The original Portola was one of my favorite bikes and one of the best folders on the market for years. Three years is a lifetime in the e-bike world, so I came into this launch with a short list of questions.
- Did Ride1Up give us a real motor upgrade?
- Did they chase the app trend and turn the bike into another thing tethered to your phone?
- And did they keep the Portola near the top of the folding category?
Short answer: yes on the motor, no on the app, and yes on still being one of the top-rated folding e-bikes for the year.
I have the Portola 02 in the top three or four folding fat tire e-bikes you can buy. It sits a step behind the Lectric XP4 750 on outright power, lines up with the Velotric Fold 1 Plus, and costs about $200 less than the Lectric. Range and steep climbing are where I’d like to see Ride1Up keep working.
My Experience Riding the Ride1Up Portola 02
Ride Quality Score: 7.5 / 10
The first thing I check on any folder is rigidity – does it ride like a bike should, or does it feel floppy and make me nervous at 28 mph?
The Portola 02 sits in the first camp. It’s rigid and doesn’t flex hardly at all even when pedaling at 28 mph. The frame is firm, the clamp is very solid, and there is no slop or movement in the stem and headset. I can find a little flex when I’m testing it hard, which is a result of Ride1Up designing the bike as a step-through with no top tube completing the triangle. However, the advantage of that design choice is that it’s easier to get on and off the bike (and I also like the overall look of the design).
The next factor I consider is fit and geometry. Can I pedal efficiently, does the reach feel natural, and is the bike in line with expectations for that style of bike.
At 5’11” and roughly 185 pounds, bike fit me really well. Ride1Up suggests the Portola 02 is great for riders from 4’10” to 6’4″, which is a little generous on the higher end of that scale. With a 16.5-inch standover and a seat that drops to 30.5 inches with 8.75″ of total adjustment, we found the Portola to fit riders great on the shorter end of the height recommendations. Those over 6’1 are not going to have full leg extension and will feel a little cramped with the shorter reach.
Note that one of our range testers who is 6’3″ said the Portola was one of the most comfortable folding bikes he has ridden, so even though taller riders don’t have full leg extension, they can still be comfortable.
The wide BMX-style bars, with 170mm of rise and a 6 degree sweep, put me in a comfortable position without feeling stretched. For me, I found myself very comfortable, sitting nicely upright with a slight bend in my arms.
The Portola also rode well when I tested it on dirt roads and double track trails. The front fork does a nice job with taking the edge off while still keeping the front wheel on the ground through bumps, and the 34mm thick stanchions (thicker than average at this price point) make it so the fork also supports my weight. No, there isn’t a suspension seat post, so that would be one thing I would like to see Ride1Up offer as an optional add-on at checkout. To be clear, I don’t think you NEED a suspension seat post, especially if you aren’t taking the bike camping or off-road.
Power / Motor
Hill Climbing Score: 7 / 10
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Ride1Up improved the motor all the way around. The 750W nominal motor is quieter, more powerful, and smoother than its predecessor. This difference is largely due to the AKM angled-gear hub motor, which significantly reduces noise and contributes to the smoother ride feel.
The next improvement comes from the high-quality MIVICE controller and Intui-Drive torque and cadence sensors. We’ve been big fans of the MIVICE products, and love how Ride1Up has used their controllers on their latest models (the Vorsa being the most recent). They are buttery smooth and naturally responsive.
In addition, you can switch between cadence and torque sensing modes depending on how you prefer to pedal. Torque-sensing mode is designed to be more “natural,” meaning it amplifies the amount of watts you put into the pedals. Cadence-sensing mode is meant to be a bit less natural. In reality, I’d say that both modes lean towards the more powerful side of the coin. They both give you ample power while pedaling so you don’t have to do too much work.
I personally prefer torque mode since I can better manage my speeds without having to adjust PAS levels so frequently. Those who want to just spin the cranks and not put much of their own effort into pedaling will prefer cadence mode (and no, we won’t judge – if making it super easy to pedal gets you out on a bike, we consider that a win)!
One final note on the motor – I’m happy to see that every model, even the least expensive one, comes with the same motor, controller, and sensors. If you want to save some money with that model, you won’t lose out on motor performance and feel.
Range / Battery
Range Score: 6.5 / 10
Min Assist: 49.85 Miles
Max Assist: 29.67 Miles
There are two battery options available with the Portola 02 and Lite: a 15Ah or a 10Ah version. Both battery options are UL 2271 certified, IPX6 rated, and use Reention Flamingo cases with LG 21700 cells. That equates to the following capacity and range estimates:
- 10Ah / 480Wh — Range estimates not provided
- 15Ah / 720Wh — Up to 60 miles estimated
The 60 mile estimated range number felt just a bit too aggressive given the 15Ah / 720Wh battery and 750W / 90Nm motor. I predicted we would end up with around 50 miles on ECO – and that is almost exactly what we got (49.85 miles).
I personally think that’s great range and right in line with expectations of a 720Wh battery pack.
On max assist, the Portola 02 hit expectations again, getting just shy of 30 miles in our testing, which is good enough even to use the Portola as your commuter to and from the office.
Charging wise, you get a 2A charger that takes about 7.5 hrs to go from 0% to 100% on the 15Ah battery, and 5hrs on the 10Ah battery pack.
Note: We have not had the opportunity to test the 10Ah battery, so we can’t comment on how the lower Ah battery would affect performance range-wise or power-wise.
Components
Components Score: 7 / 10
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With an e-bike priced between $895 and $1,095, I expect corners cut somewhere. Usually it’s the drivetrain, or brakes a shop can’t service, or a fork that’s going to be thrown away in a year or two.
I don’t see where Ride1Up cheaped out, which is a high compliment to the company’s dedication to providing a good bike at a value price point.
- I like seeing a Shimano 8 speed drivetrain. Giving you 8 gears with the Altus gear set makes it so there is not ghost pedaling on the bike, even when pedaling at 28 mph. You get close to wanting a 9th gear, but not close enough to want to pay an extra $100+ for it.
- The brakes are unbranded, but they performed very well in our brake testing. Over 3 minutes of constant getting up to 20-28 mph and then slamming on the brakes 8 times, and I didn’t feel any sponginess in the levers, nor was there any brake fade due to overheating. The 2.3mm thick rotors help, and they are mineral oil hydraulic disc brakes, so you won’t have any issue getting them serviced.
- The Arisun 20 x 3.0 tires are a low tread, puncture resistant, semi-fat design made for pavement and light dirt, and they do a good job. I actually prefer a 3″ tire vs a 4″ – you still get decent comfort and excellent contact with the ground while not feeling as heavy and bogged down like you do on the 4″.
- The 100mm front fork is as good as I would expect in this price range. It has thicker stanchions than expected, but I’d still like to see a full thru-axle instead of dropouts, as that would add to the overall rigidity and ride quality of the bike.
Of course there are components that could be improved here, but without increasing the price I don’t think there is much more that Ride1Up could include.
Finally, note the difference between the Ride1Up Portola 02 and the Lite version, which we discuss in more detail down below.
Screen / User Interface / App
Screen / App Score: 7 / 10
Ride1Up upgraded the display to a 3.5-inch full color unit that’s easy to read, and that doesn’t require a full app to make adjustments to the bike.
There’s no login, no pairing ritual, and no scenario where you can’t change a setting because you left your phone at home. Whether that’s the right trade is up to you, but Ride1Up chose to spend the money elsewhere and keep the price down.
The home screen shows a T for torque mode or a C for cadence, your speed, your class, your assist level, and a battery percentage readout with a bar. Tapping the power button cycles through how much you’ve ridden in each assist setting, then trip distance, total distance, average speed, and estimated calories.
The settings menu is where this gets good. You can set torque ratio for each assist level independently and do the same for amperage output. From the factory the ratios run 15, 25, 40, 50, and 85, with amperage at 100%. I’d raise Boost to 100% and push Turbo up too.
You can also pick Class 1, 2, or 3, switch sensor modes, set wheel circumference, set a speed limit, set a password, and turn on Apple Find My. Add a USB-C port and you have the core of what riders ask an app for, without the app.
What keeps this at a 7: the display sits low on those BMX bars and I want it higher in my sightline, there are no over-the-air updates, so this drive system won’t improve after purchase, and Find My is Apple only, which leaves Android riders without tracking.
Bike Model Options
There are two frames and two batteries, which makes 2 bikes and four total options:
The Portola 02, which is what we are referring to for the fully-equipped model, comes with the following that you DON’T get with the Lite model:
- Hardened alloy fenders
- A welded 150-pound rear rack
- An integrated rear brake light with turn signals.
The Portola 02 Lite drops all three and swaps in a removable rear light strapped to the seat post.
Everything else is identical: same frame, same 750W AKM motor, same Intui-Drive dual sensor, same display, same fork, same brakes, and same battery options.
Pricing follows the equipment. The Lite is $895 with the 10Ah battery and $995 with the 15Ah. The standard Portola 02 is $995 with the 10Ah and $1,095 with the 15Ah. That means $995 buys you a choice: the stripped Lite with the big battery, or the loaded bike with the small one.
Four colors are offered across both: Bronze, Gray, White, and Blue. One frame size covers a listed 4’10” to 6’4″.
My recommendation is the standard Portola 02 with the 15Ah battery if you can swing the $$$. The rack, fenders, and turn signals turn this from a fun folder into something you can commute and run errands on, and the 720Wh battery makes the bike better all the way around.
If you only want a folder for around town and don’t have a lot of steep climbs, the Lite with the 10Ah is a lot of bike and it is also a bit lighter weight.
Is the Ride1Up Portola 02 Worth Buying?
The first Portola was one of my favorite bikes for years and one of the best folders on the market for most of that run. The Portola 02 keeps that going, and it’s easily one of the best folding e-bikes on the market today.
Ride1Up did a great job all the way around: the upgraded motor is quieter, smoother, and has the per-level tuning that I wish every e-bike came with. They didn’t chase the app trend, and I don’t mind that. And the kept the ride feel and quality that the original Portola was known for.
At $1,095 for the highest level version, I think the Portola 02 is going to put some pressure on industry leaders like the Lectric XP 4 750 and the Velotric Fold 1 Plus. It might not have quite as much power or the same level of specs all the way around, but it’s close. It’s also a few hundred dollars cheaper – making it very attractive to a lot of riders who want performance and ride quality, but who are on a tighter budget.
Review unit disclosure: Ride1Up provided both the standard Portola 02 and the Portola 02 Lite ahead of the launch embargo. Range, hill, and brake testing were conducted by the EBR team on our own routes rather than at a brand event.
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