The Ultimate Comfort Ebike Companion: In-Depth Review of the Ride1Up Cafe Cruiser for Casual Cyclists and Relaxed Commuters

Key Takeaways

• The Ride1Up Cafe Cruiser is a versatile and functional eBike that provides blissful comfort and plus-one cargo capabilities.
• With its powerful motor and plenty of battery life, this eBike offers a comfortable ride and can handle various terrains in the neighborhood.
• The Cafe Cruiser is a heavy bike at 65 pounds, and assembly may be more challenging compared to other bikes. However, it can accommodate a basket in the back or a passenger seat.

A lot of electric bikes find themselves dedicated to either commuting or off-roading. The Ride1Up Cafe Cruiser , as the name implies, is a much more casual ebike. It can be a commuter, sure, but it’s also good at just riding around the neighborhood, to enjoy an afternoon. If you didn’t think you needed an ebike for these casual times, think again.

Ride1Up Cafe Cruiser

8/ 10

Blissful comfort and plus-one cargo capabilities blended together for one of the most versatile and functional eBikes money can buy.

Battery

48V15ah Reention Rhino, 39 x 21700 Samsung Cells

Weight

65lbs

Maximum Speed

28mph pedal assist and 20mph throttle

Brake Style

Zoom 180mm Hydraulic Brakes w/ Electric Cut-Off Sensor

Suspension

Mozo Hydraulic Lockout, 80mm Suspension Travel

Motor (W)

48V Geared Hub Bafang Motor 750w Sustained

Range

30-50 miles

Tires

SandStorm 26”x3” Chaoyang

Gearing

46T Front Alloy Chainring

Cassette

11-32T Shimano Cassette

Lights

Yes

Pros

• Comfortable ride
• Powerful motor and plenty of battery life
• Can attach a basket in the back or add a passenger seat

Cons

• Heavy at 65 pounds
• Not the easiest bike to assemble compared to others

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$1595 at Ride1Up

Getting Up to Speed On the Cafe Cruiser

Tyler Hayes / How-To Geek

While it made sense for the electrification of bikes to start with the most rugged or pedal-intensive markets, all kinds of bikes now have motors and batteries. The Ride1Up Cafe Cruiser is a perfect example of a casual bike that wouldn’t have been an ebike five years ago but is one now, simply because it can be for a reasonable price.

The Cafe Cruiser’s wide, swooping handlebars and thick, generous seat encourage a slow and steady pedaling pace. But its eight speeds also make it suitable for any kind of hilly neighborhood terrain you might encounter.

I spent most of my time on the road, in bike lanes, but I did get to some compact dirt paths. I didn’t have any problem navigating the human-made off-road trails. The 3-inch wide tires made for a stable ride among all common conditions.

The power settings are displayed on a small monochrome screen on the left side. There’s not much to it like there is on some bikes, but I didn’t mind its blandness. The bike can hit 20 miles per hour mashing on its throttle or can go even faster with the assistance of pedaling. This bike is meant to be fairly versatile, and it was, though I found it to excel in a suburban setting.

This Bike Is Sleek in all Configurations

Tyler Hayes / How-To Geek

Again, the frame of the Cafe Cruiser is meant to imply a casual ride with its curvy look. The low, wide postured handlebars invoke leisure rather than racing. The Cafe Cruiser may look like it has a minimal frame in pictures, but it’s more substantial in person. The top crossbar on the XR step-over model is 28.5 inches and has a total weight of 65 pounds. My 13-year-old son could ride it, but he did have a little trouble getting on and maneuvering it when he wasn’t riding.

Although I prefer the look of the step-over model, the step-through is probably the better choice for most people. No need to struggle to get on or off if you don’t need to.

Both frame types of the Cafe Cruiser feature an area behind the seat that can mount a basket, saddle bags, or attach a passenger seat. It’s a subtle design element that adds a lot of utility in practice. I tried the passenger kit from Ride1Up, which includes a cushioned seat, two foot pegs, and plastic siding. Although this doesn’t seem like an ideal bike for toting people around, it worked well in practice. It would be a better experience if passenger handlebars were available for kids to hold on to.

Comfort Is Feature Number One

Tyler Hayes / How-To Geek

Beyond the wide, thick seat and the 3-inch wide tires, the front Mozo suspension added a lot of comfort to my rides. Sidewalk cracks disappeared and uneven roads were second thoughts. Cruising on the bike was effortless in all environments it would be appropriate to take it for a ride.

The gearing was smooth in my experience, but I didn’t use it too much because of the power provided by the pedal assist and throttle. Its top throttle speed of 20 miles per hour worked well in my area full of hills. Although tempting, I also didn’t find myself using the throttle as much as on some bikes. It was relaxing to pedal without a lot of effort. I did find the bike’s 65-pound weight to be heavy enough to not want to ride the Cafe Cruiser without electric power.

Doing more pedaling is also the best way to extend the battery and get the longest range. Ride1Up advertises 30 to 50 miles, and I was on track to get the low end of that with varying degrees of terrain and throttle usage.

If you do want to ride the throttle, it’s a nicely sized thumb-press on the left side that is easy to access. It also had a good response to it, but the bike’s style pushed me to pedal more. Riding the Cafe Cruiser almost always felt more fun than exercise or work.

Close

The Cafe Cruiser blends a few different casual bike styles to ultimately get something that’s all about comfort. That was my biggest takeaway from the miles of rides. The suspension, frame, seat, and the other parts all made it so I could focus on my surroundings and not on the bike.

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Price and Availability

The Ride1Up Cafe Cruiser retails for $1,595 in both the step-over and step-through versions. Both models come in three colors: Carbon (black), Indigo (blue), and Latte (off-white). The Carbon and Indigo colors have a matte finish, while Latte is glossy.

Tyler Hayes / How-To Geek

Finding the right ebike is all about knowing what it will be used for. The Ride1Up Cafe Cruiser is a more casual bike that’s geared toward leisure riding, whatever form that may take. It can certainly be used for commuting or very light off-roading, but it excels at weekend jaunts when time isn’t at a premium and comfort is critical.

The step-over model may look a little more traditional, but I think the step-through Cafe Cruiser will probably be more suitable for all ages and genders. Its lower crossbar will be a better experience in all cases for mounting a bike that is on the heavy side. And as great as this bike is to ride, it’s not the most travel-friendly bike to lift into a truck or haul in some other way.

The Cafe Cruiser is an in-between ebike that might be a perfect solution for people who don’t know what kind of bike they’re looking for. If you’re looking at different options for a vehicle to be able to join others on occasional rides, this is a good place to start.

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Ride1Up Cafe Cruiser

8/ 10

Blissful comfort and plus-one cargo capabilities blended together for one of the most versatile and functional eBikes money can buy.

$1595 at Ride1Up