TL;DR — Ride1Up makes the most bike for your money we’ve found. We put real miles on two of their models and rated the brand high. The catch: both bikes we tested — the Core 5 (8.5/10) and the Cafe Cruiser (7.5/10) — are now discontinued. Ride1Up says the Turris replaces the Core 5. We haven’t ridden it, or anything else in the current lineup. So read this as our honest take on the brand, plus what our testing does and doesn’t tell you about what they sell today.
Here’s the short version: in our testing, Ride1Up gave you more bike for your money than just about anyone.
We put real miles on two of their models and came away impressed. The catch: you can’t buy either one new anymore. Both the Core 5 and the Cafe Cruiser are discontinued, and Ride1Up now steers Core 5 shoppers to the Turris.
We haven’t tested the Turris, or anything else in the current lineup. So this page does two jobs — give you our brand verdict from long-term testing, and stay honest about what that testing does and doesn’t tell you about what’s on their site today.
The ownership caveats haven’t changed: no stores, no test rides, support by phone and email only.
We’ve ridden the Core 5 and the Cafe Cruiser, and put the brand head-to-head against Rad Power Bikes and Aventon. Everything below pulls that testing into one verdict.
2026 Update: Ride1Up’s Lineup Has Changed
Both bikes in this review are discontinued. Ride1Up’s site now says “The Core-5 has been discontinued” and pushes the Turris as the replacement — “similar performance with upgraded specs such as front suspension, hydraulic brakes, fenders and more,” in their words. The Cafe Cruiser is gone too (it sold for around $1,395–$1,595).
As of June 2026, the lineup is the Portola, Vorsa, Roadster v3, TrailRush, Prodigy v2, and CF Racer1. We haven’t tested any of them, so we won’t fake opinions we don’t have.
What we can tell you is what hundreds of miles on two Ride1Up bikes taught us about the brand — how it builds, how it prices, and how it handles problems. That’s the rest of this page.
- An incredible value
- A wide variety of products
- Owners love the product
- Comes with cool swag
- Not as well-known as other brands
Quick Comparison: The Ride1Up Bikes We’ve Tested
| Product | Price (when sold) | Status | Best For (while available) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ride1Up Core 5 (8.5/10) | Sold for $1,195 | Discontinued — Ride1Up recommends the Turris as its successor | Was our pick for a first e-bike and best pure value |
| Ride1Up Cafe Cruiser (7.5/10) | Sold for around $1,395–$1,595 | Discontinued — no longer in Ride1Up’s lineup | Comfort-first cruising, errands, carrying a passenger |
Ride1Up Core 5 (8.5/10) — Discontinued, But Here’s What It Told Us About the Brand
The Core 5 is discontinued — Ride1Up now points buyers to the Turris, which we haven’t tested. Our full Ride1Up Core 5 review has the long-term notes. We’re keeping it here because it’s the clearest look we have at how Ride1Up builds a bike.
The Core 5 was simple on purpose. For $1,195 you got a 750W rear hub motor (60Nm), a 7-speed Shimano Tourney drivetrain, and a 48V LG-cell battery good for 25–45 miles — plan on about 35.
It’s a Class 3 bike: pedal assist to 28 mph, throttle to around 20. And at 49 pounds, it was one of the lighter e-bikes we’ve tested. That matters more than it sounds — getting it in and out of the garage is actually easy.
The ride surprised us. We expected a big motor on a light frame to feel jerky. It didn’t — the pedal assist is some of the best-tuned we’ve used at any price. It also handled a gravel road and an unpaved trail without drama, and that’s with no suspension.
It wasn’t perfect. Ours showed up with a bent derailleur hanger. Ride1Up shipped a replacement fast, and the repair I’d been dreading took about 10 minutes.
A few smaller notes. The mechanical disc brakes squealed for the first 20 miles (normal, but worth knowing). It skipped fenders, a rack, and a rear light to hit the price — adding fenders and a rack ran about $110, still cheap for what you got. And I’d take a half-twist throttle over the thumb one any day.
What we liked: build quality, that well-tuned pedal assist, the light 49 lb frame, the integrated battery, 20-minute assembly, and the price. What we’d skip it for: serious off-roading, hauling kids or cargo, or top-shelf components — it wasn’t that bike. Ride1Up says the Turris fixes some of those gaps (front suspension, hydraulic brakes, fenders — their claims, not our testing). Full story in our Ride1Up Core 5 review.
Ride1Up Cafe Cruiser (7.5/10) — Discontinued, But It Was Our Comfort Pick
The Cafe Cruiser is gone from Ride1Up’s lineup. It sold for around $1,395–$1,595. Everything we found is in our Ride1Up Cafe Cruiser review.
The Cafe Cruiser was the comfort-focused sibling. It fixed several of the Core 5’s omissions right out of the box: hydraulic disc brakes, metal fenders, front and rear lights, and a built-in rear rack. That rack even held a child seat (sold separately) — which got our attention, since we’re a family that actually uses the rack.
Underneath, it ran the same 750W formula — 28 mph on assist, 20 on throttle — but with a bigger 720Wh Samsung battery (30–50 miles), an 8-speed Shimano drivetrain, swept-back bars, a wide saddle, and 26×3 tires. The result was a smooth, upright, stable ride that’s easy to love on errands.
The catch was weight. At 65 pounds it was noticeably heavier than the Core 5 — and it was a cruiser, not a performance bike. That’s why it landed at 7.5 against the Core 5’s 8.5.
While it was on sale, it was an easy pick for anyone who wanted comfort and built-in extras over a few pounds. Details in our Ride1Up Cafe Cruiser review.
How Ride1Up Stacks Up Against Other Brands
Against Rad Power Bikes, Ride1Up wins on performance and value: Class 3 speed standard (28 mph vs Rad’s 20), lighter bikes (49–55 lbs vs 65–73), and premium options like Brose mid-drives that Rad doesn’t offer.
Rad wins on support, and it’s not close — real Guideshops, mobile service vans, US phone support, 450,000+ bikes sold.
Our call: for most suburban families, Ride1Up, with the savings going toward accessories. But if you want to call someone when something breaks, Rad every time. (We tested models Ride1Up has since discontinued — the brand trade-off still holds.)
Against Aventon, it’s closer. Ride1Up takes performance and specs-per-dollar. Aventon takes the ownership experience — test rides at 1,800+ stores, local service, hydraulic brakes at every price.
We actually gave Aventon the nod for most riders, by a nose. Not because the bikes are better, but because test rides and local help matter, especially for a first e-bike. Know exactly what you want and care about value? Ride1Up all day.
Ride1Up showed up in our roundups too, back when these bikes were sold. The Core 5 took “Best Pure Value” in our best e-bikes under $1,500, and the brand is a fixture in our best e-bikes guide. Spend any time researching e-bikes on Reddit and you’ll hear the name constantly — big specs, low prices.
The Honest Caveats
- The bikes we tested are discontinued. Our verdicts come from the Core 5 and Cafe Cruiser. We haven’t ridden the Turris or any current model, so treat this as brand evidence, not a current-model pick.
- No test rides, no stores. Online only. Need to sit on a bike first? Not this brand.
- Support is phone and email only. The people we dealt with were fast and friendly — they shipped our replacement part right away — but there’s no service network. Repairs are on you or your local shop.
- Some models were barebones. Our Core 5 skipped fenders, a rack, and a rear light. Budget $50–110 to add them.
- Quality control isn’t perfect. Ours arrived with a bent derailleur hanger. Easy fix, fast warranty response — but it happened.
- Smaller brand, smaller ecosystem. Less proven than Rad’s 450K+ track record, fewer accessories, and the Core 5’s ~35-mile real range trailed bigger batteries.
- Small annoyances. Thumb throttle instead of half-twist, mechanical brakes on the Core 5, and a 300 lb weight rating that felt a little generous.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ride1Up a good brand?
Based on long-term testing of two of their bikes, yes. You got the best components-per-dollar we’d seen in affordable e-bikes — Shimano, Samsung, and Bafang parts at prices where rivals cut corners, plus a 1-year warranty and quick support. The trade-offs: online-only, no service network, and both bikes we tested are now discontinued. We haven’t ridden the current lineup.
Which Ride1Up e-bike is best?
Honest answer: we don’t know yet. The two we tested and rated — Core 5 (8.5/10) and Cafe Cruiser (7.5/10) — are both discontinued. Ride1Up calls the Turris the Core 5’s successor, with ‘similar performance with upgraded specs such as front suspension, hydraulic brakes, fenders and more’ (their words). The current lineup is the Portola, Vorsa, Roadster v3, TrailRush, Prodigy v2, and CF Racer1 — we haven’t tested any of them, so we won’t name a pick we haven’t earned.
Is Ride1Up better than Rad Power Bikes or Aventon?
Depends what you value. In our head-to-head testing, Ride1Up won on specs-per-dollar and speed. Rad has the best support network in the business; Aventon offers test rides at 1,800+ stores. Pick Ride1Up for value, the other two for in-person help. Our comparisons used Ride1Up models that are now discontinued — the brand trade-offs still apply.
Can you test ride a Ride1Up before buying?
No. It’s direct-to-consumer only — the bike ships to your door and you assemble it (about 20 minutes on our Core 5). If a test ride is a must, look at Aventon or Rad Power.
Ride1Up Review: Final Verdict
Ride1Up earned its reputation with us. Both bikes punched above their price, the company stood behind the one defect we hit, and it kept landing at the top of our value rankings.
But you can’t buy either one new now — the Core 5 and the Cafe Cruiser are both discontinued.
Shopping Ride1Up today? Here’s what our testing supports: the value-first DNA is real, Ride1Up points Core 5 buyers to the Turris, and the same trade-off stands — more bike for your money, minus test rides and local service. What we can’t do yet is vouch for the current models, because we haven’t ridden them. When we do, this page gets updated.
- An incredible value
- A wide variety of products
- Owners love the product
- Comes with cool swag
- Not as well-known as other brands
