No Throttle, No Problem With This New E-Bike

Forbes Lifestyle ForbesLife No Throttle, No Problem With This New E-Bike Scott Kramer Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. I cover golf, luxury technology, and the intersection of the two. Following Sep 25, 2023, 10:00am EDT | Press play to listen to this article! Got it! Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin The new Prodigy v2 electric bike Ride1Up Ride1Up is a San Diego-based e-bike company with generally really solid bikes at great prices.

I’ve reviewed several of the brand’s models the past few years and have been impressed with the value they offer. So I really wanted to test out its new Prodigy V2 model that’s just hitting the market now. This is the successor to the Prodigy mid-drive ebike – which I had not previously tried.

I’ve been riding V2 for about two weeks now. It comes standard with air front suspension, double-layer alloy fenders, hydraulic brakes, tan-walled Maxxis tires, rear rack, always-on headlight, rear brake light, Samsung battery, and a silent Brose mid-drive motor. Plus it has several component upgrades that aim to improve the riding experience, performance and value.

There are two versions offered – a traditional 9-speed drivetrain and an Enviolo Trekking continuously variable transmission (CVT) that offers what the brand calls a “top-tier” riding experience. I tested the latter. Instead of greasy, rust-prone chains, it has a carbon belt drive that ensures seamless and smooth gear shifting in a very low-maintenance system.

It’s categorized as a Class 3 e-bike that can travel at up to 28 mph with pedal assist. It does not have a throttle, so you will always need to pedal to keep it moving – using the five levels of pedal assist (including off mode). I experienced a few surprises along the way.

The first was a good one in that the bike comes extremely well-packed. Many of the parts are wrapped in various kinds of materials that are then zip-tied to secure them in place. Thus, I spent quite some time carefully cutting off the zip ties and removing the packaging.

Despite how careful I was, I still managed to scratch the surface of the sleek-looking matte bronze finish in a few places with scissors while cutting the ties. Then came the bike assembly process, which was pretty straightforward and relatively simple – the easiest Ride1Up assembly I’ve done to date. Finally I was able to take the bike out for a spin.

My first impression: It’s clearly the best-built Ride1Up model I have tested yet. As advertised, the motor is incredibly quiet. And I’m not normally a fan of the CVT system – partly because I find it actually hurts my hand trying to twist the handlebar to adjust for hills – but it’s pretty smooth and easy to use on this bike.

The area I live in is quite hilly. And it gets windy. Thus, I’ve been mostly keeping the pedal assist maxed out while I ride.

I have to say that the bike seems sluggish on uphill terrain. Put it this way: On my usual bike, the throttle gets me up a particular local hill at about 18 mph. Pedaling hard on the Prodigy V2 and in maximum pedal assist mode, I got to 15.

And my legs felt like they got in a good workout. But company officials reminded me that this has a mid-drive motor with a torque sensor instead of a cadence sensor, so the riding experience is supposed to be more similar to that of riding a traditional bike — without the ‘jolty’ feeling you can get from models with cadence sensors. I was generally able to hit about 24 mph on flat surfaces – wind or no wind in my face.

I was pleasantly surprised with how the V2’s brakes work smoothly, responsively and quietly. It’s seriously one of the best brake systems I’ve experienced on the dozens of e-bikes I’ve reviewed. Bottom line: The more I ride this bike, the more I enjoy it.

Have been taking it to run errands, get coffee and visit friends, and its smoothness shines through every time. MORE FOR YOU Tesla Isn’t The Only Company Offering Electric Class 8 Trucks It s Electric How Fisker Is Reinventing The Automotive Industry And Expanding Its Business With all of the features, a bike with this build would normally cost $4,000 and up. But Ride1Up sells it for $2,695.

If you don’t live in a hilly area, it’s a no-brainer great bike – provided you don’t want or need a throttle. And even if you do live in a hilly area and don’t mind negotiating slopes a little bit more slowly, give it some consideration. Follow me on LinkedIn .

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