As urban transportation continues to evolve, the Fiido C11 city e-bike presents a practical and stylish alternative to taking the car. Blending thoughtful design, reliable performance, and affordability, the C11 aims to simplify daily commutes and city rides. Whether you’re an experienced cyclist or new to e-bikes, the Fiido C11 offers features that cater to a wide range of riders. During testing, we found that it’s not perfect, but this city bike is hard to beat for the price. (The C11 retails for $1,100 and, at the time of this writing, is on sale for $899.)

Pros:

• Excellent value for the money
• Easy to assemble
• Class-2 throttle assistance is great for urban environments
• Hydraulic disc brake
• Integrated lights
• Removable battery
• Comfortable saddle
• Lots of accessories to choose from

Cons:

• A single button is used to scroll through all assistance modes (no individual up and down buttons)
• Cadence sensors have a delay in assistance when compared to torque sensors
• One frame size to choose from (fits most riders from 5’2″ to 6′)

Buy if: 

• You’re looking for a sleek and affordable city bike with a sub-$1K price tag

Fiido C11 Design and Features

The Fiido C11 features a step-through frame, hydraulic disc brakes, front fork suspension with 40mm travel, and fast-rolling 700x40c tires. The e-bike is powered by a 500W rear hub motor with 55Nm of torque that delivers reliable performance.

There are five levels of assistance to choose from: eco, normal, sport, turbo and turbo+. In the US e-bike classification system, the C11 is considered a “Class 2” model, meaning it features a throttle for assistance when not pedaling, and the motor must cut off at or below 20 miles per hour. In the case of our test bike, which meets EU regulations, the motor cut off around 15 miles per hour but can be unlocked for faster riding.

Assembling the C11

As a consumer-direct brand, most buyers will either build the bike themselves or take it to their local bike shop. When purchasing the C11, buyers can choose from a number of accessories, including a front rack, rear panniers to mount to the rear rack, which comes standard, and even a smartwatch to act as a controller.

As seasoned bike mechanics, we found that assembling the Fiido C11 was quick and straightforward. The bike was well-packed, and all the tools the owner needed to build the C11 were included. It took us approximately 20 minutes from unboxing to finish the assembly. For owners who might be less experienced but who might want to try building this bike themselves, Fiido offers video tutorials and manuals.

Riding Fiido’s C11

The throttle control is on the right side, above the six-speed cassette’s shift levers. While most non-assisted city bikes have more than six gears, this was ample gearing for an e-bike designed for city use. All of our testers appreciated the throttle assist for getting up to speed at stop signs and stop lights.

The display is located on the left side of the handlebar. It shows the level of assistance and current speed and allows the rider to scroll through the modes of assistance. The controller also has a button for the bike’s horn, which is loud enough to get the attention of fellow cyclists and pedestrians.

One gripe we had with the controller is that there aren’t individual buttons for increasing or decreasing the level of assistance. For example, if you’re currently riding in the turbo mode and would like to switch to sport mode to extend your range, you have to cycle through every other mode to get there—it’s like having a remote control with only one button to scroll through the channels, thankfully, there’s only a few to choose from.

Once you decide how much additional power you’d like the hub-based motor to provide, the C11’s ride is stable, comfortable, and confident.

The 700c wheels and front suspension help smooth out the ride, even on less-than-perfect roads. The bike is equipped with a cadence sensor, rather than a torque sensor, which can result in a slight delay in motor assistance, particularly noticeable when starting from a stop on an incline. However, the throttle helps mitigate this issue. The 500Wh battery offers a range of up to 56 miles in the lowest pedal assist mode (eco) or 31 miles in throttle-only mode. The distances will vary based on the rider’s weight and the actual terrain.

Final Thoughts

The Fiido C11 city e-bike is excellent value for money, with reliable performance and a host of practical features. It’s well-suited for urban commuting and provides a comfortable ride. The downside our team encountered during testing was minor but noteworthy. The mode selector should allow users to toggle up and down to select the level of assistance they want without cycling through every mode. Despite this quibble, the C11 is a compelling option for anyone seeking a zippy and efficient way to navigate city streets that cost less than $1,000.

Visit https://fiido.com/products/fiido-c11-electric-commuter-bike for more information.

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The article was published on behalf of Fiido