The Fiido Kidz e-bike for children is a solution to a very 21st century problem that could save you from panic attacks.
Because teaching your little ’un how to ride a bike is scary enough – especially when the training wheels come off – but the whole nail-biting experience goes to a whole new level in the age of the e-bike. A power-assisted five-year-old with their hand on the throttle? It’s the stuff of nightmares.
Fiido is here to help, with the world’s first e-bike for kids that features parental controls, accessible through a dedicated smartphone app. Using it, parents can restrict their child’s access to the bike’s throttle, to stop them whizzing off into the sunset (or onto a busy road).
Parents can also remotely set the bike’s top speed, from 5km/h (3.1mph) up to 12km/h (7.4mph). The Kidz is also equipped with 'power cut-off' drum brakes.
The bike may also help learn to ride without the use of training wheels, thank to its 'Pulse Mode', a unique form of pedal assist, which can again be controlled by a parent through the app. This feature activates for a few seconds at a time, offering an extra push to get your child more used to how to keep balance on a bike.
The bicycle’s battery life is estimated at four hours per charge, reducing to one to two hours when carrying the maximum load of 80kg / 12st (you really need to take them to see a doctor if you have a child that heavy! Or maybe they like wearing a LOT of protective gear).
The Kidz e-bike weighs just 7.2 kg / 15.9lb despite its sturdy aluminum construction and comes in a stylish two-tone finish.
Its list price is $599 / £545, but you can currently take advantage of a promotional launch offer which reduces the price tag to $399 / £363.
And remember, the sooner you train ’em up, the sooner you can get them bikepacking with you, sharing the load…