Fiido D11 in the test: The forbidden designer folding bike with 100km

The Fiido D11 folding e-bike looks fantastic, is light and should travel up to 100 kilometers on one charge. We put it through its paces. E-folding bikes from China are cheap, practical and illegal. The current member of the Fiido family, the D11, is no exception. It costs at the start of sales Geekmaxi (purchase link) with the voucher code NhwHZpL8 only 857 euros. This makes it one of the more expensive folding e-bikes from China, but still significantly cheaper than the vast majority of competitors with European brand names. The problem with almost all China e-bikes (topic page): They are not approved for use on German roads. What you need to consider when buying a legal electric bike is shown in the article Legal Basics: Everything you need to know about e-bikes and pedelecs that do not require registration.

Optics and workmanship

The exceptionally minimalist aluminum frame of the Fiido D11 has done it to us. In matte blue, it runs straight from the handlebars in a line, then slightly bent to the bracket for the rear wheel. The fork on the front wheel even consists of a magnesium alloy. The frame is very slim, almost filigree. You can overlook the weld seams that are clearly too thick. The secret of the thin crossbar: Fiido does not hide the large battery in the frame, but in the seat post. Whether light, saddle, handlebars or the sturdy stand: everything looks like it is made from one piece. Nevertheless, small inaccuracies flash through again and again. For example, the pedals rub off the paint on the unfolded stand.

Nevertheless, everything is super chic if it weren’t for the unsightly cable routing. As with all Fiido bikes that we have tested so far, many cables run from the handlebars to the front via a spiral and first deep into the frame on the front wheel. That disturbs the slim overall picture. For example, we saw with the Xiaomi Himo Z16 (test report) that it can be done better. On the handlebars, next to the two brake levers, there is an accelerator lever for the thumb, the 7-speed gearshift, two buttons for light and horn and the bike computer. The computer seems to be the same as on all Fiido bikes we’ve tested so far. In addition to the current speed, it also shows the battery charge in four bars and the kilometers traveled.

Valves

The folding mechanism works well without shining with the ingenuity of the Brompton Electric (test report). To fold, push the seat post down as far as it will go using the quick release, turn the handlebars a few degrees back using a quick release, fold it over a safety lever, and then fold the frame in the middle in the last step. This is secured by a tightly seated lever. Unusual: the pedals, which are largely made of metal, cannot be folded. It costs a few centimeters when folded, but they make a more stable impression than most folding pedals. Overall, the dimensions in length × width × height are reduced from 142 × 54 × 100 centimeters to 87 × 50 × 74. This means that the Fiido D11 does not break any records, but it also fits in small trunk. Fiido has not thought of a small magnet like the one on the Blaupunkt Fiene 500 (test report) that keeps the bike folded.

Fiido advertises on the successfully completed Indigogo campaign page for the D11 that the bike weighs only 12.9 kilograms without a battery seat post. The finished product does not keep this promise, as it weighs 14.6 kilograms. If you add the 3.3 kilograms that the saddle weighs together with the battery, you get a total weight of 17.9 kilograms. This fluctuates between the Brompton Electric folding e-bike that we tested, the lightest at 17.5 kilograms (test report), and the equally light and very good Fiido D4S (test report) at 18.5 kilograms. For comparison: the recently tested Xiaomi Himo Z16 (review) weighs 22.5 kilograms. Very good: the maximum payload is 120 kilograms.

Drive

The height of the saddle is very variable with 85 to 115 centimeters. Nevertheless, the Fiido D11 is only partially suitable for people taller than 180 centimeters. Because the handlebar is only 100 centimeters high and therefore smaller than the Xiaomi Himo Z16. The handlebars of the Fiido D4S (test report) are height-adjustable. Fiido probably did without it for weight reasons with the D11. The ride is very easy and pleasant. Thanks to the 20-inch rims with pneumatic tires, which are large for a folding bike, bumps and small potholes are also okay. There is no suspension. However, some buyers’ bums might hurt on longer tours because the saddle is not particularly soft.

The 7-gear shift is really good. Noticeable: the lowest gear translates finely enough to be able to master somewhat steep passages. The highest gear is also suitable for pedaling at 25 kilometers per hour. The driver can choose between three different support levels on the computer. The first supports you when you pedal up to 10, the second up to 15 and the third up to 20 kilometers per hour. The D11 accelerates up to 25 kilometers per hour only via the ergonomically well-placed thumb lever – without pedaling. The 250 watt motor is sufficiently powerful. The lever can be used to fine-tune the motor power, the pedal assistance only knows the states on and off. The motor needs a long time before it switches on and also quite a long time before it switches off again. As is usually the case with Fiido bikes, we couldn’t unlock the Fiido D11 at higher speeds using a simple trick. The Fiido D11 comes with a nice new feature: If you press the throttle all the way down for about 15 seconds, it “locks” and continues to give full throttle even after letting go. This relieves the thumb on longer journeys. Still, the throttle is more of a curse than a blessing. He is partly responsible for the fact that the Fiido D11 is not approved for use on German roads.

When driving in the rain or through puddles, your buttocks get wet because there are no mudguards. But there is a corresponding bracket to which the optionally available sheets can be attached. The front and rear mechanical disc brakes may need to be adjusted before your first ride. The corresponding Allen key is included with the folding e-bike. Once set, they brake well and reliably.

battery pack

The battery is not located in the middle part of the frame as usual or completely outside as in the Brompton Electric (test report), in the Fiido D11 it is hidden in the seat post. This makes the frame slim. The seat post with battery has a diameter of about eight centimeters and can be completely removed. The Fiido D11 stays in the underground car park while the battery is charging in the apartment. The included 82-watt power supply needs a good six hours to fully charge the energy storage device, which is quite large at 417.6 watt hours.

A three-pin plug then supplies the folding e-bike with power from the battery. This connector makes a stable impression. However, especially at the beginning, it can take a while to get the hang of it. Somewhat unusual: Before starting, a small push button switches on the battery, only then does the bike computer react. There is a bright rear light directly below the push button, which starts to flash when the brake is pressed. Fiido advertises the D11 with a maximum range of 80 to 100 kilometers in support mode and 40 to 50 kilometers in purely electric mode. Such a range can only be achieved under optimal conditions. In the test, we drove with one battery charge, mostly on asphalt, a few meters in altitude, 85 kilograms payload and mostly in assistance mode over 45 kilometers. That is still a very good value! However, not much better than the range of the significantly cheaper Fiido D4S (review).

price

The Fiido D11 can currently be pre-ordered and should be delivered in mid-October. It costs at Geekmaxi (purchase link) with the voucher code NhwHZpL8 currently 857 euros. The goods are then sent from a European warehouse. If you want it to be significantly cheaper, you can also use one of the other Fiido bikes linked in the price comparison.

Conclusion

The Fiido D11 is a very good folding e-bike. The design is fantastic apart from the massive welds and the thick wiring harness on the handlebar. The weight is nice and small, the range long. Integrating the battery in the removable seat post is clever. The engine is powerful enough, the brakes are fine and the gears are exceptionally good. As a big negative point we see the fixed and too low height of the handlebars. This makes it ergonomically rather unsuitable for drivers who are taller than 180 centimeters. Even if the Fiido D11 is cheap at around 850 euros compared to the Blaupunkt Fiene 500 (test report) or Brompton Electric (test report), it is one of the more expensive models among the China e-folding bikes. For example, the Fiido D4S (test report) costs Geekmaxi (purchase link) with the code SHKJcuRz only 630 euros, at Banggood (purchase link) with the code BGD4S009 even only 559 euros and is almost on par with the Fiido D11 in the most important points. Only the battery cannot be removed. Thanks to the adjustable handlebar, it is also suitable for taller drivers.

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