Fluid Freeride CityRider
$549
Got wood? The CityRider sure does.
The new 2021 model from Fluid Freeride is equipped with a skateboard-style wooden deck, flat-free tires, and a robust tubular steel frame.
Ride quality is surprisingly good for a $549 scooter without suspension. And it’s faster than many in its class with a tested top speed of 16.8 mph.
Overall, it’s a well-built, no frills electric scooter with a high-mounted headlight and low-maintenance features — perfect for riders looking for something functional but aesthetic.
Technical Specifications
| Tested top speed: 16.8 mph* | |
| Tested range: 13.1 mi* | |
| Weight: 32 lb* | |
| Max rider weight: 220 lb | |
| Water resistance: IP55 |
Highlights
| Solid top speed | |
| Great ride quality despite solid tires | |
| Stiff steel frame | |
| Not great on hills over 10% grade | |
| Lackluster starting acceleration | |
| No IP rating |
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Summary
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Our Take: High on Style, Low on Maintenance and Easy to Ride
Although we know Fluid Freeride best for high performance, well-known brands like Kaabo, Inokim and NAMI, Fluid themselves have been hiding a happy little secret: the Fluid Freeride CityRider.
They recently updated their low-key stylish scooter, making it more powerful for short, everyday commuting. The CityRider really hits a sweet spot for entry-level scooters.
We know … we know … there are a ton of other scooters in this price range (and we’ve tested most of them).
But seriously, performance-wise the CityRider is one of the best in its class, with over 15 mph speed, 13.1 miles of range, and (slow but steady) hill climbing ability.
It’s not the fastest off the start line, but its acceleration matches its looks: smooth, laid back, and will get you where you need to go. We kinda want to slap some stickers on it and hit the beach (it’s got that vibe). But that’s not what we love most about it.
This 28 lb portable scooter is a standout because it’s low on maintenance and high on style. The honeycomb tires, which can never go flat, are the best solid tires we’ve ridden (aside from the Ninebot E22). They’re so exceptional, you might not realize they’re not air-filled.
To top it off, the CityRider’s also a very good-looking scooter, with a steel frame that feels like it’s forged out of one tube (it’s so solid). It also has a high-mounted headlight, sizable, grippy deck, and simple, centered display. Unlike most scooters on the market, it’s free of branding, and looks clean and complete as-is.
In a sea of Xiaomi, Segway and Gotrax clones, the CityRider looks fun and unique, and rides fun too.
Best Alternatives and Competitors
| Model | Top Speed** | Range** | Weight** | Price |
| Fluid Freeride CityRider | 16.8 mph | 13.1 mi | 32 lb | $549 |
| Apollo Air | 15.6 mph | 13.9 mi | 34 lb | $699 |
| Turboant X7 Pro | 15.8 mph | 15.3 mi | 32 lb | $499 |
| Segway Ninebot E22 | 13.0 mph | 10.1 mi | 30 lb | $499 |
Is It Good for Bigger, Heavier Riders? -No.
With a max rider weight of 220 lb, the CityRider, like many other budget-level scooters, is not intended for bigger, heavier riders.
Although the build and 40.0 in tall handlebars are well suited for someone that’s taller, the heavier the payload, the slower the scooter will be able to travel.
With small solid tires, big dawgs will feel quite a bit of the road, especially if it’s rough. Another concern is braking, which is acceptable at 17.0 ft on the CityRider but not ideal for heavier riders that will likely cause the scooter to skid forward a bit further.
Larger riders will need a more powerful scooter than the CityRider for enjoyable commuting.
Fluid Freeride CityRider Review
Performance Summary
| Acceleration (0 to 15 mph) | 11.4 seconds |
| Top speed | 16.8 mph |
| Braking distance (15 to 0 mph) | 17.0 feet |
| Range | 13.1 miles |
| Hill climb | 34.3 seconds |
Acceleration
The CityRider is super mellow off the line. Once it gets going, power is decent. However, it is lacking in low-end power, with a 0 to 15 mph time of 11.4 seconds.
Hill Climb
It does a great job on normal hills with an average grade of 4 to 6%, and 10% is the absolute limit. The CityRider barely makes it up our test hill taking 34.3 seconds at an average speed of 4.0 mph.
Top Speed
The 16.8 mph top speed is nice. It is enough to dominate the bike lane, with good giddyup to confidently pass bicycles without getting awkward.
Range
For a lightweight city ride, range is good at 13.1 mi. Many smaller scooters get tiresome to ride during the range test, and this scooter stayed fun the whole time.
Our usual test route includes multiple starts, stops and some uphill climbs. The CityRider did a good job of maintaining around 14 mph average speed on the range test throughout most of the battery.
Braking
With a tested braking distance of 17.0 ft, it takes a little longer than we’d prefer to come to a stop, but that’s true of the CityRider’s budget-level peers, too.
It has regen braking on the front and a drum brake and foot brake on the rear. The regen is perfectly integrated, so you don’t notice that it’s there, but it’s definitely doing its job to slow you down. The drum brake is the most effective way to slow down, but the stomp brake is a good backup if you’re not slowing down fast enough.
Ride Quality
The CityRider has a surprisingly good ride for a solid tire scooter with no suspension. It has a very unusual tubular steel chassis that feels super solid and looks even better, making for a noiseless and wobble-free ride.
It could be our imagination, inspired by the wooden deck, but the CityRider feels and sounds like a skateboard, and even carves a little bit like one. Thankfully the ride doesn’t feel like you’re on skateboard tires. In fact, the honeycomb design is the second best we’ve ever ridden, next to the Ninebot E22, making it as comfortable a ride as you can get on solid tires.
The centered LCD display is easy to read and provides the main details you need. You can set speedometer units (mph or kph), enable cruise control, and adjust other riding preferences using the MiniRobot mobile app.
Overall the ride is very, very stable, comfortable and laid back.
Fluid Freeride CityRider Features
Portability
The CityRider folds relatively quickly, and has two safety latches in addition to the folding mechanism. The folded dimensions are 20 in tall by 19 in wide by 43 in long, and it weighs 28 lb, which is light enough for most to handle.
One excellent feature of the folding mechanism is that it’s adjustable and has a grub screw to make the adjuster stay put. It’s a very similar latch to the Varla Pegasus, but infinitely better executed because of the grub screw, plus having one more safety catch than they do.
The stem locks to the fender for ease when carrying, but the stem diameter is a little large for smaller hands to carry one-handed. Although the handlebars don’t fold, you can unscrew both handles relatively quickly if you need it to be narrower.
Cockpit
The CityRider has an uncomplicated cockpit, with an easy-to-read display, non-folding handlebars, and comfortable rounded hand grips. Unlike some other designs, the hand grips are reverse-threaded, meaning they won’t accidentally loosen while riding.
There are only four buttons, which are located on either side of the display: power/gear, headlights/taillights, left turn signal, and right turn signal.
Along with a nicely placed thumb throttle and a single brake lever over the left handlebar, the CityRider’s cockpit is very clean.
Lights
The CityRider has a pretty impressive lighting package for its price class.
Not only does it have our favorite combo, a high-mounted headlight and brake-responding taillight, it also has a surprising feature: real turn signals.
Although they’re only installed on the rear of the scooter, the turn signals are separate from the taillight which is especially important when braking. The turn signals and brake light are mounted low on the rear, so they may be difficult to see in the daylight.
Unlike most in its class, the CityRider’s turn signals are nicely integrated. (standalone buttons on either side of the display). After activation, the turn signals will blink for 9 seconds then shut-off automatically. This is a smart application, as other turn signals often stay on until disabled and often interfere or double as the brake light.
Tires
When it comes to solid tires, you can’t get better than the CityRider.
Well, these are the second best non-pneumatic tires ever, after the Ninebot E22 tires (so there’s one that’s better but not by much). The ride makes it easy to forget that they’re solid tires.
It has 8.5 in honeycomb tires that provide good damping and traction while also being flat-free. They’re perfect for a beginner-friendly scooter like the CityRider, as they’re providing the best riding experience in a no-maintenance design.
Deck
The deck on the CityRider is one of its most outstanding features. It looks super cool, is made of wood, has a really nice, angular shape, and has plenty of grip tape for great traction.
It measures 6.3 in wide by 18.0 in long and feels very comfy while riding. Since the folding hook is on the fender, you’re not losing any deck space with mounting screws, hooks, charging ports, or the like.
Seriously, this is one of the cleanest, coolest looking decks ever.
Build Quality
We’ve discovered that a nice, solid frame has an impressive impact on overall ride quality. There aren’t any odd rattles or movements for this reason.
Along with the build, the cable routing is very nice looking. We worry a little about the cables to the front motor, fatiguing over time, but as long as the rider uses the scooter normally and doesn’t make a habit of flopping the handlebars full-left, full-right, full-left, full right, for no reason, it shouldn’t be a problem.
Keep in mind that the CityRider is not built for rain. Along with no IP rating, the scooter looks like it is vented underneath, meaning it’s not waterproof.
Given that it has a drum rear brake, regen front, and solid tires, the CityRider is built to be an exceedingly low maintenance scooter.
Fluid Freeride CityRider: Review Conclusions
The CityRider is a unique looking, particularly well-built entry-level scooter with style and sensibility to match, given its no maintenance, beginner-friendly design.
It’s not super fast, and it’s not meant to be; it’s a great low-speed commuter with laid back looks and ability that will satisfy most riders needs for cruising around town. It’s a great bargain if you’re not interested in lots of bells and whistles (like security features or performance mods), but are looking for an electric scooter that has the basic needs we’re expecting at this price point (good speed, good braking, good lights, and good build) in an attractive package.
Fluid Freeride CityRider Technical Specifications
| Make | Fluid Freeride |
| Model | CityRider |
| Weight | 28 lb |
| Folded dimensions | 43 by 19 by 20 in |
| Motor power, continuous | 350 W |
| Top speed | 18 mph |
| Range | 15 mi |
| Battery capacity | 360 Wh |
| Battery recharge time | hrs |
| Max rider weight | 220 lb |
| Brake type | Regenerative + Drum |
| Tire type | 8.5 in Solid + Solid |
| Built-in lights | Front + Rear |
| Water resistance | IP55 |
