Fiido D11 Review: Budget Folding E-Bike That Delivers

Folding electric bikes make a great deal of sense in a city. They combine range and motor assistance with a format that stows away in a train, an office or a car boot, and they spare you both the search for a parking space and the effort of arriving under your own steam. The catch is almost always the price: when a folding e-bike runs to several thousand pounds, most people think twice about whether the investment is really worth it.

The Fiido D11 sets out to show that it need not cost that much. Fiido is a compact e-bike startup founded roughly ten years ago in Shenzhen, and the D11 is its argument that a well-made electric folder can be had for far less. It is a purist machine — lights are fitted, but there is no rack as standard, though one is available as an inexpensive accessory. What it does bring is a usefully large 417 Wh battery, a very quiet motor and a seven-speed derailleur.

The D11 arrives in a box that is rather large for a folding bike, at 145 x 75 x 25 cm. Assembly is limited to the front wheel, the pedals — which do not themselves fold — and the kickstand. Two fairly robust black plastic mudguards are supplied in the box, and the only tools needed are the ring spanner and hex key included with them. Nothing else is required.

Folding is a brisk three-step affair: collapse the main frame, fold the handlebar down, then drop the seatpost into the frame. That gets you to a folded package of 840 x 400 x 740 mm.

The process is not entirely smooth, however. To fold the handlebar down you have to press a large button integrated into the head tube, opposite the lever, and it does not always engage first time. Folded, the bike also stands somewhat unsteadily on the pushed-through seat tube, and if you then try to roll it along, the separate elements have a habit of drifting apart again. A suitable bungee wrapped around the front and rear sections solves that, but it is a fix you have to remember to bring.

At 19.5 kg without the mudguards, the D11 is very light compared with pricier folding e-bikes, and that counts for a lot when you are carrying it up steps or lifting it onto a train.

The Bafang motor sits small and inconspicuous in the rear hub, and it is just as inconspicuous in terms of noise. Its torque is modest rather than thrilling, but because it drives the rear wheel directly, what there is reaches the road without losses. Even in the lowest of the three assistance levels, the brushless motor pushes the Fiido along crisply.

The battery hides inside the oval seat tube, which is both a neat and a discreet solution. At 417 Wh it has a high capacity for this class, and the manufacturer quotes up to 86 km under ideal conditions. In testing, after a good 60 km over rolling terrain in Eco mode, one of the five bars was still showing — which suggests the claimed figure is not wildly optimistic for gentler use. The charger is reasonably compact and will fit into a smaller rucksack if you need to take it with you.

Shifting is handled by a seven-speed Shimano derailleur. The gear range works out at 255 %, which is respectable for a folding bike. With a 52-tooth chainring and a cassette running from 28 teeth down to 11, you are adequately equipped both for quicker stretches and for climbs, provided those climbs are not too steep.

Braking comes from two fully hydraulic 160 mm disc brakes, and they slow the bike very well and reliably. They are entirely sufficient for heavier riders, or for riding fully loaded up to the maximum permitted total weight of 120 kg.

In the UK the D11 is listed on Fiido's own British store at £910, reduced from £999. It is sold on a preorder basis, with shipping from the UK quoted at three to five weeks, so this is not a bike you will be riding the same week you order it.

That is worth stating plainly, because it places the D11 a little above the "under £850" mark that a straight currency conversion of its European price would suggest. Even so, at £910 for a well-finished electric folder with a good motor and a long-legged battery, it remains close to unrivalled on price.

All told, the Fiido D11 is a recommendable, smartly designed and thoroughly well-executed folding e-bike with fine performance. The small — and fixable — reservations concern the folding action and wheeling it about once folded. Set against those, the comparatively low weight and the standard folded dimensions help it stand apart from more expensive rivals.

The healthy gear range and the high battery capacity make it a dependable companion. If you want a folding e-bike as a second bike for the daily commute and would rather not spend heavily, this is a good offer.