Thanks so much for the excellent review and road test. This is exactly the kind of bike I need! I've been on the planet for 70 years and my fitness level is not up to where I want it to be. I feel this bike will give me a transition back to the type of riding I like to do. It's also really cool to find a hybrid that comes with drop down bars. I placed my order today and am looking forward to setting up the bike and hitting the road. My old bike club has been trying to get me to come back and get involved. Now I feel that I might just have a plan to achieve that level of fitness I need to do so. I miss my friends and the great rides I organized in past years. Again, thanks so much for the comprehensive review!! I'll be sure to follow up with my impressions once I get out and about.
Wow, thank you for your kind words! This kind of feedback makes our hard work worthwhile. We hope you love your new ride! And yes, please keep us posted!
I bought one as my commuter and loaded it up with panniers and fenders. Cargo weight and headwinds on the way home don't matter with the pedal assist. At 28 pounds it was the same weight as my old acoustic commuter, so I figured might as well get a motor to encourage me to commute more. It was my first step into ebikes and I love it. I got the road version since I'm mainly on roads, plus it looks as if the gravel version has Schrader valves. For the price it was well worth it and it fits my needs. Cut my commute by 8-10 minutes. In the lower setting you don't feel it as much unless you're in a higher gear, but in the higher setting you feel it a little quicker, it's based on the torque you're putting out. Either way, it's pretty quiet and just feels like you're always in the right gear.
This is seriously a pretty decent value for a 28lb ebike. I currently have one that is 35lbs and I already enjoy riding it so much more than my heavy 80lb+ fat tire ebike. I'm not sure how much the difference of 7lbs will make so I probably won't switch over to the CF Racer1, but that is such a nice weight!
Excellent review John and kudos to the R1Up team for designing and bringing to market such an aesthetically pleasing, high performance road/gravel bike at an amazing price. I sold my Specialized Diverge gravel bike last year replacing it with a Ride 1Up Prodigy XC which I love. If the CF Racer 1 had been out I probably would have bought it instead but maybe it would t be a terrible idea to have two bikes 😂😂
That’s interesting, I’m in a similar situation. The CF Racer1 road version (27lbs) is about 8lbs heavier than my Trek cyclocross bike, but 8lbs lighter than my other Ride1Up bike. Interestingly enough, the CF Racer1 shares the same gearset and geometry as my Trek. Im curious to see how it compares to both, but I guess we’ll find out next week
I wanted to follow up with another comment about this wonderful bike. I've purchased the gravel version and have been on about 4 rides thus far. My longest one was yesterday at 31 miles with some elevation gain, about 1250 feet. I have an average speed on 15.4 mph and had 10 percent battery remaining. I have done this ride many times years ago as a bike leader when I was in better physical shape. I used pedal assist 4 and 5 about 15% of the time because of the hills. I will say that I noticed a difference between 0 assist and 1 and 2 assist. I used pedal assist 2, 70% of the time. As I get in better shape I assume the battery needs will decrease along with my need for the pedal assist modes. I also adjusted the current limit mode to 9 amps. This might help a bit with current usage. This bike does exactly what I wanted out of an electric bike. The derailleur works great and gives me a chance to do some work! I have been using my standard way of using a derailleur as I did with my road bike along with the pedal assist. It's a combination of shifting and using pedal assist that gives me a break when I get too tired and want some assistance from the friendly motor. If felt pretty cool passing some folks on Strawberry Hill road in pedal assist 5! Not bad for an old man of 70! Of course I was also wearing my Gumby and Poky bike shirt. So folks may have thought I was just a lad. In summary. If you enjoy cycling and like me and have not been on a bike consistently for a few years, this is the bike for you! Where in the world can you get a carbon bike for this price! As a note, I have not used this bike for gravel rides yet. I have a road bike and wanted a gravel bike for the Lake Champlain islands in Vermont and other spots for gravel rides. Thanks again for all your work. I hope this helps other folks with their decisions.
Great video-well done guys! I like this bike (road version) and I'm considering buy one, but I plan on waiting for version 2, after all (or most) of the bugs have been worked out. Personally, I prefer a two piece stem/handlebar, with semi-hidden cables, so I can adjust the fit to my needed measurements. I would go with the road version, because I already ride an e-gravel bike (Cannondale Topstone Neo Lefty), which I love riding.
'There's definitely a lot of potential here' - From one of the most shockingly priced, quality full Carbon SRAM set electric bike. Way to undersell it. This bike is stands alone in the category. I didn't do anything for sizing and it fit me at 6'
Ride1UP keeps prices of their bikes super low. One way to do that (educated guesses here) is by limiting frame sizes. Controls inventory costs, and fewer variables there often means lower costs so you can charge lower prices.
@@ElectricBikeReport Agreed! But even more reason to ditch the internal cable routing and offer a conventional handlebar fitted to an interchangeable stem that would allow better sizing options for reach.
I see the front axle is a thru axle. Is the rear? If it is, it would seem that this could be converted to a fully analog bike if the motor or battery were to fail. I hear the battery is removable and a standard rear wheel would convert this over pretty easily if need be.
Like most other commenters, I would prefer at least three frame sizes and/or an adjustable cockpit to allow dialing in the reach to the hoods. Also, though I understand why it was done (to compete with the aesthetics of other high-end road and gravel bikes) I'm less a fan of internal cable and hose routing than the bike industry seems determined to push. The clean look is appealing, but the tradeoff in higher maintenance cost through added labor is just not worth the loveliness, in my opinion; the ability to swap out a more conventional stem would greatly improve sizing issues. I suspect that whatever minor aerodynamic gains may be had will be offset for many of us by the more limited reach adjustment given the two frame sizes. Given the penchant that many gravel riders have for distance and long days in the saddle, I'd have preferred to see a slightly less stealthy frame to fit a battery that could provide a powered 65 to 70 miles - or even more. I'm thinking here of the Panasonic RT with its 124-mile range, albeit at the cost of almost 20 pounds. However, R1Ups' use of carbon fiber and a very efficient motor could probably yield an honest 40-lb bike that would compete in the mileage department with the mid-drive Panasonic. If only life weren't all about tradeoffs! All that said, I continue to be impressed by Ride1Ups value proposition throughout their offerings. The name brand components are a huge plus as is the best-in-class weight. Thank you for a wonderfully complete review.
Im considering this for a ~45 km commute but was worried about the range. They do have an auxiliary battery that doubles the battery capacity and mounts on the seat tube bottle mount. Not the perfect solution, especially for long rides since you lose your second bottle but it's an option.
@@byronshort6721this is extremely cheap for a carbon bike, period. The fact it’s an e-bike is mind boggling to me. This is the price tag of an entry level road bike.
The presenter is upspeaking badly. Every phrase? Is a question? Like you agree with me? Why is everyone? Talking this way? I find it so annoying I can’t get through the clip. Sorry dude.
I think he means the restriction on max assist speed/wattage that some places have. Canada is 32 km/h & 500 watts, Europe is, I think, 20 km/h, 250 watts. Past that they're considered a motor vehicle and needs extra paperwork (registration, insurance). Since this might not look like an ebike at first glance (rear hub aside) it might be overlooked. That's for road/bike path use, of course, off-road is unrestricted I think.
E-Bike Question of the Day ⚡🚴 How many miles do you cover on your typical gravel rides? Let us know in the comments below 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼
Thanks so much for the excellent review and road test. This is exactly the kind of bike I need! I've been on the planet for 70 years and my fitness level is not up to where I want it to be. I feel this bike will give me a transition back to the type of riding I like to do. It's also really cool to find a hybrid that comes with drop down bars. I placed my order today and am looking forward to setting up the bike and hitting the road. My old bike club has been trying to get me to come back and get involved. Now I feel that I might just have a plan to achieve that level of fitness I need to do so. I miss my friends and the great rides I organized in past years. Again, thanks so much for the comprehensive review!! I'll be sure to follow up with my impressions once I get out and about.
Wow, thank you for your kind words! This kind of feedback makes our hard work worthwhile. We hope you love your new ride! And yes, please keep us posted!
I bought one as my commuter and loaded it up with panniers and fenders. Cargo weight and headwinds on the way home don't matter with the pedal assist. At 28 pounds it was the same weight as my old acoustic commuter, so I figured might as well get a motor to encourage me to commute more. It was my first step into ebikes and I love it. I got the road version since I'm mainly on roads, plus it looks as if the gravel version has Schrader valves. For the price it was well worth it and it fits my needs. Cut my commute by 8-10 minutes. In the lower setting you don't feel it as much unless you're in a higher gear, but in the higher setting you feel it a little quicker, it's based on the torque you're putting out. Either way, it's pretty quiet and just feels like you're always in the right gear.
Sounds like you're loving your bike! Thanks for sharing!
This is seriously a pretty decent value for a 28lb ebike. I currently have one that is 35lbs and I already enjoy riding it so much more than my heavy 80lb+ fat tire ebike. I'm not sure how much the difference of 7lbs will make so I probably won't switch over to the CF Racer1, but that is such a nice weight!
Excellent review John and kudos to the R1Up team for designing and bringing to market such an aesthetically pleasing, high performance road/gravel bike at an amazing price. I sold my Specialized Diverge gravel bike last year replacing it with a Ride 1Up Prodigy XC which I love. If the CF Racer 1 had been out I probably would have bought it instead but maybe it would t be a terrible idea to have two bikes 😂😂
That’s interesting, I’m in a similar situation. The CF Racer1 road version (27lbs) is about 8lbs heavier than my Trek cyclocross bike, but 8lbs lighter than my other Ride1Up bike. Interestingly enough, the CF Racer1 shares the same gearset and geometry as my Trek. Im curious to see how it compares to both, but I guess we’ll find out next week
I wanted to follow up with another comment about this wonderful bike. I've purchased the gravel version and have been on about 4 rides thus far. My longest one was yesterday at 31 miles with some elevation gain, about 1250 feet. I have an average speed on 15.4 mph and had 10 percent battery remaining. I have done this ride many times years ago as a bike leader when I was in better physical shape. I used pedal assist 4 and 5 about 15% of the time because of the hills. I will say that I noticed a difference between 0 assist and 1 and 2 assist. I used pedal assist 2, 70% of the time. As I get in better shape I assume the battery needs will decrease along with my need for the pedal assist modes. I also adjusted the current limit mode to 9 amps. This might help a bit with current usage.
This bike does exactly what I wanted out of an electric bike. The derailleur works great and gives me a chance to do some work! I have been using my standard way of using a derailleur as I did with my road bike along with the pedal assist. It's a combination of shifting and using pedal assist that gives me a break when I get too tired and want some assistance from the friendly motor. If felt pretty cool passing some folks on Strawberry Hill road in pedal assist 5! Not bad for an old man of 70! Of course I was also wearing my Gumby and Poky bike shirt. So folks may have thought I was just a lad.
In summary. If you enjoy cycling and like me and have not been on a bike consistently for a few years, this is the bike for you! Where in the world can you get a carbon bike for this price! As a note, I have not used this bike for gravel rides yet. I have a road bike and wanted a gravel bike for the Lake Champlain islands in Vermont and other spots for gravel rides.
Thanks again for all your work. I hope this helps other folks with their decisions.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experience! We're stoked that it's been such a hit. Where can we get one of those Gumby and Poky shirts?
Great video-well done guys! I like this bike (road version) and I'm considering buy one, but I plan on waiting for version 2, after all (or most) of the bugs have been worked out.
Personally, I prefer a two piece stem/handlebar, with semi-hidden cables, so I can adjust the fit to my needed measurements.
I would go with the road version, because I already ride an e-gravel bike (Cannondale Topstone Neo Lefty), which I love riding.
Buy a 2nd street tyre set for your gravel for 500.-
The black version looks so much better
I think so too. I just ordered one yesterday.
We were a little bummed that we didn't get that version. It looks beautiful from what we've seen.
'There's definitely a lot of potential here' - From one of the most shockingly priced, quality full Carbon SRAM set electric bike. Way to undersell it. This bike is stands alone in the category. I didn't do anything for sizing and it fit me at 6'
Have they said why they don’t offer a medium size? How hard would that be to do? I’d buy one in a heartbeat
Ride1UP keeps prices of their bikes super low. One way to do that (educated guesses here) is by limiting frame sizes. Controls inventory costs, and fewer variables there often means lower costs so you can charge lower prices.
@@ElectricBikeReport Agreed! But even more reason to ditch the internal cable routing and offer a conventional handlebar fitted to an interchangeable stem that would allow better sizing options for reach.
The specs are(road) 50cm: top tube 545mm,
bar 400,stem 90
56cm: top tube 572mm,
bar 420,stem 100.
The 50cm is actually a medium.
Hope this helps.
I see the front axle is a thru axle. Is the rear? If it is, it would seem that this could be converted to a fully analog bike if the motor or battery were to fail. I hear the battery is removable and a standard rear wheel would convert this over pretty easily if need be.
Front looks good. Back you would have to have a quick release converter it looks like
Like most other commenters, I would prefer at least three frame sizes and/or an adjustable cockpit to allow dialing in the reach to the hoods. Also, though I understand why it was done (to compete with the aesthetics of other high-end road and gravel bikes) I'm less a fan of internal cable and hose routing than the bike industry seems determined to push. The clean look is appealing, but the tradeoff in higher maintenance cost through added labor is just not worth the loveliness, in my opinion; the ability to swap out a more conventional stem would greatly improve sizing issues. I suspect that whatever minor aerodynamic gains may be had will be offset for many of us by the more limited reach adjustment given the two frame sizes. Given the penchant that many gravel riders have for distance and long days in the saddle, I'd have preferred to see a slightly less stealthy frame to fit a battery that could provide a powered 65 to 70 miles - or even more. I'm thinking here of the Panasonic RT with its 124-mile range, albeit at the cost of almost 20 pounds. However, R1Ups' use of carbon fiber and a very efficient motor could probably yield an honest 40-lb bike that would compete in the mileage department with the mid-drive Panasonic. If only life weren't all about tradeoffs!
All that said, I continue to be impressed by Ride1Ups value proposition throughout their offerings. The name brand components are a huge plus as is the best-in-class weight. Thank you for a wonderfully complete review.
Im considering this for a ~45 km commute but was worried about the range. They do have an auxiliary battery that doubles the battery capacity and mounts on the seat tube bottle mount. Not the perfect solution, especially for long rides since you lose your second bottle but it's an option.
@@Surestick88 Is it me or does the top tube have a 3rd bottle holder mount points? Or is that just for a hanging undertube bag?
What kind of range can you really push out of this bike ?
Beautiful bike at a great value.
what's your height? Im 6'2 and they only offer two frame sizes
I'm 5'11" and we tested the larger frame size.
Does this bike actually get to 28mph? Seemed like you only got to 26mph. I know not a big difference but just curious
With someone lighter, it's entirely possible.
Ride 1 up really needs an alloy version of this model because it's beautiful, but I don't need Carbon or have $2,300.
Nahh alloy is backwards improvements.... carbon dampers the crazy road
@@ITsupportian Cost is what I am referring too. Carbon is expensive.
@@byronshort6721this is extremely cheap for a carbon bike, period. The fact it’s an e-bike is mind boggling to me. This is the price tag of an entry level road bike.
Integrated bar-stem is dumb, fits only one person. I cannot find info on a range extender battery for the CF Racer at the Ride1Up website.
The presenter is upspeaking badly. Every phrase? Is a question? Like you agree with me? Why is everyone? Talking this way? I find it so annoying I can’t get through the clip. Sorry dude.
A lotta people here on UA-cam are of the opinion that an e-bike should have an aluminum or steel frame, not carbon fiber.
Just dont try racing a Kepler or Wired Freedom
Thumbs up review.. Nice job all.
Why would that matter? The Freedom is a 90lb bike and a completely different geometry.
Completely different bikes for completely different applications.
Thanks Kev!
The Wired Freedom is a moped in the shape of a bicycle while this is a true bicycle for people who enjoy riding bikes.
They gonna have a hard time enforcing ebike laws with bikes like these 🫣
?
I think he means the restriction on max assist speed/wattage that some places have. Canada is 32 km/h & 500 watts, Europe is, I think, 20 km/h, 250 watts. Past that they're considered a motor vehicle and needs extra paperwork (registration, insurance). Since this might not look like an ebike at first glance (rear hub aside) it might be overlooked.
That's for road/bike path use, of course, off-road is unrestricted I think.