We have been riding the Ride1up Core-5 for a few weeks now, and here are our thoughts on this entry level affordable electric bike. It has been used for quick errands just down the street, to a bit longer commutes to the next town over. The Core-5 is a Class 3 electric bike, with pedals assist up to 28mph and a thumb throttle that will get you to 20mph. This is a no frills entry level city commuter bike that comes with everything you need to start your electric bike journey. Here is our Ride1up Core-5 Review.

The Lab

The Ride1up Core-5 has an integrated and removable Removable 48v10.4 ah battery Converted to watt hours, this is a 500 watt hour battery. The battery can be charged on or off the bike for your convenience. The motor is a 750w rear hub motor with 60nm of torque which is activated with a cadence sensor. To control the bike there is a black and white LCD display to control PAS level and shows speed, distance, watts. There is a walk mode as well so you can hold that down if you need to walk your bike up a hill. It works similar to the thumb throttle, so it is somewhat repetitive. The thumb throttle is right underneath the display and is easy to use with your left thumb. 

The Core-5 is equipped with Shimano 7 speed drivetrain with thumb shifters. It has a 44T front chainring with a Shimano 11-32T cassette on the rear wheel. The wheels are 27.5 in wheels with Kenda Kwick Seven.5 27.5” x 2.2 inch puncture resistant tires mounted on them. The brakes are Tektro 160 mm mechanical disc brakes front and rear. It is an alloy frame with all the electronics wired internally. There is a nice kickstand built in so you can park it with ease. 

The estimated range is 20-40 miles and this will vary depending on the assist level, rider weight and the terrain. The bike comes in weighing 49 pounds. You can purchase optional fenders and a rear rack through their site if you are looking to add some extras to this bike, as it does not come with any accessories. There is also a step through version available if a lower stand over height is needed.

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Advantages

We liked many features on the Ride1up Core-5. First would be the styling of the bike. It has a nice paint finish and good silhouette. The bike looks great and does not look like an e-bike at first glance. We received a few compliments when riding it around town from passerby’s. The integrated battery keeps the lines sleek and it integrates seamless with the bike. The Core-5 has a smooth pedal assist in all levels. The power ramps up smoothly and it doesn’t jolt you forward. The power is also delivered evenly throughout all the pedal assist levels and did not abruptly cut out when reaching its maximum assist. The throttle works in when in no pedal assist mode which is nice to get you going.

The Core-5 also handled well at speed, it was stable at 28mph and beyond when going down a steep downhill. We like the wheel and tire spec with the 27.5″ wheels and  2.2” tires. They absorbed some bumps in the road and rolled nicely on the concrete. The upright seated position is comfortable and the ergonomic hand grips give you a good feel on the bars.

The Core-5 is a great value for the procepoint. Coming in at a little over $1000 you get a lot of great features in this package. A powerful motor and comfortable bike that gets you enjoying the benefits of riding an e-bike. I never had range anxiety riding this bike, even when planning errands that were decently far and I wanted to get there and back fast.

 

Drawbacks

The Ride1Up Core-5 is more of a build process then other e bikes when shipped to you. You have to install the fork and handlebars which can be a little bit above the mechanical skill levels for some people. These are things you definitely want to install correctly . There is a good video on their site to show you how to build the bike, but the less mechanically inclined may not be up for the task.

The Core-5  does not come with any accessories. There is headlight, tail light or fenders that come with the bike. That does keep the price point down though, and these can be purchased after on their site so if you don’t need or want fenders or racks you are good to go. The Shimano 7 speed thumb shifters are not the most intuitive, it took a bit to get used to them and have to my thumb up off the grips was a favorite. The gearing is a bit hard for hilly areas. The 44t front chain ring is pretty large for the 11-32t cassette. When it comes to riding an area with a steep incline even the lowest gear felt hard to pedal in pedal assist 3, we felt the need to be in 4 or 5 to keep a decent pace which is going to use up more battery. 

Conclusion


This is a great no frills entry level e-bike with nice styling. For just a little over $1000, the Ride1up Core-5 is a great bike to look into. Someone who lives in a relatively flat area will enjoy this bike. From running the quick errand at the store to commuting across town this bike is a great deal for the price. The harder gearing makes the steeper terrain a bit more challenging and will definitely use more battery since you will want to use the motor in a higher assist level. The casual cruiser will enjoy this bike as well, the strong 750w rear hub motor delivers smooth power that is not intimidating, but can get you up to speed fast when you need to. It was very fun and comfortable riding around town, and everyone that rode it had a great time. 

Price: $1,195
Sizes: ST or XR
Weight: 49lbs
Website: www.Ride1up.com