Fiido Air Carbon E-Bike Review | Fetching & Featherlight

The Fiido Air’s motor is powered by an internal 209 Wh battery concealed in the bike’s down tube. We tested the Fiido Air’s range and motor/battery efficiency using the process explained in the graphic above. Our results are compared with Fiido’s advertised range and the results we’ve measured from similar city/urban e-bikes we tested previously.

Both of our range results are right around average for a city e-bike based on similar models we’ve tested. The category averages 23 and 43.6 miles, so the Fiido Air went slightly further in both tests, with a maximum difference of under 2 miles. With such similarity in results, our test shows that the Air is generally specced well and able to keep pace with its peers.

The Air’s results were particularly impressive considering that its battery is significantly smaller than average for the city e-bike category. Similar models we’ve tested had an average of 342 Wh, over 60% higher than Fiido’s battery. This suggests that the Air’s low weight, which is about 10 lbs below the category average, helped to counteract its smaller-than-average battery.

As my Speed Test results indicated, there was not much difference between the Air’s two assist levels, which was further backed up by Fiido’s own range test results.

The brand’s test rider, who weighed 176 pounds, went 32.3 and 37.5 miles. This difference of only about 5 miles caught my attention, as it is much less of a gap than we typically see between tests using a bike’s highest and lowest power levels. It’s also much narrower than the difference between our results, though not without good reason.

The difference seems to be related to rider weight, further reinforcing just how much that factor can affect a bike’s range—especially one that weighs so little without a rider.

I personally performed our Range Test using Sport Mode, and my weight of roughly 190 lbs is about 15 lbs heavier than Fiido’s test rider. Our rider for the Normal mode, Asha, weighs around 160 pounds, which is about 15 pounds lighter than Fiido’s rider.

Fiido’s results fell almost perfectly between those that Asha and I recorded on the bike, which makes sense considering that their test rider was also between Asha and me in terms of weight.

Regardless of which power level riders use, we expect most should be able to cover a long round-trip commute or a few short ones on a single charge. Based on my experience and the minimal difference between assist settings, however, I recommend sticking to the lower power level to maximize the Air’s range.

A few final details: the included 2-amp charger should be able to recharge the battery in about 3 hours. Additionally, Fiido offers an external range extender for those who need more than the internal battery can offer. This second battery is priced around $250 and is claimed to be able to double the bike’s range, though we feel it did well with its standard power supply and do not expect most riders will need the extra power.

We tested the Fiido Air’s climbing ability using our standard process described above, though with no throttle, we only needed a single pedal test at Hell Hole Trail in Sport mode. Our test rider, Justin, commented that the Air was “still better than a regular bike” when pedaling up the paved path with some effort.

Even the best city and urban e-bikes tend to be on the slower side in this test, as they generally feature relatively low-power motors that encourage active pedaling. With that in mind, the Air’s result of 2:14 at 8.1 mph was roughly 22 seconds slower than average for the city e-bike category; the bikes used for comparison averaged 1:52.

The Air showed that it can effectively make a tough climb easier than a rider would experience on a non-electric bike, but it had two main elements working against it in this test: its single-speed drivetrain and uncommonly low motor output.

Single-speed drivetrains are inherently limiting when it comes to pedaling uphill, as they must balance their gearing between climbing and pedaling efficiently on flat ground. If it is set up to pedal uphill too easily, the gearing will feel loose and ineffective on flats, and vice versa. Based on previous experience, the Air’s gearing is balanced about as well as it can be.

In terms of motor output, the Air’s motor skews toward the light side with a peak of just 388W and 35 Newton-meters (Nm) of torque. Both of these figures are among the lowest we’ve seen for the city style, which already tends to favor a natural feel. For perspective, other bikes we’ve tested averaged 587W of peak power and 44 Nm of torque.

As further evidence of the slight difference in power between the Air’s two assist levels, I tested the bike in both modes at our secondary Hill Test location, called Pilot Hill. My results in each mode differed by only one second and 0.1 mph, suggesting that both modes reach the bike’s maximum output with neither having a real advantage over the other.

To add to what I stated previously about wanting a US version of the bike with higher speeds, we think a more powerful motor would be appropriate to help offset the limitations of the drivetrain, especially for those who live in hillier areas.

As it is, the Air rides extremely well on the flat and seems to be optimized for cities without many hills, but it can do the job of helping you pedal uphill as long as you don’t mind a bit of a workout.

Fiido equipped the Air with the Tektro HD-M275n hydraulic disc brake system, with 2-piston calipers and 160mm rotors. We tested its stopping power using the method described above, with an average result of 25’2”. This result is just under two feet longer than the city category average of 23’3”, at the time of writing.

In practice, Griffin and I agreed that the Air’s brakes felt great, which lines up well with our previous experiences with this particular brake system. The M275n unit typically has very solid results, but this was a bit of an unusual case where the Air’s test results didn’t quite line up with our expectations or the bike’s actual feel.

I’m quoting Griffin here with his permission: after performing the brake test, he said, “This might be a case of a heavy guy on a super lightweight bike.” Translated, this means that his inertia seemed to keep him moving longer than usual. Taken a step further, it’s possible that a rider under Griffin’s roughly 230 lbs might have better results.

In my personal testing, the bike did feel like it wanted to skid for longer than I expected, which seemed to be a combination of its lightweight frame and knobby tires. Based on my experience, I recommend practicing with braking once the bike arrives so you know what to be prepared for.

Overall, I think the Air’s braking performance felt safe, even if we hoped for a shorter stopping distance. I like that the bike has an integrated LED headlight and taillight for visibility in low-light conditions, but to increase its safety factor when sharing the road with motorists, I would like to see it include a tail light that functions as a brake light in the future.

Owners who want to shorten the bike’s stopping distance might wish to swap the tires to a softer compound with more grip on paved surfaces, though this has the tradeoff of causing tires to wear faster.

Otherwise, we consider the Air to be set up well spec-wise, so we don’t feel the need to recommend any changes to the brand.

Ride Quality is a complex subject encompassing many areas of a bike’s feel and operation; in essence, it’s a measure of the overall user experience. Strap in for a long read, as this section will likely form the bulk of my review; the Fiido Air might look simple, but it has a surprising amount of depth when considering the app and the included smartwatch.

Starting off with the basics, Fiido offers the Air in three frame sizes at the time of writing: a Medium, a Large, and an XL. The Medium frame is intended for riders from 5’4” to 5’9”, while the Large fits those between 5’7” and 6’3”, leaving the XL for cyclists sized from 6’1” to 6’9”.

At 5’11”, I am right in the middle of the recommended height range for the Large frame we tested. The bike’s proportions felt great; its saddle’s 4” range of adjustment allowed me to set a comfortable leg extension. Its reach felt on the longer side, placing me at a relatively aggressive forward lean with my weight balanced between the handlebars and saddle.

I typically don’t enjoy e-bikes with such an aggressive feel, but the Air felt comfortable throughout my testing. Its slim, performance-oriented saddle was supportive and not too firm. Its rubber grips were soft and squishy, and its pedals were relatively small but grippy and sturdy.

My only real complaint about comfort is minor. Our test bike included a kickstand that doesn’t come standard (but can be added at purchase, like the optional fenders and side mirrors). With a US men’s size 12 shoe, I often found my left heel hitting the kickstand mount, though this could be avoided with mindful foot placement.

Thanks to the bike’s carbon fiber frame, it picked up speed quickly and felt extremely agile and maneuverable while moving. Cornering felt crisp and predictable with my weight half on the bars, thanks to the bike’s rigid fork.

Speaking of the rigid frame, it’s important to note that carbon fiber has a “softer” feel than aluminum or steel because it’s slightly more flexible. This shock-absorbing property means that the Air’s ride felt far less jarring when riding over uneven surfaces than a typical alloy frame; as someone who prioritizes comfort, the ride was appreciably smooth and enjoyable.

The Air includes 700x40c knobby tires from Kenda, which serve to make the bike capable of light off-roading. They performed well and provided great traction when I tested the bike on short sections of dirt and gravel paths. I think the Air will likely satisfy gravel riders who prefer bikes with flat handlebars to the drop bars typical of gravel-specific or road bikes.

Before moving on, I want to mention the many positive features of the Air’s single-speed drivetrain. While somewhat limiting when pedaling uphill, this setup is extremely low maintenance; the Gates Carbon belt is rated to last at least twice as long as a chain. It’s also much cleaner, as it does not require grease—a feature many commuters in business attire will appreciate.

Now for the more technical stuff: the bike’s user interface, the Fiido app, and the smartwatch.

Starting with the fingerprint reader and light ring that make up the bike’s interface, this system has a learning curve, though overall, I found it intuitive.

Once a fingerprint is set up through the Fiido app—a process which is similar to older smartphones, where the user must perform a series of thumb/finger presses with some slight rotation until registered—a long press of 3 seconds will turn the bike on or off.

A single tap will cycle through the bike’s assist levels (Sport mode and the zero-power level are both purple, which is somewhat confusing), while a double tap will activate or deactivate the lights.

The colored light ring around the fingerprint reader is used to indicate the battery’s charge level. At 60% or above, it shows green, then switches to blue until 40% remains, whereupon it will show red.

As a sidenote, I learned through trial and error that, should the bike’s Bluetooth pairing mode be needed, it’s essential to use a finger that isn’t paired with the bike to avoid simply turning it off.

This leads me to my next point: the electronic ecosystem between the bike, the app, and the smartwatch. Each of these elements can only be connected to one of the others at a time, so properly setting up the connections is essential.

I found this to be somewhat of a stumbling block, which I attribute partially to my own eagerness (I jumped in without reading the instructions) and also to some lack of clarity in the instructions. I had to restart the process a few times and discover some details as I went; I recommend not connecting the app and the watch to avoid some frustration.

Diving into the app, I found that it’s a useful and relatively robust feature. In addition to serving as a control panel that can turn the bike and/or its lights on and off, it can track ride data and link to your preferred navigation app, in addition to hosting a social-media-like feature and providing access to many of the bike’s controls.

The app can serve as a display with a variety of customizable ride data modules. If you prefer to keep track of how many feet of elevation you’ve gained over your ride instead of the bike’s maximum speed, you can choose what information the display mode presents.

It is also used to set up fingerprint profiles and choose which security measures are employed. For example, when the Smart Unlock feature is activated, the bike will automatically turn on when a user wearing the smartwatch approaches it. Additionally, watch control can be completely deactivated, leaving only the smartphone holder with the ability to use the bike.

Finally, let’s dive into the smartwatch itself. It ships already paired with the Air (an aspect I missed when trying to set up connections), so that when the bike is turned on, it can switch between bike and watch modes.

When in bike mode, it displays a speedometer, a bar-based battery charge indicator, and the current pedal assist setting. It can also be used to activate lights or switch between the bike’s Normal, Sport, and zero-power modes.

When in watch mode, it shows the time, the wearer’s heart rate and step count, and the number of calories burned. Users can select from a variety of faceplate appearances and access a variety of apps, including weather (though I couldn’t figure out how to change my location), an exercise-tracking Sports Mode, a timer function, and a relaxing breathing app, among others.

If connected to a smartphone, it can also be used to see notifications, control music, access the phone’s camera, and a variety of other features.

Overall, I think the smartphone is a great alternative to an onboard display for those who prefer a minimalistic look, as the only option for most similar e-bikes without a display is a bulky phone mount (though, of course, this is still an option).

In conclusion, the Fiido Air’s ride quality is a solid step or two above the norm, largely due to its carbon fiber construction and integrated tech. It clearly has a learning curve (be sure to read the instructions first!), but once set up properly, I don’t expect most users to have much trouble.

Fiido is still relatively new to our team of reviewers at Electric Bike Report. Of the three models we’ve reviewed as a company from this brand, the Air was my first personal experience with one of its e-bikes. Overall, I was extremely impressed with everything it had to offer, though as I’ve shared, the bike is not without its flaws.

Innovation is something I feel should be rewarded, especially considering that it comes with inherent risk. There is no guarantee that a given idea will work, no matter the investment of time, money, and/or energy.

In my experience, the Fiido Air is an unexpected—and extremely cool—combination of technology, high-end materials, and great design, regardless of the areas where it could be improved.

Compared with many similar city e-bikes we’ve tested, the Air had respectable range, but it fell somewhat behind in terms of its programming, braking performance, and overall power. It was also an excellent reminder that an e-bike is more than the sum of its parts, and that performance data is not always its most important element.

We have a short wishlist of desired improvements that include brake lights for increased safety, a more powerful motor for better climbing, higher speeds for mass appeal in the US market, and perhaps a more streamlined or self-explanatory setup process between pieces of technology.

Otherwise, however, the Fiido Air checks many of the essential boxes for a great city e-bike. It’s extremely lightweight and nimble, it offers a comfortable yet sporty ride, it features a responsive motor that promotes active pedaling, and delivers an impressive level of value. Its looks are the icing on the cake, and well-deserving of the Red Dot Design Award that it earned.

Based on this experience, I look forward to testing more e-bikes from Fiido in the future. For now, however, I’m happy to recommend the Air to riders seeking a high-tech, highly portable, and extremely unique e-bike for navigating city streets.

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 Fiido Air down in our comments section.