A €1,500 cargo bike? It sounds like wishful thinking, yet Fiido has made one. But what can such a bike deliver when the cheapest models available in France start at €3,000? To find out, I put the Fiido T2 through three months of testing.
Cargo bikes are heavy and bulky, but they are hugely useful for urban families. These heavyweight two-wheelers can carry shopping and children while handling the journey between home and work - all without spending a fortune on fuel.
Until now, the biggest drawback of cargo bikes has been their price. Even the most accessible models from Intersport and Decathlon typically cost between €3,000 and €4,000. Financial assistance available in some towns can reduce the bill, but it remains a considerable outlay.
Priced at around €1,499, Fiido says its T2 cargo bike costs half as much as rival models while being able to carry two children on everyday journeys and/or a full shop. On paper, that is an exceptionally appealing proposition. But does it live up to it?
To answer that question, I used the Fiido T2 for three months. I carried both my shopping and my four-year-old child, riding in built-up areas as well as in the countryside.
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Assembly: very little fitting required, but adjustments are essential
Like every Fiido bike, the T2 arrives almost completely assembled. You only need to attach the pedals, footrests and handlebar stem, then fit the front wheel and its mudguard. All required tools are supplied, making the task manageable for most people. I would nevertheless recommend having two people available for this model: its weight makes it difficult to hold the bike while securing components at the same time.
I would also advise taking the time to carefully adjust the brakes and, especially, the Shimano Tourney drivetrain, which requires manual indexing across its three reference positions. On my test bike, every setting needed attention upon delivery. It is nothing impossible with patience and a video tutorial, but it is worth knowing before attempting the job in a rush on a Sunday evening.
What I liked about the Fiido T2
Its road holding and reassuring safety
This was the test’s biggest surprise. Despite rather stiff steering, the T2 never develops a speed wobble, even with a child or a full load of shopping on the rear. I am starting with this because uncontrolled handlebar oscillation at certain speeds is a recognised issue on cargo bikes, including some models priced at more than €7,000.
Its comfortable handling also comes down to the tyre choice. The CST 20 x 4.0 fat-bike tyres absorb poor road surfaces extremely well, including low kerbs and potholes, largely offsetting the shortcomings of the somewhat underwhelming front suspension, which I will return to later. I even took the bike along twisting woodland paths scattered with branches, stones and mud, and it never faltered.
That comfortable feel is matched by a strong sense of security - thankfully, when children are on board. The brakes make a major contribution here. Once carefully set up, the four-piston callipers and 203 mm discs work remarkably well. With a 20 kg child and two shopping-filled panniers aboard, the bike stops from 25 km/h in just under 5 metres. That is a very respectable result for a machine of this weight.
I have therefore genuinely enjoyed riding the Fiido T2 every day. My four-year-old child seems to enjoy it just as much.
A substantial battery and clever key system
With almost 1 kWh of capacity, the T2’s battery is particularly generous at this price point. Better still, removing it is easy: tip the saddle forwards, turn the key to its dedicated position, then pull firmly along the rail. In its central position, that same key switches the bike on. Turn it left and it cuts all power while locking the motor. Good luck to anyone trying to move this hefty machine without electric assistance… I even left it parked outside the school without ever worrying that it would be stolen. It is a real pleasure.
What about charging? To release the battery, simply turn the key to the right, take it indoors and charge it using the supplied proprietary charger. Borrowed from the motorbike world, this system is impressively straightforward.
However, charging takes an exceptionally long time. A full recharge with the supplied 3A charger takes roughly seven hours, and there is currently no fast-charging option. It is best to plug the bike in the night before rather than expect it to recharge during a lunch break.
To keep track of the charge level, you can use the simple and effective Fiido app. It also records elevation gain, average speed, distance travelled and, naturally, remaining range.
If apps are not for you, the compact control display beside the left-hand grip provides most of the same information. Installing the app is therefore entirely optional for using the bike.
Exceptional equipment for the price
At €1,499, the T2 can carry two children, with or without shopping. It handles well, is comfortable to ride and offers excellent range. More importantly, after three months of use, it remains almost unmarked despite not having been treated gently.
It is also designed to be highly economical at a time when fuel prices are soaring. Fully charging the battery costs around €0.42 per 100 km, equating to approximately €46 a year for a daily 30 km journey charged at home.
For comparison, most cargo bikes sell for two to three times as much. Fiido has certainly made a few technical compromises, as I will explain below, but they do not really affect day-to-day travel.
Fiido T2 at the best price
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What I liked less about the Fiido T2
An overly soft front fork
This is the bike’s genuine weak point. The front suspension fork is too soft, causing it to bottom out over even modest irregularities in the road. Naturally, its stiffness can be adjusted all the way to a lockout setting, but firming up the suspension only worsens the sensation because impacts become predictably harsher.
Fortunately, the large fat-bike tyres make up for much of this shortcoming. Over time, I found a good compromise by stiffening the fork by half. Combined with the forgiving fat-bike tyres, this setting considerably improves riding comfort.
A noisy motor
The T2’s motor is far noisier than the average current electric bike. It is not a deal-breaker in everyday use, but the constant sound does somewhat spoil the enjoyment of riding discreetly. Pedestrians often turned around well before I passed them.
There is another limitation to the chosen motor: its torque does not hold up on long climbs. Peak power is fairly good, but it quickly fades once an incline stretches beyond around one hundred metres. Take care, then, if you live in a hilly area or your town has plenty of steep roads.
A saddle that sits a little low for taller riders
The integrated saddle cannot be raised beyond 94 cm from the ground. Riders taller than 1.70 m will consequently find themselves in a fairly uncomfortable riding position, with raised knees and bent legs. At 1.85 m tall, I was far from comfortable. Below that height, however, the bike is perfectly suitable. That is a shame, given that the average height for a man in France is 1.80 m, compared with 1.65 m for a woman.
Another downside is that the lack of a standard MIK HD mounting point on the rear rack makes fitting a conventional child seat more difficult. You will therefore need to be a little inventive to install one. Finally, the motorbike-style front light is mounted on the frame rather than the handlebars. I cannot understand this choice, as the light does not follow the bike through corners, which can be disorientating - or even dangerous - at night.
A drivetrain that needs improvement
The 7-speed Shimano Tourney drivetrain sits at the entry level of Shimano’s range, with a fairly limited spread at both high and low speeds. It is exactly the same drivetrain fitted to the C11 Pro, which I tested at the same time, so my conclusions are identical.
There is one small difference, however: the walk-assist trigger, which works up to 6 km/h, partly compensates for this weakness because it avoids putting strain on the drivetrain from a standstill. Even if it meant paying a little more, I would have liked Fiido to invest further in this essential everyday component.
Should you buy the Fiido T2?
The Fiido T2 currently sells for around €1,499, compared with €1,799 at launch. A €1,599 family version is also available, including extra accessories such as rear footrests. The battery can be bought separately for €420, a reasonable price if you plan to keep a spare.
In this market segment, the comparison is almost absurd. Benchmark longtail cargo bikes such as the Tern GSD, Yuba Spicy Curry and Riese & Müller Load start well above €4,000, while French and European brands including Moustache also offer entry-level models at around €4,000.
The T2 clearly cannot match these established models for materials quality or finish, but it does cover the essentials expected of this kind of product.
If this will be your only form of transport, it may be wiser to spend a little more on a higher-end model. If, on the other hand, your cargo bike is an additional means of getting around, this T2 should leave you fully satisfied at a price that rivals simply cannot match.
Fiido T2 at the best price
Base price: €1,499
- 1Password
- -7%
- €1,399
- View offer
My verdict on the Fiido T2
Is the Fiido T2 the perfect cargo bike for the start of term? Yes, for standard family use, such as the morning school run and a few shopping trips during the week. The T2 is pleasantly comfortable to ride if you are under 1.70 m tall and live in a relatively flat area. It is very stable, with effective, confidence-inspiring brakes. Its substantial battery delivers excellent range, while the secure key system brings welcome peace of mind on everyday journeys.
Taller riders, however, are likely to find the riding position uncomfortable quite quickly. The drivetrain is also somewhat temperamental, which may frustrate anyone used to more premium bikes.
For intensive use - more than roughly ten kilometres every day - it is better to consider a tougher model, even if that requires a larger budget. Yet for the vast majority of urban home-school-work journeys, the T2’s price-to-performance ratio remains one of the most convincing currently available in the cargo-bike market. And it looks great too!
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