Ride1Up Portola review: Is this the new go-to low-cost electric bike?
When Ride1Up unveiled the Portola folding electric bike, it was obviously a major play to snatch the title for the leading low-cost electric bike. Now that we’ve had sufficient time in the saddle, it’s high time to see how this budget electric bike stacks up.
When it comes to low-cost e-bikes, there are essentially two groups. Sure, that’s oversimplifying it, but stick with me here.
There are the ultra-budget mega-retailer bikes, like those found on Amazon, Walmart, etc. You can often find those e-bikes in the $500-$800 range. Then there are the actual e-bike companies that sell really low-cost e-bikes, such as those from Lectric Ebikes, Rad Power Bikes, Aventon, and today’s review, Ride1Up. These budget e-bikes are usually a bit more expensive, often starting at between $800-$1,200 (and increasing from there), but they have more reliable service and support because they come directly from an electric bicycle maker that deals only in e-bikes, not also in toasters and air mattresses.
So that’s the lens through which we have to look at the Ride1Up Portola. At $995, it’s not going to compete well against the super cheap price of a Walmart e-bike, but it still undercuts most of the main e-bike players in the market and comes from an e-bike brand that stands behind its products. Plus it’s got way more features and nicer build quality than you’d ever find on a typical Walmart or Amazon special.
Ride1Up Portola Video Review
Ride1Up Portola Tech Specs
- Motor: 750W continuous-rated geared hub
- Top speed: 45 km/h (28 mph) on pedal assist, 32 km/h (20 mph) on throttle
- Range: Up to 32-70 km (20-45 mi)
- Battery: 48V 10.4 Ah (460 Wh) or 13.4 Ah (643 Wh)
- Weight: 27 kg (60 lb)
- Max load: 136 kg (300 lb)
- Brakes: Dual piston hydraulic disc brakes
- Extras: LCD display with speedometer, wattmeter, battery meter, PAS level indicator, odometer and tripmeter, front and rear LED lights, left-side thumb throttle, lockable battery that is removable without folding, frame-integrated rack, fenders, compatible with add-on passenger kit
- Price: $995
What you get with a low-cost e-bike
I’ll be the first to say that budget e-bikes don’t always give you the best experience. As someone who rides the cheapest and the most expensive e-bikes, often in the same week, there are always going to be big differences. But even with a rock-bottom price, the Ride1Up Portola still has a lot to offer that can start to approach e-bikes twice its price or more.
Yes, the power isn’t going to knock your socks off. It’s fine for most people, but it’s not going to take you up a crazy steep hill on motor power alone – at least not very quickly.
But there’s more to an e-bike than merely flying off the line at breakneck speeds. The 750W motor is peppy but not something that is going to rocket you forward from a stop. What will do though is give you a controlled, fairly quiet, and much-needed boost on just about any hill or straightaway where you want some decent assist. When I wanted to pedal during my rides, I could drop the pedal assist level lower and the bike felt perfectly fine to power largely on my own. When I wanted to ride it like a motorbike, I could throttle around breaking a smile but not a sweat.
And I have to say, the ride felt really good.
Part of the reason the bike rides so nicely is the 3″ wide tires, which split the difference between conventional and fat tires. They’re cushiony enough for a supple ride and to handle occasional off-road adventures. But they also feel more like a “normal” bike tire when you’re on city streets or cruising the bike lane.
Another reason it felt good to pedal is that the Portola rides like a real bike – not a moped. Yes, the throttle is there whenever you need it. But the geometry makes me feel more like I’m on a conventional bicycle, and thus it is a pleasure to ride.
That being said, I should point out that I’m 5’7″ (170 cm) and I had the seat post out nearly to the maximum height mark to get good leg extension. That was great for me, but I’m surprised to see the max rider height for the bike advertised as 6’4″ (193 cm). I have no doubt someone of that height could ride the bike, but I feel like it wouldn’t pedal nearly as nicely. If you’re anywhere close to 5’7″ like me though, it fits like a custom-made glove.
Another area that impressed me was how well the folding system is designed.
Not only is there a nice click-button safety on the handlebar’s folding mechanism, but there’s a soft cloth strap built into the rear rack to hold the bike in the folded position without scratching the paint.
It’s a really nicely thought-out folding system that works well and feels solid.
Of course a 60 lb e-bike isn’t going to be a pleasure to lift, but at least the compact folding nature makes it feel less bulky when you lift it to toss in your trunk or in the back of your SUV.
The bike’s brakes are nice and punchy, and you guys already know how much I love hydraulic disc brakes. Lower maintenance, stronger bite, crisper feel, the works! And to get them on an e-bike for under $1,000 is an awesome treat. You rarely see them at this price, and there are plenty of much more expensive e-bikes that have mechanical brakes. Not that there is anything inherently wrong with mechanical brakes – several of my bikes use them. But hydraulics just give me a nicer ownership experience so I’m very glad to see them here.
In fact, that’s kind of the main theme with this bike. The Ride1Up Portola simply packs so many high-value features into an affordable and fun-to-ride electric bike. You’ve got an 8-speed shifter, a big battery option (though the bigger battery costs $100 more than the stock battery), hydraulic brakes, suspension, great 3″ tires, and a slick-looking frame, to boot! You can even toss on the passenger kit to carry a friend or partner on the bike with you!
The seat not going terribly high is the one area in which I was surprised in a negative way. And it wasn’t even an issue for me, I can just see it as a potential issue for any 6+ footers trying to pedal the bike comfortably. Everything else just kept checking my boxes. Even the way the battery is nicely hidden in the frame and yet removable from the exterior (with a key, of course) is a great feature!
So all told, I’m very impressed with the Ride1Up Portola. I think it is worth much more than its $995 price, though I recommend riders spring for the $1,095 version with the larger battery, just to have it.
Either option will give you a great ride, and I can’t see anyone faulting the bike at this price.
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Locals call him the “Bicycle hero,” but Texas man Evan Wayne says he’s just doing what he can to help his community after it was cut off due to the recent devastating and deadly flooding tragedy.
When the local Sandy Creek flooded following torrential rains in Texas, it destroyed the only bridge into one community. Residents were cut off from access to supplies, including everything from necessities like food, water, and medicine to basic comforts.
Although the bridge was impassable to cars, volunteers who quickly organized to help the stranded residents found that the damaged bridge could still be traversed on foot. Or in the case of Evan Wayne, it could be covered by an electric bike.
Evan joined hundreds of volunteers who answered the call of grassroots organizers by working together without any official capacity. While many started by hand-pulling garden carts of supplies uphill to reach the stricken community, Evan jury-rigged a trailer to an e-bike and took on as much of the load as he could, helping shuttle much-needed food and gear into the community over hundreds of round-trip journeys.
“This was a dog trailer 48 hours ago. I had a hacksaw, hacked the top off, grabbed some bungee cords, and here we are,” explained Evan in an interview with CBS Austin, while waiting for the next load of gear to be stacked on his trailer.
In the first two days of the operation, he made around 100 round trips each day, shuttling food and water as well as critical rescue supplies. “Right now, I’m waiting on a couple of chainsaws that I’ll bring in for a crew that’s been going at it with handsaws so far.”
In addition to delivering needed supplies, Evan has often found himself moving something even more important: information. “I’ve flagged down medics. I’ve been the guy that goes between Austin EMT and STAR Flight because I’m quicker than cell phones sometimes, people don’t have signal a lot of the time.”
Evan quickly points out that he isn’t the only one helping. “I’ve got an e-bike, but other people are pulling carts. People are walking, people are carrying things. Everyone is doing what they can.” But there’s no doubt that his ability to carry more gear at higher speeds and make hundreds of round-trip journeys so far in and out of the stricken neighborhood has helped impact countless lives.
“This is all volunteers here. They’re just taking it upon themselves to get people where they need to go. I think there’s an umbrella company coming in, taking over tomorrow, but until they get here, people are just taking care of people, which is what you’ve got to do.”
E-bikes proving their worth in emergencies
While many people consider electric bicycles just another form of recreation, they’ve proven to be potent transportation alternatives after natural disasters worldwide.
Not only do their small and efficient batteries make performing hundreds of rescue trips like Evans’ possible, but recharging can be done simply and easily with a solar panel when electricity is out after a disaster. And when gas stations are out of fuel (or simply can’t pump it with the power grid down), e-bikes can keep running while gasoline-powered motorcycles or ATVs run dry.
Electric bicycle batteries have also proven to be a handy source of emergency power after hurricanes and other disasters, often helping owners keep their phones charged up for days to remain in contact with family or rescue services.
While most hope to never need theirs for emergency purposes, electric bicycles have proven their worth in countless disaster scenarios, adding benefits far beyond just alternative transportation, recreation, or fitness riding.
Image credits: CBS Austin (screenshots), used under fair use
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Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey testifies during a remote video hearing held by subcommittees of the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee on “Social Media’s Role in Promoting Extremism and Misinformation” in Washington, U.S., March 25, 2021.
Handout | Via Reuters
Block jumped more than 5% on Monday, leading a rally in shares of fintech companies as analysts downplayed the threat of JPMorgan Chase’s reported plan to charge data aggregators for access to customer financial information.
The recovery followed steep declines on Friday, after Bloomberg reported that JPMorgan had circulated pricing sheets outlining potential fees for aggregators like Plaid and Yodlee, which connect fintech platforms to users’ bank data.
In a note to clients on Monday, Evercore ISI analysts said the potential new expenses were “far from a ‘business model-breaking’ cost increase.”
In addition to Block’s rise, PayPal climbed 3.5% on Monday after sliding Friday. Robinhood and Shift4 recorded modest gains.
Broader market momentum helped fuel some of the rebound. The Nasdaq closed at a record, and crypto rallied, with bitcoin climbing past $123,000. Ether, solana, and other altcoins also gained.
Evercore ISI’s analysts said that even if JPMorgan’s changes were implemented, the most immediate effect would be a slight bump in the cost of one-time account setups — perhaps 50 to 60 cents.
Morgan Stanley echoed that view, writing that any impact would be “negligible,” especially for large fintechs that rely more on debit, credit, or stored balances than bank account pulls for transactions.
PayPal doesn’t anticipate much short-term impact, according to a person with knowledge of the issue. The person, who asked not to be named in order to speak about private financial matters, noted that PayPal relies on aggregators primarily for account verification and already has long-term pricing contracts in place.
While smaller fintechs that depend heavily on automated clearing house (ACH) rails or Open Banking frameworks for onboarding and compliance may face real pressure if the fees take effect, analysts said the larger platforms are largely insulated.
WATCH: Congress moves to redraw $3.7 trillion crypto market rules, opening door to Wall Street
The global EV market is still charging ahead. According to new numbers from global research firm Rho Motion, 9.1 million EVs were sold worldwide in the first half of 2025, up 28% compared to the same period last year. But not every region is accelerating at the same pace.
China and Europe are doing the heavy lifting
More than half of the world’s EVs this year have been bought in China. That market hit 5.5 million sales in the first six months of 2025 – a 32% jump year-over-year. Around half of new cars bought in China are now electric.
While some Chinese cities’ subsidies have dried up, Rho Motion expects momentum to pick back up later in the year as more funding is released.
In Europe, 2 million EVs were sold in the first half of the year, up 26%. Battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales also rose 26%, thanks in part to affordable models like the Renault 4 (pictured) and 5 entering the market. Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) weren’t far behind, growing 27% year-to-date. Chinese automakers are leaning into PHEVs as a way to work around the EU’s new tariffs on BEVs.
Spain is leading the pack with EV sales soaring 85% so far this year. Its generous MOVES III incentive program was extended in April and has kept sales strong. The UK and Germany are also seeing solid growth – 32% and 40%, respectively. France, however, is slumping. With subsidies cut, EV sales there have dropped 13%.
North America is stuck in the slow lane
Things aren’t looking quite as bright in North America. EV sales in the US, Canada, and Mexico are up just 3% so far this year.
Mexico is the one bright spot, with a 20% boost. The US is up 6%. But Canada is down a whopping 23%.
And things could get bumpier. On July 4, Trump signed Congress’s big bill into law, which axes all the Inflation Reduction Act EV tax credits. Those consumer credits for EVs now officially end on September 30.
Just over half of the EVs sold in the US this year qualified for those credits. Rho Motion predicts a rush in Q3 before the subsidies disappear – and a decline in sales after that.
Rho Motion data manager Charles Lester said, “With Trump’s latest cuts in his ‘Big Beautiful Bill,’ the US could struggle to see any growth in the EV market overall in 2025.”
Global EV sales snapshot, H1 2025 vs H1 2024
- Global: 9.1 million (+28%)
- China: 5.5 million (+32%)
- Europe: 2.0 million (+26%)
- North America: 0.9 million (+3%)
- Rest of world: 0.7 million (+40%)
Read more: China breaks records as global EV sales hit 7.2 million in 2025
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