So the micro-mobility boom of the past 2+ years is showing signs of slowing down, but that’s not to say that innovation in the field stops here. If you thought that, ADO Air would like a word.
Even before the 2020 international health crisis, there was a considerable uptick in demand for cleaner, healthier, and more affordable options for moving around the city. We may be city boys and city gals, but not all of us like to drive a car on the daily or be stuck on public transport. This, combined with the need for more sustainable transport and, in 2020, the need for social distancing, boosted the market of e-bikes to unprecedented and unimaginable heights.
Demand for electric two-wheelers is slowing down, including for e-bikes. This is good news for the customer, because it means lower prices but still the same variety of models to choose from. If you’re that customer and available models don’t meet your needs or expectations, there’s always crowdfunding. It’s here that ADO Bikes is turning, in the hopes of getting their latest model into production, the ADO Air.
ADO Bikes is an established bike maker based in China, so in theory, it could afford to launch a new model without crowdfunding. This is probably a way to test the market and see if there’s demand for such a product since they already have the bikes ready for shipping – even though the campaign ended just days ago.
Photo: ADO Bike
The ADO Air promises to be the lightest, smartest and most convenient in the existing lineup. It is ultimately a city bike, so it’s nimble and small, sleek and smart, with an all-size frame and standard features that include lights and fenders, and app connectivity. Since it’s meant to “live” in the city only, it is also foldable, which makes it ideal for riders who have little room for storage, and lightweight so you can carry it up the stairs with a single hand, if need be. And if that hand is strong enough to carry 16 kg (35.2 lbs), that is.
So far, it doesn’t sound like the ADO Air is anything special. After all, these past 2 years, we’ve seen more than a fair share of e-bikes with app connectivity, foldable frames, and reduced total weight. Features like front and rear lights, fenders, and kickstands have long become standard and are included in the price of the bike, so that’s not what makes it stand out either.
What does, instead, is the quality of the product. ADO Air is “standard” in many ways, but it’s also able to tread that fine line between a quality product and affordable pricing, which is the biggest compromise cyclists all over the world are more than painfully acquainted with. Based on the information presented on (virtual) paper only, the Air won’t have that plasticky, gimmicky, cheap feel you’ll find on most low-entry bikes. It’s true, at a MSRP of $2,100, it’s not the cheapest of the bunch, either.
Photo: ADO Bike
The Air comes with hydraulic disc braking and a carbon belt drive guaranteed to be maintenance-free for 2 million cycles (or 20K to 30K km/12.5K to 18.7K miles). The 36V 9.6 Ah battery and the 250 W motor (or 350 W, for the U.S. model) are both from Samsung, and they promise good performance: 100 km (62 miles) of range per charge, and quiet, powerful, and intuitive assistance. The torque sensor helps with that, adjusting the motor assistance according to terrain and incline, and the rider’s own input.
The display is color and, according to the company, the only one in the world on an e-bike to come with IPS rating, which means it remains legible in direct sunlight and is not affected by rain. You might not look as dandy and be as smiling as the gentleman model in the pictures while riding in a downpour, but at least you won’t be inwardly cursing yourself for going out, not anticipating rain.
The companion app offers unlocking of the bike and extra information like distance traveled, riding time, and battery levels. You can also use the app to connect with fellow ADO riders, or to chat with support and after-sales services. As some sort of bonus, a “nifty” ADO Lab 3D tour is included in the app, just in case you want to see where ADO Air was designed, built, and tested.
Photo: ADO Bike
ADO promises that the Air lives up to its name, being not only “the best” but also the most “ultra-light” folding e-bike on the market. Given the sheer volume of such e-bikes, it’s nearly impossible to say for certain whether that’s true, but the stats above do make it hard to argue with the statement. The ADO Air will ship to the U.S., Europe, and Australia as soon as March 2023, so it’s only a matter of time before we can see about that.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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