ADO Air 28

The ADO Air 28 takes a different route from the rest of the budget field: where most rivals lean on fat tyres, folding frames and big batteries, ADO goes for lightweight, a carbon belt drive and a clean aesthetic. For €999 you get an e-bike that looks more like a Cowboy or VanMoof than a typical budget e-bike — minimalist, app-driven and genuinely light (19 kg) instead of the usual 25-30 kg. This is a bike for the urban 25-40 professional taking the train to an Amsterdam office job who wants the bike to look as sharp as their AirPods.

Spec-wise the Air 28 is interestingly built. The 250W rear hub motor delivers 40 Nm — enough for flat inner cities, too little for a hilly Nijmegen or Limburg route. The single-speed carbon belt is the real trick: 30,000+ km without lubing or tensioning, and no oil stains on a suit. Without gears, though, you have to stay in the motor's comfort zone — kill the assist and you'll pedal hard to keep speed. The 346 Wh battery is small — 40-60 km in practice, meaning a daily 10 km commute is fine but an 80 km weekend jaunt is out of reach. The 28-inch wheels keep it quick on asphalt compared to 20-inch rivals, and the upright position is fine for short rides.

Honest limits: without ART certification the Air 28 doesn't qualify for premium insurance cover, and for a €999 app-connected urban e-bike the theft risk in Amsterdam or Rotterdam is real — you'll need a serious ART-2 lock and will still feel nervous leaving it out. The ADO app is decent but no VanMoof equivalent; connection drops and Chinese-server updates turn up in reviews. Spare parts for the specific carbon belt and proprietary battery connector are ADO-only — and scarce outside the brand. Pick the Air 28 if you want a clean, light, stylish urban commuter without paying €3,000 for a VanMoof S5; accept the range and single-speed limits. For more versatile use or longer rides the Fafrees F20 Pro or ENGWE L20 SE are more practical.