Ride1UP LMTD Review, 2024

With a 672Wh Samsung battery, the Ride1UP LMT’D is meant to offer significant range. Ride1UP’s website gives a nod to the way real-world conditions influence just how far a rider might go on a full charge. They suggest that riders may cover anywhere from 30 to 50 mi.

Our test rider covered 51 mi. in PAS 1, for a remarkably spot-on result. In our max PAS test, he still covered an impressive 37 mi., which for a Class 3 e-bike is quite a performance.

One of the reasons the Ride1UP LMT’D was able to achieve such solid range is that the bike itself is remarkably light, all things considered. At 53 lbs., it weighs a good 10-15 lbs. less than many similarly priced e-bikes. That’s less mass to accelerate and less mass to keep at speed. While some riders may be disappointed by the lack of fenders and rear rack, it’s important to bear in mind that they do add some weight to an e-bike.

We were especially interested to see how the Ride1UP LMT’D performed on Hell Hole, our ⅓-mi., 12 percent hill that has humbled many an e-bike. With a 750W motor that produces 100Nm of torque, on paper it looked like it should be a solid climber. Our test rider noted that in general, he didn’t need to downshift for most hills.

On our throttle-only ascent, the Ride1UP LMT’D made the climb in 1:34 for an average speed of 11.5 mph. That’s not quick by any stretch, but our other tests are littered with e-bikes that couldn’t finish the hill on throttle alone.

Class 3 e-bikes max out their assistance at 28 mph, and compared to 20 mph, 28 really does feel fast, which is a good thing. That sense of speed informs our perspective on how soon to apply the brakes to stop in a reasonable distance. And because 28 mph is about as fast as some riders are comfortable riding, powerful brakes are an important piece of a rider’s confidence in controlling the e-bike.

We recently changed our brake test protocol. Previously, we performed panic stops intended to bring the e-bike to a heel in as short a distance as possible. While the difference in braking performance accurately ranked the e-bikes, the braking distances we achieved did not accurately reflect the distances most riders are likely to see for the simple fact that most of us remain seated and avoid braking hard enough to make the e-bike skid. In our old test our rider would move his weight as far back as possible and brake to the point of locking up the wheels and skidding. The result wasn’t inaccurate, but it didn’t reflect how most people ride.

Considering that change, the 22 ft. 6 in. performance by the Ride1UP LMT’D is a reasonable performance that will give riders a fine sense of control in addition to a reasonable stopping distance. It’s important to remember that most of the time we aren’t in a position of needing to go from 20 mph to a stop; under normal riding conditions we usually slow some by coasting before we hit the brakes.

In choosing not to include fenders or a rear rack on the LMT’D, Ride1UP was able offset some of the expense of the higher quality motor, drivetrain and torque sensor, but that doesn’t mean they skimped on rider comfort.

The Ride1UP LMT’D rolls on 27.5 x 2.4-in. WTB Groov-e e-bike-rated tires. While these tires aren’t as wide as the fat tires found on some e-bikes, but they are big enough to offer a nice-quality ride if they aren’t pumped up too high. Worth noting is that these low-profile tires roll more efficiently than a wide, knobby tire and that helps stretch its range much the way its relatively light weight does.

Price-point bikes, like those in the affordable price range face an inherent challenge. Manufacturers want to provide the best collection of features possible, but if they include too many premium features the price must increase. Just which premium parts an e-bike company chooses will tell a shopper much about what their priorities are.

We might compare the typical affordable commuter e-bike to a Toyota Corolla. Functional, affordable, but not exactly sexy. The Ride1UP LMT’D would be more comparable to the Mazda 3—zippy, fun, affordable, even if it’s light on trunk space. And that’s the thing about being on a budget; we must choose our priorities carefully.

In terms of premium features on a budget, we think Ride1UP did a great job on the LMT’D. The motor offers plenty of power and is good on hills. The battery offers terrific range without weighing 10 lbs. The suspension fork has an appropriate length of travel and features a smoother operating air/oil design. The 8-speed Shimano drivetrain means that riders can pedal at 28 mph without turning their legs like the Road Runner. Our favorite feature of this bike might be the torque sensor, though.

It can be difficult to convey to someone who has never ridden an e-bike with a torque sensor just how much a torque sensor improves the ride quality over a cadence sensor. Again, not only does the motor respond immediately, rather than after the better part of a pedal stroke, it responds in proportion to the rider’s effort. If the rider goes easy, the motor goes easy and if the rider goes hard, well the motor kicks into high gear.

Few e-bikes approach perfection much the way it’s hard to find a car that handles like a Ferrari, accelerates like a muscle car, gets the gas mileage of a Prius and has the carrying capacity of a Suburban. Perfection is a pipe dream, but considering the price point Ride1UP targeted with the LMT’D, they produced a very compelling e-bike.

One of the few knocks of this e-bike is the lack of standard fenders and racks, and the display ties in with the controller buttons. We like that it is color. However, we think the buttons should be on a separate component that is easier to reach from the handlebar and the display needs to be mounted near the stem—in line with the direction of travel.

Finding an e-bike that is sold in both a traditional frame and a step-thru design is easy enough to do. What is considerably harder to do is find an e-bike where the reach to the handlebar varies by more than an inch or two. There’s a 4-in. difference in reach between these two bikes, which allows Ride1UP to make a reasonable claim that the LMT’D will fit as broad a cross-section of riders as they say on their website.

The Ride1UP LMT’D is one of the more interesting e-bikes in the affordable price range. For someone who places the ride experience ahead of utility, the LMT’D is a very compelling e-bike. The combination of solid range, a powerful motor and a torque sensor governing the motor makes for one of the most capable e-bikes we have encountered in this price range. This is just the sort of e-bike that we would mention if a friend asked what e-bikes they should consider.

‘Happy Riding, make sure to let us know if you have any questions down in our comments section or if you think we left anything out in this review of the Ride1UP LMT’D.