After recently taking a closer look at an ADO e-bike, I’ve been out and about with the A20F XE model for the past few weeks. Actually, I could almost refer to my review of the ADO A20F+, because at first glance, both devices are almost identical. The ADO A20F XE is an electric bicycle registered in Germany. That used to be different with e-bikes from ADO and many other manufacturers. In the meantime, all regulations are also complied with here.

Resources for the driver in this country: No insurance is due, you don’t need a driver’s license – and you can just drive it on the street. The bicycle does not drive alone, but offers pedal assistance via an electric motor.

These are the specifications of the ADO A20F XE:

250 watt motor (rear-wheel hub motor, support up to 25 km per hour), battery with 36 volts/10.4 Ah (removable lithium battery), Shimano 7-speed gearbox. A look at the datasheet reveals: it is a folding electric bicycle, but a very heavy one. The model weighs 30 kilos. You probably only fold it to be able to transport or store the bicycle in a space-saving way. The fat tires are certainly the reason for the high weight. As you have probably already recognized correctly from the photos, it is a wheel with so-called “Fat Tires”, mounted 20 x 4 inches.

The bike comes pre-assembled in a large box, so all you need to do is attach pedals and assemble a few things. Easy to do, although the luggage rack is still missing in my photos because I haven’t mounted it yet. Mudguards are included with this model, which is not the case with the A20F+. So the ADO A20F XE was reworked.

The bell has also been reworked, it is no longer an electric horn but a standard bell. Furthermore, the A20F XE is equipped with improved mechanical disc brakes (on both sides) and the steering wheel has been slightly adjusted, now 58 cm. If necessary, the brakes should be readjusted. Mine were a little too loose by default.

Last but not least, the E-Mark certification for the reflectors was achieved and the front and rear lights were also provided with reflectors and the certification. Plot twist: Actually you have to hang a second one on the bike, only one is installed at a time.

The e-bike ADO A20F XE supports its owner with its battery not installed at distances of 70 to 80 kilometers. A supported speed of up to 25 km/h is possible. But I’ve said it a few times in e-bike test reports: the 70+ miles are well calculated and probably only realistic for a few people. You weigh 70 kilos, have zero headwind and the absolutely flat route? THEN this can happen. However, if you weigh around 95 kilos, like me, and you also ride difficult sections with headwinds, then less assisted driving is possible. Calculate well and please average at least 30%.

A little hint on the subject:

Of course you don’t have to ride with assistance with such a bike! You have three gear levels, but you don’t have to choose one. Personally, I always found the first leg quite comfortable when I went through seventh gear firmly. But you have to discover that for yourself when you ride one of these bikes. I found the saddle quite suitable, even on longer trips. I liked the shock absorbers on the front fork and seat tube. My classic bike isn’t damped very well on the road, so some parts here are tricky and annoying.

It’s a shame that ADO now has such a confusing collection of these kinds of bikes, the homepage doesn’t make it any better if you say that the bike can go up to 70 kilometers, while further up that is even 80 kilometers. The bottom line is that the battery always says assisted driving, but you are unlikely to drive more than 50 miles at a time and let the battery do all the work.

Of course you can argue about the appearance, the bike looks quite angular – but that is nothing new in the series. The ADO A20F XE cuts a fine figure on tours, but in my opinion it is not the typical city bike for people like me. But the fun factor is certainly high, also in the city. As with the predecessor, you should initially get an idea of ​​how much the e-bike supports. Starting off in bends or behind other road users must be done carefully, as the bicycle can “go away” with its support.

Charging it? After 6 hours the battery – you can charge it in the bike or alone – is full. But sometimes he was with me after about 5 hours. To enable assisted driving or to remove the battery from the center tube, a wrench must be fitted and installed. So nobody steals your battery that fast.

The on-board computer is a classic model that is often installed. For me it’s the S866 LCD Instruments V1.0. It can actually be “learned” quickly, but there isn’t that much information. What I find annoying about this model is that the charge status of the battery is only indicated in 5 bars. Of course a percentage means nothing, because such a bike I don’t know if I ride in the highest support level, but I would have liked to see it a bit more precise.

In addition, the battery status does not show the real one, the whole thing varies depending on the support level. If you ride a lot in the highest, a low level is visualized – in the lowest I got to see more battery. Sure, nice way of predicting, but I prefer it in classical numbers and would have preferred to see it in percentages. Other: You can see the total mileage of the bike, the trip and the battery voltage status, the speed and the assistance level.

The bike is also suitable for riders who are taller than me (1.75 m). ADO even mentions a height of up to 1.90 m. The handlebars can be extended to approximately 1.30 m, the saddle to approximately 1.20 m. The maximum weight can be up to 120 kilos. The ADO A20F XE is also suitable for people weighing several kilos. Because one of my last tests asked: The 120 pounds is actually your payload, the total payload is 150 pounds – the bike itself weighs 30 pounds. Carry a backpack with you.

What’s left at the end? The bike costs 1,469 euros, because some higher-quality components are built here than with the A20 F+. The latter costs 400 (!) euros less and I will put it this way that in my view not much has been put into improvements. You should see if you can do without the fat tires and move to another model with similar key performance data (e.g ADO A20 XE) can grab.

But the bottom line: The bike is relatively “meaty,” but well-made. I really don’t feel like folding it and taking it with me on the train. Improvement requests for this type of wheels? Some offer more gears or more levels of assistance. But what was offered was actually enough for me on my tours.

Finally – and I say this every time: what does the local bike shop say when something happens? Can you lend a hand yourself or do you know someone who tinkers with bicycles? Important thing. Himo and Ado already have more experience with e-bikes, support and service are now also located in Bruchsal. But that is of no use if you “just” have to have a small thing repaired. I have two bike shops in my immediate area and called them once. They don’t do anything. They don’t even handle third party bikes. This is not only the case with e-bikes, but also with e-scooters. We now have a small corner shop that stocks up on all kinds of bikes and scooters.

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