Choosing the perfect e-bike for my daily commute is a daunting task. Having tested the ADO A20, I was thoroughly impressed by its performance, making the decision even tougher. The Fiido D11, on the other hand, is smaller and lighter, which adds to its appeal. With ADO’s release of the Air 20, which shares many similarities with the Fiido D11, it’s time to dive into a detailed comparison of these two 20″ folding e-bikes.
Both ADO and Fiido offer enhanced versions of their e-bikes: the ADO Air 20 Pro and the Fiido D21, along with the Fiido X. While this comparison will focus on the entry-level models, I’ll also touch upon the specs and features of these upgraded versions to give you a comprehensive overview.
In this post we explore the key differences, performance metrics, and overall value of the ADO Air 20 and Fiido D11, helping you make an informed decision for your daily commute.
Why 20″ Folding E-Bikes?
For my daily commute, I needed a compact e-bike that was easy to store. A key feature for me was the removable battery, allowing for convenient charging. I believe 20″ wheels strike the ideal balance: they keep the bike small enough for easy storage while providing a smooth and comfortable ride, especially over longer distances. Compared to the smaller 16″ models, 20″ wheels offer a more stable and enjoyable experience.
Fiido D11 vs Himo Z20 – 20″ folding e-bike
My Fiido D11 is excellent for city rides on paved streets, but it struggles on gravel roads. The ADO A20 and the similar HIMO Z20 are better all-rounders. You can read my review of the Fiido D11 vs. HIMO Z20 or watch my video comparison of the HIMO Z20 vs. ADO A20 for more insights. I hope I can do a video review of ADO Air 20 and Fiido D11 soon.
Video Review Comparison: ADO A20 vs Himo Z20 – 20″ folding e-bikes
CE Version (European Version) vs International Version Due to legal restrictions the European features a 250W motor, offers a max. speed of 25 km/h and doesn’t feature a throttle. The bike only operates in pedal assist mode! The international version can be ordered within the EU, however operations on street is not legal. ADO Air 20 vs ADO Air 20 Pro The Pro version of ADO Air 20 is equipped with a larger battery (10.4 Ah vs 9.6 Ah), features a Bafang brand motor and offers dual speed automatic transmission. The ride comfort is also improved with an adjustable front fork suspension.
Fiido D11 / D21 / Fiido X
Fiido D11 vs Fiido D21 Fiido D21 was an improved version of Fiido D11, offering a torque sensor, instead of a speed sensor and a different color option. Fiido D21 is discontinued in favor of Fiido X
Fiido D11 vs Fiido X Fiido X is also available as 250W and 350W version to comply with European regulations. Compared to Fiido D11 a torque sensor is used and allows 32 km/h top speed (350W version). Same as ADO Air it offers hydraulic disc brakes. The frame is made of magnesium alloy.
What’s different? ADO Air 20 (CE) & Fiido D11
Similarities and minor differences
ADO Air 20 vs Fiido D11 – folded
The Fiido D11 and ADO Air 20 share several key similarities. Both e-bikes are equipped with a 250W motor, providing a top speed of 25 km/h, which is ideal for urban environments and meet the legal EU requirements. They also offer a similar range in pedal assist mode, roughly between 80 to 100 km, ensuring you a substantial distance on a single charge. Additionally, both models feature an adjustable seat pole, allowing riders of different heights to find a comfortable riding position. However, there are some minor differences to note. While neither bike includes suspension, which might affect comfort on rougher terrains, the adjustable steering rod of Ado Air allows for a more comfortable seating position. When folded, they are roughly the same size, with the Fiido D11 being a bit smaller in width (2 cm) but 6 cm higher.
Motor & Transmission
ADO Air 20 vs Fiido D11 – Carbon drive belt vs 7-speed transmission
In the European version, both folding e-bikes offer a 250W motor and allow a top speed of 25 km/h. The ADO Air 20 features a torque sensor, providing a more responsive and smoother pedal assist experience by adjusting the motor power based on the rider’s pedaling force. In contrast, the Fiido D11 only offers a speed sensor, which can result in a more abrupt push when the motor kicks in. For a torque sensor within a Fiido bike, you would need to look at the D21 or Fiido X models.
While all Fiido bikes come with a 7-speed Shimano gear shift, the ADO Air 20 is equipped with a single-speed carbon belt drive. The Pro version of the ADO Air 20 offers a dual-speed automatic transmission.
Tires & Brakes
The ADO Air 20 features 20″ tires that are 1.95″ wide, while the Fiido D11 has 20″ tires that are only 1.75″ wide. The thinner tires on the D11 can feel less stable on bumpy roads, whereas the wider tires on the Air 20 provide better traction and a smoother ride. In terms of brakes, the Air 20 is equipped with hydraulic disc brakes, which offer superior stopping power and better modulation, especially in wet conditions. The Fiido D11, on the other hand, comes with mechanical disc brakes. If you prefer hydraulic brakes on a Fiido bike, you would need to either upgrade them yourself or opt for the top model, the Fiido X.
Where to Buy?
Both manufacturers operate their own webstores:
Official ADO Website: www.adoebike.com Here you have the benefit to buy directly from the manufacturer They offer 48h free shipping options across EU & UK
official HIMO Website: www.himobikes.com This site offers both ADO & HIMO bikes and is their official store. Here they also sell-off older bikes and refurbished ones:
official Fiido Website: www.fiido.com This is the official website of Fiido and their main distribution channel. You can benefit from buying directly from the manufacturer
Amazon ADO operates their own Amazon Store “A Dece Oasis-Store“ Fiido doesn’t have an Amazon store where you can find all their current products and having the Amazon Prime shipping benefits:
More Power, More Speed: Is the ADO A20+ the better choice compared to HIMO Z20?
There’s one complaint I constantly hear about Himo Z20 e-bike: It is too slow. Even tough HIMO Z20 is a very reliable e-bike with a great design a bit more power would be beneficial to go faster than 25 kph. Despite there is an option to unlock the speed of other bikes, like Fiido D4s, no one has managed to do so with HIMO Z20 (this refers to a software unlock, you can change the controller and other parts to make it faster). So I got myself the ADO A20 which not only offers 350W motor power, it also has the option to unlock the speed to go up to 35 km/h.
Naming ADO A20 was renamed after an adjustment to ADO A20+. ADO now uses their full brand name: A Dece Oasis. There is also a connection between ADO and Himo as both are sold on the same platforms – more on this in theprice comparison section.
Here’s my comparison review of the 20″ folding e-bikes: ADO A20 vs HIMO Z20 also including the specs of Fiido D4s and Fiido D11; In my post I want to:
Compare the main specs
Review the bikes and to point out differences as well as problems and issues
Give you shopping tips (coupon codes & customs info)
Video Comparison Review
My Youtube Comparison Video
Intro – Why 20″ folding e-bikes?
I got myself a compact-to-store e-bike for my daily commute to work and selected HIMO Z20. Important for me was the removable battery, so you can take it with you for charging. I think that 20″ wheels is the ideal compromise: the bike is small enough to store and the wheels big enough to provide a smooth ride. The larger wheels provide a comfortable driving experience for longer distances, compared to the 16″models of which many were released earlier. As mentioned the ADO A20 is very comparable by the specs but it also got a lot of interesting details that seem to be interesting improvements over Himo Z20.
Fiido offers a more affordable 20″ folding e-bike – the Fiido D4s. Main difference is that the battery is built-in and therefore I excluded it from my personal selection. However I want to include it in this review with remarks, as it is a bit cheaper and if the removable battery is not an issue for you – maybe an interesting choice. I also own a Fiido D11, which is great for the city and paved streets, but it gets rough on gravel roads. So ADO A20+ and HIMO Z20 are better allrounder bikes.
ADO A20 vs Himo Z20 vs Fiido D11 Main Specs compared:
**estimated company data – based on my experience there is a lot of influence on the range: driver weight, flat or hilly road, constant drive or stop&go traffic, temperature,… Range in full electric mode is about 60%. Hard to get a fair test result to compare.
! There is the option to activate a cruise control in ADO A20, although I haven’t managed to make it work so far.
Hands-on Review – ADO A20 vs Himo Z20
I picked these two bikes to compare as there are many similarities: 20″ folding e-bike with removeable battery. That is an important item for me so I excluded Fiido D4s. Great to use on roads and unpaved tracks while Fiido D11 is just good on well paved roads. So in the first section I want to point out the major differences between Himo Z20 and ADO A20, then take a look at similarities and minor differences (which still might be very relevant for your situation) and then take a look at the settings and driving modes:
What’s different?
Speed & Motor
Himo Z20 offers a 250W motor that provides a top speed of 25 km/h – on paper. Actually I achieve a top speed of 23-24km/h. I tried my best but haven’t found a solution how to unlock the speed. Don’t bother watching all the HIMO Z20 seed unlock videos on YouTube – they are misleading! In these videos they change the diameter of the wheel. This results in a higher speed displayed on the speedometer but the bike is not going faster. I tried with a second speedometer. There is of course the option to make it faster by changing controller and motor, but you need to change the hardware.
ADO A20 also offers a 250W motor and a top speed of 25 km/h. That is important as these are legal requirements in many countries. Although it can be unlocked within the settings on the controller. Then ADO A20 offers 350W and a top speed of 35 km/h. That is even faster than Fiido D4s that can be unlocked to go 30 km/h, Fiido D11 can be unlocked to 28 km/h.
Design & Frame
HIMO Z20 – Frame & Design – BMX design, Cables run inside the frame, ports are covered
I think that HIMO Z20 has a bit more appealing design. It looks like a regular BMX bike and less like a chunky e-bike. I also like the fact that the cables run inside the frame and are not visible. Welding is quite ok and all ports are nicely covered.
On the other hand ADO A20 has a more practical design with a lot of design details that are very convenient. I really like the handle-grip included in the frame near the center of gravity of the bike. Great when you need to move it around in your flat, office or public transport. Welding is very similar to Himo Z20, I don’t like that ports are not covered. But there are smaller more design details I appreciate:
ADO A20 vs HIMO Z20 – Stand when folded and unfolded
When folded the weight of ADO A20 rests on a metal frame and is very stabile. While HIMO Z20 rests on the cover of the front sprocket and the seat pole and easily tips over to the side. The stand of ADO 20 is placed further to the rear so it is not touching the pedals, on my HIMO Z20 they easily touch and scratch both pedal and stand.
Weight
Important notice: The weight of ADO A20 is often stated wrongly! I tested on a scale and can confirm, the weight of ADO A20 is 21.0 kg (46.3 lbs) including battery and with fenders mounted. The weight of Himo Z20 is 21,85 kg (48.2 lbs) including battery and with the plastic fenders mounted. (Z20 comes with plastic and aluminum fenders, you can shoode which one you want to mount). So even tough ADO A20 has a suspension, which usually increases weight, it is lighter than Himo Z20. I assue that’s because the frame is heavier on Z20.
ADO A20: The display holds three buttons to power on the bike and to select the different driving modes. These buttons are also used to change settings. (More on that in the driving mode section). Next to the display are two further buttons for the front LED light and the electric horn. Current speed, driving mode, trip/total mileage and battery status are displayed.
Himo Z20: You can find 4 buttons on the display: the power button and the switch trip/total mileage on the bottom and +/- buttons to select the driving mode. Long pressing the plus button turns on the front LED light. There is no electric horn, but a regular bell on Z20. Similar to ADO A20 current speed, mode, trip or total mileage and battery status are displayed.
The display of ADO A20 is brighter & larger and therefore way better to read, especially in direct sunlight.
Phone Charger
ADO A20 – USB port for phone charger
A super convenient feature of ADO A20 is the USB port on the handle bar. A phone holder is also included in the standard package so you can not only mount your phone, you can also charge it while riding. Great feature when you want to use maps for example.
HIMO Z20 doesn’t offer any form of suspension or shock absorbers. On the other side ADO A20 offers a suspension on the front wheel with a shock absorbing fork and below the saddle there is a damper as well.
Battery
ADO A20 vs HIMO Z20 – Battery
The battery of both e-bikes have a capacity of about 10 Ah and are stored inside the frame of the bike. Both batteries can be locked, the lock is located on the battery. The lock of HIMO Z20 is on the front when opening the frame, the lock of ADO A20 is accessed from the bottom. This has a special reason as you need the key to turn it on. There are 3 lock positions: released, lock & turn off as well as lock and turn on. Guess it’s a matter of taste: On the one hand it is more secure that you need the key to activate ADO A20, on the other side you always have to have the key with you. Both batteries can be removed for charging – that’s convenient if you lock your bike and just take the battery with you for charging. Or you can charge it when the battery is placed inside in the bike.
ADO A20 vs HIMO Z20 – Charger (EU Plug version)
The charger is of course included, be aware that the charger for Himo Z20 is very bulky in case you need to take it with you. Don’t worry about the correct power plug, it connects to the charger using a 3-pole cable so you can exchange it inexpensively. The charger of ADO A20 is more compact to take it with you and is using a 2-pol cable.
Similarities and minor differences:
Tires, Wheels & Brakes
ADO A20 vs HIMO Z20 – Brakes
A very visible difference are the wheels. While HIMO Z20 is using a classic spoke design, found on most bicycles, ADO A20 wheels featur ae six-axis spoke design which to me is very appealing. ADO A20 and HIMO Z20 use 160mm diameter mechanical disc brakes on front and rear wheel. The brakes were quite well adjusted out of the box, but I do recommend fine tuning them before your first ride. You do so with an Allen key, like on any other bike. With ADO A20 the tool was already included. Both bikes offer 20″ air tube tires, to be precise ADO A20 tires measures 20 x 1.95 compared to HIMO Z20 20 x 2.125. The profile and the width of the tires are perfect to go on unpaved roads.
Lights
ADO A20 vs HIMO Z20 – LED Lights
The LED headlights on both bikes are connected to the bikes battery and can be turned on and off via a button next to the display. While the headlight of Himo Z20 consists of one LED the headlight of ADO A20 is super bright using four LEDs. Unfortunately there is no rear light included with ADO A20, just a reflector is mounted on the seat pole. HIMO Z20 offers a combination of rear light and reflector which is not connected to the bikes battery and therefore battery powered. One reason why it might not be connected is the removable seat pole of Himo Z20 that can be used as an air pump. With ADO A20 a small air pump as accessory is included in the standard package.
I replaced both rear lights and can recommend using Xlite 100. It has automatic movement detection, so it turns off when you don’t move. Further it detects change in movement, so when you brake it flashes brighter. And with a light sensor it automatically turns on/off according to the daylight. It is charged via USB port.
Throttle
ADO A20 vs HIMO Z20 – Throttle Control
Both bikes are controlled by a throttle integrated into the handle grip that needs to be twisted, similar to a motorcycle. Yet there is a slight difference, while you need to twist the full handle grip on HIMO Z20, only a section of the handle on ADO A20 needs to be twisted. I find this way more convenient as it gives you more relaxed hand position during the ride. (also compare picture below) Himo Z20 does not accelerate from standing still, the bike has to be in motion. But only a slight push by your foot is needed and you can accelerate fully electric. ADO A20 can accelerate from standing still, but you can configure that in the settings as you prefer. Even more convenient: ADO A20 is offering cruise control so you do not have to hold the throttle constantly. HIMO Z20 does not have this option.
Gears & Gear Shift
ADO A20 vs HIMO Z20 – Gear Shift
Both bikes offer a Shimano gear shift and the shifters look almost identical with a lever to change to a higher gear and a button to change to a lower gear. There is a difference as Himo Z20 offers a 6-speed gearshift while ADO A20 offers a 7-speed gearshift with a respective number of sprockets on the rear wheel. The sprocket on the front is covered on the inside and on the outside on both bikes. That’s important so your trousers don’t get ripped on your way to the office. Gearshift on both bikes was well adjusted out-of-the-box I didn’t have to finetune them.
Pedals
ADO A20 vs HIMO Z20 – flip-up Pedals
The pedals of both ADO A20 and Himo Z20 are made of plastic but provide a good grip. They can be folded for an even more compact storage size. As these are standard bike parts they can be easily replaced if you want fixed metal pedals and don’t need the option for storage. A reflector is integrated (which is legally required in some countries).
Size & Weight
ADO A20 vs Himo Z20 – Dimension (folded)
When unfolded they are about the same size and about 110 cm long. HIMO Z20 is 147cm tall and that refers to the steering rod which is not adjustable in height. With ADO A20 you can adjust the height and this is of course a great option to find a comfortable driving position.
As you can see when folded they also have a similar size, but when it comes to storage every cm / inch counts, therefore in detail: ADO A20 is 90 cm long, 43cm wide and 70 cm tall. HIMO Z20 is 86 cm long, 45 cm wide and 74cm high.
There is one design part I want to highlight: When HIMO Z20 is folded it sits on the cover of the front sprocket and the seat pole. Something I dislike a lot since I’m afraid these parts can be damaged when the bike is stored. ADO A20 features this metal frame where the weight of the bike rests. This also secures the bike from falling over to the side! Little detail, but very important!
I believe the stated weight of ADO A20 is wrong. In the specs it says 28 kg but it feels lighter than the 21.4 kg Himo Z20. I need to get a proper scale to check again.
ADO A20 vs Himo Z20 – Driving Modes
Manual Mode
First of all you can go fully manual (you don’t even have to power them on) and they work just like regular bikes. However due to the battery they are a bit heavier than regular bikes and therefore require a bit more effort when pedaling. Don’t worry it’s not that much of an exercise but I won’t recommend them if you want to pedal without assistance most of them time. You can remove the battery on both of them to make it lighter if you go fully manual.
The driving modes on ADO A20 and Himo Z20 are similar but very different to Fiido e-bikes. With Fiido you basically set the level of assistance. To me that’s a bit misleading. I have the feeling that with Fiido the motor is not assisting your pedaling, the motor is rather activated to full throttle when you start pedaling.
ADO A20 – Driving Modes
There are 3 different driving modes on ADO A20. And the great thing about it, which I haven’t seen on similar e-bikes, you can adjust them within the settings.
Mode 1 – is the pedal assist mode. When you start pedaling the motor kicks in and supports your ride. As mentioned with the controller you can adjust wen the motor should start its support. The pedal assist mode works to a speed up to 18 km/h. In this mode the throttle is disabled, but you can also adjust that within the settings (more on that at the end of the article)
Mode 2 – is the first full electric mode. When turning the throttle the bike accelerates up to 25 km/h. You can adjust within the settings if zero start is enabled or not. Zero starts means being able to power the bike when standing still.
Mode 3 – in this mode you can unlock the speed of ADO A20 up to a top speed of 35 km/h. More on that at the bottom of the article.
NEWS: There is a new controller offered for ADO A20, which allows you to go faster in pedal assist mode. The new controller allows you 2 new options for the 3 modes, you can either select: – 3 full electric modes (15 / 20 / 25 kph) – or 2 pedal assist modes (18 / 25 kph) and a full electric mode with 35 kph.
You can order the controller in a set with rear light and reflector for the wheels (which is not included with the bike) in their Aliexpress Store. Be sure to get the right one as there are new controllers also for ADO A16 and ADO A20F. Check out their website: www.adoebike.com They also released a YouTube video how to change the controller which should be easy to do.
Himo Z20 – Driving Modes
ECO – is the pedal assist mode. When you start pedaling at about 5 km/h you feel the motor kicking in and it makes pedaling seemingly easier. It feels like the motor is assisting your pedaling in relation to the speed you want to go by pedaling. The assistance mode works up to 18 km/h but you can always go faster by pedaling. However at this speed the effort to go even faster is lower than from standing still. In this mode the throttle is not activated.
MID – is a full electric mode. When you twist the throttle the bike accelerates up to about 18 km/h. You can always go faster by pedaling the bike is not slowing you down.
HIGH – is the second full electric mode and the bike accelerates up to 24 km/h. (As mentioned I didn’t get 25 km/h I think the limit is 15 mph). Again you can always go faster by pedaling, the bike is not slowing you down or braking.
Usually I go in High Mode and pedal as well to go faster. I only switch to Eco mode when I want to have the feeling of riding a bicycle with the benefit of being less exhausting, so I don’t arrive sweaty in the office.
ADO A20 vs Himo Z20 – Issues and Problems
HIMO Z20 Problems: The bike is not hitting 25 km/h and maximum speed is 23-24 km/h. I think that is the case because to speed is set to 15 mph. It’s just 1-2 km/h but still bothersome. The plastic pedals on Himo Z20 slightly yield and don’t provide the best grip. If you go full electric most of the time you don’t need to worry. Since I often like to pedal to go faster I replaced them with different folding pedals. If you don’t need folding ones for storage reasons you can also go for aluminum pedals.
ADO A20 Problems: Similar to Himo Z20 the pedals are not the best and I replaced them. There is a bit of a rattle noise from the battery as it is not fully tight within the battery compartment, but that is an easy fix you just need to apply some adhesive tape or felt pads on the battery and this issue is solved.
I have to say I was for more impressed when I unpacked ADO A20 than I expected. There are so many details I instantly loved and instantly missed on the HIMO Z20
ADO A20 compared to Himo Z20:
Higher top speed, more power
Suspension on front and back
very bright and large display
Phone Charger
super bright headlight
Frame (handle grip & stand)
folding size (similar to HIMO Z20)
missing rear light (would have replaced it anyway)
key needs to be inserted while driving
More Infos?
Here’s my hands on comparison of Himo Z20 and Fiido D11and below a video comparison of Himo Z20 and its predecessor Himo C20. Of course a ADO A20 vs HIMO Z20 video will follow soon – stay tuned!
Want to talk to other users? Join the Facebook groups:
Official ADO Website: www.adoebike.com Here you have the benefit to buy directly from the manufacturer They offer 48h free shipping options across EU & UK It seems ADO A20 was removed from the store in favor of ADO A20 Air products:
official HIMO Website: www.himobikes.com This site offers both ADO & HIMO bikes and is their official store. Both models ADO A20 and HIMO Z20 can be found here.
Amazon ADO operates their own Amazon Store “A Dece Oasis-Store“ where you can find all their current products and having the Amazon Prime shipping benefits:
Aliexpress several reseller offer ADO and HIMO on Aliexpress check the different warehouse options!

ADO A20 – How to unlock speed and other controller settings
To enter the settings mode you need to turn on your bike and press the + and – button for 3 seconds. Then you see the different options (indicated with P) and can cange the settings as follows:
P01: Display Brightness – 1 is darkest, 3 is brightest setting
P02: Metric system – 0 is KM, 1 is Mile
P03: Voltage – there are options for 24V, 36V & 48V. That’s because the controller is used on several bikes.
P04: Bike Auto Shutting-down time – it means if you do not operate the bike computer or use the e-bike within the minutes range from 1 to 60 minutes, the bike computer will shut down automatically.
P05: PAS (pedal assist) preference – 0 only shows 1-3 levels; 1 shows 1-5 levels. ( Just showing PAS level number are different, but top and lowest level power is the same, such as 3 = 5 in different working modes).
P06: Wheel/rim diameter in inch – Options are 20/22/26/28 (if 20 inch rim, setting number will be 22inch)
P07: Speed Monitor setting, this technical setting is no use for customer but only for engineer setting, please do not modify or change the setting. Range: 1-100;
P08: Speed limited setting – You can set between 1 and 100 km/h. If set to 100 it means there is no limited for speed. The speed limited setting is controlled by motor and controller. You can only set the bike computer speed limit with the range of limit motor and controller. If you set it to 50 the top speed will be 35 km/h since that is the max speed for this bike with this controller and motor.
P09: Zero boost or Non Zero boost – 0 means zero boost, you can apply power from standing still. 1 means non zero boost, you have to be in motion to apply power from the motor.
P10: Driving modes – 0 – PAS only, the throttle is not working. 1—throttle only, PAS is not working. 2—both throttle and PAS are working.
P11: PAS sensitivity setting – Range: 1-24
P12: PAS strength setting – Range: 1-5
P13: PAS magnetic sensor setting – Range: 5/ 8/12
P14: Controller Max current limit setting – Range: 1-20A
P15: Controller Low voltage setting. Range: N/A, need to check with controller technical data sheet.
P16: ODO – total odometer clearance setting. Press for 5 seconds in setting mode, you can change and clear the current total odometer to Zero.
P17: Cruise control setting – 0— cruise control inactive, 1 — active cruise control
P18: Speed adjustment setting – Range: 50%-150%, this technical setting is no use for customer but only for engineer setting, please do not modify or change the setting.
P19: PAS 0 setting – Range: 0—active PAS 0; 1—inactive PAS 0.
P20: Data transfer mode setting – Range: 0—NO.2 data transfer mode; 1—5 S data transfer mode; 2—backup data transfer mode; 3— backup data transfer mode.
HIMO Z20 – Controller Settings
Press M button for about 8 seconds to enter the menu. When entering the menu there are the following options:
Cr: cleanup [y] to set the trip kilometers to zero
S7: Select Mph or Kph
b1: Brightness of the display backlight (only active when headlight is turned on)
OFF: Auto power off – the number represent minutes to shutdown
Hd: Wheel diameter (That’s what most YouTubers did, when you enter a larger diameter the displayed speed is higher, but not the actual speed)
b0: Battery voltage – 36V is for Himo Z20.
Pd: Password – enter password 1919, then you see:
SL: Speed limit – default is 25km/h – you can change the speed limit on the screen, but it will not work
The three 20″ folding e-bikes (Himo Z20, Fiido D11 & Fiido D4s) are comparable with their main specs, but there are very interesting differences in detail which might be interesting for your situation. The driving modes work completely different which I haven’t expected beforehand. In my review post I want to:
Compare the main specs
Review the bikes and to point out differences
Give you shopping tips (coupon codes & customs info)
Fiido D11 vs Himo Z20 – 20″ folding e-bike
Intro
I was looking for a compact-to-store e-bike for my daily commute to work. First I got myself a HIMO Z20, which is compact to fold and has a removable battery. This was an important item for me as it is very convenient when it comes to charging. I think that 20″ wheels is the ideal compromise: the bike is small enough to store and the wheels big enough to provide a smooth ride. The larger wheels provide a comfortable driving experience for longer distances, compared to the 16″models of which many were released earlier. I also got myself the later released Fiido D11 to compare both of them in this review as the specs seem very similar.
There is also a second Fiido 20″ e-bike – the Fiido D4s. Main difference is that the battery is built-in and therefore I excluded it from my selection. However I want to include it in this review with remarks, as it is a bit cheaper and if the removable battery is not an issue for you – maybe an interesting choice.
Here’s my overview of current 20″ folding e-bikes:
*Fiido D4s can be unlocked to go 30km/h. Fiido D11 can be unlocked to go 28 km/h – here are the instructions how to unlock speed limit
**estimated – based on my experience there is a lot of influence on the range: driver weight, flat or hilly road, constant drive or stop&go traffic, temperature,…
Fiido D11 vs Himo Z20 – Hands-on Review
Since I got myself Fiido D11 and Himo Z20 I want to show you some pictures of my bikes (video will follow) and point out the differences based on specs and my experience. I also included the info from Fiido D4s so you can compare all three of them.
Similarities and minor differences
All three bikes, Fiido D11, Fiido D4s and Himo Z20 have a lot in common when it comes to specs:
With a 250W powered motor and similar battery they can go up to 80 km in assist mode with a max speed of 25 km/h. Fiido D11 has a bit larger battery (1.6 Ah more) and an assisted driving range of 80-100km is stated.
Seatpoles are adjustable in height, so you can adjust a comfortable driving position. Only the handle bar pole of Fiido D4s is adjustable in height.
Compared to 16″ e-bikes (like Himo Z16 or Fiido D2) they don’t offer suspension. But I think with the bigger 20″ wheels it is not necessarily needed. It also saves weight.
Accessories: Himo Z20 and Fiido D11 come with mudguards and charger. Mudguards for Fiido D4s are priced 26 USD.
NEWS: Also be sure to check out the new ADO A20 – I just received it and compared it to HIMO Z20. It can be unlocked to 350W motor power and 35 km/h top speed: HIMO Z20 vs ADO A20
Brakes
Fiido D11 vs Himo Z20 – brakes
Brakes on all three bikes are very similar. The use 160 mm diameter disc brakes on front and rear wheel. The brakes on Fiido D11 were the best adjusted out of the box and I think they provide the best grip. But it is very easy to fine tune them.
Tires
Fiido D11 vs Himo Z20 – Tires
All bikes use 20″ wheels and air tube tires. The tires on Himo Z20 are a bit wider (20 x 2.125) than the ones of Fiido D11 (20 x 1.75). In general Himo Z20 looks and feels a bit more sturdy to also go offroad while Fiido D11 with its thinner tires and lower weight seems to be made for the road.
Lights
Fiido D11 vs Himo Z20 – Front & Rear LED Lights
The front LEDs on both bikes seem to be exactly the same. They are from the same brand and I couldn’t notice any difference. Fiido D4s also has a very similar front LED light. All of them are connected to the bikes battery and powered with a button on the display. There is a significant difference in how the rear LEDs work:
Fiido D11: The rear light is connected to the battery of the bike as the seat pole is the battery. It always lit when you power on the bike. The blue light above is the main power button of the bike the plug below connects the battery with the bike. The rear light also acts as brake light when you hit front or rear brake.
Himo Z20: The rear light is powered by batteries and includes a reflector, which is legally required n some countries. There is a reason why it is not cable connected to the bike as you can remove the seat pole. The bike has a special gimmick as the seat pole holds an air pump to inflate the tires on the go.
Fiido D4s: Similar to Z20 it has a battery powered rear LED with reflector, but no air pump.
If you don’t like the look of the Himo rear light I can recommend Xlite 100. It has automatic movement detection, so it turns off when you don’t move. Further it detects change in movement, so when you brake it flashes brighter. And with a light sensor it automatically turns on/off according to the daylight. It’s charged via USB port.
Gears & Gear Shift
Fiido D11 vs Himo Z20 – gear shift
Fiido D11 offers a 7-speed Shimano gear shift with 7 sprockets on the back and one on the front, which is covered on the outside so your trousers don’t get ripped. The gear shift is is a bit inconvenient to operate as both levers sit under the handle grip.
Himo Z20 offers a 6-speed Shimano gear shift with 7 sprockets on the back and one on the front, which is covered on the inside and on the outside. The gear shift is more convenient on top of the handle grip. There’s a lever and a button to select the gears.
Pedals
Fiido D11 vs Himo Z20 – Pedals
The pedals of Fiido D11 are made of metal and provide a very good grip. A reflector is integrated (which is legally required in some countries). The pedals of Himo Z20 are made of plastic, the y provide basic grip but not that well. But they can be folded as well for an even more compact storage size. As these are standard bike parts they can be easily replaced.
Saddle
Fiido D11 vs Himo Z20 – Saddle
The saddle of Fiido is a bit wider and softer whereas the saddle of Himo is longer and harder. Again I think a matter of personal tase, I prefer the one from Fiido which is more comfortable.
What’s different?
Size
All folding e-bikes are about the same size when unfolded, but Fiido manages to fold it to a more compact size. While Himo Z20 is 86 cm long and 74 cm high, Fiido D4s is 85cm long and 64 cm high when folded. Fiido D11 is even more compact, folding down to 59cm length but 84 cm in height, so the format is a bit different!
Fiido D11 vs Fiido D4s vs Himo Z20 – Size Comparison
As you can also see on my photos, Fiido D11 is more compact to store. It is way shorter, but a bit higher. From the side Fiido D11 is thinner:
Fiido D11 vs Himo Z20 – folded
Weight
Big difference in weight: While Himo Z20 is 21.9 kg, being the heaviest, Fiido D4s is lighter with 18.5 kg and Fiido D11 is the lightest with 17.5 kg. I checked the weight of Z20 and D11 on a scale, the value for D4s is from the factory spec sheet.
Speed
Fiido D11: In the meantime users found out how to unlock Fiido D11 and it can now go up to 28 km/h (Find out how to unlock speed). In standard configuration you reach 25 km/h.
Himo Z20: I tried my best but haven’t found a solution how to unlock the speed. This would be very beneficial for this bike as I don’t get more than 24 km/h (I think it is limited to 15 mph). Don’t bother watching all the unlock videos on YouTube – they are misleading! They change the diameter of the wheel on the display. This way a faster speed is shown, but the bike doesn’t go faster.
Fiido D4s is the only one that can be significantly unlocked and then you can go 31 km/h. This is not in most countries as the limit is 25 km/h (that’s why all of them are locked). So if you are looking for the fastest one, Fiido D4s is your choice.
Battery
Fiido D11: Fiido found a smart solution and placed the battery inside the seat pole. This is great as you can easily remove the battery and take it with you for charging. On the other side it as a good protection as it doesn’t get easily stolen without the seat. However it is not that great if you lock your bike with the seat as the battery/seatpole can’t be locked and therefore easily be taken – the most valuable part of the whole bike.
Himo Z20: When folding Himo Z20 you can remove the battery placed inside the frame. The battery is locked with a key so it can’t be easily stolen. You don’t need to remove the batter for charging, there’s a port on the frame so you can charge it while inside the bike.
Fiido D4s has a is built-in battery and that was the reason why I didn’t consider buying one as you always have to carry the whole bike to a power plug for charging.
Removable battery of Fiido D11
Removable battery of Himo Z20
Charger
Fiido D11 vs Himo Z20 – Battery Charger
The charger is of course included, be aware that the charger for Himo Z20 is very bulky in case you need to take it with you. Don’t worry about the correct power plug, it connects to the charger and the cable is a standard one so you can exchange it inexpensively. Fiido D11 is using a 2-pol cable while Himo Z20 is using a 3-pol cable.
Throttle
Fiido D11 vs Himo Z20 – Throttle
Fiido D11 offers a throttle lever that needs to be pushed. You can accelerate fully electric from standing still. Moreover Fiido D11 offers cruise control. When you hold down the lever for a few seconds the speed is set until you hit either lever or brakes.
Himo Z20 is controlled by a throttle integrated into the handle grip that needs to be twisted, similar to a motorcycle. It does not accelerate from standing still, the bike has to be in motion. But only a slight push by your foot is needed and you can accelerate fully electric.
Fiido D4s is a mixture of both of them. It has a throttle that needs to be twisted, but you can accelerate from standing still
I guess it is a matter of taste which method you prefer. I favor the push lever on Fiido D11. Usually you go have to push/twist it to the maximum to maintain top speed and with the twist lever your wrinkle is massive angled which is an uncomfortable driving position to go for a long ride. On a motorcycle you do not always push the lever to the maximum and you adjust the speed so the handling is a bit different.
Display
Fiido D11 vs Himo Z20 – Display
Fiido D11: The display holds two buttons to power on the bike and to select the different driving modes. Next to the display are to further buttons for the front LED light and the electric horn. Current speed, mode, trip mileage and battery status are displayed.
Himo Z20: You can find 4 buttons on the display: the power button and the switch trip/total mileage on the bottom and +/- buttons to select the driving mode. Long pressing the plus button turns on the front LED light. There is no electric horn, but a regular bell on Z20. Similar to D11 current speed, mode, trip or total mileage and battery status are displayed.
Fiido D4s: is similar to Fiido D11.
The display of Himo Z20 is better to read, especially in direct sunlight. I heard some negative feedback of the Fiido display (which was also used on Himo C20) as rain drops can get into the gap between button and display. The Himo Z20 display is IPX7 waterproof.
Fiido D11 vs Himo Z20 – driving modes
Manual Mode
First of all you can go fully manual (you don’t even have to power them on) and they work just like regular bikes. However due to the battery they are a bit heavier than regular bikes and therefore require a bit more effort when pedalling. Don’t worry it’s not that much of an exercise but I won’t recommend them if you want to pedal without assistance most of them time. Fiido D11 is a bit lighter than Z20 which benefits going without electric support. Himo Z20 lets you remove the battery so the bike is lighter. However without the battery Z20 is still a bit heavier than Fiido D11 – but also sturdier.
Himo Z20 – Modes
ECO – is the pedal assist mode. When you start pedalling at about 5 km/h you feel the motor kicking in and it makes pedalling seemingly easier. It feels like the motor is assisting your pedalling in relation to the speed you want to go by pedalling. The assistance mode works up to 18 km/h but you can always go faster by pedalling. However at this speed the effort to go even faster is lower than from standing still. In this mode the throttle is not activated.
MID – is a full electric mode. When you twist the throttle the bike accelerates up to about 18 km/h. You can always go faster by pedalling the bike is not slowing you down.
HIGH – is the second full electric mode and the bike accelerates up to 24 km/h. (As mentioned I didn’t get 25 km/h I think the limit is 15 mph). Again you can always go faster by pedalling, the bike is not slowing you down or braking.
Usually I go in High Mode and pedal as well to go faster. I only switch to Eco mode when I want to have the feeling of riding a bicycle with the benefit of being less exhausting, so I don’t arrive sweaty in the office.
Fiido D11 – Modes
The logic of Fiido D11 is completely different as the modes 1 2 3 are controlling the level of assistance. So in all modes you can go full speed by pushing the throttle. Assistance works a bit rougher on D11. While on Z20 it feels like the motor is easing pedalling on D11 it feels like the motor is kicking in at max power accelerating you up to top speed no matter how fast you are pedalling. Also on Fiido D11 the bike is not slowing you down at max. electric speed, you can always go faster by pedalling.
So with Fiido D11 I miss a bit the feeling of riding a bicycle. It doesn’t feel like the motor is assisting you while pedalling, it feels like the pedal is an alternative to the throttle pushing it to the limit. However when you plan to always ride the bike in full electric mode you won’t feel much of a difference between those two.
Issues and Problems
Fiido D11 Problems: The seatpole of Fiido D11 reclines during driving. But that was an easy fix, I tightened the screws and used anti-slip stickers and solved the problem. There was a reported problem that that saddle brakes from the pole. I did not experience this and according to Fiido it occurred on early production models and is fixed.
HIMO Z20 Problems: The bike is not hitting 25 km/h and maximum speed is 23-24 km/h. I think that is the case because to speed is set to 15 mph. It’s just 1-2 km/h but still bothersome. The plastic pedals on Himo Z20 slightly yield and don’t provide the best grip. If you go full electric most of the time you don’t need to worry. Since I often like to pedal to go faster I replaced them with different folding pedals. If you don’t need folding ones for storage reasons you can also go for aluminum pedals.
Overall some minor issues, I didn’t experience serious problems with both of them so far.
Fiido D11 vs Himo Z20 – Review Conclusion
It’s hard to compare these two bikes as there are many differences when looking at the details. It’s tricky to give a general statement which one is “better”. My impression so far – or as I use it: I like Fiido D11 a lot as it is light and compact to store. My ideal ride to the office on a well paved street. I don’t need the battery lock as I take the seat with me for charging. When going on gravel roads I prefer to use Himo Z20, which is a bit more robust and has wider tires. In general there are less issues with Himo Z20. When it comes to details (such as battery lock, throttle, storage size,…) there are so many little difference which might be super important to you or not to mention. So I would check these details in the comparison chart and rate them. Go for the one which offers the features that are most important for you and your situation and would matter to you on a daily basis!
More Infos?
Here’s my hands on review of Himo Z20and the video comparison with its predecessor Himo C20. I also did a review of ADO A20 vs Himo Z20 – I’d love to do a video review of ADO A20 Air and Fiido D11.
My ADO A20 vs Himo Z20 video comparison
Here’s a video review of Himo bikes:
My Himo Z20 vs Himo C20 video comparison
For the latest news and updates, join the Facebook groups:
Official ADO Website: www.adoebike.com Here you have the benefit to buy directly from the manufacturer They offer 48h free shipping options across EU & UK It seems ADO A20 was removed from the store in favor of ADO A20 Air products:
official HIMO Website: www.himobikes.com This site offers both ADO & HIMO bikes and is their official store. Both models ADO A20 and HIMO Z20 can be found here.
official Fiido Website: www.fiido.com This is the official website of Fiido and their main distribution channel. You can benefit from buying directly from the manufacturer
Amazon ADO operates their own Amazon Store “A Dece Oasis-Store“ Fiido doesn’t have an Amazon store where you can find all their current products and having the Amazon Prime shipping benefits:
I currently ride 3 different e-bikes: HIMO Z20, HIMO C20 and Fiido D11. They are all limited to 25 km/h and I tried my best to unlock the speed. Fiido only stated the option to unlock Fiido D4s, but now there seems to be a solution for Fiido D11:
How to unlock the speed limit on Fiido D11
Fiido D11 vs Himo Z20 – 20″ folding e-bike
Follow these steps:
Turn on your Fiido D11
Press power button & mode button together
Press power button until “P2” is displayed
You will see 220 – which stands for the wheel size
Press mode button, then 220 will blink
Press power button and change to 130
Press and hold power button
Press power buttton to restart Fiido D11
That’s it – ride faster
Attention: Although the speed on the speedometer of Fiido D11 is now showing a lower speed – the actual speed is higher (measured by GPS).
I will post a video soon so you can see the outcome.
Speed Limit on HIMO Z20
Stop wasting your time on YouTube videos!
There are many videos on Youtube showing how to unlock speed on HIMO Z20 – but they are wrong – I tested it! They all follow a similar technique and change the wheel diameter. It seems that Fiido D11 can be unlocked, but HIMO Z20 behaves differently. If you change the wheel diameter on HIMO Z20 the speedometer shows a higher speed as the computer is calculating speed based on the smaller wheel. However the actual speed meassured with GPS is still the same.
Up to now I haven’t found a solution to unlock speed of HIMO Z20.
Folding e-bike vs e-scooter (Himo C20 vs Xiaomi Scooter Pro)
E-Scooter are currently very popular, therefore they also get a lot of bad press. Further they are illegal in some countries. So could folding e-bikes be an alternative to e-scooters? They are also more comfortable to ride as you can sit – so why are they not more popular? Or does it simply depend which one is better in which situation or the price?
I tried to come up with pros and cons using the example of Xiaomi Scooter Pro and Xiaomi Himo C20. I use my Xiaomi Scooter Pro for my daily commute to work. But standing on a scooter for 12km (each direction) is not very comfortable, even though I enjoyed not using public transport. So I got myself the Xiaomi Himo C20 folding e-bike and expected are more comfortable long distance ride. Each has its pros and cons which I wanted to share with you:
Xiaomi Scooter Pro vs Xiaomi Himo Z20
To me it seemed Himo C20 provides the best offer. It offers larger 20″ tires, which should contribute to a more comfortable ride. Being foldable is definitely a plus to store it within your flat or office. So that’s why I chose this one to compare it to my current choice of commute – the Xiaomi Scooter Pro.
Specs
Xiaomi Scooter Pro
HIMO Z20
max. Speed
25 km/h (15 mph)
25 km/h (15 mph)
Range (bike assisting)
45 km (28 mi)
80 km (50 mi)
Weight
14,2 kg (31.3 lbs)
21,6 kg (47 lbs)
Dimension (unfolded)
113 x 43 x 118 cm
147 × 61 × 109,5 cm
Dimension (folded)
113 x 43 x 49 cm
86 ×45× 74 cm
Carrying Capacity
100 kg (220 lbs)
100 kg (220 lbs)
Motor Power
300W front wheel drive
250W rear wheel drive
Throttle
lever
twist
Tires
8,5″ air tube tires
20″ air tube
Suspension
no
no
Brake
front: electrical rear: mechanical (disc)
front: mechanical (disc) rear: mechanical (disc)
Transmission
n/a
6-speed (Shimano)
Display
yes
yes
Colors
black
grey, white
* can be unlocked
Comparison Review
There are a few similarities: you can ride at about the same max. speed (25km/h) for about the same range. This is of course only true for electric power. You can achieve a higher speed and wider range when you use drive Himo C20 fully electric and support with pedaling! There are is a seat available for Xiaomi M365, but I think sitting on the e-bike provides a better driving experience. If you are worried about the legal situation of a scooter, I think you are going “under the radar” if you are sitting on an e-bike. In some countries Himo C20 might also not be legal as you can drive fully electric. There is no real moped mode in Himo C20 as you have to give it an initial push, similar to the e-scooter.
Storage Space & Handling
Himo C20 vs Xiaomi Scooter Pro – Storage Space
My biggest concern was storage space as Himo C20 seems to be way larger than a scooter. But I was surprised that in my use case Himo C20 is actually more convenient to store. Himo C20 is longer and higher when folded, but thinner than the scooter! Besides retracting the pedals the handlebar of Himo C20 flips down while it is still the widest part of Xiaomi Scooter Pro. Therefore Himo C20 is thinner and takes less space when leant against a wall. The handle bar of the scooter still sticks out and you easily catch on when passing by.
This is of course only valid when going from A to B and storing it. When combineing your ride with public transport the handling of the e-scooter is a big plus. You can fold it and easily carry it over stairs. Also due to the lower height you can store it in trains under the seat.
Do you need a more compact bike – great news – Himo launched the Z20 that offers a folding frame: check out Himo Z20.
Driving experience
Xiaomi Scooter Pro accelerates faster and you reach the top speed quicker. But Himo C20 isn’t slow – in fact when standing at the traffic light, accelerating with full power and hitting the pedals you are faster than most of the cyclists around 🙂 (especially the sportive ones who cut the line to be the first one at the traffic light). Himo C20 is more comfortable when riding longer distances. You can also choose if you want to go fully electric or do some exercise and pedal as well.
Pros & Cons
Advantage Xiaomi Scooter Pro: The scooter is lighter and and easier to take with you. You can also easily carry the scooter when folded compared to the bike. Great when you combine it with public transport or you have to carry it over stairs to your flat or office.
Advantage Himo C20: It is much more comfortable to ride Himo C20 rather than a scooter for longer distances as you can sit down. Further it feels much safer as you have two large wheels and two brakes that give you a secure feeling. That is even more important when having to share a road rather than using a bike lane. Himo C20 has a wider range as you can also operate with with human power once the battery is empty.
Price & Retailer Comparison
official HIMO Website: www.himobikes.com This site offers both ADO & HIMO bikes and is their official store. Both models ADO A20 and HIMO Z20 can be found here.
official Fiido Website: www.fiido.com This is the official website of Fiido and their main distribution channel. You can benefit from buying directly from the manufacturer
Amazon ADO operates their own Amazon Store “A Dece Oasis-Store“ Fiido doesn’t have an Amazon store where you can find all their current products and having the Amazon Prime shipping benefits:
Himo extended their product line of 20″ e-bikes with the new Himo Z20, a reworked version of Himo C20 with a major addition: the frame folds even more compact. It seems logical that Himo introduced this feature as Fiido bikes are very popular and they recently released two 20″ folding e-bikes Fiido D4s and Fiido D11 (You can compare all three of them here: Himo Z20 vs Fiido D11 vs Fiido D4s).
I rode my Himo C20 for quite a while and recently received my new Himo Z20. So let’s take a closer look and compare to see what’s different. (More photos of Z20 will follow soon, here’s my C20 hands-on review)
My Video Review: Himo Z20 vs Himo C20
My video review: Himo Z20 vs Himo C20
Xiaomi Himo Z20 vs Xiaomi Himo C20 – Specs
Specs
HIMO C20
HIMO Z20
max. Speed
25 km/h (15 mph)
25 km/h (15 mph)
Range (assisting)
80 km (50 mi)
80 km (50 mi)
Weight
21,5 kg (47 lbs)
21,6 kg (47 lbs)
Dimension (unfolded)
147 × 61 × 109,5 cm
147 × 61 × 109,5 cm
Dimension (folded)
147 x 29 x 74 cm
86 ×45× 74 cm
Carrying Capacity
100 kg (220 lbs)
100 kg (220 lbs)
Seat Pole
adjustable in height
adjustable in height
Steering Rod
not adjustable in height
not adjustable in height
Battery
10 Ah removeable can be locked
10 Ah removeable can be locked
Motor Power
250W rear wheel drive
250W rear wheel drive
Throttle
twist
twist
Tires
20″ air tube
20″ air tube
Suspension
no
no
Brake
front: mechanical (disc) rear: mechanical (disc)
front: mechanical (disc) rear: mechanical (disc)
Transmission
6-speed (Shimano)
6-speed (Shimano)
Display
yes
yes
Colors
black, white
grey, white
Himo C20 vs Himo Z20 – Specifications
The specs are almost identical besides the folding mechanism. So let’s take a closer look as there is more than that:
What’s in the box?
The box is pretty large & heavy and I was happy it was delivered to my door. Z20 is packed folded, so the box is a bit shorter. Both of them come almost fully assembled, you just need to mount the pedals (tool included). The brakes were set a bit weak, which I adjusted, the tires are not fully inflated and the fenders need to me mounted – if you like. So, some standard tools for the final adjusts are needed, but basically you are set out of the box, which contains:
bike (folded)
2 types of fenders (plastic mudguard or aluminum full wheel cover)
charger (in my case with EU-plug but it’s a standard 3-pin power cable you can change in case you got the wrong one)
keys (to unlock battery from bike)
Bike Manual, Charger/Battery Manual, Guarantee Card
You can fold Xiaomi Himo C20, but not as compact as Himo Z20. You can retract the saddle pole, flip up the pedals and fold down the handlebar. Folding pedals and handlebar does the job as the bike takes less spaces when leant agains a wall, in my office e.g.. This way it is actually smaller than my e-scooter (Xiaomi Scooter Pro) where the widest part is the handle bar that doesn’t fold. Of course it takes more space in length. Here are photos of my Himo C20 unfolded and folded:
If you need to fold your e-bike even more compact the Himo Z20 is definitely the better option. (e.g. when traveling with a car or camper). The frame of the new Himo Z20 fold in half needing less storage space in length. (but will be wider of course)
Xiaomi Himo Z20 – Folding Mechanism
Battery
Both e-bikes offer removable batteries. While the battery sits on top of the frame on Himo C20, the battery is integrated in the frame on Himo Z20. They offer the same 10 Ah capacity (18650 lithium ion batteries) with power port and LED status 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. But you don’t necessarily need to remove the batteries for charging, you can connect the battery while mounted on the bike. A full charge takes about 6 hours. It is stated that a battery management system offers protection against overcurrent, overcharge, short circuit, and temperature. Extra batteries are available for 270 USD for both models.
Another benefit of the design of Himo Z20 is that you can remove the battery and ride manually without it. This way your Himo Z20 is a lot lighter. You can do so with C20 as well, but this way the compartment on top is empty leaving a recess and the ports are uncovered!
Himo Z20 vs Himo C20 – Removable 10Ah Battery
Display
In the Xiaomi Himo Facebook Group there were some reports of problems when using Himo C20 in wet conditions. According to users they faced troubles turning their e-bike off after water drops got into the gap of the power button. It seems they tackled the problem with a new display design and the Himo Z20 display is IPX7-certified (= Immersion, up to 1 meter in depth for 30min. test). The new Himo Z20 display is way better to read in sunlight and also indicates if lights are on.
The new display on Himo Z20 has 4 buttons while Himo C20 only featured 2 buttons. Himo Z20:
Power button (on bottom): to turn on/off
Trip button (on bottom): to change trip and total mileage
+/- button: to change modes
long press + button: turn on/off lights
long press – button: switch to parking mode
Himo C20:
Power button: to turn on/off
shortpress Power button: turn on/off lights
Mode button: to change modes
long press mode button: switch to parking mode (total mileage is shown)
Himo Z20 vs Himo C20 – Display
Driving Modes
Both bikes offer 4 operating modes:
[powered off] – human power mode – using the pedals without electric assistance
[P] You can also select Parking Mode [P] and go without electric assistance, this way the display is turned on, but not showing speed. Although you can use the front light this way.
[ECO] – power assist mode – the motor supports you while pedalling, you don’t need to pull the throttle.
[MID] – [HIGH] – 2 full electric modes – you have two motor power settings:
[MID] for max. 15 km/h
[HIGH] for max. 25 km/h.
Remarks:
When you are in full electric mode you can pedal as well and even exceed the the limit of 15 or 25 km/h, the bike is not slowing you down to the limit, it’s just not supporting electric power any further than the top speed limit. You can’t use the motor from standing still, you need to give the bike a little push. It’s sufficient to push away with your foot, you don’t need to pedal to activate electric drive.
When in pedal assist mode you do not need to pull the accelerator throttle. You pedal as normal and when you start going you feel the motor kicking in to support your drive. (The motor is powering the wheel, not supporting the pedaling itself.) I noticed that this mode works way better on Z20 than C20.
I wouldn’t recommend both of them 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 ). As mentioned with Z20 you can remove the battery from the compartment to make it lighter. 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.
Lights & Accessories
The front LED light is powered by the bike’s battery and turned on by long pressing the + button (Z20) resp. short pressing the power button (C20). There’s a reason why the rear LED light, including reflector, is using two AA batteries as the pole is not wire connected to the bike. You can remove it as an air pump is integrated. Nice gimmick and useful on the road, although I use my electric Xiaomi Air Pump.
Xiaomi Himo Z20 / C20: integrated air pump within seat tube / Xiaomi electric air pump
Conclusion – my two cents
The folding mechanism is definitely a great addition and important when you can’t store the full length of the bike. Reclining the handlebar and flipping up the pedals, the only folding option for C20, is still great when you lean the bike against a wall. The new display is a great feature. I find it hard to read the C20 display in bright sunlight. You can read the Z20 display in bright sunlight without any problems. Also the buttons are better sealed for rainy weather. There were reports that water got into the gap of the buttons on C20. That seems to be fixed with Z20. The full electric modes feel pretty similar, but I noticed a difference with the pedal assist mode. I found it still too exhausting to use this mode on C20 and was using full electric mode most of the time. I think I’ll use pedal assist mode more often with Z20 as it is very pleasant to ride. You do a little exercise but it is not exhausting at all. I’m not sure if I will ride Z20 without battery, but taking Z20 for a ride without a battery now became an option. While the battery on Himo C20 was on top of the frame, removing it left a gap and uncovered ports. Are there any downsides? First I thought Himo Z20 might not be as sturdy or stiff because of the folding mechanism. But I didn’t notice any difference while riding it. So I haven’t noticed any downside of Z20 when comparing it to C20 so far. I got both color options, but I prefer the grey finishing which is also a bit more matt.
official HIMO Website: www.himobikes.com This site offers both ADO & HIMO bikes and is their official store. Both models ADO A20 and HIMO Z20 can be found here.
Amazon ADO operates their own Amazon Store “A Dece Oasis-Store“ ADO is connected to Himo bikes where you can find all their current products and having the Amazon Prime shipping benefits:
Aliexpress several reseller offer Fiido, ADO and HIMO on Aliexpress check the different warehouse options!
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.
NEWS The new model Himo Z20 was just released. Here you can compare Himo Z20 vs Himo C20 or watch my video review:
My comparison video review – Himo Z20 vs Himo C20
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.
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
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.
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.
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!
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 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.
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 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.
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:
official HIMO Website: www.himobikes.com This site offers both ADO & HIMO bikes and is their official store. Both models ADO A20 and HIMO Z20 can be found here.
Amazon ADO operates their own Amazon Store “A Dece Oasis-Store“ ADO is connected to Himo bikes where you can find all their current products and having the Amazon Prime shipping benefits:
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 Aliexpress. 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 200 USD. Be carefully 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.
E-Scooter are currently very popular, therefore they also get a lot of bad press. Further they are illegal in some countries. So could folding e-bikes be an alternative to e-scooters? Which one is better in which situation?
I tried to come up with pros and cons using the example of FIIDO D2 and Xiaomi Scooter Pro. I use my Xiaomi Scooter Pro for my daily commute to work but I was thinking of replacing it with the FIIDO D2 folding e-bike. Here’s a comparison of them. Since there are many FIIDO versions you can find a comparison of FIIDO D1 vs FIIDO D2 vs FIIDO D3 at the bottom of this article and why I chose D2 for the comparison.
Folding e-Bike vs e-Scooter
To me it seemed FIIDO D2 provides the best offer. It offers larger tires and suspension, which should contribute to a more comfortable ride. Being foldable is definitely a puls (at least for me) to store it within your flat or office. So that’s why I chose this one to compare it to my current choice of commute – the Xiaomi Scooter Pro.
There are a few similarities: you can ride at about the same max. speed (25km/h) for about the same range. This is of course only true for electric power. You can achieve a higher speed and wider range when you use FIIDO D2 pedal assisted! There are is a seat available for Xiaomi M365, but I think sitting on the e-bike provides a better driving experience. Also because of the suspension that is offered on FIIDO D2. If you are worried about the legal situation of a scooter, I think you are going “under the radar” if you are sitting on a bike. I do expect a bit slower acceleration on the FIIDO e-bike since it provides less power than the Xiaomi Scooter Pro and further has to deal with a higher weight. This of course is only true for the electric only acceleration. Of course you can support it by pedalling.
That’s my first impression without testing the FIIDO e-bike, which I hope I can do soon. If you want to read a field test of Xiaomi Scooter Pro, check out my comparison review with the older Xiaomi M365 version: Xiaomi M365 vs Xiaomi Scooter Pro.
Field Test
Paul, a friend of mine, already did an extensive YouTube review of FIIDO D2. He is also riding his Xiaomi scooter, so I asked him about his opinion when comparing them. Here are his statements on both products, if you have further questions, let me know in the comments and I will forward them to him.
[fontawesome icon=”plus-circle” size=”14px” color=”green”] Advantage Xiaomi: The scooter is lighter and and easier to take with you, especially indoors, and therefore more comfortable to charge on the go. You can also easily carry the scooter when folded compared to the bike.
[fontawesome icon=”plus-circle” size=”14px” color=”green”] Advantage FIIDO: For Paul it is much more comfortable to ride FIIDO e-bike rather than a scooter as you can sit down. It also feels much safer as you have two large wheels and two brakes that give you a secure feeling. That is even more important when having to share a road rather than using a bike lane. It has more torque as you can support it with the pedals and a wider range as you can also operate with with human power as well.
The FIIDO D2 uses an aluminum alloy frame that is, as mentioned, foldable from 130 x 40 x 110 cm to 75 x 35 x 65 cm for storage. The 19.5 kg heavy bike is available in white or dark grey. Its seat and handlebar is adjustable in size to customise seating position. As mentioned there is a “shifting version” that offers Shimano 6-speed mechanical shifting. The 250 W brushless motor offers 7.3 Nm of torque. You can reach a max. speed of 25 km/h, of course you can ride faster when pedal assisted. FIIDO D2 offers Bluetooth so you can connect it with your smartphone to display current speed.
Currently out of stock at Geekbuying, Gearbest & TomTop
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.
Shipping times I ordered my Xiaomi M365 from Gearbest in China and I got it within 3 weeks to Europe. I ordered my Xiaomi Pro from Gearbest EU Warehouse and it received it within 5 days.
FIIDO D1 vs FIIDO D2 vs FIIDO D3
There are three different FIIDO e-bikes available: D1 – D2 – D3. And there are even some sub versions: FIIDO D1 is available with 2 different battery sizes. FIIDO D2 is available as “shifting version” with a 6 speed mechanical shift and one version without. Here’s an overview:
Basically all mentioned FIIDO bikes offer an aluminum alloy frame with 250W motor power. All of them offer a maximum speed of 25 km/h and can be operated in “pedal mode” just with human power; “electric mode” just with the power of the motor or in “moped mode” a mixture of both. They offer disk brakes on front and back wheel and are equipped with LED lights and display. There are minor differences regarding maximum payload. What differs them is the battery capacity (e.g. there are two versions of D1 with different batteries) resulting in different range and weight. The major differences are: FIIDO D3 is not foldable. FIIDO D2 offers suspension and larger wheels. Again there are two versions: shifting and non-shifting.
Price Comparison:
Europe Warehouse deals are shipped within Europe with no additional taxes & customs within 1 week.
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