Ridden: Fiido D3 PRO, the Smallest e-Bike With the Best Value for Money

The D3 PRO is the smallest offering in the lineup from China-based manufacturer Fiido, perhaps one of the best-known names on the e-bike market, following a couple of very successful crowdfunding campaigns, solidified with an excellent catalog of products and even better customer support. It might also be among the smallest e-bikes out there: a sort of sitting scooter but larger, with the power of an electric bicycle, a sturdy (but cute) design with basic functionality, and the best value for money you're likely to find anywhere.

Big words for such a small bike, but they're true.

Design Evaluation

If you're willing to make the transition from whatever mode of transportation you use on the daily to a bicycle, you're spoiled for choice. One of the few good things the absolutely dreadful year of 2020 brought about was the boom of the e-bike market, to the point where today, you might even be able to go out on one without having "cheater!" thrown in your general direction by pedal-powered purists.

Depending on your location, your needs, and, of course, your budget, you have the widest, most incredible range to pick from for your next e-bike. That's not an overstatement, either: if you're a rider, you must know already that manufacturers from all over the world are fighting to stand out, and we, the customers, are winning.

The Fiido D3 PRO is going for the smallest and most portable e-bike and the best value for money niche. Fiido is on a mission to deliver pedal-assisted two-wheelers at an affordable price, but in such a way that you won't perceive a compromise in quality. The D3 PRO is a good example in this sense: a very compact, foldable bike that handles well and does exactly what you need it to. You might have to adjust some expectations along the way, but it's with good reason – i.e., very affordable pricing.

The bike arrives fully assembled, so you only have to unwrap the plastics, unfold it, double-check everything, charge it, and you're good to go. It would have been strange if it didn't, given its size. Seriously now, it's incredibly small, almost laughably so. This is the kind of bike that a 12-year-old could easily ride, sitting on 14-inch wheels and looking very much like a toy that makes you think you're not going to go anywhere fast, after all. You're wrong in thinking that, but more on that later.

Despite the cute and very small size, the D3 PRO is surprisingly sturdy. The frame is aluminum, with the battery integrated and the seatpost holding the controller. The battery is rated for 800 charge cycles at a 5-hour complete charge and is good for 60 km (37.2 miles) of range in moped mode, according to Fiido.

The frame is a step-through, which makes it suitable for riders between 155 cm (5.0') and 200 cm (6.5') as long as they're not heavier than 120 kg (265 lbs). It also makes it more practical for city use, where you may have to get off repeatedly and wouldn't have enough space to throw your leg over the saddle.

A 250W brushless rear hub motor is paired with the 7.8Ah/280.8Wh battery, with three levels of pedal assist (PAS) and the option to ride it without assistance. Keep in mind that the D3 PRO is a single-speed bike when you choose that last option, so that means serious leg work if your daily commute involves inclines of any degree.

The handlebar holds the cockpit, and it's the most rudimentary thing ever, without loss of basic functionality. You have a small display on the left hand, with a power button and another one to go through PAS levels. Next to the display is the horn, which is very much like the one on the Engwe M20 we tested a while back: it's so annoying you can't help but laugh, but it gets the job done (but only works if power is on). People will hear you coming from a mile away!

On the right hand is the torque lever, which you operate by rotating it. Given the size of the wheels and the fact that motor assistance only kicks in at the third turn of the pedals, you're going to be using it much more frequently than you might have anticipated.

The bike comes with disc brakes front and rear, small but functional fenders, integrated front light, and a small rear light with a rubber strap. The height of the handlebar and the seatpost are both adjustable.

The bike weighs 17.5 kg (38.5 lbs) with everything on it, so yes, it's not just the smallest you've seen in a while but also very lightweight. In three motions, you can make it more compact and that doesn't include the pedals, which also fold. You lower the handlebar, you fold down the handlebar, and you lower the seatpost, and it becomes even smaller, allowing you to store it inside the trunk of the car, inside the apartment, or to carry it up the stairs. With one hand, if you're feeling particularly strong on that particular day.

Real World Application

To start with the most important part, let's just say that the D3 PRO mostly lives up to the promises made on the presentation page. Fiido says it's a lightweight, fast, comfortable, and reliable e-bike, and it's proved itself just that during my real-world tests. It's a surprisingly powerful little thingy that zaps you from point A to point B with minimal effort – or no effort at all if that's your thing – and keeps you relatively comfortable along the way.

Considering there's no type of suspension on this thing, you'd expect a very bumpy ride, but it's not so. The thicker tires help with that, but all the heavy lifting goes, in this case, to the saddle, which is wider and with more padding than on the X we also got to test a while back. The frame also absorbs some of the shocks, and I was more than grateful for that, considering I don't live in a city with good, or even decent, infrastructure.

That said, the D3 PRO takes some getting used to, even if you're not new to e-bikes. Its geometry brings a higher center of gravity, so you're prone to popping a wheelie if you rush it up a bump and to some wobbling of the handlebar at tighter turns.

As mentioned above, the motor kicks in at the third spin of the pedals – and when it does, it really "kicks” in and might take you by surprise. Otherwise, it's smooth, though not particularly silent, and powerful enough to make this e-bike worthy of the "cheater” label mentioned above. I mean that in the best way possible, since this is an e-bike designed for the city, for the daily commute on cycle paths.

Unless you're in a huge hurry, I hardly saw any need for using PAS 3 on any of my rides (other than for sheer fun) since you can easily move about using a combination of PAS 1 and torque. The torque option is a smart addition since otherwise, you'd be breaking a sweat on dead starts uphill.

That initial kick of the motor, coupled with the fact that there's only one single speed on the bike, means the D3 PRO isn't exactly ideal for crowded pavements or in any other area where there's heavy pedestrian traffic. Riding it in these areas felt like reigning in an unbroken (tiny) horse, which saw me pedaling until the motor kicked in, braking, then pedaling some more until motor assistance picked up, and more of the same. It's fun, but I'd rather not. Again, if your city has a decent bike infrastructure, that's not a problem in the least.

The biggest downside of a budget e-bike that offers only the basics is that you get to miss the things you took for granted before. For instance, the display doesn't have an odometer or any other stats, except for the icon for the battery and the speedometer. To add insult to injury, visibility is non-existent in direct sunlight, and it becomes a problem if you're trying to switch PAS levels.

Another downside is that Fiido didn't include up and down buttons for the PAS levels, so if you want to go down one level, you have to go through all to get there. It's a pain if you're doing it mid-ride and even more so if you're looking at a display that you're no longer able to read because of the sun.

The battery level icon is not exactly reliable. You're not going to get 60 km (37.3 miles) out of the D3 PRO in moped mode unless you're supermodel-size and ride it only on level, very smooth pavement on wind-less days, but that's ok. Range estimates are just that: estimates for the best-case scenario. But it would be very helpful to have a distance covered or other journey stats included, so you could better estimate range – or at least app connectivity like you do with the X.

Without these, you're either reliant on third-party activity-monitoring apps or you're taking a chance. In one situation, the motor went out on me mid-ride, even though the display was showing three bars, and I was expecting at least another 20 km out of it. I spent a few agonizing moments thinking it had broken, I admit, before I realized the issue was with the display not showing the correct battery charge. The first clue came in retrospect: the motor had less oomph when torque was applied. On the upside, even if it's a good workout, you can always pedal it like a regular bike.

Conclusion

The D3 PRO e-bike is fun and practical in equal measure. It might prompt a few curious looks and even a giggle or two from passers-by (trust me, it will happen), but it's a very compact and surprisingly powerful way to move about the city with minimal effort. It has decent range to run daily errands or do the work commute, is lightweight and small enough to fit in most city apartments or cramped storage spaces, and it's sturdy and comfortable.

Best of all, at $699 (with the possibility of a $150 discount, as of the moment of writing), it ranks very high on the affordability scale. Its basic features could stand improvement, but then again, they're more than enough to get the job done. The D3 PRO is best value for money, in addition to being the cutest littlest thing ever.


Pros

• Very affordable
• Ultra-compact & foldable
• Decent range
• Lightweight
• Powerful

Cons

• No odometer
• Poor visibility on the display
• No app connectivity

Rating: 4 / 5