Fluid Freeride CITYRIDER Review

The FluidFreeRide Cityrider is a fantastic, lightweight electric scooter that is designed for the demanding rider who wants it all – a smooth ride, strong acceleration and excellent performance.

City life commutes are chaotic. Why does traffic get worse when you are rushing to class or the office? A bicycle might seem handy, but you will undoubtedly get to your destination all sweaty. What if there was a better option and one that doesn’t break the bank? The FluidFreeRide CITYRIDER electric scooter offers you just that, a safe city ride, and it’s worth every buck.

FluidFreeride Cityrider – The Lowdown…

For commute distances of 10 miles or less, the CITYRIDER beats most entry-level scooters in price and design. It’s lightweight and folds to a reduced size that is easily portable. The fitted safety features coupled with its top speed of 18mph is all the satisfaction a rider needs. Here is a comprehensive review of the FluidFreeRide CITYRIDER.

For a price of less than $400, the CITYRIDER offers you the following:

FluidFreeride Cityrider Specifications

FluidFreeRide Cityrider Cons

  Uncomfortable ride on uneven surfaces

  Average battery

  Not great on bumpy surfaces

FluidFreeRide Cityrider Summary

As its name suggests, the CITYRIDER scooter is the ultimate city rider. Weighing only 28 lbs and taking a load of up to 220 lbs, this scooter is an incredible asset for short-distance commutes. Besides, it’s light to carry around while not in use.

This scooter has a sleek design with a sturdy frame. Additionally, this electric scooter’s physical dimensions allow for comfortable riding by both adults and children. You will have no worries when using public transport because this scooter folds to a compact size that easily fits under the bus seat.

The battery lasts long enough for scooting distances of up to 10 miles. The 300W motor powers the CITYRIDER electric scooter to a max of 18 mph, a speed that’s within most city limits.

The rear drum brakes have superior stopping power that enables you to stop without any hicks. Applying force to the brake pedals causes the CITYRIDER wheels to lock instantly.

The front and rear LED lights on the CITYRIDER electric scooter improves your visibility to other road users. This scooter also has turn signals to indicate your direction while changing lanes or exiting the road. The scooter is fitted with a convenience feature where the turn signals automatically go off after ten seconds.

The honeycomb tires act as shock absorbers while countering the worry of flat tires. The CITYRIDER scooter is undoubtedly the perfect ride for city dwellers.

Performance Overview

The CITYRIDER is powered by a  35V 7.5 Ah lithium-ion battery with a range of 7 to 10 miles. While the scooter’s acceleration isn’t exactly award-winning, the 300W brushless motor gets it to speeds of 18mph reasonably fast. By electric scooter standards, that speed is not slow, and you might even need some experience before riding it with ease. 

This scooter has no installed suspensions, and hence the ride may feel bumpy on rough roads. The solid honeycomb wheels have very little shock-absorbing ability. The ride is comfortable and fun when using a CITYRIDER scooter on smooth city roads. The CITYRIDER scooter handles speeds excellently and allows for easy leans into corners.

Top Speed & Acceleration

On a full charge, The CITYRIDER scooter gets to a top speed of 18mph or 30kmph. This speed may not be fast for sports enthusiasts but is more than sufficient for the average rider. The scooter is primarily targeted at city dwellers; hence the speed is safe within many city limits.

Even at max speed, the drum brake system will stop the wheels instantly without affecting the rider’s stability. However, riders should be cautioned to cruise at full speeds only when the road is clear of motor vehicles. The Gotrax Xr Ultra has similar speed specs but lacks the additional on-board electronics. 

When compared to scooters within the same price range, the CITYRIDER accelerates averagely fast. On level roads, the motor will get you to top speed within seconds. However, on hilly grounds, you might need to give it some manual kick boosts to make up for the reduced acceleration. A lower charge on your battery can also lead to slower acceleration.

 When activated, the cruise control improves the acceleration and improves how this scooter handles speed.

Range

The CITYRIDER scooter is lightweight, thus enhances the battery range. With a total load of 220lbs, the battery has a range of 7-10 miles. The CITYRIDER scooter has a shorter range compared to other scooters in the same price range, such as the Turboant X7 Pro with its 30miles per charge range. This difference can be attributed to the CITYRIDER’s small and compact design.

Motor Configuration

The motor powering the CITYRIDER electric scooter is rated 36V with a 300W maximum power output. Besides being the force behind the 18mph top speed of this e-scooter, it consumes less energy allowing it to cover more distance on a single charge.

Construction & Build Quality

The CITYRIDER scooter has an elegant and appealing design. The frame is made of steel tubes for strength and durability. When riding at maximum load, creaks and rattles are non-existent.

The floorboard is wooden, which enhances the aesthetics of this e-scooter.  Even with the protruding widgets and visible wires, the scooter still looks sleek and visually appealing.

Based on its deck’s sturdiness, the CITYRIDER scooter can last for a long time. The hollow steel frame is lightweight and more robust than it looks.

The overall design is simple, with few parts needing regular maintenance. For instance, few connection cables are visible, and a simple application of electric tape reduces the cables’ natural wear and tear.

Even when ridden by a heavy rider, the robust steel frame doesn’t shake or rattle. This sturdiness boosts the rider’s confidence in the scooter’s safety. The rubber on the handlebars ensures a tight grip while cruising on the road.

The scooter’s controls are located on the handlebars and are easy to reach and operate while riding. The display is readable both during the day and at night. The rider can download the CITYRIDER compatible app for  Android or iOS platforms for more personalized settings.

A major con to the build quality of this scooter is the absence of front turn signals. The rider has no easy way to warn and communicate with oncoming traffic.

Suspension

The CITYRIDER scooter has no installed suspension springs. Rides on rough roads will be uncomfortable and bumpy. The honeycomb wheels have air pockets that help absorb shock but aren’t much help on bumpy roads. 

Since the target market is people living near or within cities, the solid honeycomb wheels offer proper shock absorption for smooth rides on paved city roads. The lack of a suspension system is a significant setback for this scooter but is acceptable at its price point.

Ride Quality

Due to the lack of suspension springs, a ride on this e-scooter is quite uncomfortable on rough surfaces and feels similar to a ride on kick scooters. On the other hand, the ride is smooth and fun on paved roads, and the scooter quickly attains its max speed. The scooter, however, struggles with acceleration on inclined roads.

The CITYRIDER electric scooter comes with cruise control. This feature assists in maintaining a steady speed set by the rider. You can disable the cruise control by applying the brakes or tapping on the throttle.

Cruise control may be cumbersome while riding on a decline because it may suddenly brake or pick up speed to match the cruising speed. When cruise control actuates suddenly, the rider may be caught off-guard and may be unsafe.

Braking

This scooter is fitted with old-tech drum brakes on the rear wheel. An advantage of this braking system over disc brakes is that water does not affect its grip. The braking system is not compromised when riding in wet weather conditions.

Portability

The CITYRIDER scooter is lightweight, weighing in at 28lbs. It’s easy to carry over short distances but could make your arms go numb if carried for several hours.

This scooter has a compact size, a height of 47 inches, and a folded length of 43 inches. While folded, the scooter easily fits under the middle bus seat or in your car boot.

The CITYRIDER folding point somewhat reduces its portability. The fact that the scooter folds at the stem means that in its collapsed state, it carries an extra height that is not found on scooters that fold at the deck.

Lights

Both the headlights and taillight are fantastic. The headlight is high on the stem and has enough brightness to light up the road ahead. The tail lights blink to indicate braking, which cautions trailing traffic. 

The turn signals are another included safety feature. They work well both during the day and at night. When turned on, the turning lights will blink for ten seconds and then go off. Unfortunately, the scooter is only fitted with rear turn signals; hence warning oncoming vehicles is a challenge.

The CITYRIDER electric scooter display is bright enough to use during the day. Nevertheless, several owners indicated in their reviews that the display needs a dimming mode at night to reduce glare.

Tyres

The CITYRIDER is fitted with honeycomb wheels. These wheels are solid with air pockets designed for shock absorption. However, you should note that they make no noticeable difference while riding on the rough road. The wheels make slight compensation for the lack of a suspension springs system.

With these solid rubber wheels, you will never have a flat tyre. They do not require special maintenance other than checking for cracks and a regular wipe (using a damp cloth).

Deck

The deck of the CITYRIDER is very stylish. The frame is made of hollow steel and attached to a wooden stepping top. The deck is painted matte black, which complements the style. Though the deck is lightweight, it’s rugged enough to hold a hundred kilograms without any brattle.

Bluetooth App Control

The CITYRIDER electric scooter uniquely comes with Bluetooth compatibility. This feature works in collaboration with the CITYRIDER’s companion app, which is available for Android and IOS users. The most notable benefit of the app is speed customization. This feature is beneficial for riders that want to set top speeds or cruise control speeds. It also serves as a parental control feature for parents intending to purchase the scooter for their kids. Through the app, you can monitor power levels, as well as adjust units of measurements, for instance, miles per hour to kilometers per hour.

Water Resistance

This e-scooter is not waterproof. While it is relatively safe to ride it in wet conditions, submerging it in water is harmful to its electronic components. The physical design keeps much of the connecting cables and widgets safe from weather extremes for the safety of the electric components. 

In case you ride in wet weather, wipe the scooter dry to avoid water damage to the electric circuit components. 

Reliability

The build design is outstandingly strong, with added safety and comfort features. Apart from being lightweight, this scooter has a strong battery with a good range for its price.

Whereas the inbuilt battery is not the biggest in the market, it serves this scooter’s purpose well. The battery is light and charges quickly. Moreover, as long as the battery has power, the scooter’s lighting enables you to ride safely, even at night.

This scooter fits most riders irrespective of age. The top speed is safe for children, and parents can control it using the app. This e-scooter is easy to carry around while driving a private car or using public transport. 

Maintenance

The FluidFreeRide CITYRIDER scooter is easy to maintain. To ensure safe rides, do the following checks after every ride:

• Check the wheels for cracks and other physical damage
• Ensure the brakes are working properly
• Tighten loose screws and bolts
• Check exposed cables for wear and tear

When cleaning the scooter:

• Switch off the power
• Use a dry cloth to remove debris from the scooter
• Wipe the scooter using a damp cloth, do not pour or spray water directly onto the scooter
• Never use corrosive liquid on the scooter or alcohol-based cleaning liquids

Before storing the scooter:

• Fully charge it
• Discharge and recharge after some time if you are storing the scooter for more than a month
• Cover the scooter with a dustproof cover
• Avoid storing the scooter in places with extreme temperature variations
• Do regular checks on the scooter to ensure the components are safe from damage while in storage

While riding the CITYRIDER scooter, put on protective gear to avoid major injuries in case of accidents.

Known Issues

The CITYRIDER scooter has very few known issues that can lower its reliability. The inbuilt features are more than you can ask for in an electric scooter within such a price range. Some of the known issues with this scooter are:

• It lacks a suspension system which makes rides on rough surfaces bumpy
• The tail light goes off when the turn signal disables after the ten seconds delay. This anomaly lowers the scooter’s visibility by other drivers at night, putting the rider’s safety at risk. The lights have to be disabled and enabled again manually to get the taillight back on.
• The cruise control feature sometimes actuates suddenly, which is detrimental to the rider’s safety, especially while riding downhill or negotiating a sharp corner.
• The battery level meter shows inaccurate readings, specifically while accelerating from a complete stop. It shows load gauge rather than charge levels. You may need to use the scooter frequently to get the ability to estimate the actual readings.

What’s in the box

• Assembled CITYRIDER scooter
• Charging cables
• Left and right handles
• Hex wrench
• User manual

Accessories

These are some of the accessories available for pairing with the CITYRIDER scooter:

• • High-security folding lock for $69 
  • Scooter helmet for $59 
  • CITYRIDER original charger for $49 
  • Hand bar phone holder for $24
  • Full finger scooter gloves for $39
  • Fingerless scooter gloves for $29

FluidFreeRide Resources

FluidFreeRide Website