Ridden: The Ride1UP Rift Is A Budget Fat Tire E-Bike With Premium Vibes

You’d be forgiven for having not heard of the brand. The San Diego-based firm is no Trek or Cannondale. It’s not putting teams of riders on mounts through Tour de France stages. But what Ride1Up is good at is adding value to any segment its bikes occupy. So, I set out to see if this budget fat tire holds up to the rigors of daily use.

Design Evaluation

As I stepped back from the now fully assembled Rift, I took in the bike’s finer details. Ride1Up was kind enough to ask what frame type and color I preferred, and I chose the Forest Green XR (step-over) model. The step-over frame gives me a place to stick one of my bike locks and a frame bag, supposing I can find one that’ll fit. I also noted there wasn’t a mount for a water bottle- a bit annoying as the Rift would be my primary mode of transportation.

This flaw aside, the Rift is a great-looking bike. It really nails the fat tire aesthetic, and the integrated rear rack is something not a lot of other brands offer. There’s also included fenders to keep the mud off, a daily driver must.

Panniers are another daily must, and I found a nice 30L pair on Amazon for about $90. However, due to the fat integrated rail (likely so it can accommodate a passenger), I had to fit the panniers lower on the rack. As a result, they now rest on my wheel nuts. Time will tell if this becomes a problem.

While they were a practical choice, my budget set of yellow bags completes the look (Lotus, anyone). I should point out that Ride1Up offers a number of its own accessories for the bike, including a quick-disconnecting seat for passengers. A set of panniers is also on offer, but Ride1Up's $60 set isn’t totally waterproof. Still these are hundreds cheaper than name-brand panniers and bags. I simply went with a waterproof set as a bikepacking trip is in my future.

It’s a shame Ride1Up doesn’t offer a wider spread of colors- though this may have to do with the brand’s budget ideals. The matte Forest Green paint looks excellent, and it hides dirt as well. However, the bodywork was damaged in transit, which is a bit of a bummer. Still, the small mark above the cable routing in the frame doesn’t detract much from the looks. As a real car nut, I’m also a fan of the Subaru STI-red-almost-pink brake caliper pistons- though I’m sure that wasn’t intentional.

Real World Testing

Ride1Up will bill you $1,895 for its bike, offering both a traditional step-over and a step-through frame. These are notated as XR and ST models on the brand’s site, respectively. Coming in at 84 lbs. (38 kg), the bike will haul up to 350 lbs. (159 kg). The Kenda tires are indeed fat, measuring in at a healthy 26” x 4”. They’re also puncture-resistant. Braking is handled by four-piston discs clamping 180mm rotors.

As for the battery itself, Ride1Up selected a 48-volt, 20Ah removable unit. It lives within the aluminum frame, and can be disconnected and removed for charging with the provided key. Like many brands, replacements are available for order. Ride1Up will also sell you new keys if you lose them. I do, however, wish the key could also be used as a battery cutoff, making it difficult for someone to trot off with your almost-$2,000 bike.

There are other great features, however. We’ve already mentioned the bike’s integrated rack, but the bike’s myriad of customizable options through the LCD display is also a real highlight. Here, you can adjust a number of parameters by holding the plus and power buttons simultaneously. For example, I didn’t like how long it took for the electric motor to begin assisting my pedaling from a stop. With the screen, I was able to cater to my preferences.

The display itself is incredibly clear, and even on the brightest of days, it remains legible even with sunglasses on. At night, you can kick on the bike’s powerful front light, which does a solid job illuminating the road ahead. However, the brake light is a bit dim during the day compared to some competitors. Ride1Up’s display will also track your trip and overall mileage, which is handy for guesstimating your range. With heavy throttle use, I saw around 30-40 miles, but making use of my own two legs more often easily got me to the bike’s claimed 60-mile range. I should point out the area I live in is relatively flat, so that is still just an estimate.

Now feels like a good time to get to the heart of the Rift. Powering the bike is a 750w rear geared hub motor that produces some 95Nm of torque. This is accompanied by an 8-speed Shimano transmission shifted with the right thumb and index finger. Combine those 8 speeds with the motor, and top speeds are around 20 mph (I saw 23 mph once on a hill) on throttle and 28 mph if you’re pedaling on the bike’s highest assist mode. Generally speaking, I found this to be more than enough to keep up with downtown traffic between lights. Stopping at lights is also a breeze thanks to those big brakes- a real highlight of the riding experience.

Really, the Rift’s large frame and serious brakes mean it feels more moped than bicycle. The acceleration underscores this, with the rush of wind quickly filling your ears in the bike’s more aggressive assist modes. Five are offered, with 5 being the most aggro and 1 the least. Usually, I find myself hovering between assist levels 2 and 3, managing the Shimano trans more than the assist. Mileage may vary, but I’m a relatively light and healthy person, so I don’t mind pedaling for some more range.

Still, when you want to be greedy and just use the thumb throttle, the Rift delivers. Just be warned, as acceleration is noticeably affected below around 60% battery power. There’s just the slightest of delays, but when traffic speeds up around you, you’ll find yourself going for the pedals. Another issue- I found the thumb throttle to be a bit weighty for prolonged use, and its springy feel made it a bit difficult to modulate over bumpy terrain. Perhaps I simply need more practice.

That’s a relatively minor complaint for what is such a competitively priced bike, especially when taking the plush ride into account. There’s around 3-4 inches of room between the road and the wheel rim, and the front suspension does a great job of damping impacts out of the box. There’s some adjustability on the left fork, and the right sports a lockout for smoother pavement. These two items do most of the heavy lifting in terms of ride comfort, though the wider grips are a nice touch. I’m contemplating adding some upright grips to the endcaps for longer rides.

A final complaint before we wrap things up: I’m not in love with the Rift’s seat. At first, I thought that because I’d ridden the Rift more miles than any other bike in the last year, I’d just gone a little soft. Unfortunately, the seat quality was the real issue. It doesn’t fit my frame very well, and the rubbery material often grabs at whatever bottoms I happen to be wearing, especially athletic shorts. Luckily, seats are an easy switch.

It goes to show that Ride1Up has hit the nail on the head regardless of these issues. I did just admit to riding the Rift more than any other bike in my month or so loan with it, and I don’t see myself stopping. In the city, the Rift has almost wholly replaced my Porsche Boxster as my preferred means of transport. I use the Rift to go to the store, run errands, ride to meals, and more.

Pricing undercuts other competitors, if narrowly. The RadRover 6 Plus is $2,000, and other bikes with similar specs usually land in this area. Frankly, the Rift is more than worth the money, proving once again that Ride1Up is able to build a seriously competitive budget bike.

Pros

• Two frame options
• Huge battery with reliable LG cells
• Budget-friendly pricing
• Big brakes

Cons

• Seat comfort is hit or miss
• Sticky thumb throttle feels cheap
• Where’s the color, man?

Rating: 4.5/5