Our review of the ADO Air 20 already showed that ADO can build a practical electric folding bike that is worth recommending despite its very low selling price, so it’s no wonder that we are particularly interested in the latest model in the ADO Air family — thanks to the carbon frame and an even more compact motor, the new ADO Air Carbon is significantly lighter, which makes a big difference, especially when it comes to folding bikes. It also offers features such as localisation via GPS or a belt drive. Our test will show whether the extra cost is worth it.

Design

Even though the ADO Air Carbon looks similar to its sister model Ado Air 20 at first glance, a closer look reveals a few differences. Although the new model also relies on compact wheels in 20″ format and a frame that can be folded in the centre, the look of the carbon model is slimmer, straighter and sportier. This is due to the light and stable frame material, which also allows for unusual details: for example, only one stay is required on the rear triangle instead of the typical triangle of seat post, chain stay and seat stay. In addition, the fork at the front is also made of carbon and perfectly matches the design of the frame.

The seat post with integrated battery is already familiar from the regular ADO Air 20, but the new hub motor in the rear wheel has become even more compact. The fact that this folding bike is an e-bike is therefore only apparent at second glance. At the front, the cables and lines are neatly routed downwards in a spiral hose and then run invisibly in the frame. In addition to the high-profile rims, the single-speed drive also contributes to the sporty look — the huge pulley at the front, which guides the belt drive, is particularly striking.

Equipment

With the new Air Carbon, ADO also emphasises a high-quality drive system and installs a hub motor from Bafang (type H410). This offers a torque of 35 Nm and is controlled by a torque sensor. We have already illustrated the advantages of such a combination of torque sensor and hub motor in detail in this article. As mentioned at the beginning, the battery is integrated into the seat post or forms a single unit with it. Its capacity of 345 Wh is quite high for a bike in this category, and the design means that it can be easily removed for charging. To protect the battery from theft, the seat clamp is fitted with a lock as standard (this was only offered as a retrofit on the ADO Air 20). There is a 2.4″ color display with three buttons on the handlebars to operate the electric drive system.

Instead of a classic bicycle chain, the ADO Air Carbon is equipped with a largely maintenance-free belt drive, which comes from the manufacturer Dayko. As such a belt drive requires no oil or grease, it is particularly clean — which is a great advantage on a folding bike, as you come into contact with it from time to time when folding the bike.

The compact wheels are fitted with 44 mm wide tires and are braked by hydraulic disc brakes. At the front, the bike has a headlight, while a rear light is mounted on the seat post. Further commuter equipment such as mudguards, bike racks or a pannier rack will follow later as optional extras.

With this equipment, we weighed the ADO Air Carbon ready to ride at 15 kg. Although this is higher than the 12.5 kg that ADO itself states as the “net weight”, it is still one of the lightest representatives in this segment. A look at the ADO Air 20 also shows that the focus on weight optimization has paid off: in our review, we weighed it at 17.9 kg ready to ride — so the new carbon model is around three kilograms lighter with comparable equipment!

Operation

The folding mechanism is identical on all ADO folding bikes: The handlebars are unlocked with a lever on the headset and then folded down. In addition, the lock must be opened in the middle of the frame so that the front and rear sections of the bike can be folded towards each other. Finally, the seat post can be pushed all the way down, giving the bike a compact pack size of just 84 x 66 x 43 cm — and therefore fits in almost any car trunk!

If you put the Air Carbon down when folded, it stands on the front sprocket — after all, this is made of metal and shouldn’t be damaged in the long term. However, if you want to push the folded bike in front of you with your hand on the saddle, the wheels will come apart — a behavior that we already know from the ADO Air 20. However, if you only transport the folded bike in the trunk anyway or simply want to store it as small as possible when not in use, you don’t need to worry about these points. And even then, the advantage of the low weight is evident, as a lightweight bike is much easier to handle when folded.

Once you’re on the bike, you can enjoy the simple operation of the single-speed drive: you don’t have to worry about shifting gears! The electric drive is largely self-explanatory and is controlled via the color display with three buttons on the handlebars. Three speed levels can be set, and the system is also switched on and off there. However, the battery itself has to be switched on separately first, which seems a little awkward. The same applies to the rear light, which is battery-operated and also has to be switched on and off individually. The front light, on the other hand, can be conveniently operated from the display.

The battery is connected to the bike in the seat post with a flexible spiral cable. To remove it, simply unplug the connector and pull the battery upwards. However, to make it easier for thieves, a small lock is installed on the seat clamp — only when this is opened can the seat post be moved and removed. A printed scale makes it easier to quickly set the correct seat height when inserting the seatpost. ADO itself recommends the bike for people between 155 and 190 cm tall, but with my 185 cm I had already used the maximum seat height.

Thanks to its GPS tracking function, the Air Carbon also brings the ADO app into focus: the current location of the bike can always be displayed there, the app also shows previous rides and there is a navigation function.

Riding impressions

Compact, agile and quick: thanks to its small wheels, short wheelbase and light weight, the ADO Air Carbon is very agile. Compared to the ADO Air 20, the steering response is more direct, which is due to the slightly narrower tires, which offer a little less damping. The carbon model is also somewhat sportier and more aggressive in this area.

Despite its compact dimensions, the new Bafang motor is surprisingly snappy — especially in the highest mode. Overall, the three assist levels are well differentiated from one another and on flat terrain you can make comfortable progress even at the lowest level. Thanks to the torque sensor, the motor’s support is very sensitive and comes close to classic cycling: the harder you pedal, the more power the motor delivers.

Even climbs can be tackled with ease on the Air Carbon; the combination of hub motor and single-speed drive only reaches its limits on long and very steep routes. Rides on flat terrain up to 25 km/h, on the other hand, are the bike’s comfort zone, above which the motor decouples very gently. However, the cadence then also increases significantly, so that you rarely want to ride above 30 km/h. No problem, because you won’t be setting any speed records on such a compact folding bike anyway.

In addition to the hydraulic disc brakes, the upright riding position, which gives you good control over the bike, also contributes to the overall safe riding impression. And even in its carbon version, the bike conveys a high level of stability — despite the folding locks and folding mechanisms on the frame, seat post and handlebars. Only the pedals could be larger and offer slightly too little contact surface.

Conclusion

Low weight, a cool look and handy features: the new ADO Air Carbon scores points in many areas! The electric drive with hub motor, precise torque control, removable battery and clean belt drive are also worthy of praise. Thanks to the simple folding mechanism, the bike can be stowed and transported compactly. Only the handling of the folded bike could be better thought out — whether when parking or pushing it. However, the weight advantage of the carbon bike is always noticeable: not only does it ride more agilely, it is also much easier to transport or carry up the stairs.

So is it worth the extra cost compared to the cheaper ADO Air 20? Anyone who wants to benefit from the maximum weight advantage or simply prefers the clean design of the carbon model should go for it, especially as it also has an integrated GPS tracking function. The ADO Air Carbon currently costs a reasonable 1,999 euros in the online store — a very attractive price considering its functions and light weight!

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