Fun on the Fiido D3Pro Electric Bike!

My brother-in-law Kim has had an electric bike for a while now. He has a blast buzzing around town and even takes it out to the farm now and then. When I was approached about trying one out, and sharing the results with my readers, I was thrilled. What a great way to get around and keep up with the grandkids.

The Fiido Company sent me the Fiido D3Pro foldable Electric Bike. This bike is lightweight, fast charging, has an adjustable seat and handlebars, and a 16-mph maximum speed. It costs just under $600, and the bike comes in two colors, white and black. Mine is a pretty, clean white! Best of all, I can travel up to 37 miles without having to recharge.

The Fiido electric bike arrived!

The bike arrived in a big flat box. Keith, my husband was kind enough to help me put the bike together. It has all the needed tools, which were few and the bike was easy to assemble. Within half an hour, we had the bike ready to charge. The next step on the agenda was unearthing my bike helmet. I decided to use it after reading the instructions thoroughly because there is the phrase, “Bicycles are vehicles with certain risk factors….”.

After finding the helmet and charging the battery for about four hours, we were ready to give it a try. By pedaling, you engage the electric motor. There are 3 different gears, and they affect how fast you go when pedaling. Once we got used to them, we used 2 and 3 most often. It took a few tries to get used to the bike taking off after pedaling. It slows when you stop pedaling and stops with use of the handlebar brakes. You can also accelerate by using the electric assist if needed!

Off to town!

Today I folded the bike down and put it in the back of my SUV, after several trial runs on our country road. I went to my son’s house, parked and unfolded the bike in place. Then I took off around the Village of Pawnee! What fun! I buzzed around town feeling confident since I had practiced and felt safe starting and stopping. This bike will be great fun on paved trails, and for riding with the grandkids. I rode across town to my moms and stopped in.

Details on the Fiido D3 Pro.

With electric bikes, you still need to follow the rules of the road. I decided to ask what our requirements were, and Police Chief Harris and Officer Bertoni of the Pawnee Police shared that you also need to be at least 16 years old to drive an e-bike! While this is the regulations for my town, they both said it is important to check the rules for your own town and state. If you travel out of the country, you need to check their laws as well.

In the instructions, there was guidance to check in with your insurance company in case of an accident. I called Steve O’Dell’s office at Country Financial, my insurance company, and we added the bike to our coverage to be on the safe side. You just never know.

In the instructions, they also recommend wearing a helmet and reflective clothing.

Physical benefits of an electric bike!

The first and most important benefit for me is the exercise aspect. While I want the e-bike for the fun of it, I am diabetic, and it is important that I exercise. While it feels like I am cheating while riding the electric bike, nothing could be further from the truth. You have to pedal to engage the motor unless you just use the accelerator, but then you would run out of battery pretty quickly.

So, in most instances, unless going up a hill, or when I am tired and need a boost, I am pedaling and working my body. One of the Fiido blogs shares, that the bikes have “motors that assist your peddling, you still have to put effort into the pedals. As you pedal, the motor engages and amplifies your efforts. You can change how much assistance you get by selecting different assistance levels. So, if you fancy an easy commute or a leisurely ride, you can simply select a high assistance level. On the other hand, if you want to work on your fitness, you can choose a lower assistance level or switch off the assistance altogether. Lower assistance levels require you to put more effort into the pedals, creating an excellent cardio workout. You are still physically working even when you ride with a high assistance level; therefore, your heart rate increases. This means that no matter what assistance level you are in, you will improve your cardiovascular health if you ride your electric bike enough.”

More senior benefits!

The electric bike may make a difference for many people if they can or cannot participate in some activities. A bike ride with the kids or grandkids, a commute across town without the assistance may not be feasible otherwise, but the electric bike, keeps the senior in the social loop adding both social and physical fun! The e-bike also offers access to places that may not be on the list because they were too far without the extra assistance.

Stick the e-bike in the car and hit the paved trail on the bike! Be sure to check and see that bikes are allowed. I have learned that some of the tractors shows I thought I could take the bike to don’t allow them because of safety concerns, which of course, always come first. Since I first wrote this blog, I have learned that you can take bicycles and electric bikes to the Florida Flywheelers which is wonderful!

The D3Pro is suited to more than one person in the family. This fits Keith and I both just fine. I am 5’7′ and Keith is 6’3′ and with an adjustment of the seat, away he goes.

Writing for Senior News & Times for Illinois it is always fun to review products that benefit those of us in the over 50 crowd. I see many ways that the Fiido helps seniors have fun and stay active, it helps keep you fit for travel. Best of all, the electric bike is affordable and easy to maneuver whether in a rural or urban area! This is just one of the choices, Fiido offers several other options to choose from, like a mountain bike, or long-haul bike.

Again, thank you to Fiido for sending me this bike and allowing me to share my findings with my readers.

Note: The opinion of the bike is my own and was not influenced by the product offering.