Fiido T2 Longtail: The SUV of e-bikes carries a heavy load

The Fiido T2 continues with the typical high quality materials, welds, and coating found on past Fiido bikes. It is a very heavy bike at 87 pounds, but it is also built to withstand heavy loads and many miles of bike riding.

Rating:

As explained in my palmsolo’s Refresh Rating Scale post, I’m awarding the Fiido T2 cargo e-bike five (5) Medals of Yavin. After thoroughly testing it out and riding it in various locations, I have yet to find anything missing from the T2. It has a high capacity battery, ergonomic handlebars and handgrips, super paint job, high quality aluminum welds, single piece aluminum wheels, a comfortable Velo seat, and so much more priced just under $1,500.

The Good and the Bad

It’s pretty rare for me to not find something that can be improved with a product and for things like electric bikes the pros and cons can depend on your riding needs.

Pros

• Stunning Forest Green color, lovely fit and finish

• Affordable price for a big cargo e-bike

• Comfortable seat and handlebar design with ergonomic faux leather grips

• Lovely integrated color display with USB port for charging a phone

• Hydraulic disc brakes and a large capacity removable battery

• Substantial rider and cargo cargo carrying capacity

• Single piece aluminum wheels and fat tires

• Front suspension system

Cons

• Have to scroll through all pedal assist modes with no up and down option

• Heavy for some people to move around

Experiences

The Fiido T2 arrived in a large cardboard box in a partially assembled condition. I had to install handlebars, front wheel/tire, front fender, headlight/front platform, and pedals. All of this was detailed in the included manual with clear graphics and directions. Fiido provides you with all of the tools needed to assemble and maintain the bike, which is great for first time bike owners and those who don’t have a set of tools to facilitate assembly.

The removable battery is quite large and heavy so it’s nice to see that Fiido positioned in at the center of the bike. You simply flip up the lever under the Velo seat to raise it vertically and then you can slide the battery up and out to replace it with another battery for extended riding.

The color LCD display is mounted on the left side of the handlebars. The display is vibrant with large numbers that even my aging eyes can read clearly. I’m not a huge fan of having to press the assist button repeatedly to scroll through the assist levels. Most bikes I’ve ridden have up and down, or plus and minus, buttons to help you quickly move up and down through the electric assist levels. It’s not a showstopper, but it is a bit annoying at times.

One flaw of the Lectric XPedition is the lame center kickstand that does not hold the bike securely in place while you load up cargo. Thankfully, Fiido provides a stout center kickstand that you can raise from either side of the bike and trust it to hold the bike up and in place.

The Fiido T2 is capable of a 25 mph top speed with pedal assist. The default is set to 15.5 mph, but with the simple press and hold of the M button on the left controls you can unlock the top speed and fly. Be careful switching to rocket mode, that’s the icon that appears on the display when you unlock it, since you are riding a very heavy bike and that is a lot of forward momentum. Then again, the hydraulic brakes work very well at stopping you in a short distance.

Fiido advertises up to 62 miles range with just the throttle in the default speed setting while lowest level of pedal assist could get you over 69 miles. Given the terrain I rode on, my 235 pound weight, and the level 2-4 assist I used most of the time, I was seeing about 25-35 miles of range. The battery does well and provides excellent assist and torque. I was able to tackle the steepest hills with a bit of effort in a lower gear.

There are several accessories available to purchase to make the bike more capable for your cargo needs, including a front basket, rear basket, rear fence and seat cushion for carrying children, and more.

Specifications

Specifications alone don’t mean much, but they are useful for comparing similar devices and checking that you are getting value for your money.

• Frame: Aluminum alloy in two colors

• Motor: 750W rear hub (923W peak), 60 Nm torque

• Bike weight: 87 pounds

• Bike capacity: 440 pounds

• Pedal assist: Five levels with throttle

• Max speed and range: 15.5 mph, but can be unlocked with 25 mph limit

• Transmission: 7-speed Shimano

• Brakes: 4-piston hydraulic disk brakes, 230mm rotors

• Tires: 20 x 4-inch tires with one piece aluminum wheels

Bottom Line

While cargo e-bikes aren’t something I need, it was a joy to ride the Fiido T2 around and explore the area. The bike is built for an enjoyable ride with a comfortable seat, angled handlebars, ergonomic handgrips, front suspension, and fat tires.

The $1,499 price is reasonable for a large cargo e-bike like this that can serve as a replacement for your car around the city. The frame is easy to step through as well so even though the bike is big and heavy, my wife enjoyed riding it and felt comfortable and in control thanks to the bike’s ergonomic design.