I'm sure I'll get plenty of alternative suggestions and the has probably been covered but I'm a casual cyclist looking for an e-bike for around $1000 for pleasure riding and the occasional ride to work(3.5 miles) . It's not real hilly around here either. I figure the radmission since speed is simpler, likely more dependable long run and has regen but the core 5 with the 7 speeds would be quicker. Thoughts?
Ride1up core 5 or Radmission 1?
- Thread starter cldlhd
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TMH
Well-Known Member
I haven't drunk the Rad Kool-Aid, but I see absolutely nothing interesting about the RadMission 1.
OTOH I do have some experience with R1U bikes (my wife likes her 700 very much), and although we have plenty of really nice e-bikes, I am really tempted to pick up a Core 5 as a knock-around bike. Something I can take to the market and lock up outside while I shop, without having to worry too much. That bike seems like a winner to me. I would throw a set of straight bars onto it, but that is a cheap and easy change.
OTOH I do have some experience with R1U bikes (my wife likes her 700 very much), and although we have plenty of really nice e-bikes, I am really tempted to pick up a Core 5 as a knock-around bike. Something I can take to the market and lock up outside while I shop, without having to worry too much. That bike seems like a winner to me. I would throw a set of straight bars onto it, but that is a cheap and easy change.
BigNerd
Well-Known Member
Check out the Espin Sport and Flow, on sale for $1199 right now:
www.espinbikes.com
They are reviewed here on EBR.
electricbikereview.com
Espin ebike | Buy the best step-through ebike
Espin offers specialized commuter/all-terrain fat tire electric bikes at affordable price. Shop an ebike with throttle and pedal assist to fit your life style.
www.espinbikes.com
They are reviewed here on EBR.
Espin Reviews | EBR
ESPIN was started in San Francisco by a husband and wife team, Josh Lam and Yina Liu. Founded around 2014, the company has been devoted to developing commuter city bikes that come with a powerful 350-watt motor and a lithium-ion battery with a range of 20-40 miles, LED headlights, balloon tires...
electricbikereview.com
Thanks , seems too many choices can be a problem..... First I heard of Espin but it looks good. Weighing pros and cons as they look very similar. After a quick look The pros for the Espin are : hydraulic brakes, front suspension fork and the integrated lights. For the Core5 the cadence sensor is sealed ( I think) and the rest is aesthetic so subjective. I like the color of it better and the fact that the battery is painted to match the frame ( if I get the Espin sport I'd probably get black so no biggie) , more of the cables are integrated into the bottom of the frame rather than exposed and I'm not a big fan of the look of fenders but I'm sure I could easily remove them from the Espin. If the cadence sensor was sealed I think I'd definitely lean more strongly towards the Espin.Check out the Espin Sport and Flow, on sale for $1199 right now:
Espin ebike | Buy the best step-through ebike
Espin offers specialized commuter/all-terrain fat tire electric bikes at affordable price. Shop an ebike with throttle and pedal assist to fit your life style.
They are reviewed here on EBR.
Espin Reviews | EBR
ESPIN was started in San Francisco by a husband and wife team, Josh Lam and Yina Liu. Founded around 2014, the company has been devoted to developing commuter city bikes that come with a powerful 350-watt motor and a lithium-ion battery with a range of 20-40 miles, LED headlights, balloon tires...
Also curious how difficult it is to unlock the Sport to get it to class 3.
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Thanks, actually I'm sort of leaning towards the Espin now, I think the hydraulic brakes, integrated lights and front suspension outweigh the slight aesthetic advantage of the core 5. I just wish the Espin came in the same color as the Core 5 , there's a YouTube owner review of the Core 5 in the color I like, and I wish the cables were run as neatly, around the handlebars and bottom of frame, as the Ride1up.
Check out the Rid1Up 500 series. I actually chose to purchase it over the Espin - more assist levels, assist levels are programmable, slightly wider tires, has a higher top gear for less hamster wheeling at higher speed, lower cost additional /replacment battery including 17.5 aH battery. Rack/fenders are optional, has a suspension fork. I ended up not purchasing because the shipment date was further extended.
Thanks for the info, I'm sure some people are irritated by newbies like me asking questions that have gone over before but it's just easier to ask rather than pouring through previous posts.
I wasn't aware of the higher gear on the 500 series, I wonder if the Core 5 has the same gearing? The only thing I didn't like about the 500 series is all else being equal I would prefer hydraulic brakes and I like the look of an integrated battery better. Which inevitably leads me to look at the 700 series....I started telling myself what's a few hundred extra dollars considering I'll get the hydraulic brakes, suspension , better tires etc. ..
When I was about to order the 500, it had an earlier ship date than the 700, and I was going to skip the rack/fenders. The 700 includes them of course, has a very sightly larger chainring and a bit wider tires than 500, a slightly higher aH battery that isn't compatible with 500's battery, battery is integrated to frame, color LCD, hydraulic brakes, water bottle bosses. The 700 weight seems like quite a bit more for just having rack and fenders vs. 500. Core 5 has same gearing as 500, 700 just slightly higher due to the larger chainring. If you want the rack/fenders, then the 700 starts looking better.
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I do want a rack, if I got the Core 5 I was either going to get the factory one or maybe one of those little MTX ones that mount onto the seat shaft. I'm not really a huge fan of fenders so I would probably take them off. So the way I see it the Core 5 with a rack, the Espin sport, or the 500 series are all about $1,200, and the 700 series is $300 more. I saw that it is heavier that wouldn't be a problem for me in regards to lifting it because I don't plan on taking it up any stairs but I guess it might affect the handling a little bit. I'm a decent size, 6 ft 2 in tall and about 220 lbs. for whatever it's worth.
You can save another $40 on R1U by taking the pledge.
ride1up.com
They do require you to have the bike inspected or assembled by a bike mechanic for warranty coverage, so that adds some cost.
I'm not a fan of fenders either, and I don't have them on my Trek standard bike. I have a Trek rack that's attached to the seat post, like you mentioned. I figured I could put that on the 500 if needed. I don't carry much since I just use it for exercise, so maybe a extra thermos and shirt for long rides.
About Us - Ride1Up
Hello We're Ride1Up we make some pretty great electric bikes Our mission is simple: Get More People On E-Bikes We’ve been meeting milestones of our
ride1up.com
They do require you to have the bike inspected or assembled by a bike mechanic for warranty coverage, so that adds some cost.
I'm not a fan of fenders either, and I don't have them on my Trek standard bike. I have a Trek rack that's attached to the seat post, like you mentioned. I figured I could put that on the 500 if needed. I don't carry much since I just use it for exercise, so maybe a extra thermos and shirt for long rides.
That part about the warranty is a bit of a bummer. My best friend is a mechanic for the local police department but I guess that won't count...lol. I figure if I take it to work I'd want to strap my lunch box to the rack and who knows maybe if I grab a six pack on the way home depending on what kind of day I have...You can save another $40 on R1U by taking the pledge.
About Us - Ride1Up
Hello We're Ride1Up we make some pretty great electric bikes Our mission is simple: Get More People On E-Bikes We’ve been meeting milestones of our
They do require you to have the bike inspected or assembled by a bike mechanic for warranty coverage, so that adds some cost.
I'm not a fan of fenders either, and I don't have them on my Trek standard bike. I have a Trek rack that's attached to the seat post, like you mentioned. I figured I could put that on the 500 if needed. I don't carry much since I just use it for exercise, so maybe a extra thermos and shirt for long rides.
After a ton of research, I ordered a Core5 a few weeks ago. I'm supposed to get it mid-August (fingers crossed). I decided on R1U for the same reasons you're considering it. Lots of comparables out there, but at the end of the day, I liked the 'sleeker' look and really just need a basic commuter with decent componentry. (18 miles round trip...with 1,200' of elevation gain! So I'll put that PAS to the test I think.)
Tough to beat the price IMO. I'll post some reviews in a few months.
Good luck with your decision.
Tough to beat the price IMO. I'll post some reviews in a few months.
Good luck with your decision.
I'm still thinking about the core5 but I do want the hydraulic brakes and a few other upgrades the 700 offers . I just have to decide if its worth the extra $300 and an extra months wait.
BigNerd
Well-Known Member
As I've been going through this process... I used to think suspension fork and hydraulic brakes were must-haves but now I'm not so sure.
For one, if I'm using the bike mainly for paved road and no curb jumping, a suspension fork is less necessary... and the lower maintenance mechanical disc brakes may be better for someone like me who doesn't want to get caught up in servicing a hydraulic system.
So I'm stuck between the Sport and the Core-5 and they both look similar (I prefer the hidden battery).
For one, if I'm using the bike mainly for paved road and no curb jumping, a suspension fork is less necessary... and the lower maintenance mechanical disc brakes may be better for someone like me who doesn't want to get caught up in servicing a hydraulic system.
So I'm stuck between the Sport and the Core-5 and they both look similar (I prefer the hidden battery).
TMH
Well-Known Member
Disk brakes on bikes and e-bikes are GREAT. Hydraulic disk brakes are better than mechanical disk brakes, but not by as much as many make them out to be. I would consider hydraulic disk brakes to be virtually mandatory on eMTBs if you ride semi-aggressively or harder. Easy trail riding - not so much. Street riding - not so much. Really heavy bike or long steep hills on your normal commute ride - well, you probably would prefer hydraulic brakes. Issues with hand strength - hydraulic preferred.
So in the end, don't exclude a bike for having mechanical disk brakes over hydraulic for normal use. The much bigger difference is between having disk brakes vs rim brakes - EVERYTHING else would have to be very compelling before I would ever consider having rim brakes on a bike again, especially a heavier e-bike. But the difference between hydraulic and mechanical disks is not so great. And with mechanical disk brakes, servicing (which is a little more frequent) is much easier for the bike owner. If you haven't dealt with hydraulic disk brakes before (like on a motorcycle), then you will likely need to have them serviced at a bike shop. But dealing with cable stretch and/or cleaning the cable and housing from gunk occasionally (especially for the rear) - not difficult at all, takes only a few minutes and not frequently necessary.
Just sayin'...
Edit: My wife does have hand strength issues from a really bad fracture of her right wrist (rear brake) from some years ago. She has hydraulic disk brakes on her street and trekking e-bikes, but mechanical disk brakes on her fatty. She rides aggressively on the street - we generally average 19+ mph over our 10 mile exercise/conditioning loop. And she has never commented (maybe doesn't even know) that one of her bikes doesn't have the 'superior' hydraulic brakes.
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I agree 100% in regards to the suspension fork as I'll be on paved roads the vast majority of the time and other than that basically cutting across a grass field. I disagree a bit in regards to the hydraulic brakes though. If I'm not mistaken as the pads wear you have to adjust the cable every so many miles but the hydraulic brakes automatically adjust just like a cars. I understand that when the brake pads need replacing it can be a little more involved with hydraulics but I've done disc brakes on cars plenty of times so I don't think it'll be a big deal. I'm not saying it's a must have but for me personally I have a lack of love for adjusting mechanical brake cables on a bike...... I think one of the main advantages of mechanical would be ability to fix or adjust on more remote mountain bike type trails if needed But the vast majority of my riding will be on paved suburban roads or a trail in a park.
Thanks for the info. If you don't mind me asking why do you think I wouldn't be able to service the hydraulic brakes myself? I've never worked on them before on a bike but plenty of times on cars. I have plenty of space to work on it and a full compliment of tools.
Maybe it's time to check out a YouTube video or two!
TMH
Well-Known Member
Anyone can work on hydraulic brakes. However it has always seemed to me that many folks who don't have experience with them don't want to. Plus you might need a couple of new tools to work on them.
Not a huge challenge by any means, and gets easier every time you work on them. But more folks don't want to 'take the chance they will mess something up', and are more comfortable working on mechanical brakes.
Core5 never made it to my list. I don't like those handlebars or the lower capacity battery, and the tires were not quite as wide as the 700 or LMT'D. They are the same as the 500, which I would prefer at $1200 over the Core5. But, 700 or something else could still be in the cards because I'm not planning to get one for this riding season, so who knows what will come up.
I still ride a standard bike hours every week, sometimes several hours in a day, and it has caliper rim brakes. I don't need to use them much on my rides on rural roads, but they always work fine when I need them - don't give it much thought. I've had mechanical brakes and hydraulic brakes on an assortment of motorcycles over the last 40 years or so, so I'll take them, but it's definitely not a critical thing in my choice of a bike for my purposes.
I'm still thinking about the Espin Nero fat bike with the early bird $1000 pricing, and get a standard tire bike later on. But, I might just forget the Nero. Good thing I don't need to rush that decision.
I still ride a standard bike hours every week, sometimes several hours in a day, and it has caliper rim brakes. I don't need to use them much on my rides on rural roads, but they always work fine when I need them - don't give it much thought. I've had mechanical brakes and hydraulic brakes on an assortment of motorcycles over the last 40 years or so, so I'll take them, but it's definitely not a critical thing in my choice of a bike for my purposes.
I'm still thinking about the Espin Nero fat bike with the early bird $1000 pricing, and get a standard tire bike later on. But, I might just forget the Nero. Good thing I don't need to rush that decision.
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