Ride1Up 500 Series e-bike review

[FlatSix911]

A fresh review posted on Electrek:

Ride1Up 500 Series e-bike review: Could this be the best bang for your buck?

The Ride1Up 500 Series e-bike isn’t the fanciest e-bike I’ve ridden. It doesn’t have the nicest parts or the longest...

electrek.co

The Ride1Up 500 Series e-bike isn’t the fanciest e-bike I’ve ridden. It doesn’t have the nicest parts or the longest list of features.
But it is a solidly manufactured e-bike with a powerful motor, high top speed, and bargain price of $1,099.
Could this be the best bang-for-your-buck electric bike out there? Read on to find out…

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Ride1Up 500 Series tech specs

• Motor: 500W (750W peak) rear Bafang hub motor​
• Top speed: 40 km/h (25 mph)​
• Range: 40-80 km (25-50 mi) throttle vs. pedal assist​
• Battery: 48V 10.4Ah (500Wh) with genuine LG cells​
• Weight: 24kg (53 lb)​
• Load Capacity: 125kg (275 lb)​
• Frame: Aluminum alloy​
• Brakes: Tektro Aires mechanical disc brakes​
• Extras: LCD display with speedometer, battery gauge, PAS level indicator, odometer, trip meter, 5-speed settings, LED headlight, ​
• mounting points for racks/fenders, choice of straight or swept handlebars, optional upgrades for racks, fenders and 840Wh battery

Ride1Up 500 Series video review

 

[phoenixtoohot]

Sleek looking, great handling, 55 miles on my first charge.

I love the way this bike looks with the semi integrated battery, nice sleek lines and angular frame. Makes me think of some kind of futuristic military vehicle. On my first charge, I wanted to see what kind of range I could get, so I used mostly assistance level 3 (out of 9), with occasional bursts of throttle for the hills here. The battery was exhausted at exactly 55.0 miles, which I think is outstanding for only a 500 Whr battery. Handling is excellent, feels lighter and more refined than some of the more well known, $1500 budget bikes I tried.

One thing I really appreciate, is that it is relatively easy to pedal with no assistance. Kevin had told me this in a phone call, and I can confirm it. I think I could extend the range to 70 miles, if I did more PAS level 0 on the flats. Also, it gives me confidence that I can make it home on a depleted battery.

The motor has good acceleration and climbing ability (I am 6'1" and 195 lbs). I would prefer a 11-32 freewheel, but will wait awhile before I make any change there. I ordered it with the straight, riser bars, which had me too leaned over, so I replaced with some mustache bars and a 60 degree adjustable stem, both from Amazon, and this works great for me. I did not have to change out any of the cables.

As FlatSix's posted video above said, this is an amazing value in this segment. So far, two of my friends tried it out and they want one too.