Fiido Titan Robust Cargo Electric Bike review – the bike you want at the end of the world

REVIEW – Have you ever been driving down the road and come across a van or truck fitted with jerry cans for extra fuel, racks for gear and supplies, and all kinds of survival attachments? Something straight out of a Walking Dead episode. I kind of got that feeling from the Fiido Titan Robust Cargo Electric Bike that I am reviewing here. This e-bike is one for the heavily equipped looooong distance rider. It came with 2 extra, full-sized batteries, saddle bags, and a front-mounted rack/basket. This e-bike is unlike most others.

What is it?

The Fiido Titan Robust Cargo Electric Bike is a fat-tire e-bike that is built like an SUV. It comes with a very stout frame and mag (non-spoked) wheels. It is built for off-road adventures and long-distance riding. Which I did both for this review.

The Fiido Titan comes standard with a single 48V 14.5Ah removable battery that is integrated into the frame, as many other e-bikes offer. What makes the Titan such a powerhouse in long-distance riding is that Fiido offers a two additional battery option, with a carrying rack, that triples the distance you can go between charges. This option alone was the main reason I wanted to try out the Titan.

What’s included?

• Fiido Titan Electric Bike
• 48V 14.5Ah Removable Battery
• Fenders
• Headlight
• Pedals
• Bell
• 3-Amp Charger
• Ample toolkit
• Instruction Manual
• Free Accessories: Front basket & Saddlebags
• Extended Battery Combo: 2 additional 48V 14.5Ah Batteries, 2 Fitted Covers for Batteries, Rack to Carry Batteries on the bike

Tech specs

Click to expand

• Frame: Aluminum
• Tires: 26in x 4in (66cm x 10cm)
• Wheels: One-piece, 6-spoke, Mag Wheels
• Motor: Rear Hub 750w, 70Nm torque
• Battery: 48V 14.5Ah
• Front Shock: Hydraulic with 60mm travel
• Gears: STRIDE 9 Gears, STRIDE Derailleur
• Brakes: DIYISLAND 4-piston Hydraulic, 203mm Discs
• Throttle: Thumb Lever
• PAS Levels: Rider selectable (0-3 or 0-5)
• PAS Sensor: Torque
• Max Speed: 15mph locked, 28mph unlocked (24kph or 45kph)
• Stated Range: Single Battery:84mi (135km), Extended Battery Option: 248mi (399km)
• IP Rating: IP54 (bike), IP67 (display)
• Display: Color
• Lights: Front & Rear LED
• UL Listed: UL2849
• Weight: 83lb with one battery (37.6kg), 110lb with two additional batteries and rack
• Rider Height: 5’ 0” – 6’ 9” (152cm – 205cm)
• Color: Grey (the only color option available)
• Size: 73in long x 28in wide x 42in tall (185cm x 71cm x 107 cm)

 

Design and features

What can I say about the Fiido Titan that hasn’t already been said in other reviews? Let’s go with MASSIVE, ROBUST, TANK-like. When the inevitable extinction-level event happens on Earth, you will want the Fiido Titan at your disposal to get you there and back.

The Titan is not your typical 26-inch fat tire e-bike. It’s more. In almost every category. Out of the box, the Fiido Titan looks the part of a rugged, off-road capable e-bike. The Titan is meant for adventure, from the extra sturdy aluminum frame to the one-piece Mag wheels. It was designed and manufactured with rough, long rides in mind. The front fork suspension has 60mm of travel (which is adjustable) for navigating rough terrain as well as smooth city streets.

I rode the Titan on as many different surfaces as I could find. We have many miles of paved bike trails in Florida, and fortunately, I have very close access to one. I rode the Titan mostly on these trails, but I also did a little off-roading on gravel, sand, and grassy paths. I put over 200 miles (321 km) on the Titan during my review. Not once did I have a single mechanical issue or concern during those miles.

The Titan’s 48V 14.5Ah battery along with the 750-watt rear hub motor has ample power for all kinds of riding. The stated range for a single battery is 84 miles (135 km) if you use PAS level 1, and pedal the entire time. I am a little heavier than Fiido’s typical rider I think. To achieve the stated 84 miles of range, I think you’d have to weigh just over 100 lbs (45 kg), have the wind at your back, and going downhill. To say the least, I think 84 miles is a tad bit optimistic. The most I achieved, pedaling on ECO mode (PAS level 1), on a single battery was close to 47 miles.

I did two long rides to test the triple-battery option. The first was throttle only, no pedaling. I got about 75 miles (120 km) total distance with three batteries. On another long ride, I used ECO mode (PAS level 1), pedaled the entire way, and rode 80 miles on two batteries. The only reason I didn’t go any further was my behind was hurting and I threw in the towel. I believe if I could have lasted until all three batteries were depleted, I could have gone 120 to 140 miles (193 km – 225 km) in total. A much lighter rider, I think, could have approached 200 miles easily. The bike is heavy, especially with three onboard batteries. So, to move me and all the extra weight of the extended battery option, as far as it did, was quite impressive.

Stopping all that weight put the hydraulic disc braking system to the test. Each brake caliper has four pistons, two on each side of the disc, and it needs all that to stop this behemoth. After my long 80-mile ride, I did notice the rear brakes, which were used most of the time on all my rides, were getting a little mushy. I figured the brakes were worked to death stopping all that weight for over a combined 200-mile review period. I performed a brake bleeding, a simple but messy procedure to get any air out of the brake lines. That took me about an hour. Once that was complete, the rear brakes were back to new. The front brakes are still as firm as when the bike was pulled out of the box.

E-bikes come with either a cadence or torque-type pedal assist sensor. Cadence sensors simply detect the motion of the pedals and instruct the motor to provide power depending on which PAS level (1-5) you are currently using. Torque sensors detect not only pedal motion but also the amount of effort you are putting down on the pedals. The harder you pedal, the more assistive power you are given by the motor. The Fiido Titan comes with a torque sensor for pedal assist. This was my first time riding an e-bike with a torque sensor. It took a little while to get used to it, but once I did, it was an excellent experience.

The trails near where I live have several bridges that cross major roads and highways. Going up these bridges with a cadence sensor e-bike takes very little effort, so you don’t get very much of a workout. A torque sensor seemed to require a little more effort, and thus more of a workout to get across. Increasing the PAS level would increase the power-assist to pedal-effort ratio, but I felt a little more of an exercise boost using the Titan.

One last thing about a torque sensor I experienced was sitting at a crosswalk waiting to cross a road, I would tend to put one foot on the ground, and my other foot on a pedal, ready to go when I got the signal. The torque sensor would detect the weight of my foot and leg on the pedal and try to apply power and move the bike forward. This was jarring the first time. I realized you have to hold the brake on while sitting still so the torque sensor would disengage.

The Titan’s dashboard proves all the usual e-bike functions and features. On the left side of the handlebars, is a 4-button control panel for headlight, PAS level switching, horn, and display mode. The brake lever on the left side operates the Titan’s front brakes. The right side of the handlebars has the 9-speed gear selector, and thumb throttle. The brake lever on the right side operates the Titan’s rear brakes. I’m not sure what it is about the handlebar grips, but they are very comfortable, and allowed me to ride for hours and hours without any hand numbness.

The color display, which is mounted on the stem, in the center of the handlebars, is bright and readable even in bright sunlight and with sunglasses. It displays the typical information such as battery level, speed, trip odometer, and PAS level selected. The Titan denotes PAS levels 1-5 with labels: 1=ECO, 2=Normal, 3=Sport, 4-Turbo, and 5=Turbo+. There is also a mode that is selectable from the Fiido app that unlocks a higher top speed. This is shown on the display with a little rocket ship icon. This mode depletes battery power more than anything else, but it sure is fun!

When I first received the Titan, it came with a single battery, and I was able to review it for several weeks before the Extended Range Kit arrived. I was acclimated to the weight and size of the bike in that single-battery configuration. I was, however, eager to test out the Extended Range Kit. As soon as it arrived, I charged up the two extra batteries, installed the very sturdy rack, and slid those batteries into their little resting places. When I went to move the bike outside to take it for a spin, I was not prepared for the extra weight those batteries and rack added (almost 30 pounds more weight), and the shift in the center of gravity for the Titan was different. The two extra batteries are positioned on the back half of the rear wheel. Riding with extra weight on the back like that made the front fork suspension less effective and greatly affected ride comfort. The ride became stiffer overall, and major bumps were not pleasant. Removing the extra batteries for simple, shorter rides became a necessity. I’m not sure how else Fiido could have designed the placement of the rack, but having them hang past the rear axel is quite a different, and stiff riding experience. Although, having three onboard batteries sure does eliminate range anxiety. One thing to point out is the extra batteries are not active as some multi-battery e-bikes. When the battery in the frame of the Titan is depleted, you have to stop and swap the dead battery for a fresh one. I was OK with that, but was a little surprised when the kit came, and the rack didn’t have any connections to the Titan’s controller or frame-mounted battery.

The Titan is not for short riders. I’m 5 foot-6 inch and it took a little getting used to for me to ride this bike comfortably. Once I did though, it was such a joy. The one-piece Mag wheels are great. They look the part, and perform superbly. They may add a little weight compared to typical spoked wheels, but it’s worth it in my opinion.

The front headlight and rear running/brake lights are bright and very nice. One thing I did not care for was the way the headlight was mounted, it did not move when you turned the front wheel. It was affixed to the frame of the bike and always pointed in one direction. If you turn at night, you lose illumination in the turn. I feel that could be dangerous. I was able to move the light down and mount it to the bracket where the front fender was attached. This allowed the headlight to move with the wheel and was better. However, if you use the front basket/rack, the headlight can get out of alignment if you hit a large bump, or turn sharply. I think Fiido needs to rethink this in the next revision.

Assembly, Installation, Setup

Assembling the Titan was straightforward and very simple. Attaching the handlebars, mounting the front wheel, screwing on the pedals, and attaching the headlight was all that was needed. Fiido has provided quite a good toolkit to assemble the Titan. I think I spent less than 30 minutes assembling it. Charging the battery took several hours to get it to 100%. The Titan comes with a 3-amp charger, which is adequate for the size of its battery.

As I noted earlier in the review, the Extended Battery Kit comes with a rack to hold the two extra batteries. This mounts to existing mounting points on the Titan’s frame and was very easy to put together and mount to the Titan.

Fiido has a free app for iOS and Android. The app can power the bike on and customize and personalize the Titan’s settings. It’s a little buggy and some of the English translations are amusing, but overall it does work.

One feature of the Titan is battery theft deterrence. Most e-bikes come with a key to unlock the battery, so it can be removed. The Titan requires you to use the app to deactivate an internal lock to remove the battery or use a multi-button combination of the Titan’s display to unlock it. Once the battery is unlocked, you can unclip it, and it comes out of the bottom of the frame behind the front wheel. That is a nice feature.

What I like about the Fiido Titan

• Ruggedness
• Build quality is top-notch
• The torque sensor is well-balanced
• The motor is quiet and very torque-y
• Triple battery relieves range anxiety
• Battery theft deterrence

What needs to be improved?

• Headlight mounting point
• Extra battery placement and added weight
• Extra batteries need a way to secure them
• The rear brakes became mushy
• The Fiido app is a little buggy

Final thoughts

The Fiido Titan Robust Cargo Electric Bike is one heck of a piece of machinery. If you like to take off-road, or very long rides and battery range anxiety would put a damper on your outing, then the Fiido Titan is for you. The Titan is an extremely stout, feature-rich, top-quality e-bike for an excellent price. The triple battery option is a little pricey, but when are large-capacity lithium batteries not expensive? The Fiido Titan is a very good entry in the crowded 26” fat-tire e-bike world. I really enjoyed riding it, and look forward to taking it on future adventures.

Price: $1,699.00 – standard one-battery configuration, $2,397.00 – three-battery configuration
Where to buy: Fiido Website
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Fiido. Fiido did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.