Help! Fiido X Q's (new to e-bikes)

[pudding835]

Hi, I'm looking for an electric bike to commute to work in the Sheffield area. It's a new job, I haven't relocated yet but we're talking 10-15% gradients, maybe even 20% or more. I was thinking of a full size IGH belt drive for low maintenance but the company's Cycle to Work has a £2k limit. So now looking at folders, which I've never ridden or owned before but they're cheaper plus I can store it indoors when I rent a room.

Currently considering the Fiido X. Other possibilities are Furo X and Eovolt Afternoon (though the Eovolt is £2100), plus others I've rejected as too expensive, can't handle hills, etc.

Generally good reviews for Fiido X but I found a negative one for V1, not the 2002 V2

Fiido X

Review folding bikes ebike ebike - bicicletas plegables

ecycles.blogspot.com

1. If I buy from fiido.com, which delivers from a UK warehouse, is VAT and import duty included in the price? Their price is $1600 which converts to £1200 while a UK site is selling at £1600. Import duty might be 62% if the anti-dumping duty applies!
2. What hills can its Shimano Tourney 7spd handle, 10%, 15% or 20%?
3. Is it easy to remove and replace the wheels or are there lots of connectors and sensors that need to be aligned every time?
4. The handlebars aren't adjustable, there's no reach measurement and I can't get a test ride. What would the fit be like if I'm 5' 10", upright Dutch bike or sporty flatbar? The Fiido D21 looks very similar so if someone has that bike, maybe they could answer?
5. Can I lock it with a D lock? Which part of the frame would it go through? It would be my only bike so I'd use it for shops, appointments, gym, etc but after reading other posts, it sounds like I should never leave it alone and wheel it with me everywhere I go. Even though I've got a Kryptonite M18 lock!

Cheers

 

[matthewslack]

Hi, I'm looking for an electric bike to commute to work in the Sheffield area. It's a new job, I haven't relocated yet but we're talking 10-15% gradients, maybe even 20% or more. I was thinking of a full size IGH belt drive for low maintenance but the company's Cycle to Work has a £2k limit. So now looking at folders, which I've never ridden or owned before but they're cheaper plus I can store it indoors when I rent a room.

Currently considering the Fiido X. Other possibilities are Furo X and Eovolt Afternoon (though the Eovolt is £2100), plus others I've rejected as too expensive, can't handle hills, etc.

Generally good reviews for Fiido X but I found a negative one for V1, not the 2002 V2

Fiido X

Review folding bikes ebike ebike - bicicletas plegables

ecycles.blogspot.com

1. If I buy from fiido.com, which delivers from a UK warehouse, is VAT and import duty included in the price? Their price is $1600 which converts to £1200 while a UK site is selling at £1600. Import duty might be 62% if the anti-dumping duty applies!
2. What hills can its Shimano Tourney 7spd handle, 10%, 15% or 20%?
3. Is it easy to remove and replace the wheels or are there lots of connectors and sensors that need to be aligned every time?
4. The handlebars aren't adjustable, there's no reach measurement and I can't get a test ride. What would the fit be like if I'm 5' 10", upright Dutch bike or sporty flatbar? The Fiido D21 looks very similar so if someone has that bike, maybe they could answer?
5. Can I lock it with a D lock? Which part of the frame would it go through? It would be my only bike so I'd use it for shops, appointments, gym, etc but after reading other posts, it sounds like I should never leave it alone and wheel it with me everywhere I go. Even though I've got a Kryptonite M18 lock!

Cheers

Your link shows a rear hub motor, not in hub gears. If hub motor then 20% gradient will likely be a problem on those occasions when you are tired or heavily laden.

No substitute for a test ride, even if not exactly the same bike just to get some understanding of how an ebike is affected by hills.

 

[pudding835]

True about test rides. I'll visit JE James in Sheffield once I've moved

 

[pudding835]

Your link shows a rear hub motor, not in hub gears.

Yes, the folders I'm considering aren't IGH. I crossed out the MiRider GB3 with Efneo crank hub gears as they insist on service every 500ml, a red flag imo as Efneo says it's maintenance-free so something fishy there

 

[cyclebuddy]

1. If I buy from fiido.com, which delivers from a UK warehouse, is VAT and import duty included in the price? Their price is $1600 which converts to £1200 while a UK site is selling at £1600. Import duty might be 62% if the anti-dumping duty applies!
2. What hills can its Shimano Tourney 7spd handle, 10%, 15% or 20%?
3. Is it easy to remove and replace the wheels or are there lots of connectors and sensors that need to be aligned every time?
4. The handlebars aren't adjustable, there's no reach measurement and I can't get a test ride. What would the fit be like if I'm 5' 10", upright Dutch bike or sporty flatbar? The Fiido D21 looks very similar so if someone has that bike, maybe they could answer?
5. Can I lock it with a D lock? Which part of the frame would it go through? It would be my only bike so I'd use it for shops, appointments, gym, etc but after reading other posts, it sounds like I should never leave it alone and wheel it with me everywhere I go. Even though I've got a Kryptonite M18 lock!

1} The price on fiido.com is the price you pay inc. delivery from Fiido's UK warehouse. The exchange rate updates daily according to the US$. There are promotions and discounts every now and then.

2) What hills it will tackle is down to how much effort you're able or prepared to put in. Tourney 7sp is pretty common with most folders. IMO 10% is fine for a rear-hub. Mid-drive is IMO otherwise better for steeper or long ascents. As MS says, try one to see what works best for you.

3) Front wheel removal is as with most bikes (spanner/tools included). Fiido don't use in-line connectors on the rear; On my D11, I've changed tyres and repaired punctures without completely removing the wheel.

4) Add a riser bar to extend height and/or reach. Like you, I'm about 5'10"ish. I added a 50mm carbon riser on my D11 (£20ish). It's 25.4mm/Brompton diameter.

5) I've got a Kryptonite New York 10/10 Sold Secure Gold lock. It takes maybe 5 minutes to cut with an angle grinder. I don't leave my e-bikes unattended anywhere.

 

[pudding835]

Thanks for the answers, cyclebuddy.

The Fiido still seems a good choice, just a question of can it handle hills and is it easy to fold, carry and roll so I don't leave it locked up.

JE James has the MiRider and Eovolt Afternoon, so I'll test them. The MiRider website says it can do 25 degree climbing angles but that's over 46%!

 

[Deno]

My dad has a D21 which he loves. I’ve ridden it a couple of times and I fit reasonably well and I’m 6’3”. You definitely feel that it’s a compact frame but it’s not uncomfortable. As for the gearing he and I find it too low, hills are certainly not a problem and he lives on a steep one. We were only discussing if you could change the front ring to a larger one the other day actually. The only thing that’s uncomfortable on the bike is the handlebar grips - soon to be changed for Ergon ones. I think the D11/21 are great value folders btw. they’re miles ahead of nearly every other folder on weight and battery range. Haven’t tried a X but surely it’s even more impressive.

 

[pudding835]

Thanks, deno.

Actually I should be about to test ride it. Fiido has a repair shop in London but I didn't know it also sells them.

I'll see how fast I can go on the flats and I'll ask them if the chainring can be changed.

 

[petekaro]

Thanks, deno.

Actually I should be about to test ride it. Fiido has a repair shop in London but I didn't know it also sells them.

I'll see how fast I can go on the flats and I'll ask them if the chainring can be changed.

Hi could you please share the address or website?

 

[cyclebuddy]

Hi could you please share the address or website?

Bicycleland and Vive were the two both in East London, although I think the later has now stopped trading (as others have done before).

I'm not sure how any bricks-n-mortar retailer can hope to make a living selling a minimal margin direct to consumer product when the punter can buy the same bike at less cost direct from the manufacturer. Factor in C2W schemes as Vive offered, and the retailer is losing money all the way.

From Fiido's own dealer map, there never were more than a handful of retailers splattered across the whole of Europe, and most of those have now disappeared too.