Good, Fast, or Cheap. The old mantra says you can pick two, but with the Ride1Up Prodigy V2, we got all three.

It’s a Class-3 that assists up to 28mph (fast), costs just $2,695 for the top model with Gates Belt Drive (cheap), and comes stacked with name-brand components and a solid alloy frame (good).

And it all comes together in a bike that actually rides well and handles like a premium bike. We’ve been riding this thing for about two years and have zero complaints. Which is saying a lot for a sub-$3k e-bike. Here’s why we like it so much…

Quality Components & Spec

We’ve tested some very inexpensive e-bikes. Like, under $1,500. And mostly, they’re borderline rideable. At least, for someone coming to it as a cyclist, budget bikes often leave a lot to be desired in terms of both component spec and ride quality.

But, push the budget up just a bit, and everything changes. There are a number of brands making really great commuter e-bikes in the $2,600 price range, but the Ride1Up Prodigy V2 still stands out to me.

In addition to a good-looking alloy frame (which comes in standard and step-thru…standard shown here), it’s built around the German-engineered Brose mid-drive motor.

It has all the good tech, too – torque sensing for smooth power assistance based on how hard your pedaling, and 90Nm or torque for getting you going quickly and climbing hills without a struggle. A compact display shows assist level, speed, battery charge, and whether the lights are on.

The battery is rated as 36V/14Ah, which equals 504Wh. They say it’s good for 30-50 miles of range, which is par for this category of bike, and plenty for getting around town for a few days between charging.

Power is delivered via Gates Carbon Belt Drive. This is an option, they also offer the bike with a standard chain and cassette for a few hundred dollars less, but it’s worth the splurge for a couple of reasons.

First, you actually get a Gates Belt Drive, not some generic belt. Gates has been in the game and makes belts for famous motorcycle brands and other high-profile customers. There’s no doubt this will last for a long time.

Second, it’s clean & quiet – no grease, no squeaks, and no maintenance. Perfect for storing the bike in your living area or riding to work, you won’t get grease on anything.

Third, the belt-driven version gets an Enviolo CVT (continuously variable transmission) for seamless gear steps. Technically, there are no gears, it just adjusts the gear ratio through a wide range, helping you keep your effort and cadence where you want it. It’s also fully enclosed, keeping it clean and sealed from the elements…so, also, no maintenance.

Even better, its twist shifter skips the numbers in favor of this handy graphical user interface. It makes the hill steeper as you make it easier, and flatter as you make it harder. This intuitive interface charms everyone who sees it.

Even the bell is well-placed, almost invisible, but easy to reach when you need it.

Tektro brakes are excellent, another great spec choice putting name brand stuff where it matters.

The included, full-alloy rear rack has a bright, fully-integrated tail light that also works as a brake light. The rack is solid, and designed to easily work with a variety of trunk and pannier bags.

The 80 Lux headlight is also very bright, and both front and rear lights are bright enough for daytime visibility. More on the lights below.

Maxxis Tires round out the name-brand parts list. It comes with 27.5 x 2.25″ Rekon Race tires, the brown sidewalls adding a little something extra to the bike’s looks. If you’re unfamiliar, these are great tires that roll smooth on the pavement and will provide plenty of traction on gravel and dirt bike paths, too. It’s a great choice.

Also notice those hardened alloy fenders…a nice touch. Rock solid, and they provide full coverage front and rear.

While the fork is unbranded, it’s been great and looks very much like an SR Suntour model. Larger diameter stanchions and a shaped crown keep it stiff, and the bushings are showing no sign of wear.

This is important – a lot of really cheap bikes have forks that are complete junk. This one is good. It has an air spring, so it’s highly adjustable, and it feels like a quality fork. 100mm of travel is plenty for taming urban obstacles and giving you the freedom to explore local trails on your way home, too.

The only thing we swapped out were the pedals. Pretty much every commuter bike that comes with pedals has cheap plastic ones with lousy bearings. Go ahead and budget $40 for a better set of flat pedals and you’re off to the (rat) races.

Ride Review

After spending a good bit of time on the bike myself, and letting my family race around the city on it (all of us love it, BTW), I turned it over to my friend Marci (pictured). She’s a casual cyclist married to fellow bike nerd, so it sees a lot of around-town use…exactly what it was designed for.

She’s loving the bike just as much as I did, her sentiments echoing mine in terms of comfort, speed, and ride quality. Basically, this is a bike that anyone could hop on and instantly feel comfortable on, but also one that more experienced cyclists will really appreciate.

It cruises easily, steering is stable, and power delivery is smooth and predictable. Compared to bikes without a torque sensor, this one gets going without any jolting starts or surprise bursts that could cause an accident.

Cornering is also solid and predictable. Geometry is exactly what I’d want from a bike like this.

The headlight makes it easy to spot you, and it’s bright enough to see with in typical city environments with street lights. Note the spread of light on the ground above, and the punch of light on the rock wall below:

The taillight is plenty bright, too.

Overall, I (we) would highly recommend this bike. It’s been rock solid over two years of testing, is surprisingly affordable considering the quality of components, and is a joy to ride. What more could you ask for?

Ride1Up.com