, the bike’s 500W motor paired to a torque sensor helps with range as it requires a little more pedaling from the rider to get that assist from the motor.The overall speed of the max test was slower than we usually see, but it’s a more modest motor that slowed down a bit on the hills (more on that later).

Overall, the bikes lightweight design, torque sensor activated motor and semi-slick tires all teamed up to deliver a range result that delivered on our range expectations.

Navigating steep inclines on a cruiser bike is like swimming upstream against a strong current – your effort is constantly fighting against a stronger force. The ADO Air 28 comes with a 500W motor that offers 40 Newton Meters (nM) of torque, which we generally find to be on the softer side when it comes to power.

In the PAS 3, the bike made it up Hell Hole in 2 minutes, 8 seconds, a slower than expected result for a 500W motor. However, in throttle only mode, the bike did not make it up the hill.

A little perspective matters here. The test hill, Hell Hole, is a very challenging incline at over a 12% grade at times. It’s one of those hills that makes most cyclists get off and walk it, it’s just that kind of hill. So, any e-bike that makes it up Hell Hole really is a testament to the bikes abilities. With that said, the ADO Air 28 was the slowest of all 500W bikes across all classes in the hill climbing department we’ve tested so far.

Bottomline, is this a deal breaker for us? Nope, we don’t expect cruisers to excel at climbing hills, it’s just not a fair expectation for the cruiser class. So, for most, this bike will be great, but, for those of you who live in an area with a few hills along your route, you may want to consider another option.

In our standard brake test of the ADO Air 28, the bike came equipped with unbranded hydraulic disc brakes paired to 160mm rotors, a fairly common setup for a bike in the cruiser class.

With an averaging a stopping distance of 22 feet and 9 inches across three attempts. Where does that stack up for the class? Well, the result is really good! Its performance falls right in the middle of its peers in this cruiser segment. What makes it good is most of those had larger rotors, so the result was better than expected for being ‘average.’

While we can’t speak to the longevity of the brakes (as they are unbranded), for now, they offer reliable and safe stopping power at a safe distance.

This week, I put about 60 miles on the bike, and the brakes consistently performed well. The levers provided excellent feedback, and the brakes themselves stopped smoothly and safely each time.

However, during hard emergency stops, the rear tire would sometimes lock up and skid. Thankfully, the bike stayed stable during these skids, without any unexpected fishtailing.

Overall, I was pleased with the ADO Air 28’s stopping performance. The combination of its lightweight design, responsive hydraulic disc brakes, and 160mm rotors consistently delivered reliable braking in every situation we threw at it.

If I had to sum up the ride quality section in two words, it would be “sleek functionality”, but, as I type this out, I realize that doesn’t really mean anything to you. So, let’s dive into all the aspects of the ADO Air 28’s ride quality.

During my testing of this bike, I found myself really enjoying the overall ride. There is an adjustable stem, handlebar and seat post height that really allow the rider to find a fit that works best for them, adding to its overall ride quality. The cruiser design of the bike offers riders an upright body position with a good field of view of the road in front of them.

Now, the folks at ADO say this bike will support riders from 5’ 3” to 6’ 11”. That’s a very large range, and while I’d love to put that to the test, we don’t have anyone near 6’ 11”. But, we do have someone who is 6’ 5” and they took the ADO Air 28 for a spin and found it to work well for them after moving up the seat a bit. So, take that for what it’s worth.

Commuters will appreciate perks like a front headlight, rear rack and pannier bag attachment bars.

Down below, the puncture-resistant Chaoyang 26×1.95” tires with a semi-slick tread pattern felt very smooth on the road with no noticeable road noise. Additionally, I spent a few hours riding on wet roads and the tires never budged on grip giving me a safe ride, even when cornering.

Speaking of wet roads, the ADO Air 28 has both front and rear color matched metal fenders that did an excellent job protecting me from rain and puddles splashes along my route.

One of the standout aspects of the ADO Air 28 is the unique battery placement where it doubles as a seat post. While we like the battery placement and overall look it gives, it turns out there is a bit of a tradeoff between style and comfort, specifically in the saddle on longer rides.

Traditional seat posts flex and absorb some impacts and vibrations in the road, however, in this case, the seat post is also the battery, so there’s no flex or shock absorption in the seat post. But, in all fairness, this was only noticed on rides lasting over an hour and on my shorter rides I didn’t notice it much at all. A softer seat might remedy the situation some.

One of my favorite features of the ADO Air 28 is the torque sensor. The torque sensor just feels right. It offers an instant and very subtle nudge to your natural pedaling effort courtesy of the 500W motor. Most importantly, when pedaling, I didn’t feel any sudden bursts of pedal assistance as is often felt on cadence sensor bikes.

The front suspension fork is an unbranded coil shock with lockout and an adjustable compression dial. During my testing, adjusting compression had minimal impact on typical road vibrations. I believe this is mostly the case as the bike’s geometry gives you an upright posture where your weight is more on the saddle than the handlebars. However, the fork excelled when tackling more abrupt changes like curbs and speed bumps, especially when I shifted to a standing position and put more weight on the handlebars.

ADO also offers an app in both iOS and Android that pairs with the Air 28, providing expanded functionality like ride data, error logs, additional settings (like KM/MPH), and even lets you take a virtual tour of their laboratory where the bikes are built and tested. During my testing, I got familiar with the app and found I was able to give the bike an Over-The-Air (OTA) update which was awesome to see.

When it comes down to it, the ADO Air 28 delivers a reliable cruiser experience with the perks of a commuter, and overall, we were pleased with its performance in our testing.

If we were backed into a corner and had to nit-pick a certain aspect we would like to see improved, it would be the seat choice. While the current seat is fine for most rides, it was only on the longer rides where the road vibrations became uncomfortable for me. Swapping a seat for something more comfortable is so subjective to each rider, it’s almost not a fault at all. However, there is a bit of truth to the fact that since the seat post is the battery, you do lose a little bit of flexibility where traditional seat posts eat up some of the road vibrations.

See what I mean? We’re nit-picking.

Overall, the ADO Air 28 was exactly what we expected from the time we laid eyes on it. The torque sensor felt great, offering a smooth and more natural boost of assistance than typically found with cadence sensor bikes. The single-speed Gates Carbon Belt Drive offered a fluid ride, and we found it to be nearly silent. The battery acting as a double-agent seat post is a unique take on e-bike designs that helped deliver on the overall sleek appearance of the ADO Air 28.

If you’re looking for a cruiser e-bike that features plenty of commuter practicality all dressed up in a modern new look, the ADO Air 28 could be the bike you call your next.

Happy Riding! Make sure to let us know if you have any questions or if you think we left anything out in this review of the ADO Air 28 down in our comments section.