Ridden: Fiido Kidz, the First Balance e-Bike in the World

It's a rather cheesy thing to say, but it's the sentiment that counts. In a world in which adults of all ages and sizes are spoiled for choice when it comes to urban mobility solutions, it does feel like no one (meaning, no big bike company) is thinking about the kids.

Fiido has. The result is what they describe as the world's first balance e-bike, the K1 Kidz. It's a balance bike and an electric bicycle, and it's both these things at once, which might be a bit confusing at first. It's also the most fun way in which you can introduce your kid to your love of riding, whether you're more of a bicycle guy (or gal) or you prefer motorcycles. It's a way to "write your own family story of love & courage."

I got to test it with help from two young assistants, aged 4.5 and 7, so read on to find out if it's worth the hype. Spoiler alert: it is.

Design Evaluation

Fiido is a China-based OEM working overtime to establish itself on the international markets, including North America and Europe – and with great success so far. For the past few years, it's been diversifying its range to include smoother city commuters, smaller e-bikes with moped functionality, and everything else in between, including smartwatches to connect to and control these new bikes, accessories and new tech for the bikes.

The Fiido Kidz is Fiido's way of integrating every family member into their effort toward greener, funner mobility. And it makes so much sense, as any parent will tell you. If parents ride electric, the kid or kids will want to do the same, and while you do have options for those older than 12-14, searches for younger kids will come up empty.

The idea for Fiido Kidz also stemmed from the realization that most OEMs focus solely on adult products, either to offer torque-only functionality or to remove motor assistance completely. With nothing in between, Fiido decided to create a kid's bike that allows for progressive learning.

A traditional balance bike is an entry-level bicycle for kids as young as 2. It's a push bike with no pedals and sometimes no braking, whose sole purpose is to teach kids to keep their balance on two wheels while getting them accustomed to speed. Progressing from a balance bike to a proper bicycle without training wheels is a smooth, organic transition.

Putting a motor on a balance bike seems odd – or, at the very least, counter-intuitive because the kid is no longer in control, I thought when I first heard of the Fiido Kidz. I love to be proven wrong.

The Fiido Kidz bears the same Fiido styling as all the other new additions to the range. For such a tiny two-wheeler, it's indistinguishably Fiido in quality, styling, and color, riding on one-piece 12-inch wheels.

It ships fully assembled but for the handlebar, packed neatly in cardboard and plastic so that chances of damage during transport are minimal. Because it's a kiddie bike, it's also uncomplicated by comparison to its larger siblings: a small motor, a controller, a charger, two different power buttons (one for the battery and the other for the bike), a small handlebar indicator, brake lever, and all the necessary tools and owner's manual for assembly and minor adjustments.

The frame is aluminum alloy, sturdy but lightweight enough (15.9 lbs/7.2 kg) so that even a kid can easily pick it up. Kids being kids, they will pick it up – and also throw it to the ground, ride it into puddles or mud, or test that rear hub motor in sand or snow to see what happens. Anything less than "sturdy" won't do.

The battery is hidden in the downtube, which also has two small footpegs for when the rider wants to ride in moped mode. The Velo saddle is adjustable, so maximum rider height for the Kidz is 130 cm (4.3') – in theory.

Fiido says the bike is ideal for riders aged 2 to 7, with a maximum payload of 80 kg (176 lbs); I can confirm that Fiido will hold an adult rider like myself, but the cutoff height is more like 120-122 cm (3.9'-4.0'). At 128 cm (4.2'), one of my two reviewers could still ride comfortably, but using the pegs was out of the question because the handlebar was too low, and he'd bump his knees. In both cases, we ended up having a lot of fun but looking rather ungraceful.

Power comes from a small brushless geared motor in the rear wheel, but input is controlled by the parent first and the child second. The Fiido Kidz works when paired with the Fiido App, where the parent chooses from the three riding modes and sets up preferences. The two pair via Bluetooth, so ideally, you should be riding your own bike to keep up. But you don't have to, or at least, not always: once the bike disconnects from the app, it remembers your settings, so the kid can still ride it in motorized mode without you nearby.

The Kidz has power cut-off drum brakes and an estimated range of 2 to 4 hours of use on a 4-hour full charge. Maximum speed ranges between 5 kph and 12 kph (3.1 mph-7.4 mph) on motor assistance, according to the settings in parental controls. When operated in push mode only, the bike goes as fast as the kid's legs will go and, most importantly, will act like a typical balance bike because Fiido promises no friction from the motor.

Real World Application

Not only is the idea of an electric balance bike not ridiculous, but it's the most fun way to introduce your kid to electric riding. The Fiido Kidz takes a gradual approach to the experience of riding, similar to what we adults get with PAS (pedal assist), but with a focus on progressive learning.

Parental controls offer two modes (Guardian and Autonomous) and three more modes for riding: push, power-assist, and full throttle, with the last one reserved for experienced riders. Power assist is adjustable, where the parent introduces kickstart assistance times (Glide Assist) that suit the kid's riding mode. In other words, parents can set a delay time where the rider first has to push before receiving a certain level of assistance.

In Autonomous mode, all parental controls are off, and the kid rider decides when and how to use the throttle, which delivers the maximum power. Needless to say, for my 7-year-old reviewer, this was the default mode once we'd gone through every other option.

The Kidz bike is not just sturdy but comfortable as well, though it lacks suspension or any extra padding on the saddle. It's stable and handles well, and can take whatever experiment its rider will think of without an issue.

The small motor (80W) is enough to take on smooth inclines without issue and to deliver that kick to an overly enthusiastic kid twisting the throttle. The bike feels and looks like a typical balance bicycle, albeit a bit heavier, but packs a lovely surprise for any young adventurer with the motor assistance.

Conclusion

Fiido says it developed the Kidz balance e-bike not because it wanted to claim a world first but because it wanted to get kids outside, riding with their parents and spending less time on their screens. The Kidz is also meant to encourage progressive learning while delivering the most fun in the safest way possible.

It's mission accomplished on all these accounts. The Fiido Kidz is the most fun way to spend at least a couple of hours outside – or so my two young reviewers say.

Thanks to parental controls, it offers peace of mind to an adult tempted to overthink the dangers of putting the kid on a motorized two-wheeler. With that sturdy frame, it even allows the adult to try it on and show the kid how it's done.

Now retailing for €399/$399 (at a discount from the original €599/$599 price), the Fiido Kidz is more than just a polite spoken invitation to have fun. It makes the fun possible.

Pros

• Sturdy
• Intuitive to use
• Parental controls on the Fiido App
• Two operating modes
• Three riding modes
• Suitable for learners to experienced riders

Cons

• Footpegs should be a bit bigger

Rating: 5 / 5