Originally I was looking at the Core5, then someone out here informed about the Espin (still considering it) but I figure if I got the Core5 I'd have to pay extra for a rack ....I also have become kind of fixated on the idea of hydraulic brakes. That and the other upgrades makes the 700 worth the extra money to me. The heat index in the suburbs of Philadelphia is well over 100 so it'd probably get more use in the fall if I'm being honest.
How does Ride1Up Produce Better Ebikes with less cost and effort than established rivals (eg Juiced)?
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Asher
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I'm not too concerned about hydraulic brakes as I don't use the brakes much for my use. I'm riding down rural roads a lot and know well in advance when I'm going to stop slowing up to minimize brake usage. My 13 year old Trek standard bike has caliper rim brakes, and they do the job fine for me. I came home in a downpour once, and they still did the job, didn't even think about it. On these hot days (heat index was 100+ here yesterday), I hold off until evening to start riding, especially longer rides. I rode 57 miles a couple days ago on my standard bike, and I didn't get home until 12:45 AM. But June through August are my biggest months for riding.
I'm actually now considering ordering the new Espin Nero for early bird $999 pricing, so that I would start with one fat tire bike and then order the Ride1UP 500 in time for next spring, so I would have two bikes for about $2200 total. I like the idea of two different styles of e-bikes, plus it gives me a backup if one is out of service temporarily. I would skip the racks because I don't use them much and already have one light-weight rack I can use, currently on my standard bike.
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FlatSix911
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Very difficult, if not impossible to say without talking with Ride1Up and Juice. You could make a bunch of assumptions, but on what basis?
For those who don't 'believe' in vertical integration, why? Vertical integration is better for some industries than others. It is not the panacea for business. Re:Tesla, they have some compelling reasons to vertically integrate.
For those who don't 'believe' in vertical integration, why? Vertical integration is better for some industries than others. It is not the panacea for business. Re:Tesla, they have some compelling reasons to vertically integrate.
I was back and forth on whether to get a fat bike or not, and I knew it would be a good idea to have two e-bikes, so it seems like a logical way to start out.Having two or more EBikes is a nice idea... best to optimize the tool for the job.
And if I get into moutain biking, I'll end up getting a third! And a good emtb will cost much more than these. Anyway, not sure where I'll go with that, so I'm putting that out of mind for this year.
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Asher
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Not sure if you're referring to me. Vertical integration has its place - especially when you need high levels of control and you're already at the forefront of a cutting edge field. It's just that a lot of (wannabe) moguls talk up vertical integration a) to get more funding and b) insinuate their company has or will obtain monopolistic advantage through such integration.
The bike industry is very modular overall, and vertical integration comes at a big cost or cost of entry, and the benefits peter out as copycats quickly emerge.
Specialized's Turbo SL is an interesting example of VI. Vanmoof is another. As good as these bikes are, they're not clearly a better value than rival bikes like R here, so there's plenty of healthy competition. Especially after a year or two elapses.
I don't think I NEED hydraulic brakes it's more of a I think they're kind of cool and like the idea of not having to adjust the cables as the pads wear
I was going to take a ride with the wife tonight as it cools down but had a couple of beers in the pool today and showered already so hopefully an early morning ride tomorrow
FlatSix911
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It's an addictive hobby... you start with your first Ebike as the gateway drug.
Then, before you know what happened you have a garage full of eBikes... N+1 !
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If you are still looking for options take a look at Dost ebikes, Biktrix or Sondors new mid drives. Nobody I know has inventory now. But have September deliveries. I grew up in Pgh so I understand the weather issues. Prep for some fall riding, gloves and a hat go a long way! LOL!
I recently pulled the trigger on a Dost Kope, Sept delivery. Last I checked they still had Kope ebikes for Sept. The Drop are later delivery. Good luck, let us know what you decide. BTW, you want hydraulic brakes with an ebike.
That Kope looks nice but is almost twice as much as the 700 series. I know mid drive is preferred by a lot but one thing I like about hub drive is the idea that if something happens with the chain I can get home.
BTW I've lived in the Philly suburbs my whole life but have always been a Steelers fan fwiw.
That's what I was thinking. Plus, the hub drive doesn't put the extra wear and tear on the chain and cassette in the first place. In a mountain bike where I would riding a lot of hills, I would be more interested in the mid-drive since the motor can take advantage of the chain drive system for gearing, plus the mid-drives seem to have the best torque sensor based PAS systems.
Same here. I don't think I'll be doing a ton of off-roading. More likely going across a field to get to a lake or something like that or maybe a gravel trail along the Pennsylvania canal occasionally but most of the time I'll be on pavement.
Point taken and my comment is not directed at you per se. The term is not well understood, probably partly because those that talk it up (moguls as you refer) misuse it! It comes across as a buzzword.
Specialized may be backwards integrated but not forwards-they aren't distributing their bikes the way Vanmoof is. I think some like Vanmoof integrate because there was no market for e-bikes, so they needed to develop one. And potentially to protect their property outside of patents.
Bosch is killing it on the component level sales. So that may be part of the value chain in which there are high profits.
I like the hydraulic brakes on my Espin Sport.
Taylor57
Well-Known Member
The OP was about Ride 1 up being superior in the 1800 or less market and I am curious as to why Espin seems to always take a back seat to Ride on these boards. They look similar, the components seem comparable but for whatever reason Ride 1 is a Porsche and Espin is a Toyota. As an owner of an Espin and a Lectric, am I missing something in quality, design or customer service with Ride? Ease of use? Warranty?
I have both, a Ride1 up 500 and an Espin Sport. I like my Espin Sport better. Espin seems better quality to me for less money. I cannot remember any Espin owner on EBR or other places complaining about the quality of his or her bike. The components are similar. Tecktro brakes, same seat, etc. Similar batteries. I think Espin has more reliable shifting but they are both Shimano. . The R1Up has more settings to adjust from the display. I think Ride1up gets mentioned more because they do more volume and more marketing. Espin is a smaller company and until recently they didn't do much advertising.
Asher
Well-Known Member
Espin just looks very slapdash, like a fly by night affair. Their website looks scrappy, their bikes are ugly/plain, have terrible wiring, and the top tubes where they appear look weirdly skinny next to the thick down tubes. It's not an experience that instills confidence for something you trust your life and thousands of dollars with. The perennially marked down prices completes the picture.
It doesn't have the legacy that say, Bikes direct does to pull it off. (And if Bikes direct were starting today, they'd take off much faster with a better website.)
It doesn't have the legacy that say, Bikes direct does to pull it off. (And if Bikes direct were starting today, they'd take off much faster with a better website.)
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Do you have one ? I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. My Espin Sport is a beautiful Colbalt blue. It is sleek looking to me with integrated battery and curved lines. Everything is intergrated, not slapdash. It has name brand components and they all work well. It has good range and is easy to ride even without assistance. It is comfortable, dependable and fun to ride. It meets all my needs in an e bike. To each his or her own. They lowered the price of the Sport and Flow to $1200 when they decided to sell direct rather than through dealers. The bike shows good attention to detail and was double boxed and well packed on delivery. Perhaps they spend less time and money on their web site and advertising and concentrate on delivering a solid dependable bike. Customer service is also excellent. We ordered a second Espin bike, the Espin Nero.
