Ride1Up Roadster V2 Reviews

mitchhackleman

mitchhackleman

Member
The Ride1Up Roadster V2 is a stealthy and affordable single-speed electric bike, with fully integrated electronics and a durable Gates Carbon belt drivetrain. At a price point of $1,045, it seems like a solid first step if you're considering getting your first Ebike, but don't want to give up the experience of your old single-speed. I haven't ridden the bike myself, but have some thoughts after riding similar carbon belt Ebikes in the past. At EBR, we've had the chance to ride some of Ride1Up's other models such as The 500 Series and The 700 Series, but this Roadster V2 is quite a bit different! It is reminiscent of The Baby Maker from FLX but comes in at half the price. You can check out The Ride1Up Website for more info, but let's see what the review community thinks of this bike!

Elektrek Video Review

Electric Bike Report Video Review

Electrified Reviews Video Review

KevCentral Video Review

Ebike Escape Video Review

Dred Sk8 Video Review

Again, I haven't reviewed this electric bike myself, but I have ridden similar bikes, with similar components, and I wanted to provide some insights and open things up for your feedback. I hope by providing several sources, with varying perspectives, allows everyone to come to their own conclusions. Sometimes short reviews and those created by shops only cover the good aspects and can come off like a commercial, so I've tried to be neutral and objective with these insights:

Pros, or things that stand out as good
  • Excellent "stealthy" integration of electronic components, most people will not realize that the V2 Roadster is an ebike without close inspection. This is great for reducing theft risk, as electric bikes are typically higher value and more likely to be targeted by thieves.
  • It's available in multiple sizes and colors which is uncommon for direct-to-consumer brands like Ride1Up, many competitors only offer "one size fits all" models. Ride1Up currently offers 2 frame sizes, Large and Small, that provide some overlap in the 5'7"-5'9" range. They also provide 3 different matte colors to choose from: Burgundy, Black, and Silver.
  • The Roadster V2 comes with a single speed Gates Carbon belt, and I'm a big fan of these myself, especially living in a flat area where multiple speeds aren't needed. Carbon belts are a huge step up compared to chains, they are more durable, quiet, and require virtually no maintenance!
  • Class 3 and capable of speeds up to 24mph, the rear hub motor has 40 newton-meters of torque which is on the low end for electric bikes but plenty for city riding.
Cons, or things that stand out as negatives, or tradeoffs:
  • The battery capacity of 252 watt-hours is fairly low, most modern ebikes have at least 400 watt-hours and some have over a thousand. You should still be able to achieve 20-30 miles per charge, although it could be much lower if you're a larger rider and live in a hilly area. This means bringing your charger with you to work or school where other Ebikes might be able to make the round trip on a single charge.
  • The battery cannot be removed for easy charging or storage off the bike, this presents a couple of issues. One, you can't bring the battery inside with you to charge at work or school; you'd have to bring the whole bike inside. Two, lithium-ion batteries are sensitive to both heat and cold, leaving the battery outside for prolonged periods will cause it to wear out much more quickly. Store and charge inside whenever possible!
  • No disc brakes here, only mechanical rim brakes which are rare on Ebikes. This is because most Ebikes weigh a lot and require more stopping power, fortunately the V2 Roadster is much lighter than most Ebikes, and rim brakes save considerable cost compared to disc brakes. If you're used to the higher performance of disc brakes, make sure you allow for extra distance for stopping until you get used to the rim brakes!
  • No included accessories such as a kickstand, lights, fenders, or a rack. This is another cost savings move; may riders won't need any accessories, and if you do need some you can add them yourself for a low cost. I recommend at least adding some reflective stickers to increase side visibility since there is no reflective striping on the sidewall tires.
As always, I welcome your feedback and any additions to my observations that you may have garnered from first-hand experience. If you know of any other great reviews on the Roadster V2, please let me know and I can keep our thread alive with the latest and greatest.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Pretty thorough meta analysis of the reviews out there. We've ridden the roadster for several months now and the points shared (both positives & negatives) are pretty in line with our review (
). Only thing I would say is that the brakes, although not disc brakes, work really well and have great stopping power. By the way, my partner at Top5ebikes, likes the roadster so much he's keeping it as his daily rider.

Also, we did a range test for the roadster where our test ended with 21 miles while on PAS 5
 
oavdn17 said:
Pretty thorough meta analysis of the reviews out there. We've ridden the roadster for several months now and the points shared (both positives & negatives) are pretty in line with our review (
). Only thing I would say is that the brakes, although not disc brakes, work really well and have great stopping power. By the way, my partner at Top5ebikes, likes the roadster so much he's keeping it as his daily rider.

Also, we did a range test for the roadster where our test ended with 21 miles while on PAS 5
Click to expand...
Hey there! I appreciate you stopping by and leaving your review, especially that range test!!

I'll make sure to have my eye on your guys' channel when I'm writing up my next review :)
 
mitchhackleman said:
The Ride1Up Roadster V2 is a stealthy and affordable single-speed electric bike, with fully integrated electronics and a durable Gates Carbon belt drivetrain. At a price point of $1,045, it seems like a solid first step if you're considering getting your first Ebike, but don't want to give up the experience of your old single-speed. I haven't ridden the bike myself, but have some thoughts after riding similar carbon belt Ebikes in the past. At EBR, we've had the chance to ride some of Ride1Up's other models such as The 500 Series and The 700 Series, but this Roadster V2 is quite a bit different! It is reminiscent of The Baby Maker from FLX but comes in at half the price. You can check out The Ride1Up Website for more info, but let's see what the review community thinks of this bike!

Elektrek Video Review

Electric Bike Report Video Review

Electrified Reviews Video Review

KevCentral Video Review

Ebike Escape Video Review

Dred Sk8 Video Review

Again, I haven't reviewed this electric bike myself, but I have ridden similar bikes, with similar components, and I wanted to provide some insights and open things up for your feedback. I hope by providing several sources, with varying perspectives, allows everyone to come to their own conclusions. Sometimes short reviews and those created by shops only cover the good aspects and can come off like a commercial, so I've tried to be neutral and objective with these insights:

Pros, or things that stand out as good
  • Excellent "stealthy" integration of electronic components, most people will not realize that the V2 Roadster is an ebike without close inspection. This is great for reducing theft risk, as electric bikes are typically higher value and more likely to be targeted by thieves.
  • It's available in multiple sizes and colors which is uncommon for direct-to-consumer brands like Ride1Up, many competitors only offer "one size fits all" models. Ride1Up currently offers 2 frame sizes, Large and Small, that provide some overlap in the 5'7"-5'9" range. They also provide 3 different matte colors to choose from: Burgundy, Black, and Silver.
  • The Roadster V2 comes with a single speed Gates Carbon belt, and I'm a big fan of these myself, especially living in a flat area where multiple speeds aren't needed. Carbon belts are a huge step up compared to chains, they are more durable, quiet, and require virtually no maintenance!
  • Class 3 and capable of speeds up to 24mph, the rear hub motor has 40 newton-meters of torque which is on the low end for electric bikes but plenty for city riding.
Cons, or things that stand out as negatives, or tradeoffs:
  • The battery capacity of 252 watt-hours is fairly low, most modern ebikes have at least 400 watt-hours and some have over a thousand. You should still be able to achieve 20-30 miles per charge, although it could be much lower if you're a larger rider and live in a hilly area. This means bringing your charger with you to work or school where other Ebikes might be able to make the round trip on a single charge.
  • The battery cannot be removed for easy charging or storage off the bike, this presents a couple of issues. One, you can't bring the battery inside with you to charge at work or school; you'd have to bring the whole bike inside. Two, lithium-ion batteries are sensitive to both heat and cold, leaving the battery outside for prolonged periods will cause it to wear out much more quickly. Store and charge inside whenever possible!
  • No disc brakes here, only mechanical rim brakes which are rare on Ebikes. This is because most Ebikes weigh a lot and require more stopping power, fortunately the V2 Roadster is much lighter than most Ebikes, and rim brakes save considerable cost compared to disc brakes. If you're used to the higher performance of disc brakes, make sure you allow for extra distance for stopping until you get used to the rim brakes!
  • No included accessories such as a kickstand, lights, fenders, or a rack. This is another cost savings move; may riders won't need any accessories, and if you do need some you can add them yourself for a low cost. I recommend at least adding some reflective stickers to increase side visibility since there is no reflective striping on the sidewall tires.
As always, I welcome your feedback and any additions to my observations that you may have garnered from first-hand experience. If you know of any other great reviews on the Roadster V2, please let me know and I can keep our thread alive with the latest and greatest.
Click to expand...
I really like everything about that bike. The only thing I would change are the brakes since where I live it is hilly and rains too much for those brakes.
 
steve mercier said:
I really like everything about that bike. The only thing I would change are the brakes since where I live it is hilly and rains too much for those brakes.
Click to expand...
Hey Steve, I think I would also want something a little bit more trustworthy if I was in rainy conditions and hilly terrain.
 
Yeah that's a good point about rain/terrain. I live on the coast in California where it doesn't rain much and it's flat so the brakes work fine for me here.
 
mitchhackleman said:
Hey there! I appreciate you stopping by and leaving your review, especially that range test!!

I'll make sure to have my eye on your guys' channel when I'm writing up my next review :)
Click to expand...
Thanks for the response. Also, i follow your channel and really enjoy your style.
 
Thanks for this overview, Mitch. I'm drawn to damn near everything about this bike, particularly it's lightweight and simplicity. I even like the narrow handlebars. I suspect it might be easier than my current folder-boulder to put in the back of my SUV (oooof!...my aching back!). My only reservation though is the deal-breaker, and that's the narrow tires. Has anyone tried riding one of these on dirt trails?
 
mitchhackleman said:
The Ride1Up Roadster V2 is a stealthy and affordable single-speed electric bike, with fully integrated electronics and a durable Gates Carbon belt drivetrain. At a price point of $1,045, it seems like a solid first step if you're considering getting your first Ebike, but don't want to give up the experience of your old single-speed. I haven't ridden the bike myself, but have some thoughts after riding similar carbon belt Ebikes in the past. At EBR, we've had the chance to ride some of Ride1Up's other models such as The 500 Series and The 700 Series, but this Roadster V2 is quite a bit different! It is reminiscent of The Baby Maker from FLX but comes in at half the price. You can check out The Ride1Up Website for more info, but let's see what the review community thinks of this bike!

Elektrek Video Review

Electric Bike Report Video Review

Electrified Reviews Video Review

KevCentral Video Review

Ebike Escape Video Review

Dred Sk8 Video Review

Again, I haven't reviewed this electric bike myself, but I have ridden similar bikes, with similar components, and I wanted to provide some insights and open things up for your feedback. I hope by providing several sources, with varying perspectives, allows everyone to come to their own conclusions. Sometimes short reviews and those created by shops only cover the good aspects and can come off like a commercial, so I've tried to be neutral and objective with these insights:

Pros, or things that stand out as good
  • Excellent "stealthy" integration of electronic components, most people will not realize that the V2 Roadster is an ebike without close inspection. This is great for reducing theft risk, as electric bikes are typically higher value and more likely to be targeted by thieves.
  • It's available in multiple sizes and colors which is uncommon for direct-to-consumer brands like Ride1Up, many competitors only offer "one size fits all" models. Ride1Up currently offers 2 frame sizes, Large and Small, that provide some overlap in the 5'7"-5'9" range. They also provide 3 different matte colors to choose from: Burgundy, Black, and Silver.
  • The Roadster V2 comes with a single speed Gates Carbon belt, and I'm a big fan of these myself, especially living in a flat area where multiple speeds aren't needed. Carbon belts are a huge step up compared to chains, they are more durable, quiet, and require virtually no maintenance!
  • Class 3 and capable of speeds up to 24mph, the rear hub motor has 40 newton-meters of torque which is on the low end for electric bikes but plenty for city riding.
Cons, or things that stand out as negatives, or tradeoffs:
  • The battery capacity of 252 watt-hours is fairly low, most modern ebikes have at least 400 watt-hours and some have over a thousand. You should still be able to achieve 20-30 miles per charge, although it could be much lower if you're a larger rider and live in a hilly area. This means bringing your charger with you to work or school where other Ebikes might be able to make the round trip on a single charge.
  • The battery cannot be removed for easy charging or storage off the bike, this presents a couple of issues. One, you can't bring the battery inside with you to charge at work or school; you'd have to bring the whole bike inside. Two, lithium-ion batteries are sensitive to both heat and cold, leaving the battery outside for prolonged periods will cause it to wear out much more quickly. Store and charge inside whenever possible!
  • No disc brakes here, only mechanical rim brakes which are rare on Ebikes. This is because most Ebikes weigh a lot and require more stopping power, fortunately the V2 Roadster is much lighter than most Ebikes, and rim brakes save considerable cost compared to disc brakes. If you're used to the higher performance of disc brakes, make sure you allow for extra distance for stopping until you get used to the rim brakes!
  • No included accessories such as a kickstand, lights, fenders, or a rack. This is another cost savings move; may riders won't need any accessories, and if you do need some you can add them yourself for a low cost. I recommend at least adding some reflective stickers to increase side visibility since there is no reflective striping on the sidewall tires.
As always, I welcome your feedback and any additions to my observations that you may have garnered from first-hand experience. If you know of any other great reviews on the Roadster V2, please let me know and I can keep our thread alive with the latest and greatest.
Click to expand...
I love to have one of these, but the spokes are a little iffy for a guy my size & my terrain is too salient.
THat said, I think it´s a great option, simpler to maintain & affordable. Itś just ideal for younger riders
under 180 pounds. Disc brakes? I wish I had calipers on my ebike, more leverage, less stress on the
spokes. My road bike stops just as well as my ebike, & I´ve never had to replace a spoke. Discs are
much more of a hassle to work on, especially if you bust a spoke on the disc side. One may even have
to remove the rotor in order to change a spoke & then, of course, fiddle with readjusting. Seems to me
a lot of recent bike tech is far more about marketing than actual improvement!
 
Last edited:
john peck said:
THat said, I think it´s a great option, simpler to maintain & affordable. Itś just ideal for younger riders
under 180 pounds.
Click to expand...
I'm an older rider (in my 60's) at 5'11" and 165lbs. I still like to ride though, but I'm learning from trial and error (and expense) what I like and feel comfortable with. Years ago, I rented a very early edition ebike for a few days on Catalina Island. No throttle or shifter. I loved it, and got plenty of exercise. Essentially that's what I'm looking for, but I'm surrounded by dirt and gravel roads in my rural location, so if this V2 accommodated somewhat wider tires I'd go for it.
 
Doggyman1202 said:
I'm an older rider (in my 60's) at 5'11" and 165lbs. I still like to ride though, but I'm learning from trial and error (and expense) what I like and feel comfortable with. Years ago, I rented a very early edition ebike for a few days on Catalina Island. No throttle or shifter. I loved it, and got plenty of exercise. Essentially that's what I'm looking for, but I'm surrounded by dirt and gravel roads in my rural location, so if this V2 accommodated somewhat wider tires I'd go for it.
Click to expand...
You can put on wider tires; for me tough sidewalls are more important. The one thing I´d most
like to change would be to have a 2 or 3 spd front derailleur, but not possible with a belt I guess.
There´s a lot of steep here, but with 5 power modes a guy yur weight probably wouldn´t have
any problem.
 
Thanks for sharing, Asher. One of the YT reviews listed above talks about a V2 Gravel edition that's in the works. I did not see it mentioned on the Ride1Up website, but I'm hoping it comes to fruition.
 
Thanks ki11a. Intriguing. I wonder what the trade-offs will be. How much weight will be added to the frame, if any, to accommodate gravel tires? Will Ride1Up keep the same handlebars? Since October is the practical tail end of the riding season here in the upper northeast, I'm tempted to buy a V2 now and immediately switch the tires for something more suitable for dirt and gravel.
 
Gravel is kinda misleading, from the sound of it. It's just a bike with wider tires and disc brakes. If they don't totally cheap out on the tires, I'd expect a ~2-3 lb increase.

Typically by industry convention, gravel = drop bars, and since they didn't mention drop bars it probably won't have any.
 
Last edited:
Asher said:
Gravel is kinda misleading, from the sound of it. It's just a bike with wider tires and disc brakes. If they don't totally cheap out on the tires, I'd expect a ~2-3 lb increase.

Typically by industry convention, gravel = drop bars, and since they didn't mention drop bars it probably won't have any.
Click to expand...
I definitely would not want drop bars. If anything I'd prefer a more upright position.
 
The PAS on the Roadster is nonsensical. It wants to run the motor at its full rated speed no matter what assist level you select. If you're a lightweight rider on level terrain, that translates to the bike wanting to go like 20mph just in PAS 1, and incremental amounts more at higher levels. And since the motor never stops while the pedals are turning, no matter how fast you are going, yes, you burn the battery down to nothing in a short distance - 20-30 miles tops.

The most similar bike on the market would seem to be the FLX Babymaker. Its PAS system cuts motor assist off at various speeds depending on what PAS level is selected (e.g., no assist beyond 8mph on PAS 1, 12mph on PAS 2, etc). And the range in our experience is at least 3x what is achievable with the Roadster.
 
Maybe everyone knows this by now, but the Roadster will later this year have a battery extender. https://ride1up.com/product/roadster-battery-add-on/. I did reach out to them to ask if the whole extender could added if needed for longer runs AND then removed when not needed (the battery is easily removed). The answer is yes with minimal effort and "gentle manipulation". About 10 minutes.

Interesting bike. Does anyone actually have one of these?
 
Last edited:
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