The 700 series is Ride1Up’s flagship ride, squeezing a lot of features into a sleek aluminum frame for a relatively low price. Between the 15 ah Samsung cells and the premium Schwalbe Super Moto-X tires, there are a lot of name-brand components to catch your eye with this Class 3 e-bike. But is the performance as good as the bike looks? Here’s everything you need to know about the Ride1Up 700 series in our hands-on review.
See also: Electric bicycle buyers guide
Table of Contents
What do you need to know about the Ride1Up 700 Series?
The Ride1Up 700 series is billed as an all-around city and commuting bike, and it’s one of the more affordable Class 3 e-bikes. However, that doesn’t mean it’s made cheap. Much to the rider’s benefit, this bike includes many accessories that would typically come at an additional cost with other brands, such as a fender, front headlight, and rear rack. You’ll find many name-brand premium components you would generally see for several hundred more.
Ride1Up says that the 700 series e-bike arrives 85% assembled out of the box, and while that may be technically true, it isn’t a breeze to get this thing built. A significant amount of assembly is required, such as mounting the front fork, handlebars, front tire, brakes, and peddles. All of which adds up to nearly two to three hours of work. If this is your first e-bike or you have never done any hands-on bicycle maintenance before, prepare for a learning curve. I recommend following Ride1Up’s assembly video on YouTube, tagged at the bottom of the page, for assistance.
Once the bike is built, it is a pretty impressive package. It’s a whole Class 3 electric bike, so you can hit a top speed of 28mph using pedal assist. And the 750W hub motor has little trouble cruising past that. There’s also a lever-style throttle on the left handlebar to accelerate, a color LCD screen that’s easy to use, and an eight-speed trigger shifter on the right.
What’s good?
Great price for performance: Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the Ride1Up 700 series is the amount of name-brand parts for a notably low price. For example, the hydraulic disk brakes are from Tektro, the drivetrain is Shimano Acera 8-speed, and the tires are Schwalbe Super-Moto-X, which are nicer than the parts you’d find on some higher-costing competing e-bikes.
Urban-jungle ready: Sometimes, you just can’t avoid hitting potholes or curbs and have to take them head-on. Luckily, the 100mm of travel in the front fork (complete with hydraulic lockout) can easily withstand any bumps.
The hydraulic brakes also have sufficient stopping power at full speed. I had to screech to a halt going 20 mph to miss a car racing out of a parkade that wasn’t looking, which likely saved me some injuries. The brakes are rigged with an automatic motor cutoff, so the moment you start to squeeze the levers, the power to the motor is shut off.
The little things: Ride1Up has gone the extra mile with the final touches. From the clean cable management to prevent a rat’s nest of wires at the front, the leather-grip handlebars, a color LCD screen, the comfy gel saddle, and the fenders to shield against any splashes. All these additions are thoughtful and are more than what you’d typically find in a bike’s base price.
What’s not so good?
Complicated assembly: A lot of effort is required to assemble the bike out of the box, which takes a few hours to complete. Be sure to take your time to build the e-bike correctly, as Ride1Up states that any damage caused after self-assembly isn’t covered under their repair warranty. If you don’t feel confident building the 700 series, contact your local bike mechanic for help.
Reduced range: While the range is sufficient, it is less than other e-bikes in this class. The battery is rated for 30-50 miles of range, but using too much throttle can eat into your supply. Unfortunately, the 14ah battery pack is the largest available to fit this frame. Most of my commutes weren’t longer than 30 miles, so I was okay. But for anything longer, you might want to consider bringing a second charged battery to swap in on your journey.
Portability: Because of the positioning of the kickstand at the center of the frame, backing the bike up can be a bit inconvenient because of the pedal lock, and the bike doesn’t exactly stand straight. Instead, it stands angled around 130 degrees, meaning it takes up more space. The bike isn’t foldable and weighs roughly 62 lbs, which is cumbersome to carry upstairs. But if you have the garage space, this shouldn’t be a problem.
Specs
Speed
Class 3 electric bike with 28mph (45 km/h) pedal assist and 20mph throttle
Motor
48V, 750w geared hub motor with 60nm torque
Range
30—50 miles (50—80 km) depending on rider weight, terrain, incline, level of assist, etc.
Frame
Lightweight Alloy Frame with internal protected & locked electronics
Should you buy the Ride1Up 700 Series?
If you’re an experienced cyclist who wants a quality e-bike for less than two grand, Ride1up’s 700 series is right up your alley. It takes a bit of work and patience to get assembled out of the box, and if you don’t feel confident doing so, I recommend taking it to your local bike mechanic. But once it’s built and ready to go, it delivers a fast, powerful road-ready e-bike.
For a Class-3 e-bike, the premium components make this ride feel much more expensive than it is. It comes with everything you’d want for your commutes, such as a rear rack to hold an additional 50lbs and a bright front headlight to see at night. It’s nice that these accessories are included in the base price and not as add-on accessories. Ride1Up even threw in all the required wrenches and a tuque for good measure.
For only $1,695, the 700 series is a competitively-priced electric bike. Spending more money on another bike won’t get you better specs in some respects, such as a higher top speed. Even the battery seemed to last forever for my inner-city trips and is easily removable to take inside for a quick charge. There are a few compromises, but the pros definitely outweigh the cons. The Ride1Up 700 series is available in two colors, grey or blue, and comes in a step-over of the step-through frame design.
BUY THE RIDE1UP 700 SERIES NOW
FAQs
Q: How do you assemble a Ride1UP 700?
See the video below for step-by-step instructions on assembling the Ride1Up 700 series. Note that the video is presented at 2x speed, so you may need to pause and rewind to follow some of the processes carefully.
Q: How much does the Ride1UP 700 weigh?
The 700 series with a rack and fenders weighs 62lbs
Q: Does Ride1UP 700 have a throttle?
Yes, there is a left-side thumb throttle.
Q: How much weight can the rear-rack carry?
A: The rear rack has a weighted capacity of 50 lbs.
Q: Where does Ride1Up ship?
Ride1Up ships within North America. The Continental United States is free. Hawaii and Alaska are $400. Shipping to Canada is $100.
Q: Is the Ride1Up 700 waterproof?
The 700 series is not waterproof but is water-resistant, rated IP-65. That means the bike can handle any surprise splashes but should not be ridden in the rain.
Q: What’s the difference between the 500 and 700 Series?
Besides the $400 price difference, the 500 series has a higher-capacity battery and a non-color display. The 700 series has hydraulic instead of mechanical breaks, includes front and rear lights, and the battery is integrated into the frame for a cleaner look