Momentum Reviews: The ADO Air Carbon ultra-light folding e-bike

I felt pretty cool, flying down Rue Saint-Louis on a golden afternoon. The light was perfect, casting a long shadow over the pavement. I zipped between the stone facades of Vieux-Québec, passed couples and groups on the sidewalks, and turned abruptly down narrow streets. The air was cool, the sun sank low. I careened through the old city, down one hill after another, as happy and free as I’d felt in months.

What made me feel cool, though, was my ride: the Air Carbon, an ultra-light folding e-bike made by ADO. The Air Carbon weighs about 14kg, light enough for most adults to lift with one hand. This machine is compact, with a total length of 1.48 meters and 50.8-centimeter wheels. The design is minimalist and slick; passersby turned heads on the street. When the opportunity came to spend a few days in Quebec City, all I could think was: I’m taking this spiffy little bike. Easy enough: the bike fit easily into the trunk of my Impreza, with plenty more space for a suitcase and camera bag.

Yet unless you look closely, you can’t tell just how unique the Air Carbon is. The designers at ADO have crafted a bold new urban commuter, which reimagines the most established e-bike features. Everything about the Air Carbon feels fresh and visionary, and it’s easily the most innovative pedal-assist bike I’ve ever had the pleasure to ride. That said, such daring choices won’t work for everyone, and interested customers should know some caveats before they order their own. There’s nothing quite like the Air Carbon on the market, and for $1,600, this carbon-fiber beauty will tempt just about any e-bike enthusiast.

Brag to Your Friends

Looks aside, the Air Carbon is nimble, ergonomic, and fun to ride. The attractive interface is easy to operate, and the 250-watt motor offers three levels of pedal assist. The headlight provides decent illumination, and the short wheels and abbreviated frame make for dexterous turns. The disc brakes are very responsive, which is a blessing in a hilly city like Quebec.

ADO Air Carbon

To my surprise and delight, the Air Carbon uses a belt-drive, which means you never have to worry about broken chain links or grease stains on your pant leg. ADO claims that the Air Carbon can ride up to 100 kilometers on a single charge; while I haven’t pushed this bike to the absolute limit, such a distance seemed possible at the lowest pedal-assist setting.

Wilder still is the battery: Instead of a giant block that slides into a tube or affixes to the back, the way nearly every e-bike is built, the Air Carbon’s girthful seat post is the battery. You can pull it right out of the bike, saddle and all, and take it to the nearest electrical socket for charging. An external cable connects to the battery and disappears inside the frame; this spares you the ugly bundle of cords that snake along many e-bikes. There’s also a small, silver button under the seat that activates the battery; this is a de facto kill switch, which is likely to confuse prospective thieves.

The bike has classic hinges in the top tube and at the base of the handlebar stem, so you can quickly break the bike down and stick it under a desk or into a car. Its featherweight design makes the Air Carbon easy to drive around, especially when you’ve suffered a flat tire. Although your inner tube should be in good shape on most pavement, thanks to the 44.45-millimeter tires.

Meanwhile, ADO uses its “loT Shield” technology to keep the bike safe – and track its location if it’s ever stolen. This space-age technology is becoming more common among e-bikes, but not necessarily at this (very reasonable) price point.

The main attraction, of course, is in its name: the Air Carbon is manufactured out of the bike world’s most coveted material, and for a fraction of a typical price. Carbon-fiber bikes can cost $10,000 or more, depending on the make and model, so $1,600 is something of a steal.

Wish List

The same iconoclastic features that excite many riders will deter others. To start, the bike is a single-speed. I assumed that such a light model would be easy to ride without pedal-assist, much like the LeMond Prolog AR; I was very wrong. The Air Carbon feels stiff and mulish in manual mode, even on the flattest surface. You basically need to use the pedal-assist in order to get anywhere. This is common among many e-bikes, which are essentially unrideable without the motor, and belt-drive bikes typically only have one speed; but I did expect the Air Carbon to function on its own. With other e-bikes, I routinely switch to an easier gear at red lights, even with pedal-assist, so I can ease into motion; here, there is no easier gear.

Speaking of acceleration, the Air Carbon’s top speed is 25kph. On most roadways around the world, the legal speed limit is 45kph, and most e-bikes top out at 32kph, which should be plenty fast for typical commuters. In short, the Air Carbon is slow, even at its maximum level of pedal assist. Many urban riders won’t care, since they’ll have to stop at nearly every intersection, and 25kph is at least faster than most of us can sustainably pedal on a traditional bike. If you’re looking for speed, though, the Air Carbon is exactly the wrong choice.

The motor has trouble on hills as well; granted, Quebec City has some very steep climbs, but the bike simply can’t function on grades of 20%, and it struggles on far gentler inclines. I found myself standing up on the pedals, pushing hard; on one slope, I gave up and started pushing.

ADO Air Carbon

Then there’s the seat-post-battery. This is such a clever idea, both efficient and aesthetically pleasing, and I hope other manufacturers noodle around with this concept. That said, the Air Carbon doesn’t come with a built-in luggage rack, which is an extremely common feature among e-bikes, especially urban commuters, and such a thick post makes it difficult to install one. Many luggage racks fasten directly to the seat post, often clamping around it; for the Air Carbon, you’ll have to find one that stabilizes in other ways.

Finally, the pedals don’t appear to fold, and they aren’t easily removed. Perhaps I missed something, but I couldn’t find a way to flip the pedal up or pull it out, which is standard for almost every folding bike on the market. The danger is that the bike, once folded, will rest on top of the pedal, which could damage either it or the crank arm. The pedals are also surprisingly sharp – I clumsily cut my exposed calf on it by accident – and their edges could easily scrape whatever the bike is resting on.

Ideal User

The ADO Air Carbon will appeal to riders who prioritize portability and range. You can easily carry the bike up a few flights of stairs or store it in a closet; you can ride it for hours and never worry about the battery. While many folding e-bikes look basically the same, the Air Carbon has unique curb appeal; if Apple ever got into the cycling business, the tech giant would probably design something like this.

E-bikes are best for urban commuters, and the folding design will fit nicely in smaller living quarters. The Air Carbon’s speed is modest, but it should still keep up in traffic-clogged streets. The single-speed belt-drive is no match for Quebec City’s brutal topography, but the Air Carbon will perform great in flatter cities; riding around my neighborhood in Providence was a breeze.

Final Thoughts

In sum, the folks at ADO have experimented bravely with the Air Carbon, and there’s a lot to like about it. This model isn’t for everyone, but I can imagine other companies will soon start riffing on their groundbreaking ideas. And if ADO ever releases a swifter version with a built-in rack, a decent cassette, and folding pedals, I’ll likely be the first in line.