This incredible bike is the Rev One from Ride One Up. It’s an electric bike designed to resemble a moped, equipped with front and rear suspension for a smooth ride.
The Rev One boasts a large and comfortable seat, ensuring comfort during your rides. With impressive power, this bike can reach speeds of over 30 miles per hour.
While it offers a super fun riding experience, it may not be the most practical choice for everyday use. Now, let’s explore the features of the Rev One.
Features
The bike comes with front and rear lights that automatically turn on when the battery is engaged. To activate the lights, simply press the power button located at the bottom of the left handlebar.
The rear light even brightens when either of the brakes is pressed. By pressing the same power button, you can also adjust the brightness of the front light.
Additionally, the bike is equipped with turning signals positioned at the front and rear, alongside the front headlight and part of the rear tail light.
Pressing the corresponding switch on the right side handlebar activates these yellow blinking lights, a unique feature in the world of e-bikes.
Another notable feature is the loud horn button located under the same switch.
Hidden beneath the power button on the left handlebar, you’ll find a secret USB port. While the battery is on, pressing the “M” button will supply power to this port, allowing you to charge your devices.
This is particularly useful for those who have a phone mount and want to utilize navigation apps like Google Maps or play games while riding.
Ride One Up offers a standard phone mount that securely holds your phone in place, although some users may prefer additional support for the top section of their phone. The phone mount is available for $24.
LCD Display
Let’s now discuss the stunning two-tone LCD display, which is arguably one of the most visually appealing displays on an e-bike. To turn it on, hold down the power button on the left side of the handlebar.
The central part of the display shows your current speed, while the left side indicates your current pedal assist level. You can adjust these levels by pressing the plus and minus buttons above the power button.
Holding down the minus button activates the bike’s walk mode, which assists in propelling the bike uphill when you’re not actively pedaling. Below the speed section, you’ll find a distance section that automatically switches between an odometer and trip length.
The speed section in the top right corner alternates between displaying your ride’s average and maximum speeds. Finally, the remaining battery level is indicated in the top right corner.
Suspension and Storage
The Rev One is equipped with full suspension, including front and rear suspension, and features 24 by 4-inch e-moped Fat Tires. It also comes with front and rear fenders and a kickstand for added convenience.
Ride One Up offers a separate 100 USD storage cage that fits into the bike’s center gap, providing extra storage space.
Since a standard bicycle rear rack cannot be attached to the Rev One, this storage cage proves useful.
It attaches to four screws located on top of the motor, which can also accommodate other accessories such as a water bottle holder.
How to Ride
One of the most significant questions about this bike is how to ride it. The Rev One is a single-gear e-bike with five levels of pedal assist.
In the past, my co-worker reviewed Segway’s C80 e-moped and discovered that the inclusion of pedals allowed it to avoid similar restrictions to a gas-powered moped. I believe the same principle applies here.
However, I personally don’t find the pedals on the Rev One very comfortable to use. Due to my legs not being able to extend far enough, I can’t generate much power from them.
As a result, pedaling feels like riding a bike intended for a child or one that’s too small for me.
This issue isn’t related to the bike’s frame size since the Rev One accommodates heights ranging from five foot two to six foot four.
As a six-foot-tall individual, I find it more convenient to rely primarily on the throttle when riding this bike.
Comfort
When I twist the right side handlebar, the throttle engages smoothly and provides a sudden burst of acceleration. In that sense, I treat this bike more like a moped.
However, I do find the pedal position placing my feet a bit too far back, which affects my comfort. If my feet were positioned more forward, I would be more at ease.
The bike seat is a special café-style saddle that allows you to scooch back, providing a straighter leg position.
However, this requires leaning over more to reach the handlebars. There isn’t a perfect option in terms of comfort. While I haven’t tried it myself, it’s worth mentioning that the seat might be able to accommodate two people.
Keep in mind that Ride One Up specifies a maximum weight load of 400 pounds for this bike. Despite not using the pedals extensively, they serve as a nice backup in case the battery runs out.
However, pedaling can be challenging since you may not be able to utilize your legs’ full force due to the bike’s weight.
Speed Options
Regarding speed options, whether you’re pedaling with assistance or solely relying on the throttle, the bike offers different modes.
Ride One Up initially presets the Rev One as a Class 2 e-bike, allowing speeds of up to 20 miles per hour.
However, there is an off-road Class 3 mode that can be enabled through the display, unlocking speeds of over 30 miles per hour.
This is one of the reasons why riding this bike is so enjoyable. Another noteworthy aspect is the size of the bike and its battery.
The Rev One is equipped with a massive 52-volt, 20-amp-hour battery that powers a 750-watt geared Hub Buffang motor.
Ride One Up advertises a range of approximately 30 to 60 miles on a single charge, although the actual range may vary depending on the level of assist used.
In my case, this is the longest-lasting battery I’ve experienced during rides since I don’t typically rely on the throttle as frequently as I do with the Rev One.
It’s not surprising, considering that this is also the largest and heaviest e-bike battery I’ve encountered.
To charge the battery, you can flip up the cap on the side and plug it in.
On the other side, there is a keyhole to unlock the battery from the bike, allowing you to detach the substantial unit for charging elsewhere or separate storage.
Near the front of that side, you’ll find a battery level indicator for easy monitoring.
Practicality
The Rev One occupies a somewhat awkward middle ground between a bike and a moped. Weighing 93 pounds, it is quite heavy, especially if you live in a small walk-up apartment where space is limited.
During the time I reviewed this bike, it practically took up an entire month’s worth of rent. Since it is technically still a bicycle with pedals, you can’t simply leave it outside without securing it to something.
In contrast, a standard moped requires the key in the ignition, providing more options for parking. However, with the Rev One, someone could easily pedal away, whether or not the battery is attached.
Additionally, due to its size, it becomes more awkward to lock it to standard bike stands as it doesn’t fit everywhere and occupies a significant amount of space.
Furthermore, the high speeds achievable on this bike make using bike lanes feel unwarranted, even if you’re riding at a slower pace. Its motorcycle-like appearance reinforces the notion that it belongs on the road with cars.
The discomfort of pedaling the bike leads me to rely solely on the throttle for all my rides.
Consequently, it creates an amusing visual of me attempting to ride in the vehicle lane while moving at around 30 miles per hour on something that resembles a motorcycle.
Pricing
Now, let’s discuss pricing. The Rev One has a retail price of $2,400, which places it on the higher end of standard e-bikes.
However, I believe you get more than just standard features with this bike. It is available in graphite gray, like the one I have, or a moss green option.
As mentioned earlier, my model has full suspension, but Ride One Up also offers a hardtail variant, priced at $1,900, which lacks rear suspension.
It also features slightly different tires and a slightly smaller battery.
In my opinion, if you’re already considering investing $2,000 in an e-bike, it’s worth splurging a bit more and getting the full suspension model.
Conclusion
I’ve had an immense amount of fun riding the Rev One and reaching speeds I’ve never achieved on a regular bike or e-bike before.
The handlebar boasts a plethora of cool features, including the USB port, various lights, and the stunning display screen.
It’s difficult to compare this bike to a typical e-bike since it closely resembles an electric moped.
However, even in that category, it falls short of some expected features.
I’m thrilled to have had the opportunity to test out this bike and enjoyed zooming around on it. Nonetheless, I’m uncertain about its practicality in everyday use.
