Ridge Rider for on road use?

[MAPC]

Would love to hear from people who use their RR at least mostly on road. I am close to pulling the trigger on one and want to hear what others experiences have been.

Was originally focused on an Interceptor (and found two very appealing deals on used/demo models) but I really like the battery location and torque sensor on the RR. I may do some off-road riding but not a ton and nothing too aggressive.

Thoughts?

 

[6zfshdb]

Interesting. 95% of my riding is off road and I decided on the Platinum Interceptor. Pretty much the opposite of what you are looking to do.

I looked long and hard at the RR before buying and test rode both. In the end, I went with the Interceptor mainly because the RR lacked the step thru and mag wheel options I wanted. This isn't likely a problem for you. The RR has better front suspension and the downtube battery does make for better handling. I noticed no difference in the torque sensor performance between the two bikes.

At first glance, the RR is obviously an ebike though due to the downtube battery location. I ride in areas where ebike laws are still evolving and I never know for sure if I'm legal or not. The rear rack battery on the Interceptor is easily concealed with panniers making the bike more "stealthy".

I had to make some modifications to the Interceptor to make it more suitable for the trail. I swapped the cruiser style handlebars with Jones H bars and replaced the RST front forks with RockShox Gold which come standard on the RR. I also replaced the 11 - 36 cassette (also stock on the RR) with an 11 - 42 for better hill climbing.

Based on my test rides, I think the RR handles very well on pavement so don't let that influence your decision. IMO, no modifications would be necessary for using the RR on the road. The RR is also $200 cheaper than the Interceptor.

These were the main decision factors I used. I hope they are of some help.

 

[MAPC]

Interesting. 95% of my riding is off road and I decided on the Platinum Interceptor. Pretty much the opposite of what you are looking to do.

I looked long and hard at the RR before buying and test rode both. In the end, I went with the Interceptor mainly because the RR lacked the step thru and mag wheel options I wanted. This isn't likely a problem for you. The RR has better front suspension and the downtube battery does make for better handling. I noticed no difference in the torque sensor performance between the two bikes.

At first glance, the RR is obviously an ebike though due to the downtube battery location. I ride in areas where ebike laws are still evolving and I never know for sure if I'm legal or not. The rear rack battery on the Interceptor is easily concealed with panniers making the bike more "stealthy".

I had to make some modifications to the Interceptor to make it more suitable for the trail. I swapped the cruiser style handlebars with Jones H bars and replaced the RST front forks with RockShox Gold which come standard on the RR. I also replaced the 11 - 36 cassette (also stock on the RR) with an 11 - 42 for better hill climbing.

Based on my test rides, I think the RR handles very well on pavement so don't let that influence your decision. IMO, no modifications would be necessary for using the RR on the road. The RR is also $200 cheaper than the Interceptor.

These were the main decision factors I used. I hope they are of some help.

Very helpful. I found a great very slightly used RR for 1900 so way less than buying a new Platinum Interceptor which is influencing my decision

 

[Feliz]

I don't have a RR but I've had a Platinum Interceptor for I think about three years and I've enjoyed it, it's an awesome bike. But.....I've accumulated a few other bikes, I leave one at each of my kids, at the lake, for my grandchildren etc. I'm starting to find it feels dated and I'm not enjoying the handling, I don't think I really even rode it this past summer. Doesn't answer your question but just sayin'. Good luck.

 

[Deacon Blues]

I've owned a RR for around 3 years, with most of my riding on paved roads or easy, wide trails. It does both fairly well. Having said that, for me this bike doesn't work. I realize that everyone is different and someone else may find the bike comfortable and a joy to ride.
If you can, take the bike for a decent ride before you buy it. Personally, I find the width and angle of the handle bars put my wrists at an odd angle.

 

[MAPC]

I've owned a RR for around 3 years, with most of my riding on paved roads or easy, wide trails. It does both fairly well. Having said that, for me this bike doesn't work. I realize that everyone is different and someone else may find the bike comfortable and a joy to ride.
If you can, take the bike for a decent ride before you buy it. Personally, I find the width and angle of the handle bars put my wrists at an odd angle.

Thanks for the feedback. The RR is out now- I agreed to buy one from someone, very slightly used. We agreed on a price and a time to pick it up and then, allegedly, his 'son' sold it to someone else without him knowing it. Fishy? Perhaps....but I am filing it under 'it wasn't meant to be'.

 

[ROCebike]

I’ve owned a RR for three years and have only ridden pavement and hard pack trails ( Erie Canal tow path). Most of my rides are with my local bicycle club and in the beginning I was pretty stealthy. Averaging 30 mile rides, with some hills, I find that I can’t keep up with a good roadie bike on the flats, but I always catch up on the hills. Usually as a courtesy I don’t pass going uphill. Unless there’s an a****** in the group.
I really like this bike but at 6’2” on an 18 inch frame, I’ve made a few mods. Stem risers with adjustable angle to get a better reach position. I added a Konect seat post and gained about an inch to seat height. I’m nearly at the minimum tube insertion with standard post.
The biggest improvement was changing tires to Schwalbe Marathon Mondial. These tires are amazing for pavement and I would toss the stock tires immediately if your primarily riding on pavement. I’m easily 3-4 mph faster and still flat free after 1500 miles.
Downside to RR was the original torque sensor failed at 500 miles. But Pedego support sent a replacement overnight. I had to buy a crank wrench to change it out, but it was pretty simple if you can wrench a bit. Other difficult item is getting fenders for this bike. I bought a five dollar rear splash guard from Axiom. It justprotects the underside of my trunk bag. Still looking for something that fits the front and gives full wheel coverage to the Schwalbies.
Overall this is a great bike and under appreciated as a touring bike when set up for you. I’m not sold on mid-drives vs rear hubs. I like the power on the hub and better cadence at speed. Bosch motors ive tried are too hamster like for me and I’d be wondering if still rideable without power.
Don’t give up on a RR for a good price. With a few mods it dials in nicely. Just be sure about used battery and number of discharges it’s had. Replacements, like all batteries, are not cheap. RR is about $700.
My next bike will be a Class 3 and larger battery. I plan on longer rides and some overnight touring.

 

[Deacon Blues]

You're right about about the stock tires, they're crap. I replaced them with Schwalbe Marthon plus MTb, because I do a fair amount of gravel & trail riding.

I was going to sell mine, but I've decided to keep it and do some simple mods. First thing I did was change the handle bars to a more swept back design. I haven't ridden the bike yet with the new bars but they look promising.
I did have a suspension seat post on it already, but when I decided to sell the bike I put the suspension seat post on my wife's Pedego Commuter. Since she won't give it back I ordered another one.

I installed a mountain bike front fender and got a free, slightly damaged rear fender from my Pedego dealer. I modified it to fit the bike and attaches to my rack.

I also had my torque sensor fail around the same mileage as yours.

My brakes were getting spongy, so I decided to bleed both. The fronts were relatively easy, considering I was using a cheap Amazon bike brake bleeding kit, but the backs were more of a pain. I got all the air out of the system but the brake lever still pulls closer to the handle bars than I'd like. Interestly, last year I had a bike shop do the bleeding and they weren't able to do any better.
I've done the brakes on all my cars for many years and I have to say that bleeding the brakes on this bike was more of a pain. I think using a quality Magura designed kit would have made the job easier and a lot less messy.

 

[Deacon Blues]

I think I've found a engineering flaw with my RR's rear brake caliper. When I took out the brake pads I noticed there was a ridge of brake pad material, at the top of the pad, that hadn't worn down. Looking closely at the rotor, as it sits between the pads, it was clear that the rotor didn't come up high enough to make contact with 100% of the pad.
After talking to owner of my local Pedego shop he recommended that I check to see if there is a washer between the caliper and the caliper bracket that can be removed to bring the caliper closer to the bracket.
Unfortunately, there isn't, so there is no way to drop the caliper down slightly and increase the height of the rotor. I also checked to make sure the axles on the rear wheel were up as far as it would go in the frame....they were.
It might be time to start looking for a different rear brake caliper.

 

[ROCebike]

I think I've found a engineering flaw with my RR's rear brake caliper. When I took out the brake pads I noticed there was a ridge of brake pad material, at the top of the pad, that hadn't worn down. Looking closely at the rotor, as it sits between the pads, it was clear that the rotor didn't come up high enough to make contact with 100% of the pad.
After talking to owner of my local Pedego shop he recommended that I check to see if there is a washer between the caliper and the caliper bracket that can be removed to bring the caliper closer to the bracket.
Unfortunately, there isn't, so there is no way to drop the caliper down slightly and increase the height of the rotor. I also checked to make sure the axles on the rear wheel were up as far as it would go in the frame....they were.
It might be time to start looking for a different rear brake caliper.

Interesting. I’ve changed the front brake pads but not the rear. It’s winterized but I’ll take a look for the wear pattern you observed.
Re bars, I’ve been toying with the idea of installing a Jones H bar. It offers more hand positions for long rides and possibly more room for accessory mounts.

 

[Deacon Blues]

That Jones H bar looks nice. I went with an inexpensive bar to see if it made a noticeable difference. So far I've only gone for a short ride around the block, while trying to solve my brake issues, and I like how the bar feels. I'll reserve my final verdict after I take the bike for a much longer ride.
Here's a link to the bar I purchased (Amazon Canada)

Amazon.ca