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Ever since I began riding electric bikes from Ride1Up back in 2018, I’ve found that the company does two things very well. First, it makes classic-looking e-bikes that perform even better than they look. And secondly, it does so for a price that leaves me scratching my head wondering how they can sell it for that little. The Ride1Up 700 Series is a perfect example on both counts.

Right out of the box, this urban-assault commuter e-bike has everything a rider needs for a potent city e-bike.

Perhaps most importantly of all, it’s got the speed and power to hang with the cars on the road.

While I don’t mind a Class 2 e-bike, I often feel like I hit a wall at 20 mph (32 km/h) when the motor assist cuts out.

The Ride1Up 700 Series is a Class 3 e-bike and thus can send me right up to 28 mph (45 km/h), as long as I give it some honest pedal-assist above Class 2 speeds.

While that rear hub motor may claim a continuous rating of just 500W, it is paired with a 22A controller and 48V battery to provide just over 1,000W of peak power draw. That results in powerful acceleration, whether you’re relying on the throttle or going halfsies with the pedal assist.

Before I dive too deep into this review, be sure to check out my testing video below. There you’ll see me putting the Ride1Up 700 Series through some real-world commuting-style riding. Then read on for the rest of my thoughts!

Ride1Up 700 Series video review

Ride1Up 700 Series tech specs

  • Motor: 1,000W peak (500W continuous) hub motor
  • Top speed: 28 mph (45 km/h)
  • Range: 30-50 miles (50-80 km)
  • Battery: 48V 14Ah (672Wh) with Samsung cells
  • Weight: 62 lb (28 kg) with rack, fenders
  • Load Capacity: 275 lb (125 kg)
  • Frame: Aluminum alloy
  • Brakes: Tektro dual-piston hydraulic disc brakes
  • Extras: Color LCD display with speedometer, battery gauge, PAS level indicator with five-speed settings, odometer, trip meter, Shimano 8-speed transmission, front and rear LED lights, included high-quality rack and fenders, choice of step-over or step-thru frame
  • Price: $1,695

Outfitted for riding, right out of the box

I always get a bit annoyed when I see e-bikes that are obviously designed for city riding but don’t include important city-specific accessories like lights, fenders, or racks.

I know there’s an argument to be made that not everyone needs the last two (though the belief that all e-bikes should come with included lighting is a hill I’m prepared to die on).

But fenders and racks are so useful that I believe they are basically required equipment for commuter e-bikes. Even if you live in a low rain area, the occasional puddle from irrigation or the errant hose can still leave you with unexpected tire spray. And even when I’m backpacking it instead of loading gear onto a rear rack, the fact that it is there often helps keep my bag from hanging down close the wheel.

In the case of the Ride1Up 700 Series, this e-bike offers the trifecta. Bright lights, high-quality hardened alloy fenders, and a pannier-ready rear rack that is rated for a robust 50 lb (23 kg).

In addition to those three key accessories that come as standard equipment, other commuter-friendly components include the Schwalbe SUPER MOTO X 27.5 x 2.4 tires (one of my favorite on-road tires), powerful dual-piston hydraulic disc brakes, and a Shimano Acera derailleur on an eight-speed cassette.

Are there better transmissions than the Acera? Yes. But is it good enough for 95% of us.

And between those big Schwalbe tires and the 100mm of travel in the front fork (complete with hydraulic lockout), the ride is urban jungle-ready. Potholes and curbs sometimes simply have to be taken head-on, so big tires and bigger suspension are a godsend in those cases. There’s no rear suspension on the Ride1Up 700 Series, as that would be a big ask for a commuter bike (though not unheard of). But at least the Selle Royal gel saddle adds a bit more comfort in the rear.

I’m pretty jazzed about the commuter loadout here, though there is, of course, room for improvement. The cadence sensor is fine, but I got spoiled by the nicer torque sensor on the Ride1Up LTM’D. If they had included a torque sensor on the 700 Series, that would have been sweet! Though considering the bike is priced at $1,695 and includes accessories like lights, fenders, and a rack as standard equipment, I can see how a torque sensor didn’t make it into the budget on this one.

And what’s with that left side throttle? Call me old-fashioned, but I much prefer a right-side throttle. I know the trigger shifter means you can’t have a thumb throttle on the right side, but why not go with a half-twist throttle? Not only is it my favorite style, but it also happens to be the best style as well (according to me).

But what about the electrical side?

So the bike is well-spec’d, sure. But what about the electronics?

Ride1Up pretty much nailed it there too.

The powerful motor and fast top speed of 28 mph (45 km/h) combine to give confidence-inspiring performance. I have no qualms about taking the lane in a city scenario, since I know I have the power to back it up. But when the traffic gets tight, I can easily slide back into the bicycle lane and be a cyclist (traveling at reasonable speeds based on the scenario, of course).

And the 48V 14Ah battery offers sufficient range, though I can’t say it’s the largest battery I’ve seen. With 674 Wh of capacity, the battery is rated for between 30-50 miles of range. The standard disclaimer of “you’ll only get the max range on the lowest pedal assist setting” certainly applies here, and you should know that getting throttle happy really eats into your range. But few commutes are going to be longer than 30 miles – and the ones that are rarely get performed by bicycle anyways. So the battery seems sufficient for the role.

The fact that the battery is also integrated into the frame is another plus for the Ride1Up 700 Series. Not only does it look slick, but it also helps cut down on theft, being much harder to steal.

It’s those little details that all seem to add up on this e-bike: The nicely designed and integrated components, the beautiful cable management to prevent a rat’s nest of wires on the bars, the color LCD screen, the gel saddle. The little extra pieces here and there go above and beyond what we typically see in this mid-level price range for e-bikes.

At $1,695, you really get a lot for your money here. At this price, it’s a great deal for a fast, powerful road-ready bike with all of the necessary commuting equipment.

The small complaints I had were few and far between. Ride1Up did an excellent job with the design and execution of the 700 Series, and it shows.


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Are Donald Trump’s film tariff threats making investors ‘dither’ in UK?

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Are Donald Trump's film tariff threats making investors 'dither' in UK?

At West London Film Studios – where major productions from Bridget Jones’s Baby to Killing Eve have all filmed – while Apple TV+’s Ted Lasso is currently being shot in one of their 10 sound stages (across two sites), it pains owner Frank Khalid that one of his biggest stages is empty.

But he has a theory as to why – Donald Trump’s social media posts threatening tariffs on films made outside the US.

“Prior to [Trump] posting that we had quite some big major features come to us looking for space,” he says, “and it’s just gone very quiet since he posted… maybe it’s a coincidence, I don’t know, but I believe it has affected us.”

Frank Khalid, owner of West London Film Studios
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Frank Khalid, owner of West London Film Studios

In September, on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote that America’s “movie making business has been stolen….by other countries…like…’candy from a baby’.”

Repeating a threat he’d first made last May, he claimed he’d authorised his government departments to put a “100% tariff on any and all movies that are made outside of the United States”.

For bigger studios, like Pinewood and Elstree, block-booked years in advance by the major movie producers, his words haven’t had any immediate effect.

But, at smaller studios, like Khalid’s, he certainly feels like there’s been a ripple effect.

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“We had a letter from one major big American production saying [the tariff] is not possible, [Trump] legally can’t do it… but at the end of the day, he doesn’t have to do it, the damage is done, isn’t it? By him just posting that… the confidence in the market goes down.”

As Jon Wardle, director of the National Film and Television School, explains, the industry has “always been a bit feast or famine, and we’re in a slight lull… it’s not quite the boom of what it was in 2022 after COVID, but probably at that point we were making a few too many projects.”

Jon Wardle says the UK 'needs to be more committed to homegrown talent'
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Jon Wardle says the UK ‘needs to be more committed to homegrown talent’

Wardle says, Trump’s threatened tariffs are certainly likely to make film companies “slightly more nervous” and “dither a bit more” when it comes to signing off on projects a few years down the line.

But he says it’s important to remember that US studios have “invested hugely” in the UK.

“Disney has a 10-year lease at Pinewood, Amazon has a 10-year lease at Shepperton, the investment for those companies is massive. And the other part of this is that it’s not going to be cheaper to make those films in America. In fact, it’ll be more expensive.”

West London Studios has 194,000 square feet of production space and is one of the UK’s leading independent studios
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West London Studios has 194,000 square feet of production space and is one of the UK’s leading independent studios

While the UK industry appears to be finding its feet after the knock-on effects of COVID shutdowns and the US writer’s strike, some smaller studios say Trump’s tariff threats are certainly on their radar.

Farnborough International Studios told us that while it has “recently hosted major TV series for companies such as Paramount and Amazon”, it has “seen film bookings and enquiries slowing down since the first sign of imposed tariffs”.

While West Yorkshire’s Production Park said they’d “not seen any slowdown”, a spokesperson for their studios said they are “tracking wider policy changes that could affect us”.

Mr Wardle says: “I think is it’s a good warning to the UK industry. I think the UK needs to take more seriously the commitment to its own homegrown talent. How do you make projects that aren’t funded and paid for by Americans or another nation?”

This year's London Film Festival
Image:
This year’s London Film Festival


With little detail for now, few working within the industry can fathom how a tariff would deliver the happy ending of shoots returning to Hollywood that Donald Trump might desire without driving up costs and stifling investment.

“There’s a huge number of questions about how you actually make tariffs work,” Mr Wardle explains. “It seems like a silly example, but production accountants: we train production accountants and nowhere else in the world does… we planted those seeds 20 years ago and we’re now reaping the rewards.

“It’s not going to be cheaper to make those films in America… so they’ll just make less.”

While Number 10 awaits full details of the latest US tariffs and their potential impact on the UK, a government spokesperson said: “Our film industry employs millions of people, generates billions for our economy and showcases British culture globally. We are absolutely committed to ensuring it continues to thrive and create good jobs right across the country.”

Listen below to Trump100 from May where we discuss Trump’s tariff threat:

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The madness of trying to second-guess what the president might mean becomes all too apparent at an event like this year’s London Film Festival.

Mr Wardle explains: “There are films in this festival that were made in Britain and in the US, made physically in terms of the shoot in London, post-produced in Canada, with VFX done in India…. how do you apply tariffs? At what point do you do that?”

Read more:
Hollywood is dying – but insiders fear Trump’s tariff threat may hasten demise
Trump plan for tariff on non-US movies could deal knock-out blow, union says

On the red carpet, actor Charles Dance – who stars in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein – questioned Trump’s knowledge of filmmaking.

“I don’t think he is generally known for his own understanding of culture,” he said, “this is a man who wants to concrete over the Rose Garden.”

Rian Johnson, director of the Knives Out franchise, said it was “dark times right now in the States, for a lot of reasons”.

“All we can do is keep making movies we believe in, that matter, that say things to audiences… I think we need more of that so we’ll keep forging ahead as long as we’re able,” he said.

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BBC Gaza documentary breached broadcasting code, Ofcom finds

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BBC Gaza documentary breached broadcasting code, Ofcom finds

A BBC Gaza documentary breached the broadcasting code, an Ofcom investigation has found.

The regulator said the failure to disclose that the 13-year-old boy narrating the programme was the son of a deputy minister in the Hamas-run government broke the rules and that it was “materially misleading” not to mention it.

In July, the BBC said it breached its own editorial guidelines by failing to disclose the full identity of the child narrator’s father in the Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone documentary.

The documentary was made by independent production company Hoyo Films, and features 13-year-old Abdullah Alyazouri, who speaks about life in Gaza during the war between Israel and Hamas.

It was pulled from BBC iPlayer in February after it emerged that the boy was the son of Ayman Alyazouri, who has worked as Hamas’s deputy minister of agriculture.

A report into the controversial programme said three members of the independent production company knew about the role of the boy’s father – but no one within the BBC was aware.

Ofcom’s investigation into the documentary, which followed 20 complaints, found that the audience was deprived of “critical information” which could have been “highly relevant” to their assessment of the narrator and the information he provided.

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The report said the failed to disclose a narrator’s links to Hamas “had the potential to erode the significantly high levels of trust that audiences would have placed in a BBC factual programme about the Israel-Gaza war”.

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Crises within the BBC

Following an internal review into the programme, followed by a full fact-finding review the BBC’s director of Editorial Complaints and Reviews, Peter Johnston, the corporation’s director general, Tim Davie, and Hoyo Films apologised.

Hoyo films said it was “working closely with the BBC” to see if it could find a way to bring back parts of the documentary to iPlayer, adding: “Our team in Gaza risked their lives to document the devastating impact of war on children.

“Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone remains a vital account, and our contributors – who have no say in the conflict – deserve to have their voices heard.”

Israel does not allow international news organisations into Gaza to report independently.

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Describing it as “a serious breach of our rules,” Ofcom said they were directing the BBC to broadcast a statement of their findings against it on BBC2 at 9pm, with a date yet to be confirmed.

Responding to the findings of Ofcom’s investigation, a BBC spokesperson said: “The Ofcom ruling is in line with the findings of Peter Johnston’s review, that there was a significant failing in the documentary in relation to the BBC’s editorial guidelines on accuracy, which reflects Rule 2.2 of Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code.

“We have apologised for this and we accept Ofcom’s decision in full.

“We will comply with the sanction as soon as the date and wording are finalised.”

The BBC has faced numerous controversies in recent months, and just last week, former MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace filed a High Court claim, suing the broadcaster and its subsidiary BBC Studios Distribution Limited for “distress and harassment” after he was sacked from the cooking show in July.

The 61-year-old ex-greengrocer was dismissed after an investigation into historical allegations of misconduct upheld multiple accusations against him.

The BBC has said Wallace is not “entitled to any damages,” and denies he “suffered any distress or harassment as a result of the responses of the BBC”.

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Ace Frehley, Kiss’s original guitarist, dies aged 74

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Ace Frehley, Kiss's original guitarist, dies aged 74

Kiss founding member Ace Frehley, the rock band’s original lead guitarist, has died aged 74.

He passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family, in Morristown, New Jersey, his agent said.

He had suffered a recent fall.

A statement from the rocker’s family said they were “completely devastated and heartbroken”.

Ace Frehley celebrates as Kiss are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. Pic: Reuters
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Ace Frehley celebrates as Kiss are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. Pic: Reuters

New York-born Frehley was Kiss’s guitarist when they started in 1973.

The other members were Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, and Peter Criss.

Like his bandmates, Frehley took on a comic book-style persona on stage (he was known as “Spaceman”) and captivated audiences with his elaborate makeup and smoke-filled guitar.

The band’s shows were known for fireworks, smoke, and eruptions of fake blood, while the stars sported platform boots, black wigs, and – of course – the iconic black and white face paint.

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Especially popular in the mid-1970s, Kiss’s hits include Rock And Roll All Nite and Detroit Rock City.

They sold tens of millions of records and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.

‘Irreplaceable’

Frehey’s family said they would “cherish all of his finest memories, his laughter, and celebrate his strengths and kindness that he bestowed upon others”.

Criss posted a simple tribute on X, describing his shock. He added: “My friend… I love you!”. A photograph of Frehley, smiling in his “Spaceman” makeup, accompanied the message.

Meanwhile Stanley and Simmons described him as an “essential and irreplaceable rock soldier”.

Paying tribute, the duo said they were “devastated” by his death.

Frehley’s Kiss career first ended in 1982, before he returned for a reunion tour in 1996, staying on until 2002. He also released several solo albums.

He is survived by his wife Jeanette and daughter Monique.

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