Ride1Up made a name for itself building stylish bikes with budget friendly components that deliver an overall e-bike of comparable build quality to most mainstream e-bikes at a fraction of the price. Earlier this year, the company introduced the Rift, a fat tire tank of a bike with an oversized 20Ah battery to take riders even further.
The Rift builds on the recent launch of the Revv1 with a focus on larger, more playful builds that appeal to younger audience. The Rift is a fat tire electric mountain style frame that is oversized in just about every area. Its massive 26″ x 4″ Kenda Krusade tires are bulbous in comparison to standard 2″ mountain bike tires, and help it to roll over just about any obstacle. Their large size does add weight to each of the wheels, with the upshot being that the extra volume they’re packing brings a meaningful improvement in comfort to the party.
Image credit: Kyle Field, CleanTechnica
On a traditional bike, these tires would be overly heavy, but with an e-bike it’s easy to compensate for the extra weight with a little bit of extra motor power and battery capacity. Ride1Up sent us the Rift in a step-through frame with a slick satin green livery. It gives the bike an almost military feel to it and with its oversized features, makes it feel like you’re rolling around on an actual tank compared to most e-bikes on the market.
With its 750 watt motor drinking eagerly from the frame-integrated 20Ah battery, the Rift is not one to get stuck in a rut, but rather to roll right over the damn thing. Weighing in at a staggering 84.5 pounds, it is an absolute titan, packing 20 pounds more than most similarly built e-bikes. The powerful motor and oversized battery compensate for this, though the front fork simply isn’t up to the task. It regularly clunks up and down when it bottoms out from the extra weight of the bike and is really only well-suited for lighter riders.
Image credit: Kyle Field, CleanTechnica
The Rift isn’t just a heavyweight to move around, it’s packing some serious capability inside. Its 750 watt rear hub motor is the maximum amount of power you can have in an e-bike under the three US e-bike classifications. The 20 amp-hour battery is also a heavyweight compared to the typical 10 to 14 amp hour batteries included on most e-bikes on the market. That translates to more miles with more power and more hauling capacity.
That’s right — hauling capacity. With its robust frame, the Rift is capable of carrying an impressive 350 pounds and can carry up to 150 pounds of that on the included, integrated rear rack. An optional passenger package makes it easy to slap another full-size human on the back rack, sitting on a plus seat pad, side shields to keep things from falling into the rear wheel, and a set of foot pegs. It’s a really cool kit that takes the utility of the Rift to the next level.
Image credit: Kyle Field, CleanTechnica
As a special bonus, the Rift can be unlocked to be used as a class 3 e-bike with a max speed of up to 28 mph. If you’re not looking to haul additional humans around, it’s also rather easy to kit out the rear rack with panniers, a cargo platform, or a cargo bag to haul all your goodies back to your homestead.
When it comes time stop with all that gear you’re packing, the Rift’s brakes are more than up to the task. The four piston calipers are activated by a set of hydraulic brake levers up top that provide a firm, rapid, and appropriate braking response from just about any speed. We tested them heading down some of the steepest hills in town with some of the heaviest riders we could find and found them to be more than adequate.
For those looking to add more hauling capacity to the Rift, it is compatible with Ride1Up’s Connect Plus accessory system. This includes Ride1Up’s Connect Plus basket that can be installed on the front or back as well as a front rack for the Rift.
For more information about the Ride1Up rift or to purchase one for yourself, head over to the official Ride1Up Rift website.
Specs
- Motor: 750 watt continuous, 48V Geared Hub w/AKM Angled Gears
- Battery: 48V, 20Ah Reention Mammoth battery
- Chemistry: LG NMC Cells
- PAS Sensor: Integrated Sensitive Cadence Sensor
- Brakes: 180mm 4-piston Hydraulic Disc Brakes w/ Cut-Off Sensor
- Fork: Hydraulic Lockout 120mm Travel Suspension
- Tires: Kenda Krusade Anti-puncture tires 26″ x 4.0″
- Throttle: Left-hand Thumb Throttle
- Rear Gearing: Shimano 11-32T
- Rear Rack: 150 lb rated loading weight with integrated pannier side mounts
- Weight Capacity: 350 lb
- Weight: 84.5 lb
Disclaimer: Ride1Up provided the riff to the author free of charge for the purposes of this review.
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