Thoughts on Ride1Up and Similar eBikes

[siciliano88]

Hi all!

I live in San Diego and it is a perfect place for eBikes. I've been considering the ride1Up's, but of course there is no way to test drive them, even though they are based here in SD. I did watch Court's reviews on these, but I'd like to know if anyone has ridden the different models to know if the new LMT'd is worth the extra cash compared to the 500 or 700.

They are all currently back ordered til August 10th, and I may be a tad impatient! If you have other eBikes under 1800 that you think are equivalent or better than Ride1Up, please do share I've considered RadPower, but Ride1up seems superior in most ways and is probably worth waiting for relative to Rad.

Ideally, I'd like a sleek and light weight eBike (hybrid style). My goal is to ride without power most of the time, but when I get exhausted or confront a monster hill, to have the ability to get the boost I need. Of course there will be days I just want to cruise around for fun on the power as well.

Thanks in advance.

 

[TMH]

No experience with multiple R1U bikes to truly answer your question, but based on our ownership of a 700 I would not hesitate recommending the brand. These guys are fairly new to the e-bike business but it seems to me that they are doing good things with what they are bringing to the market. And living so close to where the R1U offices are located would be great for someone in your situation.

We don't need another e-bike by any means, but I am certainly looking at picking up one of their Core-5 models just as a knock-around fun bike. I am also very interested to see what their rumored Roadster 2.0 turns out to be (possibly belt drive/single speed/inexpensive).

 

[BET]

We have ordered a Ride1up500. Expect it soon. Will let you know how it rides. We also ordered an Espin Sport that we expect by next week. Espin Sport specs are similar to a Ride1up 700. It has hydraulic brakes and comes with rack, fenders, lights. Each about $1200.

 

[GenXrider]

The LMT'D has a torque sensor. See the Ride1UP section of this forum for some owner feedback on that. I'm leaning more toward the 500 or 700 now but may hold off considerably longer and not get one this summer since they are not shipping until August anyway, as I continue to ride my standard Trek bike.

 

[BET]

The LMT'D has a torque sensor. See the Ride1UP section of this forum for some owner feedback on that. I'm leaning more toward the 500 or 700 now but may hold off considerably longer and not get one this summer since they are not shipping until August anyway, as I continue to ride my standard Trek bike.

I expect the price of most ebikes to continue to rise. The Espin Sport is on sale now. They say late July for current orders but more likely August delivery. Bike component prices , including batteries, also seem to be rising.

 

[Explorer-1]

I'll just say I don't necessarily think Ride1Up is superior to the Rad bikes, but they are just nicer looking to most casual riders. I don't see anything significant that would make them superior for their average buyer.

Regarding the LMT vs 700, if you absolutely need a torque sensor vs a cadence sensor then maybe. Seems like going with the 700 and being careful at the begging while you get familiar with the cadence sensor and the safety features and best practices not to have your bike power-up unexpectedly and know how to react if it does, is a good route. Summer is short, worst time of the year to be waiting for a bike.

 

[pualine]

I got my Ariel Rider C-Class 2 days ago. So far I only made 40+ miles. Motor is very powerful. I can climb steep hills without an issue. Also unlike Bosch motors it has throttle. This wasn't very important for me but I appreciate having it.
It has hydraulic brakes, internal gear hub, Suspension seat post, Adjustable stem. Also Display has usb charging port.
For range I am not so sure as I still have one bar left on display. So maybe it has 50-60 miles range.

 

[phoenixtoohot]

I'll just say I don't necessarily think Ride1Up is superior to the Rad bikes, but they are just nicer looking to most casual riders. I don't see anything significant that would make them superior for their average buyer.

It's hard to generalize about Ride1up vs Rad, as they are very different product lines. Rad has mostly fat tire bikes and R1U models are all non fat. Rad has 3 non fat bikes, the City, City step thru and now the single speed Mission. R1U has 6 models in the non fat category, all of which are a better value and choice than the RadCity. I think Rad has had a great run based on their timing in the market and their excellent marketing and product support, but they have a somewhat aging and heavy product line. R1U was later to the market, but in the non fat bikes, I think they have a much wider and better choice than Rad.

 

[BigNerd]

We also ordered an Espin Sport that we expect by next week. Espin Sport specs are similar to a Ride1up 700. It has hydraulic brakes and comes with rack, fenders, lights. Each about $1200.

I am also looking at the Espin Sport, please let me know how it is once you get it next week.

Thanks!

 

[phoenixtoohot]

We have ordered a Ride1up500. Expect it soon. Will let you know how it rides. We also ordered an Espin Sport that we expect by next week. Espin Sport specs are similar to a Ride1up 700. It has hydraulic brakes and comes with rack, fenders, lights. Each about $1200.

Bet, I've had a R1U for a few months now and love it. Good performance, handling and looks ... I think it looks like a bike for a SWAT team, lol. I typically get 30 to 40 miles per charge and as much as 55 when I nursed it. The bike is very easy to pedal to 17 to 20 mph on the flats with no pedal assist, which really improves the maximum range. Good luck on yours.

 

[GenXrider]

I think the Espin Sport looks like a good deal, but it's not shipping for a while, either. And I prefer the greater number of assist levels and wider tires of the R1U 700, albeit at a higher cost of $1495. The R1U 500 is $1195 (w/o rack/fenders) and has programmable assist levels, which is very cool. Lower cost battery, as well. R1U has the pledge discount but requires a shop to assemble or check assembly for warranty coverage.

 

[BET]

I found out it is pretty reasonable to have a bike mechanic come to the house and check over and tune bike. Around 50.00 or less. To assemble I think it is about $90 to $100.00. My husband is an en engineer and amateur mechanic. He used to work in a bike store. Still we will have someone come to the house and double check our bikes before we ride them. I hear sometimes parts are damaged or need adjustment. Some people lack proper tools to assemble correctly.

 

[siciliano88]

Thank you for all the great feedback. I saw some one else post about the LMT'd having irregular "lurchy' torque sensing. I liked that it was lighter than the 700., but perhaps this is a minimal difference for the riding experience.

I'll look into the Ariel-C and Espin as well. Definitely don't want to wait til the end of August, but I've spent months going back and forth just deciding if I want/need an eBike! But September is more of the actual summer here in San Diego anyway

 

[siciliano88]

I saw the motor brand on the Espin is "8Fun" - anyone ever heard of this brand? A third possible option is the Aventon Level, which is in stock some times at stores in Orange County. It's about 1hr 20 min drive, but may be worth having the semi-local shop there to build and service it.

Edit: I found a local bike shop 1 mile away that carries the Aventon! Will definitely test drive that today, although it is a bit heavy at 62lbs.

 

[Explorer-1]

I saw the motor brand on the Espin is "8Fun" - anyone ever heard of this brand? A third possible option is the Aventon Level, which is in stock some times at stores in Orange County. It's about 1hr 20 min drive, but may be worth having the semi-local shop there to build and service it.

8Fun was just a commercial/retail branding of Bafang.

 

[siciliano88]

Ah, I didn't know that. That gives me some comfort, thanks!

 

[GenXrider]

One thing I didn't like the sound of regarding the Aventon Level was that it accelerates to 12 mph in assist level 1, and it only has 5 levels of assist. I thought 12 mph was a little strong for level 1 as I'm wanting to get good exercise without having to ride too fast to get it, and turning off assist completely is too little assist. But I know some people don't care about that. The tires aren't quite as wide as the 700 and LMT'D - probably not that big of a deal.
https://electricbikereview.com/foru...orque-vs-rotational-sensors.35203/post-296737

Edit: the R1U 500 is lighter than the R1U 700. I assume the weight posted for the 500 is without rack/fenders since they are optional.

 

[opimax]

Local support a big big bonus!

 

[byunbee]

This demo BMC AMP seems like exactly what you're looking for. It's full carbon frame and weighs only 21lbs without the battery.
200 miles on odometer on sale for $1500 off MSRP at $2850.

BMC AMP Sport One - Crazy Lenny's Electric Bikes

Super lightweight road bike made out of carbon fiber. With the battery removed, this ebike weighs around 21 pounds! | Less than 200 miles on odometer and very light wear. Comes with new ebike warranty from BMC. See video below for more information.

www.crazylennysebikes.com

 

[BET]

We have ordered a Ride1up500. Expect it soon. Will let you know how it rides. We also ordered an Espin Sport that we expect by next week. Espin Sport specs are similar to a Ride1up 700. It has hydraulic brakes and comes with rack, fenders, lights. Each about $1200.

Looks like both my bikes delivery will be delayed by about a week more.