Portola From Ride1Up – an Inexpensive Folding Electric Bike
It’s not easy to find a good, portable and folding e-bike . Typically you only get two of these three. But Ride1Up’s Portola e-bike is the best at all three, and does the job well for under $1,000. The Portola has everything you need in a portable folding e-bike, plus the ability to do more for an additional cost. But it has its limitations. It weighs 59 pounds and only folds in half, making it difficult for one person to maneuver unless they have moderate strength.
Pros and cons of Portola from Ride1Up
pros
Low Price : Starting at $995 is a good price for an e-bike of this quality.
Power : 750W motor provides powerful torque.
Comfort : The seat is softly padded and the upright position provides a comfortable ride.
Compact : Portola folds to 36 x 16 x 30 inches, allowing it to fit into most apartments or car trunks.
Classes are adjustable : You can adjust the e-bike class for any of the three according to your local laws.
Minuses
Weight : The folding and portable bike is difficult to maneuver with a clunky 59 pounds.
Seat Height : At 5’7″ I was already just two levels below the maximum seat adjustment to get full leg extension, so tall riders may have a hard time finding the right height.
Display Screen : The display screen does everything you need, but it doesn’t look impressive.
Characteristics
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Classification: The class can be customized from class 1 to class 3.
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Motor: gear motor 48 V, 750 W, torque 65 Nm.
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Range: 20 to 40 miles with 10.4Ah battery.
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Weight: 59 lbs
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Weight limit: 300 lbs
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Assistant: five adjustable levels, cadence tracking.
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Wheels: all-terrain tires 20 x 3 inches.
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Brakes: Dual-piston hydraulic brakes, electric cut-off, 180mm rotors.
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Battery: 48V 10.4Ah ($995) or 48V 13.4Ah ($1095).
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Display: KD21C adjustable speed display.
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Fork: 80mm suspension travel, hydraulic lockout, 110mm dropout.
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Transmission: Shimano Altus, 8 speeds.
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Headlights: Automatic LED headlights and brake lights.
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Size: 66 x 44 x 18 inches (36 x 16 x 30 inches when folded)
Note. For a test drive, I received the version with a 10.4 Ah battery.
Comfortable trip
The Portola was neatly packaged in an 85 lb. box. Installation took me about 40 minutes, following the paper instructions in the box (which were not very clear). Later I found the video below which would make my life a lot easier.
Once assembled, I was ready to take it outside. I’m 5’7″ and 162 lbs and I admit I had some trouble going up and down stairs when trying to hold the door open on this 59 lb e-bike (I’m used to carrying road bikes on my shoulder too one hand). To adjust the seat to my height and fully extend my legs, the seat was already only two levels lower, reaching the maximum level of height adjustment. If you’re a tall person, you may have to go beyond the marked points on the seat (which is possible), but I can’t say how safe this will be.
I thought the ride on Portola was great. The seat is very comfortable; the suspension holds; The tires are fat and it feels like you can take it off-road (although that’s not advertised) and the handling feels controlled up to a point. Just as I was about to reach top speed, I had an eerie feeling that I was out of control. The Portola can reach speeds of up to 48 miles per hour, but I only dared to go there briefly, purely for journalistic reasons. At that speed, a 59-pound machine falling could cause damage to all parties. While I didn’t feel like the e-bike was going to fall apart, I knew that if something unexpected happened that required me to react quickly, I would be stumped.
I rode a few hills around my area and was surprised at the speed it could go with just the throttle and no pedaling. The moderate climb, which I estimate to be about five degrees, gave the Portola no trouble, and it was able to reach 17 mph without pedaling. On the toughest hill in my area that I can’t climb on my road bike (about eight degrees), I was able to get up to 12 mph with little acceleration. I was pleasantly surprised.
Keeping it compact
One of the main advantages of Portola is its ability to fold in half. It can fit neatly into most spaces without the need to prop it up against a wall or leave it in the basement, which is great news considering it’s not particularly lightweight. I can place it at the dining table and dare I say it looks good there. It’s not easy to make it completely compact, but it’s not that difficult either; with practice you get better. Now it takes me less than a minute to get it as compact as possible.
It fits in the trunk of my Corolla.
By far, my favorite thing about the Portola is that I can fit it in the trunk of my 2011 Corolla and take it with me to visit family for the holidays. I was able to fit other suitcases and bags in the trunk even though the Portola was there. Its folded dimensions are 36 x 16 x 30 inches. However, if you are not a strong enough person, you will need help to put it in the trunk without damaging the vital parts of the e-bike.
An interesting little feature that made handling a lot easier was the strap that secures the two halves of the frame when folded in half. While this strap is a life saver, it also causes a bit of a headache. If the frames do not touch each other side by side, the belt will not be able to lock into place.
The display does the minimum
I was not impressed with the Portola’s LCD display. It gives you all the basic information you need to know, such as battery level, your speed, odometer, etc. However, it looks like a Nokia phone screen. I wish you could see the battery percentage instead of the five bar battery symbol. I will say that it is nice to be able to manually turn on the LCD screen as well as the headlights (they turn on automatically when it gets dark). The brake lights turn on every time you hit the brakes, and they continue to work even if they’re on after dark.
Added Features
Each state has its own laws about what classes of e-bikes are allowed where . Out of the box, the Portola comes as Class 2, but you can easily change it to any Class by holding the DOWN and POWER buttons for two seconds and choosing between Classes C1, C2 and C3. This is a nice touch that makes the Portola easy to drive anywhere in the US.
The Portola also has a pedal booster to help you get that extra boost and make your ride easier. Five levels are easily accessible on the display by pressing the “+” and “-” buttons. They feel smooth and reactive at the right moment.
You can also upgrade your Portola to accommodate a second passenger with an additional rear seat , or fill that space with a basket .
Overall, the Portola is a great budget car. Anyone looking for a foldable and portable bike without sacrificing a comfortable and powerful ride should consider this compact e-bike. Just make sure you’re strong enough to move 59 pounds of awkward weight on your own, unless you have the option of having someone help you with any maneuvers you might need. If you prefer the practicality of a folding e-bike, consider the Cafe Cruiser from Ride1Up .