Update
The new model Himo Z20 was just released. Here you can compare Himo Z20 vs Himo C20 or watch my video review:
Xiaomi Himo C20 – hands on review
After riding my Xiaomi Scooter Pro for a while I was up to getting something more secure and more comfortable. I do a 24 km commute from home to office and back everyday and for me my scooter replaced public transport. E-bikes and e-scooter are a great alternative to public transport, especially during these times. keeping social distance.
At first I took a look at the Fiido D2, which seems to be a very popular brand. But then Xiaomi Himo C20 e-bike caught my attention. It doesn’t fold as compact as Fiido, but Himo looks stylish and I don’t think I need to fold it that compact. (I almost never folded my e-scooter). Further I thought the 20″ wheels will give me more driving comfort.
Me enjoying my first ride with Xiaomi Himo C20 (© elProducente)
Xiaomi Himo C20 – Spec Overview
Xiaomi Himo C20
- max. Speed: 24 km/h (15 mph)
- Range (assisted): 80 km (50 mi)
- Weight: 21,5 kg (47 lbs)
- Carrying Capacity: 100 kg (220 lbs)
- Battery: 10 Ah
- Motor Power: 250W
rear wheel drive - Tires: 20″ air tube
- Suspension: no
- Brake front: mechanical (disc)
Brake rear: mechanical (disc) - Transmission: 6-speed (Shimano)
- Display: yes
Xiaomi Himo C20 – What’s in the box?
Unboxing Xiaomi Himo C20
The box is pretty large and I was happy it was delivered to my door. The bike itself comes fully assembled and is folded within the box. The brakes were set a bit weak, which I adjusted, and the fenders need to me mounted – if you like. So, some standard tools for the final adjust are needed, but basically you are set out of the box, which contains:
- bike (folded)
- 2 types of fender (plastic mud guard or aluminum full wheel cover)
- charger (in my case with EU-plug)
- keys (to unlock battery from bike)
- Bike Manual, Charger/Battery Manual, Guarantee Card
Xiaomi Himo C20 – Box contains: Charger, 2 types of fenders & documentation
Xiaomi Himo C20 – Body & Design
Frame
I was thrilled by the high built quality when I took my Xiaomi Himo C20 out of the box as I didn’t expect it to be such a great quality bike for the relatively small price. The frame is made of durable aluminum alloy and holds a max. load of 100 kg. Himo C20 is rated IPX5 waterproof (= can resist a sustained, low-pressure water jet spray) such as rain. The seat tube can be extended and fixed in different heights, the handle bar is not adjustable in height. I’m 1.83 cm in height and find the seating position very comfortable to ride – I didn’t extract the seat tube to the fullest. Also the saddle is comfortable for longer trips. A nice gimmick: within the seat tube there is an air pump integrated so you can fill your tires when on the road. I forgot to take photos as I was using my electric Xiaomi Air Pump with integrated battery.
Xiaomi Himo C20: integrated air pump within seat tube / Xiaomi electric air pump
Folding Mechanism
You can fold Xiaomi Himo C20, but it’s not a folding bike such as Fiido D2. As described I got it as I don’t need to fold my bike into a compact size for travelling or storage. Although the folding mechanism of Himo helps a bit to save space, especially when you store it in a hall way or small office corridor. Since the handle bar flips down and the pedals can be folded, the parts sticking out the most are secured. So you don’t accidentally get caught on them when passing by.
Xiaomi Himo C20 – unfolded vs folded (© elProducente)
Locks for the handle bar and the screw for the seat tube look & feel sturdy and secure. Pedals can be flipped as well. All of this is done without needing any tools.
Xiaomi Himo C20: Handle Bar and Seat Tube Lock; folded/unfolded pedals (© elProducente)
Motor & Battery
The back wheel holds the 250W brushless motor that accelerates you up to 24 km/h in full electric mode (moped mode) and should get you 80 km far in assisted mode / 50km in full electric mode (I haven’t tested that so far). The good thing compared to an e-scooter: the motor is not limiting the top speed. While an e-scooter is slowing you down before you exceed top speed, that is not the case on this bike. You can go faster when hitting the pedals or going downhill.
Integrated in the frame sits the 10 Ah battery (18650 lithium ion battery) with power port and LED indicator. Power usage is stated with 0.72 kw/h per 100km. With a key you can remove the battery to conveniently take it with you for charging. A full charge takes about 6 hours. It is stated that a battery management system offers protection against overcurrent, overcharge, short circuit, and temperature. Xiaomi Himo C20 is turned on with neither button on battery nor key, but via a button on the display.
Extra Batteries: finally extra batteries are available on Aliexpress!
Xiaomi Himo C20 – Motor & Battery (© elProducente)
Gear Shift
The e-bike features a 6-gear Shimano shifting system with 6 sprockets on the back and one gear on the front. The front sprocket is covered so your trousers don’t get ripped or dirty on your way to your office. The gear shift sits on the handle bar next to the bell, with a button to shift up and and a lever to shift down.
Xiaomi Himo C20 – 6-gear Shimano shifting system (© elProducente)
LEDs and Display
Xiaomi Himo C20 features a white front LED light that is connected to the battery of the bike. It is activated via the on/off button on the display (short press while turned on). The red rear light, including red reflector, is not connected to the main battery of the bike. The rear light uses two AA batteries and is turned on with a button on the bottom of the light. At first I thought it’s a disadvantage, but since I think it’s not that nice I’m happy that I can replace it with a more fancy one with extra features. It’s not connected as you can remove the seat tube with the integrated air pump and the wires would become unhandy.
The display is well readable during bright sunlight. It holds the on/off button for Himo C20 and a mode switch button. It reads current speed, mileage of the trip and battery status shown in four squares on the right. By short pressing the mode button you switch between Eco (pedal assisted), Mid and High – both full electric modes (moped mode). Long pressing the button activates Parking mode. You can ride fully manual, but this way the display (and optional light) are turned on. In this mode the trip mileage changes to total milage of the scooter.
Xiaomi Himo C20 – LED lights & Display (© elProducente)
Tires
The 20″ tires of Himo C20 are labelled “BMX Race – all season compound by CST). They are 20 x 2.125 air tube tires which require a pressure of 40 – 65 psi (thats 2.8 – 4.5 bar) as printed on them.
Xiaomi Himo C20 – 20″ Tires (© elProducente)
Brakes
Xiaomi Himco C20 features disk brakes on front and back wheel. A regenerative brake system (KERS) would have been nice to charge the battery from the generated braking energy. They were set very weak out of the box so it is recommended to adjust the steel cable before your first ride.
Xiaomi Himo C20 – Disk Brakes on Front and Back Wheel (© elProducente)
Xiaomi Himo C20 – Handling
Three operating modes are offered with Xiaomi Himo C20:
- human power mode – using the pedals without electric assistance [powered off]
- power assist mode – the motor supports you while pedalling [ECO]
- full electric mode – you have two motor power settings: [MID] & [HIGH]
You can’t use the motor from start, you need to give the bike a little push and reach about 3 km/h.
I wouldn’t recommend Xiaomi Himo C20 if you want to go without electric assistance frequently. The bike is simply too heavy and a lot of effort is needed. (I do recommend if you want to exercise 😉 ).
In pedal assistant mode it is quite nice to ride. Although I always go in “high”, full speed electric mode and hit the pedals for faster acceleration, higher top speed and more fun.
My driving experience so far
I was riding my Xiaomi Scooter Pro all summer long, so how do they compare? Acceleration is of course faster with the e-scooter – in electric only mode! When the traffic lights turn green I’m the fastest one, overtaking all other cyclists and scooter riders. I fully push the throttle and hit the pedals. My ride from home to work is about 12km and I used my e-scooter for the full route and didn’t combine it with public transport. Having a seat on the Xiaomi Himo C20 is definitely a big plus. And I don’t even feel lazy, as I’m frequently hitting the pedals and do some exercise. Usually I got to the office without pedalling much, so I don’t arrive sweaty; on my way home I do more exercise.
Size
In terms of space I don’t realise a difference. I almost never folded my scooter, Xiaomi Himo C20 is a bit longer. I don’t see a problem taking the e-bike on the subway. The only reason I would take my Xiaomi Scooter Pro is when combining it with a train ride so I can store it as it is not that high and fits in the luggage compartment, and can be carried over stairs much easier. Since I got Himo I almost never used my scooter again. Only for very small hops to a store close by. Most of the time it’s e-bike time: more fun and more convenient.
When considering storage space: Fiido is when folded the shortest as it folds in half while the others don’t and C20 is clearly the longest and highest. But Himo C20 is actually the narrowest, when putting it against a wall, as the handle bar folds down.
Himo C20 – folded: 147 x 28 x 71 / weight: 21.5 kg
Xiaomi Scooter Pro – folded: 113 x 43 x 49 cm / weight: 14.2 kg
Fiido D2 – folded: 75 x 35 x 65 cm / weight: 19.5 kg
Himo C20 – Price / Retailer Comparison
Since the new Himo Z20 was released and the price is not that much different, I’ll give you an overview of both bikes:
Himo Z20
- Banggood:
- UK Warehouse: 799 USD // 679 EUR – visit store
- Coupon Code: BGHMZ20DE
- grey, white & rose gold version
- free shipping to Europe (one week)
- no taxes & customs within Europe!
- in stock
- EU Warehouse (Poland): 799 USD // 679 EUR – visit store
- Coupon Code: not needed
- grey, white & rose gold version
- free shipping to Europe (one week)
- no taxes & customs within Europe!
- in stock
- UK Warehouse: 799 USD // 679 EUR – visit store
- Gearbest:
- EU Warehouse (Poland): 839 USD // 721 EUR – visit store
- Coupon Code: Q573CC2B85D12000
- no taxes & customs within Europe!
- free shipping within Europe
- in stock
- Remark: I ordered my Z20 there and it was delivered within a week within Europe.
- EU Warehouse (Germany): 849 USD // 731 EUR – visit store
- no taxes & customs within Europe!
- free shipping within Europe
- re-stocking
- EU Warehouse (Poland): 839 USD // 721 EUR – visit store
- Geekbuying:
- EU Warehouse (Poland): 799 USD // 687 EUR – visit store
- Coupon Code: GKB491S
- comes with free lock
- free shipping within Europe
- no taxes & customs within Europe
- in stock
- Chinese Warehouse: 849 USD // 731 USD – visit store
- grey, white & rose gold version
- tax free shipping to Europe (40 days)
- ships within Asia
- in stock
- EU Warehouse (Poland): 799 USD // 687 EUR – visit store
- Aliexpress:
- EU Warehouse (Poland): 859 USD // 747 EUR– visit store
- no taxes & customs within Europe!
- free shipping within Europe
- in stock
- US shipping: 849 USD – visit store
- this retailer on Aliexpress ships to US
- check customs during order process!
- in stock
- EU Warehouse (Poland): 859 USD // 747 EUR– visit store
- TomTop: not available
My experience: I ordered my Himo Z20 at Gearbest Poland Warehouse (this offer). It was announced to be shipped on August 31th and it did. I received it 7 days later on Sept. 7th. Delivery was within Europe and I didn’t have to pay any further shipping costs, taxes nor customs.
Himo C20
- Banggood:
- Chinese Warehouse: 849 USD – visit store
- 40 days shipping time to Europe
- out of stock
- EU Warehouse (UK): 799 USD // 739 EUR – visit store
- Limited Flashsale
- no taxes & customs within Europe!
- free shipping within 1 week within Europe
- in stock
- Chinese Warehouse: 849 USD – visit store
- Gearbest:
- EU Warehouse (Poland): 849 USD // 731 EUR – visit store
- delivered within 5 days within Europe
- no taxes & customs within Europe
- in stock
- China Warehouse: 869 USD // 759 EUR – visit store
- best deal for shipping within Asia!
- in stock
- EU Warehouse (Poland): 849 USD // 731 EUR – visit store
- Geekbuying:
- EU Warehouse (Poland): 789 USD // 677 EUR – visit store
- Coupon Code: GKB508S
- no taxes & customs within Europe!
- delivered within 7 days within Europe
- free shipping
- in stock
- Chinese Warehouse: 859 USD // 739 EUR – visit store
- taxfree shipping to Europe
- 40 days shipping time
- out of stock
- EU Warehouse (Poland): 789 USD // 677 EUR – visit store
- TomTop:
- EU Warehouse (Germany): 849 USD // 722 EUR – visit store
- no taxes & customs within Europe!
- free 1 week shipping within Europe
- in stock
- EU Warehouse (Germany): 849 USD // 722 EUR – visit store
- Aliexpress:
- EU Warehouse: 799 USD // 739 EUR – visit store
- HIMO Official Store
- no taxes & customs within Europe!
- delivered within 2-7 days within Europe
- free shipping
- in stock
- Chinese Warehouse: 799 USD // 739 EUR – visit store
- HIMO Official Store
- free shipping
- taxes & customs might apply
- in stock
My experience: I ordered my Himo C20 at Gearbest Poland Warehouse (this offer). It was delivered within a week within Europe and I didn’t have to pay any further shipping costs, taxes nor customs.
Need help? I have contacts at Banggood, Gearbest & TomTop who provide me with coupon codes and stock information. If you have troubles with your order, contact me.
Conclusion
Join the Xiaomi Himo C20 Community on Facebook: visit Facebook group
Since I just got my Xiaomi Himo C20 and only drove it a few times, I’ll wait a bit for my final and detailed conclusion and thoughts. As of now I’m super satisfied and can recommend it. Xiaomi Himo C20 surpassed my expectations in terms of quality and driving comfort.
The only big issue I discovered so far is the following: For legal reasons e-bikes in China have to beep frequently, when when in electric mode C20 beeps every 5 seconds and that is super annoying when driving. Even worse, pedestrians and other bikers think you are honking and giving you bad looks constantly. Solved: You can disconnect the wires from the speaker in the black box. See infos below in the FAQs.
I don’t wanna seem picky, but I want to share all the discovered minor issues as well if they are interesting or important for you. The pedals seem a bit weak as they yield a bit, but that’s due to the folding mechanism. The brakes are a bit difficult to fine tune. You need to pull the brake lever all the way through and if set a bit too strong they are grinding. I also would have preferred a push throttle (as found on scooters) rather than a hand throttle similar to a motor bike. The fenders are a bit tricky to mount, see the videos below for instructions.
Do you have any further questions? You can ask me in the comments below.
Quick Review of the Xiaomi Air Pump
I got the Xiaomi Air Pump as it looks stylish and I wanted to try it. I got it from Gearbest for around 40 USD.
What I like a lot:
- it shows current tire pressure
- you can preset desired pressure
- built-in battery
- built in LED light (in case you are looking for the valve at night)
- no adapter needed to inflate Himo C20
Xiaomi Himo C20 – FAQ
Here’s some updated additional info on some items I got frequently asked.
Xiaomi Himo C20 – Where to get extra batteries?
Finally they are available on Aliexpress, currently available for around 270 USD. Be carefull to select the right one as this offer covers all Himo type batteries!
Xiaomi Himo C20 – How to stop the annoying beeping?
The black box behind the saddle pole holds the controller that is connected to the speaker. Simply disconnect the plug and strip the pins. Easily done under 5 min., only a screwdriver is needed to open the box.
How to stop the annoying beeping of Himo C20 (© elProducente)
Xiaomi Himo C20 – Fender installation
Since I got the feedback that the installation of the metal or plastic fenders is a bit tricky, here are 2 videos showing you how to mount them:
Xiaomi Himo C20 – Plastic Fender Installation
Xiaomi Himo C20 – Metal Fender Installation
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