In what could likely be a sign of continued overstocking issues in the North American electric bike industry, Ride1Up has drastically reduced the price of its much acclaimed Prodigy electric bike. Now just $1,495, this marks the lowest-priced Brose-powered electric bicycle ever from a major retailer.
The Prodigy first rolled out nearly two years ago, sending waves through the industry for an already fair-priced Brose-powered commuter e-bike. At the time, it sold for US $2,295, which was unheard of for Brose-powered electric bikes in the US.
It has since been upgraded into the Ride1Up Prodigy V2, though the original still packs quite a punch.
E-bikes with motors from higher-end European manufacturers like Bosch and Brose generally cost a premium, often landing in the $3k-$6k range. We rarely see them on budget-focused electric bikes. But San Diego-based Ride1Up, which has long prided itself on offering affordably-priced yet high-performance commuter electric bikes, managed to deliver its Brose-powered high-speed electric bikes for what seemed like a steal at the time. Now with the new clearance pricing starting at US $1,495, the 28 mph (45 km/h) commuter e-bikes are even more attractive.
With a whopping 90 Nm of torque, Tektro hydraulic disc brakes on 180 mm rotors, 500 Wh frame-integrated and removable batteries for 30-50 miles (50-80 km) of range, nine-speed Shimano drivetrain, color LCD TFT display on the handlebars, and built-in LED lights, this is a crazy good price for a much more premium-level bike than belongs in this price category.
What’s with the super sale?
Of course, the underlying question remains, “Why is the price so good?”
The Prodigy received largely glowing reviews upon its reveal, including from us. But no matter how good the bike was, the fact of the matter is that much of the US e-bike industry is still dealing with relatively full shelves in its warehouses. A buying and producing spree coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic coincided with the proliferation of new e-bike brands and models, which meant that many companies were left with more e-bikes than they could sell.
The saturated market landed at a time when the economy began cooling off again, further impacting e-bike sales.
With the Ride1Up Prodigy V2 replacing the V1s as the shiniest new flagship commuter e-bike from the brand, Ride1Up appears to be clearing out its existing V1 inventory.
A look behind the e-bike curtain
We recently had the chance to visit Ride1Up’s factory to see how it builds electric bikes, and the experience was eye-opening.
You’ll definitely want to check out the video below, but the TL;DW version is that the company uses cascading quality control methods, including the cataloging of all major components on the bike. That ensures each model is produced to spec and that parts such as batteries, controllers, and motors can be tracked at any point to the final bike.
After each bike is quality inspected at the factory, a third-party team of inspectors goes through them again, looking for any additional issues.
The last step includes a diligent packing method using new eco-friendly materials to ensure the bikes arrive safely and without damage. It’s impressive to see just how precise the entire process has become, which the company’s founder Kevin Dugger explained to us is the result of years of refining.
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