ADO Air 30 Ultra review - Can it do everything for you?

An electric bike that changes your gears and maintains itself?! ADO’s Air 30 Ultra is an automatic three speed shifting bike that can deliver a claimed range of up to 62 miles. We have tested A LOT of e-bikes at Electroheads so keep reading to see what we made of this one… 

Overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Price: £1,799

 

Pros:

• Smart motor and gearing system
• Low maintenance
• Frame comes in two sizes
• Seatpost suspension

Cons:

• Hard to push past 15.5mph
• Range falls short of ADO’s claim

 

Expert verdict:

Our expert reviewer Eilis actually tested this bike twice! She was initially sent a prototype and after giving her honest opinions ADO took on board her feedback and made some tweaks and changes to make the Air 30 Ultra that much better. Watch her full up to date review on our Electroheads Youtube channel: 

Buy the ADO Air 30 Ultra
(Use the code ‘ELECTROHEADS’ for a discount at checkout!)

Specs:

Components and build quality:

The ADO Air 30 Ultra comes with a custom ADOxBafang 250W motor that can push 40Nm of torque. It can assist you to a top speed of 15.5mph (which is the legal limit in the UK and EU) and comes with two riding modes: eco & sport. The carbon belt drive system keeps the bike relatively low maintenance and is much cleaner than an oily chain. 

This bike comes in two frame sizes: M and L. The M is for riders 153-175cm and the L is for those 173-195cm. You can adjust the handlebars and raise them slightly if you need, which is good for preserving your back and maintaining a good posture while you ride. 

The 3.5” LCD display is mounted centrally and is bright enough to see your riding stats at a glance. It can also link up to ADO’s app for GPS navigation. 

 

Buy the ADO Air 30 Ultra
(Use the code ‘ELECTROHEADS’ for a discount at checkout!)

 

Performance and handling:

The custom motor by ADOxBafang has an integrated automatic three-speed shifter. I really enjoyed riding with this mechanism and thought that it was intuitive and worked really well. The torque sensor provided a natural feeling of assist and kicked in quickly when pushing off from a standing start at traffic lights. It can feel a little tricky to push through the motor assist and go beyond 15.5mph due to the gearing system but if going fast is not your top priority then this isn’t a massive issue. 

The app connectivity is pretty seamless as the bike connects to the app automatically and you can keep a track of your riding stats. The navigation system does work but sometimes it can be a little laggy and maybe not update that you need to turn when you do but on the whole it works well and can be a better alternative than having your phone on the handlebars in busy cities such as London. 

One thing I would say is that the bike setup can perhaps feel a little confusing in terms of where this bike is intended to be ridden. Now of course a bike can be ridden anywhere but with such wide handlebars it can feel a little too big to be slipping in between cars in city traffic. That being said however, without thicker tyres and front suspension this may not be the bike you want to take on countryside trails. The seatpost suspension however does wonders for soaking up bumps and dips in the road and making your ride a little bit smoother. You can also adjust the tension in the seatpost suspension depending on how cushioned you like your ride to be. 

We managed to get about 30miles out of the battery during our winter test and 38miles during our summer test. We rode mainly on flat terrain with a few inclines and had the bike loaded with about 5kg of cargo, which will make a difference to how much range you get out of the battery. So it's not quite what ADO claim but if you want to be riding in Sport mode on a mix of terrain then this is the range you are looking at. 

 

Safety and security:

The integrated lighting system keeps you safe as you can see and be seen on the roads. The rear indicators also let other road users know your movements and intentions on the road. 

The battery can be removed which not only makes for easy charging but also makes your bike less of a target to any unwanted attention should you need to lock it up in public as you can take the battery with you. 

The app and bike have inbuilt anti-theft gps so it can warn you if your bike has moved outside of the designated area that you have left it. You can also use the app to set off an SOS fall alarm. 

Hydraulic disc brakes ensure that you can stop in a range of weather conditions. 

Buy the ADO Air 30 Ultra
(Use the code ‘ELECTROHEADS’ for a discount at checkout!)

 

Want more from ADO? Check out our reviews of their other models: