Ride1Up announced the Prodigy, their first mid-drive ebike, several months ago. Here in mid-April, it is beginning to ship. Priced at $2295 it’s one of the most affordable mid-drive electric bikes on the market. This doesn’t mean it has entry level components or an off-brand motor. In fact, it features Brose, a German brand mid-drive motor, and other nice components that should provide a more premium bike riding experience.
Ride1Up is known for selling ebikes with better than industry standard parts at an affordable price. The Prodigy is no exception. It is available in both a mid-step and high-step version. You can also choose between more commuter style features (fenders, rear rack, tires best suited for pavement) or their XC option which is suited for gravel and off-roading. The XC is the only option with front suspension.
All options are Class 3 ebikes, meaning they can reach speeds up to 28 mph using pedal assist. Typical of mid-drives, there is no throttle, but these are ebikes meant for the pedaling purists. And mid-drives offer a great pedaling experience, one that’s more natural, as opposed to ebikes with motors in the rear wheel.
The Prodigy features a 9-speed cassette, 11-34 teeth, which is an ideal range for an ebike. Couple that with a motor that has 90 Nm of torque, and hills shouldn’t be an issue for most people.
Now that the Prodigy is shipping, we can see what the bikes really look like. Before, all we had were composites. I wasn’t sure I liked the look of the ST before, but now that I’ve seen it in its actual form, I really like it! It’s classy.
I also like the rear light integrated into the rear rack. That’s a nice touch, one that is usually only found on much more expensive bikes. The gears appear to be nickel plated, and bottle cage bosses are located in a practical position on the ST.
Other features include a 36-volt 14 Ah battery for 30-50 miles of range. There are 9 levels of pedal assist, which provides a wide range of assisted power. Outfitted on the XR and ST are 27.5 x 2.0 Maxxis Refuse tires, designed for touring and very good efficiency on pavement.
The Prodigy offers 180 mm hydraulic disc brakes, a Selle Royal saddle, a Shimano Alivio RD M400 derailleur, and 13 gauge black stainless steel spokes. One of the best features of the Prodigy is that it only weighs 48 pounds. Many ebikes are closer to 60 lbs.
While the ST and XR options don’t have front suspension, this shouldn’t be an issue since they are designed primarily for pavement. I’ll let you know how comfortable the ST is, since I’ll soon be receiving one. Stay tuned!
You can check out the Prodigy at Ride1Up here. Some frame options and colors are already shipping and some are on pre-order as I write this, but either way, it doesn’t look like there will be a long wait.
