Prodigy

The Ride1Up Prodigy is the best mid-drive electric bike you can find, at least in the affordable category. It sports a German Brose motor...

But it does swap the rigid commuter fork for a suspension fork as well as update the gearing a bit, plus it subs in some trail-ready tires in place of the slicker street tires. It will of course work great in the bike lane too, but would be much better for anyone heading off-road. Then it gets paired with a great Shimano Alivio transmission (or ‘great’ by us normal e-biker standards – I’m sure some lycra-bois will tell me it’s nothing compared to a Shimano XTR 12-speed). Then consider those hydraulic disc brakes, custom designed rack that looks great and holds the tail light right in the metal to protect it, the comfortable seat, included full-metal fenders, etc. But when you’re ready for the extra boost, the Ride1Up Prodigy will deliver! With all these great parts, the bike both looks and feels a step or two above most other mid-level and budget-class electric bikes. But keep in mind that you’re getting a much higher-end drivetrain here, not to mention several other nice components. Since you have to pedal at least somewhat, you’re always helping the motor – even slightly. But somewhere in that range is where most people will settle most of the time. But with the Ride1Up Prodigy, though, we’ve finally discovered the best of both worlds: A high quality mid-drive electric bike complete with German-made motor yet that is still available at an affordable price. When you push the pedal lightly, you get a little assist. Don’t let the silly “250W” label fool you; they have to put that on European-made motors to meet local e-bike laws. When you push harder, the motor instantly kicks in harder.