I now have about 500 miles on my 2022 Rize RX. I thoroughly enjoy it and would buy it again. Since I scoured the web for any info on the various models I was interested in before I settled on the Rize RX, I thought I’d put out my observations on the bike for others in the same boat I was in.
First, the pros of the bike: It has gobs of power. With throttle, or any PAS level you choose, the bike just goes. I have gotten it to 37 mph with pedal and throttle on level ground, and believe it can go even faster. (For context, I am a mid sixties light guy in reasonable but not terrific shape.) The quality of the bike is pretty good, I’d say almost as good as that on my other ebike, my wife’s Ride1Up Lmtd step-thru. Some tightening and adjusting was needed when the bike arrived, but it was minimal. Also, bike arrived in about a week. This was in November 2021. No scratches or dents on delivery. The front shock and suntour seatpost suspension do a good job of softening bumps. I had the bike in Moab recently on some trails it really had no business on and it did fine. The range is decent, but not great. I am finding it to be in the 30-40 mile range in temps over 40 f. I ride mostly on PAS1, which still gives lots of assistance. On steep hills I go to PAS3. When lazy or in need of a grin, I mash the throttle. A small thing, but still cool, is the included 3 amp charger. It charges my RX twice as fast as my wife’s Lmtd.
Cons: The motor is loud. Not terribly so, but much louder than my wife’s Lmtd hub motor or my previous Trek with a Bosch CX mid drive. I know those are apples, oranges and pears, but I think they give a good cross section of the vast number of ebikes on American roads now. Oddly, it is more noticeable on trails, where the ground cover quiets the knobby Kendas enough to to make the motor noise more noticeable. Hardly hear it at 20 mph on pavement. The headlight is pretty useless- it works as a you see me light, not as one giving any meaningful illumination when riding at night. The bike is also heavy. Duh. I know you gotta have trade offs with a big motor and big battery, but still… I regularly put it on my hitch mount bike rack and it is hefty, even with the battery removed. Finally, and this is a very small item, I have some questions about customer service. When my bike arrived it was missing one of the bolts needed to fasten/tighten the stem, as well as the key lock for the battery. Both are needed to even try to ride the bike. My first effort to get a replacement via the website, got no response. Then a phone call to the toll free number got a response but a request for follow-up photos of both. After a number of back and forths, a new battery lock was sent to me and I went to hardware store to get my own bolt. On the whole customer service worked out, but it seemed like a lot of hoops to jump through before satisfaction.
As I said at the outset, I am very happy with the bike and would buy it again without hesitation. It is good looking, good quality and a blast to ride. My wife and I now ride together all the time because of ebikes. In the past I would ride my road or mtb bikes alone or with guy friends on weekends. Not so now. If it is warm enough, me and my bride are out all the time for 20-30 mile joints.
First, the pros of the bike: It has gobs of power. With throttle, or any PAS level you choose, the bike just goes. I have gotten it to 37 mph with pedal and throttle on level ground, and believe it can go even faster. (For context, I am a mid sixties light guy in reasonable but not terrific shape.) The quality of the bike is pretty good, I’d say almost as good as that on my other ebike, my wife’s Ride1Up Lmtd step-thru. Some tightening and adjusting was needed when the bike arrived, but it was minimal. Also, bike arrived in about a week. This was in November 2021. No scratches or dents on delivery. The front shock and suntour seatpost suspension do a good job of softening bumps. I had the bike in Moab recently on some trails it really had no business on and it did fine. The range is decent, but not great. I am finding it to be in the 30-40 mile range in temps over 40 f. I ride mostly on PAS1, which still gives lots of assistance. On steep hills I go to PAS3. When lazy or in need of a grin, I mash the throttle. A small thing, but still cool, is the included 3 amp charger. It charges my RX twice as fast as my wife’s Lmtd.
Cons: The motor is loud. Not terribly so, but much louder than my wife’s Lmtd hub motor or my previous Trek with a Bosch CX mid drive. I know those are apples, oranges and pears, but I think they give a good cross section of the vast number of ebikes on American roads now. Oddly, it is more noticeable on trails, where the ground cover quiets the knobby Kendas enough to to make the motor noise more noticeable. Hardly hear it at 20 mph on pavement. The headlight is pretty useless- it works as a you see me light, not as one giving any meaningful illumination when riding at night. The bike is also heavy. Duh. I know you gotta have trade offs with a big motor and big battery, but still… I regularly put it on my hitch mount bike rack and it is hefty, even with the battery removed. Finally, and this is a very small item, I have some questions about customer service. When my bike arrived it was missing one of the bolts needed to fasten/tighten the stem, as well as the key lock for the battery. Both are needed to even try to ride the bike. My first effort to get a replacement via the website, got no response. Then a phone call to the toll free number got a response but a request for follow-up photos of both. After a number of back and forths, a new battery lock was sent to me and I went to hardware store to get my own bolt. On the whole customer service worked out, but it seemed like a lot of hoops to jump through before satisfaction.
As I said at the outset, I am very happy with the bike and would buy it again without hesitation. It is good looking, good quality and a blast to ride. My wife and I now ride together all the time because of ebikes. In the past I would ride my road or mtb bikes alone or with guy friends on weekends. Not so now. If it is warm enough, me and my bride are out all the time for 20-30 mile joints.
