Fiido Nomads Review | Your Cycling Endurance Booster
Even with its value pricing, the Fido Nomads comes nicely outfitted. You get hydraulic brakes, a N-speed drivetrain, turn signals, 120 mm fork, and even the ability to triple your range with optional add-on batteries. It’s one of the most versatile budget bikes that we have tested. I think certain riders will love what it offers, while with one change, it could broaden its appeal even further. Let’s talk about all of it in today’s review. [Music] [Music] Hey everyone, Griffin of Electric Bike Report. If you’re into ebikes and want to keep up with all the latest, hit that subscribe button and the notification bell so you don’t miss what’s coming next. Today, we’re taking a close look at the Fido Nomads. That’s right, Nomads with an S. And this one takes a different path than a lot of the ebikes that we’ve tested. While many brands push raw speed, the Nomads leans into something else entirely. A natural ride feel that extends your own effort rather than replacing it. Think of it like your favorite acoustic bike, just easier, fresher, and ready to take you farther than you thought possible. That’s what makes this bike interesting. On paper, the motor is modest, just 250 watts with 45 new m of torque. But when paired with its MI torque sensor, the Nomads delivers one of the smoothest, most natural pedal assist experiences I have felt in a while on a hub motor. You still feel like you’re riding the bike. It just makes everything less daunting, especially hills. The most divisive thing about this bike is its speed. It goes to just 15.5 mph with motor assistance, which is in line with European standards where FTO also distributes. And we’ll jump into all my thoughts about this as we go along. But first, let’s detail the build because FTO didn’t skimp on details here. Up front, you’ve got 120 mm spring suspension fork that’s more travel than most commuter bikes and opens up the door for light trekking and off-pavement exploring. The CST 29×2.1 in hybrid tires are another thoughtful choice. Slick enough to roll efficiently on pavement, but knobbyby enough to give you traction when the surface turns to dirt or gravel. The drivetrain is a 9-speed Shimano Alta setup running an 11 to 32 to cassette paired with a 44 to chain ring. For stopping power, Fido went with Tekkro HD M275 hydraulic disc brakes with 180 mm rotors. Battery-wise, the Nomads carries a 418watth pack in the down tube, which Veto claims can go just shy of 50 miles on a single charge, but we’ll cover more on the range section later. But Veto has a cool option to add two spare batteries and spots to carry them off your rear rack. They aren’t hardwired, just swappable ones, but it’s a really nice setup. For $600 more, you get the spares and protective sleeves to guard against the elements while you still have room on the rack for paneers or a top bag. Now, Fido did make sure to cover the commuter basics. The Nomads come standard with a rear rack rated for 59 lb, full fenders, a dual LED headlight, and tail lights that are neatly integrated into the chain stays and those tail lights. They’ve also got turn signal functionality, which is always a nice touch for city riders. The contact points are well chosen, too. A Vevel comfort saddle, some non-slip grips, and a wide 720 mm handlebar that gives you pretty nice steering. And you have a color display in the middle which can pair to FTO’s app and the display has some redundant pedal assist controls with the control pad on the left side. As for weight, FTO claims 54.5 lb. We weighed our test bike at 55 lb on the dot. Payload is 265 lbs and fit range is fairly impressive. Riders from 5’5 up to 6’9 can ride this bike with the help of the adjustable stem and your choice of two frame sizes. However, the one color, what you see is what you get. Now, all of this is at a budget friendly MSRP of just $12.99. So, stick around. We’ve got speed, range, and hill climb tests all coming up. And I think you’ll be surprised at how the modest looking 250 W bike performs when rubber meets the road. All right, so here is our speed test for the Fido Nomad. So, the bike moves pretty decently without any motor power. I’m just in third gear here. Going just under 10 mph. So, let’s go ahead and kick on the motor into eco mode. And right away, you can feel a little bit of a boost. It’s pretty natural engagement, though. Doesn’t kick you forward or anything like that, but we’ll nudge you along. We’re going kind of dancing around 12 mph here. Quiet motor, too. Not hearing much in terms of uh worrying or anything like that. Go ahead and move up into normal. So, in normal mode, not feeling too much different either. It’s kind of going a little bit faster. Getting a little bit closer to the 13 miles per hour. Keeping a little bit of tension in that chain. Move now into sport mode. Move through the gears here. Now up into sixth gear. And just kind of makes things a little bit lighter, a little bit easier. Move it a little bit faster to climb upwards of 14 1/2 miles per hour. We’re going to run into that speed cap here pretty quickly. So, we’ll move into turbo. Kind of at this point feels like, you know, we we hit 15. Motor’s not really engaging anymore. It’s now more human power, more Griffin power than anything. Turbo Plus, same story. So, could use a little bit more room on speed, but let’s just uh break everything down back in the studio. All right, let’s recap those speed results. So, with no motor power, I was traveling at about 9.9 mph. Eco pushed that to 12.2 mph. Normal stayed relatively the same at 12.8. Sport was a little bit of a surge forward at 14.8. Turbo is 15 and Turbo Plus also 15. So, yes, in practice, the bike can hit its top speed of 15 mph in just about any mode, but it’s more about the effort you want to put in along the way. Now, five assist levels might feel like overkill given the cap speed. Thankfully, the FTO app lets you simplify it into just low, medium, and high settings, which honestly makes more sense for daily use, at least in my opinion. Now, what impressed me most was how natural this ride feels. The torque sensor delivers smooth and intuitive engagement that mimics a traditional bike better than most hub drives in the price category. Now, let’s address the elephant in the room. The Nomads does not reach 20 mph, which is common for most bikes. Its top speed is just 15.5, which matches the 25 km per hour limit in Europe, where FTO sells bikes as well. Now, I’d love to see a US version that unlocks it to 20 mph. But for now, it can feel a tad difficult to get speeds going beyond that 15.5 mark on flats while it still holds speed stably on downhill when things do pick up. Now, despite some changes that would could be nice, it’s worth looking at what the bike offers within its current setup. And that focus is on a similar experience current non-electrified riders encounter. If you’re used to commuting on a regular bike, the Nomads will not feel alien. It’ll just feel like you’ve got a tailwind every single day for slightly better speeds. That means slightly quicker commutes, showing up fresher, and longer rides where you still get a workout, but with way less fatigue while it’s a true game changer out on hills. [Music] Range ended up being one of the categories where the Nomads really surprised us. On paper, you’ve got a 418watth hour battery paired with a 250 watt motor. That’s nearly a 2 to1 ratio of battery capacity to motor size, which is far more generous than the 1:1 setups we typically see around commuter bikes. Now, Fido’s own testing claims about 49 mi in eco and 36 mi in turbo with an average size rider on mostly flat terrain. But when we ran our standardized test, the Nomads actually outperformed those numbers. And that’s on our mixed trail system with both flats and hills. We were able to record 63.2 2 mi in the eco mode and 34.3 mi in turbo. That is really impressive for a bike with this modest of a battery and honestly not something we see very often, exceeding our brand’s range estimate in ideal conditions. The efficiency numbers are even more eye opening. Most commuter ebikes in our database use around 11 watt hours per mile in low assist and 21 in high power. The Nomads came in at just 6.6 and 12.2 watt hours per mile, respectively. That makes it one of the most efficient hub drive commuters that we’ve ever tested. Now, what that means in practice is simple. The Nomads won’t turn you into a speed demon, but it will conserve your energy while giving you a boost, especially on hills. And that’s exactly what helps you extend your commutes or enjoy longer rides without burning out. And if 63 mi still isn’t enough, Fido offers that range extender kit with two additional rack mounted batteries. For just 600 bucks, you could stretch your rides into multi-day treks or go weeks between charges if you’re just commuting. And based on the data, that’s going to be closer to 100 and 180 miles. [Music] All right, time to see how the Fedo Nomads handles the steep stuff. Our hill test takes place on a climb we call the Devil’s Backbone. It’s a half a mile long, averages an 8% grade, and gains 217 ft of elevation. It’s a brutal test that pushes even strong motors to their limits. Let’s go to Justin and see how it did. All right, we are out here on the Phto Nomads and we are doing the pedal test on turbo. Now, this is set to European setting, so it’s 15 mph max and kind of already hit that 15 mph pretty easily um before I got to this hill. So, not expecting it to be like crazy fast just cuz it is limited to that 15. But, we’ll talk more about kind of how it feels as it climbs. Um, so through this first hill and I’m in sixth, shifted to sixth gear. Bottom out right about 12 mph. Getting right back up to 15, 14 as I start to make this turn here. 13 mph. I’m going to downshift to fifth. 12 mph. 11. We’re going to kind of bottom out on this section. Right about 11 12 mph. I’m going to downshift twice to make this turn. So, I’m now in third gear and going 11 mph. And I’m have a feeling we’ll be right there when I cross this first lamp post. So yeah, cross ride 11 miles per hour. Third gear feels pretty nice to where I have a good cadence. I am having to pedal. Um more of a European feel, so a little more natural, which I love. Um definitely getting assist from the motor, but it’s not crazy. So I’m at 9 miles an hour now. The motor is very quiet. Um, it’s a rear hub, but it feels really dialed in, really consistent. Um, very responsive. I’ll let you listen now. Yeah, I don’t think you’re going to hear anything. I It’s slightly windy and that motor is quiet. Whisper quiet. feels really responsive. Again, I’m just really liking it. Other than the cap at 15 miles per hour, um, this thing feels great. So, we’ll see how it did timewise as we finish right at 11 mph. The Nomads reached the top in 2 minutes and 54 seconds, averaging 11.8 mph. For context, the all bike average on this hill is 2 minutes and 6 seconds, and the commuter category average is 2 minutes 17. So, yes, it was slower than most, but it had several nice surprises from my original expectations. First, it was not the slowest hub drive that we’ve ever tested. In fact, it beat out a few bikes that had more wattage and torque on paper. Now, how does that happen? A few things worked in its favor. The 9-speed Shimano drivetrain gave us plenty of range to spin a comfortable cadence. The 2.1 in hybrid tires kept rolling resistance low, and the bike’s relatively light 55lb weight meant less mass to haul uphill. The takeaway here is that the Nomads isn’t a rocket on climbs, but it doesn’t need to be. What it does is make a hill that most riders on a regular bike would dread or even walk into something achievable and even enjoyable. And it manages to do that while still feeling natural, not like the motor is doing everything for you. That theme, assist, not replace, really sums up how the Nomads performs on climbs. [Music] Next up, let’s talk stopping power. The Fed Nomads is equipped with the Tectra HD M275 hydraulic brake, a two- piston setup with 180 mm rotor front and rear. Now, that’s considered an entry level in the EMGB world, but for a commuter in this price bracket, it’s actually a nice upgrade over some mechanical brakes that you can find or lesser hydraulic systems. Now, for our standardized test, I take the bike up to 20 mph, then bring it to a smooth and controlled stop. We do this three times for an average result. And here on the Nomads, we measured a stopping distance of 24 ft and 4 in. So the all bike average in our database is about 21 feet 11 in and the commuter category average is 22 feet 4. So yeah, the Nomads actually stopped a little bit longer than both of those benchmarks, but importantly it stayed within a safe margin and didn’t cross the dreaded 25 ft danger zone. The brakes themselves felt solid. Single finger pull, predictable modulation, and no surprises. The longer distance likely comes down to the 29in hybrid tires. Bigger wheels naturally take a touch longer to stop and the mixed tread pattern prioritizes versatility over pure road grip. Still, for commuting and light trekking, the setup works well. And FTO even added the integrated brake lights, which is a thoughtful safety touch we always like to see. So overall, I think what FTO has done here with the Nomads, they’ve kind of crafted a pretty good affordable option for something that’s think of it more as like an endurance enhancer than anything else. This is the type of thing if you are already, you know, pedaling your way to work or you, you know, like to just take the bike out on some road trips and go find some gravel paths or something like that to ride around the lake, just take in a little bit more of a scenic route type thing. This is going to be the type of bike that’s good for it enhancing your endurance, helping you stay out and, you know, go a little bit longer with its speed limit cap. It’s not, you know, for at least the US audience here. It’s not going to be that thing that like adds pace to your overall ride, things like that. But, I mean, kind of appreciate it for what it is. I actually do think it’s pretty well uh constructed bike. It’s got a lot of things working in its favor for something that is on the more affordably priced end of the spectrum. something that’s actually a little bit better quality than you might expect given the price tag. So exceeding that expectation is always a win. But let’s break everything down details wide here on the Nomad. So starting with fit, there are two different sizes of high-step frames across those two. Veto says it’ll fit right from 5’5 up to 6’9. Um might be a little optimistic on the short end just because I don’t have the exact measurement for the stepover height. It misplaced my measuring tape back at the office. But um you know it’s about 30ish in stepover height. So assuming you’re comfortable with that, you can swing a leg over it. But you know on the taller end of the spectrum can probably definitely get away with that. You’ve got this adjustable stem here. It’s really nice. You can have more of a, you know, aggressive leaning forward position, get a little bit more upright, something that might be able to accommodate people all the way up to 6’9. Uh you got about 7 in of adjustment in the seatost height, so I’m able to get full leg extension with my 32-in inseam. Overall feels pretty comfortable here. Uh and just in the cockpit, no major complaints. Got the reach at a good spot for me, but yeah, pretty comfortable ride. Speaking of comfort, let’s talk about the suspension fork up front. So that is a 120 mil 120 mil travel suspension fork. Um you know, for me, it does sag a little bit at my 235 lb weight. So when I get on it, I do lose a little bit compressing immediately. However, a decent amount of travel, so still have a lot more room to absorb some bumps and whatever else the road throws at you. And you can, of course, do a little bit of the lighter off-roading, some gravel paths, uh, rail trail lines, things like that. A little bit more confidence thanks to the CST 29×2.1 in tire. A little bit of tread there to it. Doesn’t add too much road noise. You get a little bit, but you know, overall a little more confident if you are kind of mixing surface types that you’re riding across. And it’s actually kind of nice. You know, we’re seeing more 29 in tires. I don’t know if that’s been luck of the draw lately or we’re seeing a little bit more of a industry shift back to 29 after seeing a lot of 26 27 and 1/2 over the years, but I do like the taller tire just a little bit more, you know, maybe more of a personal note, but again, just kind of interesting trend we’re seeing. And then going back to the motor, like I said, this is the type of thing that’s an endurance enhancer. This is a fairly lightweight bike, 35 lbs. You can feel it’s an ebike if you don’t have that motor on. So, you want to be in pretty much eco mode the whole time to help offset that weight. But anything, you know, of the remaining four PAS levels from that point on, they are the type of thing that’s going to give you an edge. It’s going to make it a little bit easier to ride, keep you feeling a little bit fresher longer. Like I said, think of it as an endurance enhancer, and it is surprisingly well equipped at tackling hills. You don’t tackle them super fast, but I’ve ridden different bikes where I’ve felt more exhausted going up our test hills than I do on this one. So, it still holds it own. and stays fairly quiet out of the way and fairly natural response off the torque sensor, too. So, it’s got a lot really working in its favor there in terms of handling. Bike does well. And I do kind of like the optionality it sets people up for cuz again, if you do want to just take very long rides, you can go from a single battery setup all the way to a triple battery, which is just almost insane. You don’t see a ton of bikes with that, but it’s a pretty cool option to have. Let’s talk all, you know, the lingering and remaining thoughts of quality back in the studio. So, when it comes to overall ride quality, the Nomads feels cleanly executed. For a bike at this price point, it’s a pretty sharpl looking package. The 29in hybrid tires roll efficiently on pavement, but still give you enough bite for gravel or dirt paths. Pair that with a 9-speed Shimano drivetrain and 120 mil suspension fork, and you’ve got a ride that balances commuting comfort with a little off-road versatility. It doesn’t feel overbuilt, just highly capable. Now, the app experience is a bit of a mixed bag. There are some extra functions like adjusting the number of PAS levels, enabling or disabling some bike sounds, or even setting up passwords, which actually can auto unlock if you’ve got the optional companion VTO smartwatch. It can just unlock it on an approach. The phone as a display feature isn’t really worth the handlebar real estate in my opinion, and the navigation just opens up other apps on my phone, so it’s not really all there. I do like the connected nature though for motor programming and tuning down the line. Consider the app fine to try, but not necessary to use. [Music] All right, let’s wrap things up with some quick pros and cons to give you the big picture on the Fedo Nomads. On the plus side, the ride feel is fantastic. The combination of the torque sensor and the 250 W hub motor makes engagement smooth and natural. It feels more like a traditional bike with a constant strong tailwind on flats with meaningful measure of assist up on the hills. It’s also a versatile machine. You’ve got full commuter ready features like the rack, fenders, lights, and even turn signals, but the 120 mil suspension fork and hybrid tires give it a more rugged side that’s comfortable on mixed terrain. Affordability is just another big win. The price sits at the entry level end of the spectrum, but Fido sprinkles in some nicer details. Better gearing, bigger tires, and a sleeker appearance than we usually see at this tier. Now, added the fact that you have two frame sizes and that adjustable stem and finding a good fit is pretty straightforward. And don’t forget about the range. With just the stock battery, it’s impressively efficient. But FTO also offers a kit that triples capacity with two additional rack mounted batteries. That’s just huge potential for trekking or multi-day adventures. On the downside, the 15.5 mph speed cap will feel limiting for US riders who are used to 20 mph and beyond. And while the display actually works fine, its angle adjustment could be better if you prefer a more upright handlebar setup, as you can’t actually adjust that up or down. [Music] The Fed Nomads is a solid commuter with real trekking potential, and it comes in at a price that’s easy to appreciate. You’re getting a full commuter kit here with quality touches and a bike that can ride on more than just smooth pavement. Faster speeds would be nice, but the Nomad still speaks to a real audience. Riders who want the cardio and natural feel of cycling, but with a boost that makes hills easier and rides longer. And if you opt for the triple battery setup, you can extend those adventures into multi-day territory. I also think it’ll be a good option for some older riders as well who don’t necessarily want 20 mph speeds, something just a little bit more tame and controlled. And true to its name, the Nomads is built for wandering. It’s efficient, versatile, and affordable. That’ll do it for this review. Let me know your Nomad questions down below. I’m Griffin with Electric Bike Report, and I’ll see you on the next review. [Music] Hey, [Music]
Current price: https://ebrdeals.com/FiidoNomads
Written review: https://electricbikereport.com/fiido-nomads-review/
Looking for a commuter e-bike that doubles as a trekking companion? The Fiido Nomads delivers a natural ride feel, surprising efficiency, and epic range options.
In this video, we break down how it performed across all of our tests:
🚴 Speed Test
🔋 Range Test
⛰️ Hill Test
🛑 Brake Test
✨ Ride Quality
Whether you’re a commuter who wants a lighter assist or a rider chasing longer adventures, the Fiido Nomads could be your perfect match.
✅ Highlights:
– Smooth, natural ride feel with torque sensor + hub motor
– Fully equipped for commuting with rack, fenders, lights & turn signals
– Optional triple-battery setup for weeks of range
– Affordable entry-level pricing with quality upgrades
#ebike #ebikereview #commuterbike #fiido
00:00 – Intro
00:55 – Overview
04:20 – Speed Test
07:38 – Range Test
09:14 – Hill Test
13:16 – Brake Test
14:31 – Ride Quality
19:39 – Pros & Cons
20:59 – Conclusion
