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Podcast #097 – Ride1Up Rallies Around Affordable e-Bike Tech

podcast interview cover image with ride1up founder Kevin Dugger
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So, apparently, not every cheap e-bike sucks after all.

Until recently I was firmly in the camp that cheap, hub-motor e-bikes with cadence sensors were all terrible and unsafe. Then I talked to Kevin Dugger, founder of Ride1Up e-bikes, and he changed my mind.

It’s not so much the bikes that bugged me, although we’ll talk about that, too, it was the cadence sensors that told the motor to start going. It turns out, there’s a lot more to the “on” of “off” systems of the early days or the cheapest bikes.

Also, it turns out there are also some outstanding use cases for hub motors and cadence sensors, and that their performance, or lack thereof, really comes down to how their controllers are programmed.

Kevin and I get into the details of what makes a good cadence sensor system, when you might want one instead of a torque sensor mid-drive bike, and lots of other interesting details about making e-bikes affordable without sacrificing quality and safety.

If you’re in the market for an e-bike but have a small budget, you’ll definitely want to listen to this one.

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Dan Marzou
Dan Marzou
4 months ago

The company uses two types of displays. On the less expensive systems like the Portola, the display is VERY primitive. It seems super cheap – a low cost LCD system where any of the settings are based on a hard to decipher code. Clearly, that is where they cut corners to keep the price down. I wish it was possible to have a version that included a nicer controller at a somewhat higher price.

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