If you’re looking for an ebike that packs more of a punch, the Ride1Up LMT’D might be the ticket. In this post I’ll provide my Ride1Up LMT’D review, but I also have a video at the end of this post which will help you become more familiar with the LMT’D. The LMT’D was first announced by Ride1Up just a few months ago alongside the Core-5, a model which comes in at an impressive $1,095. For those not familiar with Ride1Up, they are an ebike company focused on striking the balance between quality and cost. If you want to dive in deeper, I recently interviewed Kevin Duggar, the owner of Ride1Up. To compare the other ebikes offered by Ride1Up view my Ride1Up comparison post here. Now on to the LMT’D.
An initial batch of 70 bikes were made for Ride1Up’s June 2020 shipment, all with swept back handlebars. One of the reasons I wanted to review this bike is because it offers some features that you don’t often see around this price-point. The LMT’D costs $1,795 which is admittedly just above the $1,500 sweet spot where there are dozens of options. So what do you get for the extra $300?
The major standouts for me was the air suspension, hydraulic disc brakes, torque sensor and most of all, the powerful motor. Most electric bikes in this price range sport cheaper components like a coil suspension fork and also have a cadence sensor as opposed to a torque sensor. It’s worth noting that the 700 Series offered by Ride1Up also has hydraulic disc brakes, which you don’t see often on a $1,500 ebike. On top of all of these features, the LMT’D comes in at an impressive 51 lbs.
Downsides of the LMT’D
One downside to the Ride1Up LMT’D is that comes without any accessories. I would have liked to at least see an integrated front and rear light running off the battery. On the flipside, it’s nice to be able to buy the accessories you actually need. I recently recorded a video on accessories for the LMT’D.
My other complaints were small, like the location of the kickstand which will undoubtedly come into contact with your pedals when you’re moving your bike around. There also could have been better protection for the wiring in the downtube. I was told by Ride1Up that this is being addressed with a custom rubber cap in future shipments. While not a necessity I would have also liked to see a derailleur guard. Ride1Up continues to make minor improvements to their ebikes over time as opposed to announcing significant changes to their bikes at certain intervals. Therefore if you’re purchasing a Ride1Up LMT’D today it will have only been improved.
Ride1Up LMT’D Performance
If you’re considering the LMT’D what you’re likely after is the performance of this bike. This is the primary reason I wanted to do a Ride1Up LMT’D review. The LMT’D has 100nm of torque, about double the torque of many direct drive models (like my 2018 RadWagon). On other geared hub motors like the ones offered by Rad Power Bikes you’ll see 80nm of torque. It’s important to take into consideration that a more powerful motor isn’t always better for all riders. The LMT’D delivers on Ride1Up’s marketing of it being the “fastest” ebike in their lineup. For the casual rider or someone completely new to ebikes, this extra power might be unnecessary. For some it might be too much power. With that being said, this is what I love about this electric bike.
Where you’re going to appreciate the power of the 750 watt MXUS motor the most is going up hills. I took the LMT’D to a pretty steep hill and tested it out with pedal assist 5 (the max) as well as throttle only. Using throttle only the bike got up to between 11-13 mph which was impressive given the steepness of the hill. With pedaling, it simply zipped up the hill (full video below) with the help of my legs. The LMT’D is a Class 3 ebike which means it is capable of speeds up to 28 mph with pedal assist.
The torque sensor is an interesting alternative to the cadence sensors I’m familiar with. However, the jury is still out on which I prefer. That will be the topic of a future video on my YouTube channel. I found that you feel surges of power more often with the torque sensor since the assist is dependent on how hard you pedal. In the same scenario with a cadence sensor, the motor would be constantly on provided that you continue to pedal. There is nothing wrong with this difference, it just feels different – hopefully this helps you better understand the nuance.
Other Features
Besides the performance of the LMT’D ebike I have also been enjoying the hydraulic disc brakes. While hydraulic brakes are harder to maintain for the average DIYer, I find that the improved braking and performance is worth this tradeoff. In my experience, mechanical disc brakes, which are more common at lower price points can be more frustrating to adjust. After my initial adjustments on the hydraulic brakes, there has been no lingering squeaks. Another nice, albeit small upgrade in the cockpit is the locking handlebar grips.
When I received the LMT’D several people asked about the swept back handlebars. Straight handlebars were not an option in the first batch of LMT’D bikes. Initially I figured I would switch to straight bars but after a half a dozen rides I am actually enjoying the slightly more upright feel commuting around town. The swept back bars on the LMT’D are more aggressive if you will than the ones on our RadWagon.
If you’re looking at different electric bikes you should also consider the weight. I’ve seen some folks purchase heavy electric bikes only to find out that once they receive the bike that the bike is too cumbersome to handle. The most important thing is to find an ebike that is going to work for you. The LMT’D is surprisingly light at 51 lbs. This makes the bike both more nimble and as an added bonus I can put it on our Hollywood bike rack myself.
If you want to see my full Ride1Up LMT’D review, check out the video below. If you’re looking to purchase a Ride1Up LMT’D or any other Ride1Up electric bike you can use this link which helps support Ebike Escape. Please feel free to ask any other questions in the comments below.