The first generation Riide ebike launched on Kickstarter in early 2014, was successfully funded and started shipping a year later. Now the Washington, DC company has announced the much-improved Riide 2.
For the new ebike, Riide has sacrificed the top tube on the original model for a step-through aluminum frame. Though the target weight for version one was 35 lb, the production version came in a little heavier, and its replacement is heavier still at 51.9 lb (23.5 kg). It also gets a top speed bump from 20 mph to 28 mph (45 km/h) thanks to a 500-W (750-W peak on the road or 1.45-kW off-road) rear hub motor, torque goes up from 25 Nm to 60 Nm, and there's a significant increase in range – from 25 miles to up to 80 miles (128 km) per charge.
The lockable 840-Wh battery on the new model can be removed from the frame for charging indoors, and it will take around 3.75 hours to juice it up with the 48-V, 4.5-A charger. The battery charge level is indicated to the top of the battery unit housing.
The new frame will fit riders between 5 and 6.25 ft (1.52-1.9 m), the cabling runs through internally for a cleaner look, and it has integrated lights – 600 lumens to the front and 100 at the back. The chain of old has gone and been replaced by a Gates carbon belt drive, so your work suit won't get oiled up on the way to the office. And pedal assist is applied courtesy of a torque sensor.
The new Riide, well, rides on 27.5-inch wheels wrapped in Schwalbe Big Ben tires, and stopping power comes from hydraulic disc brakes with 180-mm rotors and levers rocking electric cut-off for extra safety. It also comes with 4G LTE connectivity cooked in (US coverage only), together with Bluetooth LE, GPS and a 9-axis accelerometer. This means that the location of the ebike can be tracked through an iOS/Android smartphone app, and it can be remotely locked and disabled.
Riide has two pricing options available, there's no Kickstarter this time around. You can buy the second gen ebike outright for US$2,799, or you can sign up to pay $99 per month and then the ride is all yours after 30 months. Neat. City or Comfort seats are available as options. And the ebike can accommodate fenders and racks.
Source: Riide
