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.
, belt drive, quite power full motor.
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