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Himo is one of Xiaomi’s crowdfunded brands, specialising in electric mobility. The new Himo C20 electric bike is part of a whole new range of e-bikes that will include the newly-released T1 and the compact V1 Plus e-bikes. In this review, I will take a closer look at the C20 to see if it lives up to the hype.
First Impressions
The Xiaomi Himo C20 looks to be excellent value at around 730 Euro (£630 / $799). What you get for your money is a great compact electric bike, that partially folds for ease of transport.
Although not a fully folding e-bike, the pedals and handlebar fold to make transporting the bike easier. If you need a fully folding e-bike then the new Himo Z20 is practically identical, but is fully folding – you can read my full review of the Himo Z20 here.
Pedal Assist
There are 3 levels of electric assist on the Himo C20 – ‘0’ means no assist, so the bike is relying purely on your pedalling input. Level ‘1’ will give the rider up to 70% of the available power through a cadence sensor – which measures pedal rotation (RPM) and level ‘3’ which is 100% of the available power utilised through the throttle control – should be noted that you cannot activate the throttle from a standstill and need to be pedalling to use this feature.
The most efficient way to use the assist is to use a combination of zero assist and level 1. You could also use level 3 and only use the throttle control as a boost to get you up steep hills.
Comfort and Equipment
The general feel of the bike is one of sturdiness. The fat tyres and gel saddle make for a very comfortable ride. The Himo C20 is especially suited to urban riding, and It is clear this is what the designers had in mind.
The addition of an integrated tyre pump, which is concealed inside the seatpost is a great idea. The front and rear LED lights are more than adequate for city riding.
The LED display is clear and functional and displays information like speed, battery life and assist level.
Battery Range
Battery power comes courtesy of a 36v 10ah (360Wh) lithium battery pack, which is neatly concealed within the frame. I do feel the claimed range of 80km to be a little optimistic. If you are on the larger side (like me) I would imagine that you would be looking at a more realistic range of around 50km.
Brakes
The dual mechanical disc brakes do a decent enough job of bringing the Himo C20 to a standstill and the wider tyres inspire confidence when cornering.
Performance
As far as power is concerned, the Xiaomi Himo C20 has more than enough for a commuter bike. The 250w motor provides an almost seamless pedal assist, that is available in three different power levels. Level 0 or 1 is fine if you are cycling on flat or moderately undulating terrain, but you will need 2 for negotiating steep hills.
On steeper hills up to around 10% gradient, the C20 makes it feel like you’re cycling up a gentle slope – it certainly helps take the sting out of hills!
The gearing is provided courtesy of a Shimano rear derailleur and 13-28 6-speed rear freewheel with a 46t chainring upfront. This gearing will be fine for city riding and moderate hills.
Weight and Portability
The only disappointing thing is the weight. At 21kg it is a hefty thing to be carrying around. It’s not transportable in the sense a regular folding e-bike would be, but if you want to use it at a park and ride on your daily commute, the fact that the pedals and handlebar fold will make it much easier to get into the back of your car.
Build Quality
The overall finish and build quality seem excellent. The bike is available in a choice of white or grey colour schemes. I preferred the grey version. The Himo C20 has a very rugged feel to it. The forks do not have suspension, but this is made up for with the larger tyres. This e-bike should be able to cope with most city streets, and even ride on canal towpaths and gravel.
Specification
| Brand |
Xiaomi HIMO
|
| Model |
C20 Electric Bicycle
|
| Color |
Grey, White
|
| Front and Rear Wheel Center Distance |
965mm
|
| Maximum Design Speed |
25km/h
|
| Electric Moped Continuous |
≥80km
|
| Only Electric Continuous Sailing Mileage |
About 50km
|
| 100 km Power Consumption |
0.72kw/h/100km
|
| Load Capacity |
About 100kg
|
| Battery Capacity |
10AH
|
| Low voltage Protection |
31V
|
| Maximum current Protection |
15A
|
| Product Weight |
21.1kg
|
| Package Weight |
21.5kg
|
| Product Size(L x W x H) |
147*61*106cm
|
| Package Size(L x W x H) |
154*32*78cm
|
Himo C20 Review Conclusion
Is the Xiaomi Himo C20 a great little e-bike? Most definitely! For the price, it offers a lot. As an electric bike, it is incredibly versatile. It kind of bridges the gap between a folding and a regular e-bike. It’s not quite either, it is in a class of its own!
Another great thing about this bike is when the assist is switched to ‘0’, you can ride it like a normal bike. The extra weight only becomes apparent when you get to a hill, and that is the perfect time to use the e-assist.
The throttle function is a useful addition, for those lazy mornings when you don’t feel like doing much pedalling.
The larger tyres are the perfect choice for riding on city streets and country lanes, and the dual disc brakes make for confident stopping power in all weathers.
I’m giving this bike the thumbs up, It does exactly what it says on the tin! If you are after a cheap commuter e-bike, that will easily get you through a 30km round trip daily commute without much fuss, then this is the bike for you. And at this price, it will pay for itself within a year. Well worth the money!
PS all, I have found a place that sells batteries but they will only sell 5 at a time.
https://trendybay.en.alibaba.com/product/62319225795-218444302/HIMO_C20_36V_10Ah_Rechargeable_Lithium_Electric_Bike_Battery.html?fbclid=IwAR0DGKDXFqtiveGSL8mXT3T_nDWlsFHOKFs8Uc7-T2ZPpEe49ze3a_mssPg
Cheers Paul. Thanks for letting me know, sounds like a business opportunity! I couldn’t find them anywhere even on Aliexpress.
The bike seems ok so far, but the mud guards are an absolute joke, neither pair fit the bike as shown in the videos so I’ll have to go buy a proper set, very disappointing that to what was otherwise a well made bike.
I have bought that bike. It was sent to me from warehouse in Poland
Either I got different version (although it looks exactly as in pictures) or the review is not correct.
I have three modes: eco, mid and high. Only the eco mode is pedal assist, and it cuts off assistance at 15 km/h – which is far too slow.
Mid and High modes are throttle only modes. On mid I get about 14 km/h and about 23 km/h on high mode which is ok, but I would prefer to have the pedal assist mode that operates at similar speed and whit at least 3 intensities to choose from.
Moreover the pedal assist is cadence based and not torque based as stated in the review.
The shimano gear shifter is of lowest possible quality, similarly disk brakes are terrible – but those are easy to replace….
I am disappointed. I wouldn’t decide to buy this bike if I knew the limitation of pedal assist mode.
The version I tested last year was purchased from a UK supplier and had pedal assist in all three modes, and a bottom bracket torque sensor (the throttle could be used independently of the PAS). I haven’t had a chance to test the latest 2020 version, it’s possible there has been some cost cutting. I agree about the low-spec Shimano components and mechanical brakes – but in fairness, most ebikes in this price range have entry-level components. I’ll update the article to mention the change in pedal sensing.
Thank you for sharing your experiences with us.
How do you know if you have the version you tested with the pedal assist in all three modes and the torque thing as well. I’m struggling to get mine to work in any , lol, I really don’t know what I’m doing and can find nothing in English videos that can help me. Thanks.
There should be wires coming out from underneath the bottom bracket (frame section beneath the crank arms / crankset). I have just read a recent review and they have said the same thing as you, that pedal assist is only available in 1 / 2 then throttle only control. The model I tested was one of the first to be released and I haven’t tested the latest model. I’ll see if I can get hold of a 2020 version to try out. Even so, the pedal assist should be working on yours. I have found a Facebook group that might have some answers, here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/520588178798889/
Sorry I couldn’t be more help. If the problems persist it might be worth contacting the supplier to see if they will accept a return.
Thanks for that, I’ve joined the Facebook group, I have a wire coming out of the bottom of the crank case, So i think ive got the verson you got, I’ve just been out for a spin on it and i just cycled to my local village and back, The hill i have to cycle up is huge gradient, The bike was grand, I did it in full power assist i think, So i pedalled most of it then stopped peddaling and the motor kept me going, You would need to see this hill to believe me and its most of the trip to the village, then it goes flat for the duaration, But granted it up hill a bit coming back but then yiou have the big downhill part. I did 9 k on it in 20 mins, By the way, I’m 18.5 stone. I have to say im very impressed, The wieght will be going anyway lol. I did pedal the majority of the way and the bike was going in between 22.5 to 25 kph. I can only imagine how this bike would go if i was half the size haha. So Tony, Do i have the model you had ? PS Thanks the the replies also. Very helpful.
Hi Paul,
I would say you have the same model by the sounds of it. I’m not particularly light myself at just under 18 stone, and the hills in Cornwall are brutal! I tested the C20 on a 15% gradient and I still had to put in a fair bit of effort but it definitely took the sting out of it.
I’m glad you’re enjoying the bike, if you ever need any more advice, let me know.
Cheers,
Tony
Sorry, Just one other thing, I had the throttle turned all the way when i was on it, Thats not peddle assist is it, How do i get it just to do Peddle assist, i think i will know which version i have then won’t i, I’m off back out on it after work.
The pedal assist should start and stop with your pedalling. If it uses a torque sensor like the one I tested, it should be reactive to the amount of force you’re putting through the pedals as well as your pedalling speed. On the one I tested the throttle could only be activated in level 2 and 3, and it would not work from a standstill, you needed to be doing 4 or 5mph. If you lift the back wheel off the ground and you can activate the motor just by lightly spinning the pedals with your hands, then that would be consistent with a cadence sensor not a torque sensor.I have to admit, when I tested it last year I was surprised that such a cheap ebike had torque-sensing assist. It’s something you usually only find on dearer ebikes. It’s quite possible they fitted it to the earlier models, and then changed to cadence PAS to save money.
Mine came from china through geek buying .com and the pedal assist works on all three modes.
Hi Paul,
Thanks for sharing this info. It seems there are two different versions currently available – a ‘Euro’ and ‘Global’ model. I recently tested the Himo Z20 fully folding version and that had the 1 assist mode and throttle-only mode, but there is also a version that has full pedal assist in all 3 modes.
All the best,
Tony
I got exactly the same case with Marek, in this case better to hack the speed limiter so you can get max speed up to 40km/h in eco mode with pedal assist and let the mid & high mode for throttle only. You check the link below how to hack the speed limiter, hope it pays your disappointment LOL.
https://funclip.tv/watch/pirate-z2e3k415j3s405p5r4c5d4.html
Thanks for sharing the details. Much appreciated.
What do you expect for this price, buddy?
Why does it sells as foldable bike when it is not FOLDABLE??
It is partially foldable as stated in the review – “Although not a fully folding ebike, the pedals and handlebar fold to make transporting the bike easier” -the Himo C20 is still a lot easier to get into the back of a vehicle than a regular bike.
I am very happy with the Himo C20, however i would like to buy a HIMO C20 (36V 10Ah) spare battery. Any help? Thanks!
Hi,
I have tried multiple sources and it seems that spare batteries for the Himo C20 are non-existent. The only thing I can recommend is contacting UPP in China to see if they can custom-build you one. They have custom-built batteries for me in the past, so I would imagine they could easily build one to fit. Here is a link to their page on Aliexpress – if you contact them, they should be familiar with the C20 as it is a very popular ebike and has sold 1000’s of units worldwide.
All the best,
Tony
I bought this bike on e-Bay, easy to assemble, all works well, really enjoy it. Great value for money.
I would like to buy a HIMO C20 (36V 10Ah) spare battery. Any help? Thanks!
Thank you for sharing your views on the Himo C20, very much appreciated. I will make some enquires to see if a spare battery is available.
All the best,
Tony
Did you have any luck getting battery for this ?
I’ve tried various different sources, and at the moment there doesn’t seem to be anyone doing a spare battery for the C20. It may be possible to use an auxiliary seat post mounted battery pack, but it would need a compatible battery management system and connector. Jimmy at ebikebatteries.co.uk can custom build batteries to any size / specification, but you would need to send your existing battery over to him.
I bought it on Tomtop site and it came from their German warehouse for 674.13 euro delivery was under 2 weeks, its good value for money came with choice of two types of fenders plastic off road or painted metal full (mudgaurds) as we use to call them.
I agree with this review it’s perfect for urban use and gravel path use, and although it’s not really a foldable bike it does fit into the back of the car a lot easier when you drop the handlebars. The cons are the handlebar grips are poor especially when your off road and there is no suspension so you notice the vibration in you hands, but it not expensive to change the grips, I have also found that I miss the extra gears as it only has 6 and sometimes on the flat would have liked to go up a gear which ain’t there but you can just put it into the top pedal assist mode if you want more speed.
Overall its good value for money and nice to ride.
Hi Dougie,
Thank you for sharing your experiences of the Himo C20, much appreciated.
All the best,
Tony
Great bike? Maybe, but it´s NOT foldable and far too expensive in Eu.
Thank you for you comments. You are correct regarding folding, only the handlebar and pedals are foldable. The price has also increased substantially since I first posted this review. The cheapest price I could find was 727 Euro on Aliexpress. It is a shame, because it is now looking expensive in the face of the competition.
Kind regards,
Tony
Funny, nobody is complaining about the weight. I’ve used mine for 3 years now and the battery is starting to loose power. Not surprised, though.
The “peeping” sound is kinda annoing.
Very best e-vike. I like it
Also got myself a C20, very satisfied with it!
Thank you for your comment. I agree, the C20 is a great little ebike and it is good value for money.
All the best,
Tony