Why it’s time to invest in an eBike: stop sweating over high prices

Promotional feature with Ride1UP

E-bike sales are booming worldwide. They’re a great way to get around that’s often quicker in town than an automobile and non-polluting.

Most electric bikes still come with a big price tag, but San Diego-based Ride1UP is looking to change that with its range of affordable e-bikes. Its prices start at just $1095 for the Roadster V2 and head up to $2295 for the top spec Prodigy and it uses much of the same tech as the big brands. Ride1UP doesn't ship to the UK, but you can arrange a shipping forwarder to sort your delivery.

But Ride1UP is very much the scrappy newcomer, with low overheads and efficient production. It was started by Kevin Dugger who hand built his first e-bikes and realized he could sell his own designs that were fast, sleek and affordable at a price that undercuts the big brands. 

With a Dutch-American upbringing in Davis, CA, the home of the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame, Dugger says that bicycles have always been an integral part of his life, from childhood riding to building his own bikes as a tinkerer and self-employed bicycle mechanic.

“From that background, I intimately understood which components and bikes were worth working on and which components were too cheap to bother with,” Dugger shared. 

“About five years ago I built my first electric bike and realized the transportation potential. At the time, there were really poor options for customers and only expensive models, or cheap and poorly designed models. I wanted to create something that I would want to buy. After some years of refinement, here we are.” 

For Ride1UP it’s not about selling you more stuff though. It sees e-bikes as life-changing and a way to get around more efficiently, with benefits to communities, environment and well-being, as well as your wallet. 

The price of electric bikes is still a significant barrier to entry for many people and one which Ride1UP has made it its mission to address - hence its low prices. “Why buy an e-bike when it costs as much as a car?” it asks. It wants its efficient, well-priced electric bikes to be part of a move towards a greener future.

It’s made a video of its vision of how its e-bikes will contribute to a better future for all.

But Ride1UP hasn’t skimped on spec to meet its low price points. There are six models, with step-through and crossbar frame options for most, and they’re fitted with powerful motors and large batteries for plenty of assistance while riding.

The $1095 Roadster V2 has an alloy frame with cleanly smoothed welds. It comes with a fully enclosed internal battery, avoiding the bulbous battery packs of many lower priced e-bikes and giving it a sleek modern profile. 

There’s a 350 watt, 40Nm rear hub motor and a single speed belt drive, giving you a range of up to 30 miles, ideal for trips around town, and recharge time is between two to four hours. The Roadster V2 weighs just 33lb, so it’s easy to carry up stairs and into apartments.

Take a look at the YouTube video of the bike.

German Brose motor

Pre-orders for the top spec Prodigy start this summer, with delivery scheduled from 2022.

Priced at $2195 to $2295 the Prodigy offers three different configurations: a hardtail cross-country MTB set-up, an urban bike with a crossbar and a step through urban model, both urban models getting fenders and a rack and all versions kitted out with an 80 lux front light. 

Power comes from a mid-mounted unit from German brand Brose, who also supply motors to well-known, much more expensive bike brands. The TF Sprinter motor delivers 250 watts and up to 90Nm of torque. That’s about as powerful as e-bike motors get, so you can tackle any incline.

There’s a 14Ah/500Wh internal battery to give you plenty of range, with Ride1UP saying you can expect between 30 to 50 miles, depending on where and how you ride.

The Prodigy is fitted with 9-speed Shimano Alivio shifting with an 11-34 cassette and a 44 tooth chainwheel, so there’s plenty of gear range available, while Tektro Orion hydraulic disc brakes with 180mm rotors provide effective stopping power.

Free shipping in continental USA

Ride1UP sells direct from its site and ships for free within the continental United States from its Nevada warehouse. Shipping to Hawaii and Alaska is $190 and to Canada and Mexico $100. 

It’s another place where Ride1UP saves you money, with its packaging designed compactly to reduce the shipping levy charged by its delivery companies, one of many savings that it passes on to its buyers.

Ride1UP offers US-based customer support and there’s a comprehensive knowledge base on line. It also offers 0% finance, a one year warranty and a 30 day free trial period.

Backing up Ride1UP’s commitment to green travel, there’s a further $40 off Ride1UP’s prices for its bikes if you pledge to replace five driving  journeys a month with e-bike rides.