Ride1Up 700 Series ST Ebike Review

One of the more popular articles on The Journier has been about the 700 Series ebike from Ride1Up and I finally got to review it personally.  This is a bike that offers quite a bit for the asking price so it’s no wonder why it’s popular.

The 700 Series ST (which stands for step thru) is an approachable full-sized electric bike with better components than you’ll find on many other similarly priced ebikes. 

The 500 watt rear hub motor is plenty to power this bike for most riders and the adjustable hydraulic front suspension does a good job of absorbing many of the bumps. 

And for being a hardtail bike, with no suspension in the back, I’ve found it comfortable.  I haven’t felt the need to replace the seat and I can’t say that about too many other bikes I’ve reviewed.

Step-Through Frames

Being a petite rider and coming from bikes with more traditional frames, I can easily say my favorite feature of the bike is its step-thru frame.

Even though my mid-drive Liv Amiti E+4 has an extra small frame it can be a little bit of a battle to unmount and mount the bike once I’ve been riding for a while thanks to stiff joints.

Consider the ST the small-medium option for the 700 Series and recommended for riders between 5′-6’2″ while the 700 Series XR is for riders 5’5″-6’2″.

Step-thru bike frames aren’t just for women.  They make a lot of sense for men too, especially when riding an electric bike.  Since they’re heavier and motorized, it’s important to be able to control the bike well.  If you have knee or hip sensitivity they’re a terrific choice.

One downside of a deep step thru is frame flex which is at time noticeable but only on takeoffs when using a lot of torque.  I also noticed it at times when hitting hard bumps but for the most part the frame feels solid and well-built.

Assembly

Assembling the bike took me about two hours, mostly due to difficulty I had getting the chain positioned right for the gears.  It also took quite a while just to remove all of the zip ties and foam. The bike was packed tightly in the box. My bike had no scratches or dings from shipping.

Assembly instructions are provided and a YouTube video is available to walk you through the process, although I had to go back and watch a few parts a few times. I wish the video went into more detail but it was enough to get the bike up and running.

Others have assembled the bike anywhere from 1-3 hours.  It just depends upon your experience with bike assembly.

Just note that in order for the full warranty to be activated professional assembly is required or you can have a bike mechanic check your work and sign off on it.

If you do decide to assemble the bike yourself the electrical components (motor, controller, display) are still covered by the warranty which is comforting.

I was able to get the brakes working great but had more difficulty getting the gears as smooth as I like at every gear. The spokes needed some fine tuning too which is best done by a bike mechanic.

Personally, I’d recommend taking the bike to a shop and having them fine tune it. It makes such a difference in how well the bike rides and how long various components last such as the chain, brake pads, etc. It’s worth the extra money.

Riding Experience

This is a Class 3 ebike which means it can reach up to 28 mph using pedal assist, and the throttle is capable of going up to 20 mph.

Right out of the box the bike is very zippy.  If you’re looking for a fast bike in which you’d like the motor to do a lot of the work for you then you don’t need to change anything.

I’ve found the bike to be very approachable, even if you’ve never ridden an ebike before. The step-thru frame and swept back handlebars allow you to control the bike easily.

The upright riding position is great for visibility. It’s a good cruiser or commuter.

I ride on flat stretches without the motor fairly often. The 8-gears allow a good range but since the bike is heavy compared to a non-motorized bike and the tires are wider than typical tires on a regular bike, it’s a chore to climb hills without the motor even when utilizing the gears. It’s doable but not fun, and ebikes are supposed to be fun!

I felt guilty passing a couple who were struggling up a hill on my local bike path, but then that just reminded me how smart choosing an ebike is.

Not only can I go up hills without killing myself, I want to ride farther and much more often. I explore areas that I never would have on a regular bike. It’s also comforting to know I have a throttle in case I get overheated or just need a break.

9 times out of 10 I ride past my house when coming back home too because I just want to keep riding. That’s the ebike difference!

Display

The color display that currently ships with the 700 Series allows you to customize your riding experience, which I appreciate. Not all ebikes allow you to do this.

For me, I like to get a nice workout on my rides, so that meant changing a few settings. Basically, I want to do a lot of the work in lower levels of assist, but have those higher levels for when I’m tackling a big hill or trying to keep up with traffic.

There’s other settings that can be changed to gain more range out of the battery. Ride1Up has an instructional video on YouTube with more details.

Tires

I have ridden fat tire ebikes and ebike with skinnier tires but the Schwalbe SUPER MOTO tires on the 700 are ideal for a ride that is both efficient for speed and grippy for off-road conditions.

At 27.5″ in diameter and 2.4″ wide there’s plenty of air volume to absorb a lot of bumps. This along with the front suspension makes for a good ride.

The tires also have some built-in puncture resistance and I haven’t heard of many riders experiencing flats, although all tires are susceptible.

Motor

The 500 Watt Shengyi motor is peppy. Paired with the 48 volt battery there’s plenty of power to scoot along.

It seems like every ebike motor sounds a little bit different from another.

Mid-drives are typically the quietest and some hub motors can be quite obnoxious. The hub motor on the 700 Series falls in between those two. It’s definitely noticeable but not in a bad way. It’s not whisper quiet but it certainly isn’t as loud as the Juiced HyperScorpion’s 1000 watt motor.

I’m not as familiar with the Shengyi brand but I haven’t heard of any fellow Ride1Up riders having motor failure over the past couple of years. It seems to be a solid motor to depend on.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the 700 Series is a lot of bike for the money.

It’s a sleek looking bike with very minimal branding. You certainly won’t feel like a rolling billboard advertising a bike brand while zipping down a bike path.

This is an ebike that is a good choice for many people. It’s good on pavement and can handle some light off-roading.

The only con I can think of is the fact that it requires a decent amount of assembly, but you can have it assembled by a bike shop which I would recommend. If you’re spending $1500 on a bike it’s worth it to spend another $75 or so to have it working properly. It’s still a great deal.

I do wish it had a torque sensor and a mid-drive motor, but then it wouldn’t be $1499! It’s still a good riding experience that will encourage riders to get out more and go farther.

Ride1Up is also responsive to their customers needs. The owner regularly pops in on the Ride1Up group on Facebook. It’s a pretty safe bet.

Check out the full specs of the 700 Series at Ride1Up.

Enjoy the photo gallery!