Fiido Nomads

Fiido describes the Nomads as a touring e-bike. Fiido says that, with its XC-inspired geometry and ability to carry two spare batteries on the rear rack, it’s the perfect companion for “all-terrain travel and city exploration.”

In this review, we’ll find out how the Nomads performs and discover if it really delivers on Fiido’s all-terrain touring promise.

Assembly and Setup

The Nomads arrives partly assembled, with plenty of protective foam padding. Final assembly includes attaching the handlebars to the stem and securing the front wheel to the fork.

Next, install the display onto the stem, plug in the connectors, mount the headlight to the stem, and install the saddle, seatpost, and pedals.

The bike arrives with the cargo rack and fenders only partly mounted, so completing that is the last job.

We received the optional $600 range-extender kit, which consists of two batteries, two aluminum cages, and two water-resistant pouches.

Bike Description

Fiido markets the Nomads as a touring e-bike. It’s only available as a step-over with a white finish, but it does come in two sizes. Fiido says the medium fits riders from 5’5” to 6’3” and the large fits 5’9” to 6’9”.

The aluminum frame has a 120mm hydraulic suspension fork with adjustable preload and rebound, and lockout. Fiido says it can carry 120kg, which is 264lb.

The Nomads is an EU-compliant Class 1 e-bike, meaning it doesn’t have a throttle, and pedal assist is limited to 15.5mph. The 36V electrical system includes an Aikema-branded hub motor with 250W of power and 45Nm of torque, a 36V, 11.6Ah (417.6Wh) battery, and a torque sensor. The removable battery lives in the down tube and is secured by a key-operated lock.

The Nomads is certified to EN15194, which covers many of the same requirements as UL 2849 and UL 2271, and is mandatory in most of Europe. This attests to the bike’s safety, but for areas like New York City, where UL certification is required, this isn’t sufficient.

The Nomads’ IP54 rating for weatherproofing means it can withstand water splashes from any direction, but this isn’t ideal for riding in heavy rain.

The bike has two sets of controls: the six-button unit next to the left grip and an integrated display with the power button, a button labeled “M”, and a second set of up and down buttons.

The Nomads has 29” spoked aluminum rims with 2.1” CST Patrol tires. The front wheel has a hybrid quick-release thru-axle, and the rear uses a nutted axle.

The drivetrain consists of a Shimano Alivio trigger shifter, a 44t chainring, an Altus rear derailleur, and a 9-speed cassette (11-32t). The brakes are Tektro HD-M275 hydraulic discs with 180mm rotors, but there’s no motor cut-off.

The cockpit includes an adjustable stem and 720mm riser handlebars wearing lock-on rubber grips. The other touchpoints include a Velo Touring saddle and aluminum platform pedals.

The Nomads has full-coverage fenders, a rear rack rated to carry 59lb, and integrated lights with a pair of taillights built into the seatstays. The rear lights offer awareness lighting and turn signals, but there’s no brake activation. Finally, there are bottle cage mounts on the seat tube and down tube.

The Fiido phone app provides access to some features like tracking and advanced controls, but the app is clunky, and sometimes the adjustments didn’t sync with the bike. Restarting the bike and reconnecting the app fixed this, but I found the app unreliable and frustrating to use.

Riding the Fiido Nomads

Nomads says this large frame fits riders from 5’9″ to 6’9″, and indeed, with the saddle adjusted for my 6-foot body, there was plenty of room left on the seatpost. However, the long 19.3” reach left me leaning very far forward, even after adjusting the stem angle, so riders 6’ or below that prefer a more upright position should choose the medium frame with its reach of 16.8″.

The 250W motor provides smooth and measured acceleration. The torque sensor was generally well-tuned and responsive, but sometimes, when pulling away from a standstill, it took a full turn of the pedals for the motor to kick in. Thankfully, this only happened a few times, and pedal assist was always responsive if the bike was already moving.

There’s little difference between higher assist levels because of the 15.5mph speed limit. The bike can be programmed to have three or five PAS levels. In five-level mode, acceleration was similar across the Sport, Turbo, and Turbo+. The difference is only really noticeable on climbs, where Turbo+ was my favorite.

The bike is slower on gradual climbs due to its restricted top speed. The gearing range allowed me to compensate with pedal power, but, as is expected of a 250W hub-drive e-bike, it doesn’t zoom up hills.

The Tektro brakes and 180mm rotors provide plenty of power for cruising city streets and tackling steeper off-road descents. On gravel paths and forest trails, the fairly aggressive tire tread provides confidence-inspiring grip, but on pavement, the tires are noisy, and they add rolling resistance.

The 120mm hydraulic suspension fork is fairly plush for a budget component. It has adjustable preload, adjustable compression, and lockout. Unfortunately, the manual only mentions the compression adjustment and gives no information on how to set the fork up. With compression fully open, the fork easily bottomed out under my weight (200lb). The middle of the six levels of adjustment worked best.

The bike’s 54.5lb weight makes it easier to lift than most other commuter e-bikes in this price range. Also, the Nomads will fit many platform hitch bike racks.

The display is nicely integrated into the stem and is bright and easy to read. Fiido provides some explanation of the bike’s controls in the user manual, but the descriptions lack detail and in some cases are downright confusing.

Testing the Nomads’ Touring Capacity

Fiido markets the Nomads as a touring and trekking bike that can cover long distances off-road with the optional range extender fitted.

Unfortunately, the bike’s performance changes dramatically upon loading the rear rack. There’s no provision for a front rack, so the range extender setup and cargo have to go in the rear.

I was shocked to see how badly the frame’s composure degrades when weight is on the back. I tested the Nomads in three configurations: no cargo, the range-extender kit on the rack, and the range extender with 30lb of cargo (47lb total).

Without cargo, there’s some frame flex, but it’s barely noticeable. However, add the 17lb range extender kit, and the bike starts to feel squirrelly. Standing up to pedal, turning corners, or riding without hands results in a worrying speed shimmy. The bike doesn’t feel stable, and the frame flexes when pedaling. It’s manageable, but it’s far from ideal or comfortable.

Add another 30lb of cargo, and things get much worse. The bike now sways violently when pedaling out of the saddle. Cornering feels strange as the frame flexes and wants to tip over. A speed shimmy starts immediately upon taking one’s hands off the bars. The frame flex is felt under all riding conditions, and I would worry about the frame failing eventually. Again, that’s just 47lb. Fiido says the rack can carry 59lb.

So, we can see that the Nomads’ lightweight frame simply isn’t up to the demands that Fiido claims. The Nomads is not suitable for carrying anywhere near the stated cargo capacity, and there’s no way it’s suited to touring or even a heavy grocery run. It could work as a light commuter, and it can handle light trails with no cargo, but riders in search of a touring or trekking e-bike will need to look elsewhere.

Pros

Pricing

The Nomads is priced competitively. It’s a stylish bike that comes with accessories suitable for light commuting, along with great features like a torque sensor, 9-speed drivetrain, and hydraulic coil fork that would normally demand a higher price.

Multi-Role Utility

The Nomads is a versatile bike. It’s suitable for commuting during the week, and the XC geometry, suspension fork, and knobby tires cope well off-road. It’s a good option for riders who want to ride to work and get out to play on the weekend without spending a lot of money.

Cons

Frame Quality and Cargo Carrying

Fiido emphasizes the Nomads’ ability to handle extended tours, trekking, and off-road adventures. However, the frame flex and speed wobbles the bike suffers from when loaded, even with modest weights around 17lb, make the Nomads distinctly unsuited to touring or trekking. Some of the problem is that the weight sits so far back. However, the frame’s lack of rigidity seems to play a big role in this, too, so even if some of the weight could be carried up front, the frame’s integrity is still questionable.

Speed Limit

For buyers in North America, the Nomads’ EU-compliant 15.5mph top speed will seem slow. Not tuning this bike to suit the USA’s 20mph and 28mph speed limits is a big miss by Fiido.

User Manual

The user manual is littered with confusing descriptions, and it lacks key information, such as how some of the e-bike controls work and how to set up the suspension fork.

Test Results

Climbing Test 1 – Gradual Hill

The Nomads’ low top speed hampered it in our longer, less steep hill test, climbing in 3:58 at an average speed of 14.9mph, putting it at the back of the pack, with only the Velotric T1 ST Plus behind it.

Climbing Test 2 – Steep Hill

The Nomads fared better in the shorter, steeper climb, as its low top speed had less of a detrimental effect. Its time of 3:16 and average speed of 11.8mph put it in the middle of this group of comparison bikes.

Acceleration

The Fiido Nomads reaches its top speed of 15.5mph in seven seconds using pedal assist. This isn’t as quick as other e-bikes I’ve tested, many of which hit 20mph in the same time. That said, this moderate acceleration is sufficient most of the time.

Range Test 1 – PAS 5

After its underwhelming performances in the other tests, the Nomads finally came into its own in the range tests. Using only max pedal assist (level 5), the battery lasted 31.76 miles, including 1,306 feet of elevation gain. This great result was well ahead of the comparison bikes.

Range Test 2 – PAS 3

Using PAS 3 (Sport), the range stretched to 37.42 miles with 1,440 feet of elevation gain. Once again, this was the best result of all bikes in this comparison.

Brake Test

In the braking test, the Nomads needed 19.5 feet to stop from 20mph, which is slightly longer than the average distance of 18 feet from the bikes we’ve tested.

Conclusion

So, how does the Nomads live up to Fiido’s promises?

Well, the bike offers good value as a light-duty commuter, but it’s absolutely not suitable for touring or trekking.

The range, even with just the one battery, proves to be excellent, but the 15.5mph speed limit is a real disappointment, as it means that commutes take longer, and other Class 1 bikes zip past at 20mph.

The real problem here, however, seems to be the frame. Despite Fiido marketing this as a touring bike, the bike can’t handle much weight on the rear rack without negatively affecting the handling and causing worrying frame flex. With just the 17lb range extender, it’s bad enough, but it becomes positively unsafe with heavier loads well below the rack’s 59lb capacity. This bike simply isn’t suited to touring.

Again, the Nomads does work well as a commuter, but riders who need to carry a lot of weight on the rack or want to go touring will have to look elsewhere.

Score Breakdown

• Build quality: 50
• Performance/Innovation: 60
• Design: 65
• Ride quality: 65
• Price/Value: 70

Overall: 62

Detailed Specs

Electric Bike Class: Class 1
Warranty: 2-year limited
UL Certification: No (EN15194 compliant)
IP Rating: IP54
Total Weight: Claimed: 54.5lb – Actual: 51lb
Motor Brand: Aikema
Motor Type: Rear hub
Motor Nominal Output: 250W
Max Torque: 45Nm
Battery: 36V 11.6Ah (417.6Wh)
Range Claimed: 50 miles
Range Tested (PAS 3): 37.42 mi – 1,440 ft. – 13.2mph avg.
Range Tested (PAS 5): 31.76 mi – 1,306 ft. – 13.5mph avg.
Top Speed: 15.5mph
Throttle: No
Pedal Assist: 3 or 5 levels
Sensor Torque
Charger: 36V 2A
Charge Time: 7 hours
Display: 1.47” centermount LCD
Frame: Aluminum
Fork: 120mm hydraulic coil
Brake Levers: Tektro HD-M275
Brake Calipers: Tektro HD-M275
Brake Rotors: 180mm
Crankset: Aluminum 44t
Derailleur: Shimano Altus M370
Shifter: Shimano Alivio SL-M3100
Cassette: 11-32t 9-speed
Rims: Aluminum 29” spoked
Tires: CST Patrol 29″ x 2.1″
Fenders: Full coverage
Lights: Headlights, integrated rear lights w/ turn signals
Grips: TPR lock-on
Saddle: Velo Touring
Pedals: Aluminum platform
Handlebar: Aluminum riser 720mm
Kickstand: Yes
Payload Capacity: 264lb
Rack Capacity: 59.5lb

Geometry Details

Seat Tube: 20.1“ (510mm)
Reach: 19.3“ (490mm)
Stack: 26.2” (665mm)
Stand Over Height: 31.1” (790mm)
Virtual Top Tube Length: 26.1” (662mm)
Min Saddle Height: 35.4” (900mm)
Max Saddle Height: 42.5” (1080mm)
Wheelbase: 47.7” (1213mm)

At [this price] for the standard model, it feels like solid value for what you’re getting.

Sometimes less is more when it comes to electric bikes, and this is kind of a perfect example of that, and I think a lot of people would enjoy riding this thing.

So, at this price point, I think I would recommend this bike.