Ride1UP 700 ST Review 2024

Intro

Commuters come in more flavors than Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, making it the largest category of e-bikes on the market. Choice is great, but too much choice can be overwhelming, so it’s nice when we run across a model that makes the choice easy. The Ride1UP 700 Series is just such an e-bike.

In our Ride1UP 700 Series review we will look at the choices the manufacturer made that resulted in a speedy commuter that is well-suited to a variety of terrain and comes equipped with most of what a commuter needs for their daily trips.

The basics of the Ride1UP 700 Series include a 750W brushless, geared hub motor that produces 60Nm of torque. It is powered by a 720Wh lithium-ion battery made up of Samsung cells. An 8-speed Shimano drivetrain gives it a better-than-usual set of gears and Tektro hydraulic disc brakes handle the stopping duties. Seeing both hydraulic disc brakes and an 8-speed drivetrain on an e-bike that retails for less than $2000 is not typical; this is definitely a cut above.

Consumers looking for a commuter that can help them keep up with the flow of traffic from light to light—which can help keep a rider safer—will find the Class 3 capability of the Ride1UP 700 Series a factor worth considering. Though the 700 Series ships as a Class 2 e-bike with a maximum assist or throttle speed of 28 mph, a code can be entered in the display to unlock it to achieve a pedal-assist maximum speed of 28 mph. More on that in a bit.

Ride1UP also includes an array of accessories that make this commuter ready to go upon assembly. Let’s jump into our review of the Ride1UP 700 Series.

E-Bike Category: Commuter

Who the Ride1UP 700 Series ST Electric Bike Is for: This is an e-bike suited to someone who is looking for a speedy commuter that is well-geared for riding in hills and doesn’t cost either an arm or a leg.

Ride1UP 700 Series ST E-Bike Specs

• Battery: 720Wh Lithium-ion
• Expected Range: Up to 50 mi. per charge
• Charger: 2A
• Motor: 750W brushless, geared hub motor, 60Nm torque
• UL Certification:
• Pedal Assist: 5 PAS Levels
• Throttle: Included
• Display: Color LCD
• Headlight: 80 lux
• Taillight: Included
• Frame: 6061 hydroformed aluminum
• Fork: 100mm-travel Mozo air-spring
• Fenders: Included
• Kickstand: Included
• Handlebars: Alloy, 25mm rise
• Grips: Ergonomic, faux leather
• Drivetrain: 8-speed Shimano Acera, 11-30t cassette, 45t chainring
• Brakes: Tektro hydraulic disc brakes with electronic cutoff switch, 180mm rotors
• Pedals: Alloy, with reflectors
• Saddle: Selle Royal Freeway Plush Gel
• Tires: 27.5 x 2.4-in. WTB Groov-E

In-Depth Ride1UP 700 Series ST Review

Ride1UP 700 Series ST Review: Comfort, Handling, and Ride Qualities

Comfort in a commuter e-bike is a Goldilocks proposition. If the manufacturer does too much to make the e-bike comfortable, the e-bike’s efficiency can drop, but if they don’t do enough, the owner won’t really enjoy the ride. Ride1UP has found a terrific balance of comfort and efficiency with the 700 Series. It rolls on low-profile-tread 27.5 x 2.4-in. Tires—big enough in diameter to roll quickly and yet wide enough to offer a reasonable amount of cushion. But Ride1UP doesn’t stop there.

The Selle Royal Freeway Plush Gel saddle is one of the cushier saddles found on e-bikes and that will do lots to keep the rider’s backside happy. Insulating the rider’s hands and upper body is a 100mm Mozo fork. In their copy they call the fork “hydraulic” which is a bit of a misnomer; shoppers who go looking for other e-bikes with “hydraulic” designs are unlikely to find any; what they are referring to is its air/oil design, which is usually called an air spring. What this means is that Ride1UP gave the 700 Series a fork that offers a better ride quality than those that are equipped with a fork using a steel coiled spring.

Returning to the 27.5-in. wheels, the Ride1UP 700 Series will offer terrific maneuverability at low speeds, along with great stability when at speed, plus bigger wheels roll over surface imperfections, driveway edges and pavement seams more easily than e-bikes with 20 or even 26-in. wheels. The low-profile-tread tires are a smart choice for an e-bike destined for road use and the 27.5 x 2.4-in. tire footprint will offer plenty of traction.

Both the step-thru and the traditional frame designs of the Ride1UP 700 Series weigh 62 lbs., which is a reasonable weight, considering how well-equipped this e-bike is. We’ve encountered plenty of similarly equipped commuters that weigh 10 lbs. more.

The two frame design, traditional and step-thru are different sizes, with the step-thru giving buyers a reach that is nearly 2cm shorter. This will be helpful to more diminutive riders who don’t want an e-bike with an overly long reach. The handlebar offers some sweep, but not a great deal. What this means is that many riders will ride in a position with some forward lean, which will make this e-bike’s handling feel more assured, and giving cornering an extra dollop of fun.

Ride1UP 700 Series ST Review: Motor, Battery, and Drivetrain Performance

The Ride1UP 700 Series is equipped with a 750W brushless, geared hub motor that produces 60Nm of torque. This is a reasonably powerful hub motor, which is handy because while the Ride1UP 700 Series ships as a Class 2 e-bike (pedal assist up to 20 mph, plus a throttle that powers up to 20 mph), it can be unlocked for Class 3 performance (pedal assistance up to 28 mph) and hitting 28 mph requires some muscle.

We’ve seen hub motors that produce more than 60Nm of torque, but the question worth asking is just how much acceleration is necessary. This is plenty to get the job done in all but the most extreme circumstances. Had they gone with a hub motor that produced more torque, the motor would be heavier, increasing the e-bike’s weight. Again with the Goldilocks choices.

Ride1UP chose a 720Wh battery to power the 700 Series’s hub motor and they estimate that most riders will cover up to 50 mi. on a single charge. Factors that influence this estimate include rider/payload weight, road surface, how hilly the terrain is, tire pressure and wind.

A Shimano Acera drivetrain with an 8-speed cassette (11-30t) gives riders a nearly 300 percent gear range—both low enough to climb steep hills and high enough to allow a rider to hit Class 3 speeds. One of our favorite features of this drivetrain is the easy-to-operate trigger shifter that allows the rider to keep their thumb under the bar.

Ride1UP 700 Series ST Review: Braking, Safety & Warranty

Another great touch we like about the Ride1UP 700 Series are the Tektro hydraulic disc brakes. They are paired with 180mm rotors and the levers feature an electronic motor cutoff switch, which is a helpful feature for e-bikes with cadence sensors.

We like hydraulic disc brakes for a number of reasons but one of the biggest is that the rider can have a light touch with these brakes and yet enjoy terrific braking power. These brakes work well in the wet and offer excellent modulation to scrub speed ahead of turns.

Ride1UP’s e-bikes come with a UL-certified charger, but as of this writing, their batteries and electronics in the e-bikes themselves are not yet UL-certified. Our understanding is that they source Samsung cells for their batteries, which are one of the three best makers of cells; that’s encouraging.

The warranty that Ride1UP covers their e-bikes with is a single year, which is as minimal as we see. We’d love to see a longer warranty, but this is, unfortunately, common with the direct-to-consumer brands.

Ride1UP 700 Series ST Review: Recommendation/Final Verdict

With so many choices on the market for commuters, especially when looking at the direct-to-consumer companies, trying to narrow the field to just a few choices can be difficult. Ride1UP has made a commuter that answers most needs for a rider purchasing an alternative to a car.

When we think about the checklist of needs for someone who wants to ride to work, the Ride1UP stacks up nicely. We want to see a powerful motor so that the rider gets up to speed quickly and can cruise at a good clip. It also needs good power so that it isn’t bogged down on hills. The 700 Series’s 750W hub motor has the muscle needed. Getting over hills also calls for a good drivetrain and the 8-speed Shimano Acera drivetrain enjoys a nearly 300 percent gear range, making it a solid choice for people who will need to climb a hill or two before reaching work. And for the rider who wants to run it as a Class 3 e-bike, the high gear is big enough to pedal at 28 mph—that’s not true of all e-bikes that advertise Class 3 abilities.

Often we will see a couple of nice features, like a powerful motor or a good drivetrain but then some other features, such as mechanical disc brakes, that help to bring retail cost down, but Ride1UP went with hydraulic disc brakes and added an accessory package that includes fenders, front and rear lights, a rear rack and kickstand while still keeping the price well under $2000. As we like to say around here, “Neat trick.”

There’s very little about this e-bike that we might criticize. That only the charger is UL-certified is something we’d like to see changed. We’d encourage them to at least secure UL 2271 certification (battery only) for the 700 Series. The other change we would advocate would be moving the display to mount near the stem, where it is easier to view.

That the Ride1UP 700 Series comes in two frame designs that are truly two different sizes and only weighs 62 lbs. Are even more reasons to like this e-bike. And let’s not forget that Ride1UP has a deep assortment of accessories for the buyer; they offer everything from panniers to locks to round out a commuter’s needs.

With the Ride1UP 700 Series buyers don’t have to wonder if they spent their money well. This is an e-bike that helps to set the standard by which we judge other commuters.

Thank you for reading through our review of the Ride1UP 700 Series ST. Still have further questions? Wondering how it compares to a similar e-bike we’ve reviewed? Let us know in the comments below!