FIIDO L3

A bike with electric assistance has many regulatory criteria before it can be catalogued as such: its motor must not exceed 350W, the electric assistance must be carried out only when pedaling and cut off when stopped, and finally this assistance must not exceed 25km/h. Here we have a bike that, at first glance, meets all these criteria. But on closer inspection, Fiido’s L3 has a throttle handle for “scooter mode”: this means that the electric assistance works without the pedaling action. In discussions with associations in the sector, it should therefore be said that the L3 is not a bike with electric assistance but a vehicle with obligations (registration, use only on the road) that could raise risks in the event of an accident, particularly with insurance companies. If you wish to buy it, be careful not to ride on bike paths with the scooter mode activated and be extra careful!

Fiido has definitely picked the right time to launch the new version of its electric-assist bicycle, as cycling has definitely started to take hold in France since the confinement. Above all, with the L3, the firm is making a strong comeback by erasing most of the flaws of its predecessor, the Fiido L2. The bike has two 14-inch wheels, larger than those of its predecessor. In fact, this will allow the L3 to offer a pleasant feeling of stability while riding. There are 6 gears, accessible via a trigger on the edge of the right handlebar, and a small box that allows you to turn on the bike, operate the headlight and the horn on the edge of the left handlebar, which also displays the speed and remaining range. Finally, there is the famous handle to activate the scooter mode on the right, and, as a result, the brakes are reversed compared to a classic bike: rear brake on the left and front brake on the right.

We end up with a small bike that is this time totally foldable, unlike the L2 which was only semi-foldable. You can fold the handlebars as well as the saddle, and fold the frame in two to get an ultra compact bike that can easily be stored in the trunk of a car, or even in public transportation (but the goal here is to avoid them). Moreover, even if it is far from the weight of a traditional folding bike, especially because of the on-board electronics, the Fiido L3 is rather light, with 26 kg on the scale. For this type of product, it’s not much, but it’s still a rather consequent weight: plan to take the elevator if you take it to a floor beyond the third one.

However, if the on-board electric system adds weight to the whole system, the electric assistance of the bike proves to be devilishly efficient. Note that it only activates after about the fifth turn of the pedal, which makes starting a bit abrupt given the weight of the whole system (this is where the scooter mode is very effective, to give a boost at start up). Once activated, the electric assistance offers a really pleasant comfort, adjustable in 3 different positions: low, mid and high. Note that this assistance is felt very quickly, so even in low mode (about 12 km/h), you’ll have to use the brakes when passing in a narrow and/or crowded alley. The manufacturer announces a range of almost 120 kilometers with its 350W engine, and a full charge time of 5 to 7 hours.

Finally, let’s talk about the famous “scooter mode”. This is activated via a small handle located on the inside edge of the right handlebar grip. As its name suggests, the FIIDO L3 thus becomes a real little scooter: no need to pedal anymore, the gas pedal propels you quickly at a speed of 25 km/h. Beware, however, since this mode uses up the battery much faster than simple electric assistance and is, as we said at the beginning of this article, at the limit of legality. Nevertheless, it is still very pleasant to have access to this little “boost” to speed up starting at a red light, or simply to help you through the odds.