This is a recent price drop from Ride1Up’s ongoing summer sales event. Several models have been heavily discounted, but this might be the best deal currently.
It is surprising to see such a high sale price. Ride1Up is a brand that routinely maximizes buyer value, offering e-bikes that sell for a few hundred dollars less than what we would typically expect to see from many of its competitors.
In our original review of the Prodigy XC, we noted how well Ride1Up was able to thread the needle of making a bike that’s relatively lightweight, intuitive to ride, comfortable on the rider, and versatile enough to meet the needs of people exploring different places. All of that, plus $700 in savings, would be music to almost everybody’s ears.
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There is a lot to like about the Prodigy XC.
For one, it has a great motor. The Brose mid-drive motor of the Prodigy XC has a natural feel and is very responsive. Even though we originally tested this bike nearly two years ago, it still holds a top 10 result in our hill test among mid-drive e-bikes. It’s clearly got power, but it’s the subtle delivery of it that makes it great.
That’s not its only top-10 finish, though. The battery range tested went 90 miles in our PAS 1 test, which is one of the longest we’ve ever seen.
The rest of the bike comes together nicely. The frame geometry is comfortable, the Maxxis tires do a great job on varied terrain, and the 120mm air suspension fork makes the journey easy on the rider.
As a nice bonus, Ride1Up has even improved its value since our review of the Prodigy XC, as it now comes with the trusty Tektro Orion four-piston brakes (our tester had two-piston brakes).
The ‘XC’ part of the name means you can definitely take it on light cross-country adventures, but don’t underestimate the Prodigy XC’s do-it-all potential. This bike does great on city paths too for being your daily ride.
This bike was a good value in the $2k range, but at $1495, it feels like a steal.
What to know about Ride1Up
Ride1Up launched in 2018. Normally, such a short track record makes it hard to formulate a sense of the quality of the company’s products and how well they support their products after a purchase. With Ride1Up, we’ve seen the brand grow from just a few e-bikes to a dozen different models.
Considering the effort involved in launching a new product, it is evident that Ride1Up is both competent and thorough. They have also delivered on a level of quality high enough never to have issued a recall.
As we mentioned before, Ride1Up has a proven track record for introducing e-bikes that maximize value to a degree we find surprising; they occupy a tier of high-value e-bikes that few brands can claim to achieve. Even before this sale, they were offering some of the most affordable e-bikes on the market with 8-speed drivetrains and hydraulic disc brakes. Some of their models include a rear rack integrated into the frame, which increases its carrying capacity.
What’s the secret to providing high-quality bikes without the need for retail markup? Ride1Up attributes that to a concentrated effort on keeping costs down to pass savings along to the consumer. That means operating with minimal overhead, largely focussing on the DTC model, and manufacturing at scale.
Our take on Ride1Up and their e-bikes
Some brands sacrifice style and quality in the quest for affordability. As we’ve noted, Ride1Up has maximized quality at every price point, but its e-bikes are also stylish and usually come in different colors.
We’ve reviewed nearly every one of Ride1Up’s e-bikes, and in each instance, we found their models to be attractive, packed with value and features we would expect to run hundreds of dollars more, and offering a degree of versatility that makes them ideal for someone who wants to explore the different ways an e-bike can figure in daily life.
We’re often asked what we recommend to our friends and family. What e-bikes do we believe in? The type that performs well and doesn’t blow the budget is typically the answer. This sale is precisely the type of promotion we would steer anyone looking to maximize their purchasing power.
*Ride1Up reached out to us to promote this sale. While we agreed to it, we don’t publish promotional posts unless that company exhibits a great track record. Ride1Up has proven to be a good manufacturer that supports the products they sell, which is why we were happy to agree to share details about their sales. If you click on one of the links above and purchase that e-bike, we will make a commission from your purchase.
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