With its new Air Carbon, ADO will soon be expanding their range of electric folding bikes with an innovative new model: In addition to the affordable ADO Air 20, the ADO Air 20 Pro has already been released recently, boasting slightly more extensive features and an innovative two-speed motor. Now the new ADO Air Carbon is the third e-folding bike in the starting blocks, which at just 12.5 kg is also said to be the lightest folding bike!
For comparison: according to the manufacturer, the regular ADO Air 20 weighs 16 kg (in our review we weighed it at 17.9 kg ready to ride), which means that the new version with the carbon frame will be around 3.5 kg lighter. A notable difference, which you should notice not only through a more agile riding style. Thanks to the lighter weight, the handling of the folding bike will also be much more pleasant during transportation!
The positive aspect is that, despite the weight reduction, there is no need to compromise on the equipment: the compact 20″ wheels on the Air Carbon are also equipped with 45 mm wide tires, which should provide good shock absorption on uneven surfaces. The battery also offers the same capacity of 345 Wh and is also installed in the removable seat post.
The drive system is based on a compact hub motor in the rear wheel in combination with a belt drive instead of the conventional bicycle chain. However, the motor is now from Bafang and offers a torque of 35 Nm, while the drive is still controlled via a torque sensor. Compared to the new ADO Air 20 Pro, however, a conventional motor without gears is installed, so it is a single-speed drive. Our review of the ADO Air 20 has already shown how well such a drive works in a folding bike.
To achieve the bike’s compact folding dimensions of just 84 x 43 x 66 cm, the carbon frame and the handlebar/stem unit can be folded down and the seat post pushed all the way down. We already know this principle from the other ADO Air models and it should be completed in 15 seconds. Hydraulic disc brakes and the headlight are just as familiar, but there are other new features: The ADO Air Carbon now even has an integrated GPS sensor that can be used to locate the position of the bike via the manufacturer’s smartphone app!
There is no information yet on the price of the new ADO Air Carbon – but we can assume that as the new top model, it will also be priced above the already available ADO Air 20 and ADO Air 20 Pro models. However, there will be a reduced introductory price when the bike is released on May 6 via the crowdfunding platform Indiegogo. However, the two color variants are already certain: the ADO Air Carbon will be available completely black in Iceland Black and in Amble Latte with silver add-on parts.
