Not to get too dramatic about it, but it's a dog-eat-dog-world out there. On the highly competitive segment of the e-bike market, innovation and constant pushing of the boundaries of what is possible (preferably with an ever-decreasing budget) are key to staying ahead of the game.
Despite dire warnings from analysts and industry players last year, e-bikes are still very much around, and the bubble has yet to show signs of bursting. If anything, things are only getting more exciting. Electric bicycles of varying configurations and sizes, and with a varying amount of features included as standard, remain a solid option for city dwellers, especially when the daily commute is an issue that requires more efficiency, better planning, and more comfort.
That's not to say that e-bikes are an ideal solution or that they don't have downsides. Among the latter you will almost invariably find their weight, their large or bulky frames, or their high price points, which means having one stolen becomes more of an issue than if your regular, pedal-powered bike gets nicked.
The Air Carbon, the latest offering from ADO (A Dece Oasis), aims to tackle all these issues and, perhaps just as importantly, to do so elegantly, with high-quality materials, attention to detail, and the promise of an unparalleled ride. As of this writing, the Air Carbon hasn't yet started deliveries to backers on crowdfunding, but autoevolution was invited to try it out and see how it lives up to the hype. I'm not going to spoil this for you except to say, "Oh, boy!"
Photo: Elena Gorgan for autoevolution
Design Evaluation
ADO is one of the few e-bike companies to have had only successful campaigns on crowdfunding. The OEM has been on the market of e-bikes for years, but they turned to crowdfunding to launch a more city-oriented, streamlined lineup, starting with the Air A20 I also got to test in 2023.
The Air Carbon is the Air A20's younger and much more sophisticated sibling, apparently born out of the idea that if you've achieved perfection once (with the Air A20), your only choice is to continue working on it until you make the most of it in every way it counts. That sounds paradoxical, I know. But just because you have the perfect city e-bike, which is what the Air A20 aimed to be, you can't lay on your laurels and stop innovating.
The Air Carbon is also part of a new wave on the e-bike market, where premium components and carbon fiber for essential parts of even the entire frame are starting to find their way into affordable two-wheelers. It's a move fueled by high competition on the sector, but one riders and commuters can't but enjoy.
Photo: Elena Gorgan for autoevolution
So, the Air Carbon is the new iteration of the Air A20, but better. That means it's a folding city bike powered by a rear hub motor and a long-range battery, with a torque sensor for instant assistance, hydraulic brakes, lights, and app connectivity. This features list is something you will find in other e-bikes as well but in few as well executed as the Air Carbon.
As its name (quite clearly) says, this bike comes with an all carbon fiber frame, which allows ADO to boast of having built the lightest foldable e-bike in the world, at just 12.5 kg (27.5 lbs). Power comes from a 250W Bafang brushless motor, paired with a Samsung 36V/9.6 Ah battery, hidden in the seat post and rated for 100+ km (62 miles) of range on a single charge.
The motor is limited to 25 kph (15.5 mph) and can't be unlocked. You don't get a torque throttle or button, either: this is a civilized, well-behaved city e-bike, not some kind of speed monster you can bomb down hills on.
Photo: Elena Gorgan for autoevolution
The Air Carbon rides on 20-inch wheels with puncture proof tires and relies on hydraulic brakes for stopping power. It has a Gates carbon drivetrain – so it's a single-speed bike – and a torque sensor that delivers motor assistance at the slightest movement of the pedal.
The cockpit is dominated on the left-hand side by an IPS-rated color display, where you get access to the menu: three PAS (pedal assist) modes, lights, odo, speed, the usual.
What's not usual here is the icon for 4G internet, and it actually holds the key to the secret of this super-smart e-bike. There are many e-bikes with app connectivity and GPS location, but ADO takes the Air Carbon one step further, integrating a Smart Connect module that renders it virtually theft-proof because the bike remains online even after you've unpaired it from your phone.
Photo: Elena Gorgan for autoevolution
This elegant bike ships almost fully assembled and with all the necessary tools you need to put the front wheel and get going. Once you're done with the owner's manual and the app, you can do just that.
Real World Application
The Air Carbon tackles common e-bike ownership issues for city dwellers, like garageability, ease of use, and theft protection, and it does so beautifully. Because of its carbon fiber frame and its very low weight, you can easily carry it up and down the stairs to store inside an apartment, on a balcony, terrace, or whatever space you have assigned for this purpose.
Keep in mind that, to achieve the very low 12.5 kg threshold, the Air Carbon ships without a kickstand, fenders, or the magnet that will hold the wheels together during transport while folded. Essentially, the bike has been stripped of all "unnecessary" features, but it remains perfectly usable as is. That said, they are available as add-ons, should you feel you simply can't do without.
Photo: Elena Gorgan for autoevolution
The bike folds neatly in two parts, with hinges on the frame and the handlebar stem, which means it can take up half the space inside a home or be easily rolled onto public transport. Folding it down and back up again is a matter of a few seconds, even with the failsafes included. While many foldable bikes tend to feel flimsy or rickety because of the closing mechanisms, the Air Carbon rides as if it were a one-piece frame.
Like with the Air 2.0, everything about the Air Carbon is smooth in motion. Motor assistance is instant and discreet, picking up as you pedal faster without taking over your own rhythm. The bike itself has excellent cornering capability and is steady on the road, though not particularly comfortable over rougher patches due to the lack of suspension and the smaller wheels. As I said above, this is a civilized, well-behaved bike, to be enjoyed in cities with solid infrastructure.
Being a single-speed bike with 35 Nm of torque, the Air Carbon is essentially an e-bike for flat and evenly paved roads. ADO says it can do 20-degree ascents, but if your commute includes more than one hill and steeper climbs, it's best if you're prepared to put in some leg work. And to bring down that 100-km range estimate considerably because you'll be riding in the highest PAS.
Photo: Elena Gorgan for autoevolution
Connectivity is a major component of Air Carbon, and it goes beyond anything you've seen before on an e-bike. These days, most OEMs will include GPS tracking or even navigation on the app, but ADO strives to take the Air Carbon one level beyond, rendering it "unstealable."
The bike features an integrated IoT module with 4G connectivity, which means it does more than just connect to an app; it exists online independently of it. Even if the bike is not paired with the app (which happens whenever you turn it off), it remains visible in your account, on your phone.
You can see the exact location of the bike at any time with startling accuracy. You can set geo-fencing on the app, so if the bike moves out of the area you've preset, you get warnings on your phone. You can set a speed limit, where you get warnings on your phone once that speed is reached and maintained for several seconds.
Photo: Elena Gorgan for autoevolution
You can also enable a feature that will send warnings to your phone if the bike is knocked over – that's the one I haven't had the heart to test. ADO says that warnings are triggered at a real hard fall and if the bike remains on the ground for at least 5 seconds. I can confirm that fake-dropping the bike (catching it before it hits the ground) won't work, so you don't have to worry about being pestered with false alarms.
If you like your rides more on the techy side, ADO goes to great lengths to make the Air Carbon experience an encompassing one, bundling rider, bike, and app on the phone to create an experience for the modern world.
But if you can do without knowing exactly how much CO2 you've saved by riding a bike, which is just one of the details you can learn by using the app, the anti-theft tech is a most welcome addition for city use. I wouldn't personally test a thief's creativity by letting the bike unsecured in the open, but knowing I could track it anywhere does bring a lot of peace of mind.
Photo: Elena Gorgan for autoevolution
Conclusion
Designed exclusively as a city e-bike, the Air Carbon stands out for its foldable carbon fiber frame, Gates carbon drivetrain and torque sensor, and smart connectivity – all features meant to turn it into the ideal commuter. It's easily transportable whether you ride it, roll it, or carry it up and down the stairs, it's easy to use and convenient to store, and it's always online, so you can track it if anything happens to it.
No one likes planning for the worst, but it's great to see that you would have options if the worst came to happen. If you have ever had a bike stolen, you know the frustration and the anger that come with it, and Air Carbon aims to prevent both with the integrated Smart Connect module.
It also aims to make the daily commute smoother, more fun, less fussy, and more affordable – and it lives up to that promise. It's a very elegant bike, too, and we all know aesthetics also count. The Air Carbon is now taking pre-orders at the discounted price of €1,999, with deliveries already underway for the first round of backers.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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