Ride1Up Turris launched as low-cost electric touring bike with a pricier-feeling ride
San Diego-based electric bicycle company Ride1Up has just unveiled yet another new e-bike this season. Unlike the heavyweight electric moped we saw last month, the new Ride1Up Turris is a much lighter touring e-bike that also happens to be lighter on the wallet.
The Ride1Up Turris, which just launched at a comparatively reasonable $1,295, is ostensibly a touring bike. That means it falls somewhere between a light duty mountain bike and a city commuter. But what it really is depends on how you use, as the bike offers some serious versatility for such an inexpensive model.
The Turris has front suspension and knobby mountain bike style tires, yet sports a nimble city ride and more upright bars for a slightly hybrid-like ride posture.
It’s the best of both worlds, if you ask me. And having ridden one myself to prepare for this review, I’m pretty darn smitten with the new e-bike.
You can see what I think of the Ride1Up Turris and watch me testing it out in my video review below. Keep on scrolling if you want to read even more details about the bike and my experience testing it out.
Ride1Up Turris video review
Ride1Up Turris quick tech specs
- Motor: 750W rear hub motor
- Top speed: 26 mph (42 km/h) – perhaps a bit faster if you pedal harder than me
- Battery: 48V 12.8Ah (614Wh)
- Frame: Aluminum alloy 6061
- Weight: 55 lb (25 kg)
- Brakes: Hydraulic disc brakes
- Extras: LCD display, three colors, two frame styles (step-over and step-through), included fenders, mounting point for rear rack
- Price: $1,295
A little bit of everything
The Ride1Up Turris combines the essence of multiple styles of bikes. When you first hop on, the touch points of the bike make it feel a bit more urban. The riser handlebars don’t scream off-road, they whisper cruising and comfort.
The comfortable saddle, splash-reducing fenders, LED lighting, and even the spiral-wrapped cable management all belong in the urban category.
But then that 100mm travel suspension fork and the knobby mountain bike tires lend the bike enough off-road cred to tackle some decent nature trails, gravel roads, or other off-the-beaten-path paths.
So essentially, you’re getting two e-bikes in one. The Ride1Up Turris feels like an urban bike but rides more like a light-duty trail bike. And that’s exactly what you want in a touring bike.
Is it built to last?
So here’s the thing: At $1,295, there’s no way the Turris can hold a candle to the many thousand-dollar bike shop touring e-bikes. It’s just not built the same way.
I have no doubt that it will last for many years if you take care of it, but the components just aren’t top-shelf. The basic Shimano shifter is fine for leisure riding but isn’t a high-end piece of kit. Same goes for the derailleur. Good enough, but not great.
The hydraulic disc brakes are actually quite decent, and help to bring the bike to a quick stop. That’s important for a class 3 e-bike that hit speeds of up to 28 mph (45 km/h), though my own testing saw me getting closer to a peak of 26 mph (42 km/h).
If I had to choose, I’d go with the strategy that Ride1Up decided on: save a bit of money on the transmission and give us good brakes. Many people end up ignoring their shifters or only using the top few gears. But everyone stops – sometimes with more gusto than others. Good brakes are a necessity, and I’m glad to see that the Turris has some quality stoppers.
The suspension is somewhere in the middle, good not great. I rode on plenty of rutted-out trails and it worked just fine, especially with the tires at lower pressure of around 25 PSI instead of the 35-40 PSI I usually run on the street.
But this just isn’t a super rugged touring bike that I’d take on a trip across the US. Maybe across the state, but then I might want to bring a spare battery.
That’s the other area where the company saved a few bucks to offer that amazing $1,295 price. The battery is a tad smaller than average e-bikes these days at 48V 12.8Ah. With just 614 Wh of capacity, it seems like a solid 20 miles (32 km/h) of range is achievable on throttle only, with pedal assist riding netting closer to 35-40 miles.
You can stretch that pedal assist range to well over 50 miles if you keep it in the lowest power mode. But good luck resisting the temptation to pull more out of that 750W motor.
A great starter e-bike
Ride1Up has long been the king of affordable commuter e-bikes, and many of the company’s models have become the first e-bike for many riders. But now Ride1Up is branching out a bit into more off-road-ready riding with the Turris. And just like with the company’s commuter e-bikes, I think the Turris could become a great first e-bike for someone who wants a single bike that can live in both worlds. It’s a commuter during the week and a trail bike during the weekend!
Compared to something like the Ride1Up Roadster V2 Gravel Edition, the Turris has some real advantages. The battery is larger and removable, the motor is more powerful and you even get a throttle. For first-time e-bike riders, those are all going to be big advantages.
At $1,295, the bike offers features and performance far above its price class. Included equipment like fenders, LED lighting (at least a headlight) and even a kickstand are great to see as standard features. A rack might have been nice, but we can always add one if we really want it for commuter or urban use.
All told, I’m very happy with what the Ride1Up Turris delivers for the price. The bike offers excellent bang for your buck. It won’t compete with fancier touring e-bikes, but it does the job for a much more affordable price, and comes from a company known for its good products and support. That’s what I like to see!
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Climate XChange’s Annual EV Raffle is back for the 10th year running – and for the first time ever, Climate XChange has two raffle options on the table! The nonprofit has helped lucky winners custom-order their ideal EVs for the past decade. Now you have the chance to kick off your holiday season with a brand new EV for as little as $100.
About half of the raffle tickets have been sold so far for each of the raffles – you can see the live ticket count on Climate XChange’s homepage – so your odds of winning are better than ever.
But don’t wait – raffle ticket sales end on December 8!
Climate XChange is working hard to help states transition to a zero-emissions economy. Every ticket you buy supports this mission while giving you a chance to drive home your dream EV.
Here’s how Climate XChange’s 10th Annual Raffle works:
The Luxury Raffle
- Grand Prize: The winner can choose any EV on the market, fully customized up to $120,000. This year, you can split the prize between two EVs if the total is $120,000 or less.
- Taxes covered: This raffle comes with no strings – Climate XChange also pays all of the taxes.
- Runner-up prizes: Even if you don’t win the Grand Prize, you still have a chance at the 2nd prize of $12,500 and the 3rd prize of $7,500.
- Ticket price: $250.
- Grand Prize Drawing: December 12, 2025.
- Only 5,000 tickets will be sold for the Luxury Raffle.
The Mini Raffle (New for 2025)
- Grand Prize: Choose any EV on the market, fully customized, up to $45,000. This is the perfect raffle if you’re ready to make the switch to an EV but aren’t in the market for a luxury model.
- Taxes covered: Climate XChange pays all the taxes on the Mini Raffle, too.
- Ticket price: $100.
- Only 3,500 tickets will be sold for the Mini Raffle.
Why it’s worth entering
For a decade, Climate XChange has run a raffle that’s fair, transparent, and exciting. Every ticket stub is printed, and the entire drawing is live-streamed, including the loading of the raffle drum. Independent auditors also oversee the process.
Plus, your odds on the Luxury and Mini Raffles are far better than most car raffles, and they’re even better if you enter both.
Remember that only 5,000 tickets will be sold for the Luxury Raffle and only 3,500 for the Mini Raffle, and around half of the available tickets have been sold so far, so don’t miss your shot at your dream EV!
Climate XChange personally works with the winners to help them build and order their dream EVs. The winner of the Ninth Annual EV Raffle built a gorgeous storm blue Rivian R1T.
How to enter
Go to CarbonRaffle.org/Electrek before December 8 to buy your ticket. Start dreaming up your perfect EV – and know that no matter what, you’re helping accelerate the shift to clean energy.
Who is Climate XChange?
Climate XChange (CXC) is a nonpartisan nonprofit working to help states pass effective, equitable climate policies because they’re critical in accelerating the transition to a zero-emissions economy. CXC advances state climate policy through its State Climate Policy Network (SCPN) – a community of more than 15,000 advocates and policymakers – and its State Climate Policy Dashboard, a leading data platform for tracking climate action across the US.
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The CSC Monterey – one of the most charming little electric scooters on the US market – has dropped to a shockingly low $1,699, down from its original $2,899 MSRP. That’s nearly half off for a full-size, street-legal electric scooter that channels major Honda Super Cub energy, but without the gas, noise, or maintenance of the original.
CSC Motorcycles, based in Azusa, California, has a long history of importing and supporting small-format electric and gas bikes, but the Monterey has always stood out as the brand’s “fun vibes first” model. With its step-through frame, big retro headlight, slim bodywork, and upright seating position, it looks like something from a 1960s postcard – just brought into the modern era with lithium batteries and a brushless hub motor.
I had my first experience on one of these scooters back in 2021, when I reviewed the then-new model here on Electrek. I instantly fell in love with it and even got one for my dad. It now lives at his place and I think he gets just as much joy from looking at it in his garage as riding it.
You can see my review video below.
The performance is solidly moped-class, which is exactly what it’s designed for. A 2,400W rear hub motor pushes the Monterey up to a claimed 30 mph or 48 km/h (I found it really topped out at closer to 32 mph or 51 km/h), making it perfect for city streets, beach towns, and lower-speed suburban routes.
A 60V, roughly 1.6 kWh removable battery offers around 30–40 miles (48-64 km) of real-world range, depending on how aggressively you twist the throttle. It’s commuter-ready, grocery-run-ready, and campus-ready right out of the crate.
It’s also remarkably approachable. At around 181 pounds (82 kg), the Monterey is light for a sit-down scooter, making it easy to maneuver and park. There’s a small storage cubby, LED lighting, and the usual simple twist-and-go operation. And it comes with full support from CSC, a company that keeps a massive warehouse stocked with components and spare parts.
My sister has a CSC SG250 (I’m still trying to convert her to electric) and has gotten great support from them in the past, including from their mechanics walking her through carburetor questions over the phone. So I know from personal experience that CSC is a great company that stands behind its bikes.
But the real story here is the price. Scooters in this class typically hover between $2,500 and $4,500, and electric retro-style models often jump well above that.
At $1,699, the Monterey is one of the least expensive street-legal electric scooters available from a reputable US distributor, especially one that actually stocks parts and provides phone support.
If you’ve been curious about swapping a few car errands for something electric – or you just want a fun, vintage-styled runabout for getting around town – this is one of the best deals of the year.
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In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss a big Tesla Robotaxi setback, the new Mercedes-Benz CLA EV, Bollinger is over, and more.
Today’s episode is brought to you by Climate XChange, a nonpartisan nonprofit working to help states pass effective, equitable climate policies. Sales end on Dec. 8th for its 10th annual EV raffle, where participants have multiple opportunities to win their dream model. Visit CarbonRaffle.org/Electrek to learn more.
The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.
As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.
After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
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Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:
Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET:
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