The Turris has a lot of quality components that offer great value for money, especially considering the recent price drop to just $1,095 USD. This Class 3 is dubbed as an "adventure e-bike", making it a great fit for people who do a blend of city riding and off-road adventuring. With a powerful 750-watt rear hub motor and an upgraded Altus pedaling drivetrain, it's easy to reach the max speed of 28mph, and - unlike many similarly priced e-bikes - the Turris feels safe and stable while doing so. It's available in both high-step and step-thru frame styles, but can only be bought online as Ride1Up does not have a dealer network.
Video Review
General
Frame and Contact Points
Electronics
Bicycle Components
Written Review
Ride1Up has managed to carve a space for itself in the crowded "affordably priced" segment of the electric bike market. The Turris is their latest offering and was already a solid deal at $1,295 USD; since then, the price has dropped to just $1,095! I'm impressed with how much value is packed into the Turris, it's one of the few Class 3 e-bikes that I actually feel genuinely safe and comfortable operating at Class 3 speeds.
Ride1Up makes great products, but their availability and support could be better
I was skeptical when Ride1Up came on the scene in 2018, mostly because the market for entry-level e-bikes was crowded and already dominated by names like Rad Power Bikes, SONDORS, Juiced Bikes, and Lectric. However, Ride1Up has not just survived but thrived, with a large lineup of models that all have impressive quality for their price points. I've heard mixed reports about the quality of their support, but I think most of the complaints came from earlier years when they were struggling to keep up with demand more than anything else. Unfortunately, they're a purely direct to consumer brand, which means no test rides and it can sometimes be hard to find a local shop that will work on them. With that said, it's hard to argue with the efficient direct-to-consumer model when it produces such a cheaply priced quality product!
Really the only serious gripe I have with Ride1Up is that their products are not UL certified yet. Given the recent deaths from e-bike battery fires that have been prominent in the news, it won't be long before these safety certifications are a requirement for e-bike manufacturers, so imagine Ride1Up is already working on this. They do use extremely high quality Samsung cells in their products already, so I do think they're already making their products safe even if they haven't made it official with certifications yet.
Unlike many competing products, Class 3 speeds are easy to reach on the Turris, and it actually feels good when you get there
For reference: Class 3 means a top speed of 28mph on pedal assist, and up to 20mph on throttle only. There are a lot of cheap electric bikes that claim to be Class 3 and look okay on paper, but in practice they just don't cut it. There are several things the Turris gets right compared to similarly-priced products, so let's run through them.
- Even a 750-watt motor can struggle to reach high speed if it's got a weak controller and is inside a 20" fat tire. The Turris's 27.5" wheels provide great rolling efficiency, and while I don't know the amperage of the controller, it feels like at least 20 amps and has no problem getting to the top speed.
- Many budget e-bikes have a basic pedaling drivetrain with only a 14-28 tooth freewheel, and those just don't feel great at 28mph, requiring a very fast pedal cadence that isn't sustainable for a longer ride. The Turris is rocking the upgraded Shimano Altus derailleur, and it's paired with a 12-32 tooth cassette which feels much nicer to pedal on both the high end and the low end, in addition to being more durable and just generally better quality than a freewheel.
- A lot of budget e-bikes just don't feel safe at 28mph, with concerning amounts of rattling, frame flex, and such. The Turris feels rock solid by contrast, with a sturdy well-designed frame, and an upgraded suspension fork with 100mm of travel that just eats up obstacles.
- Many sub-$1200 e-bikes get there by skimping on brakes, sporting mechanical disc brakes with smaller rotors. Not so on the Turris, which is equipped with top-notch Zoom hydraulic disc brakes, with large 180mm rotors on both the front and the rear!
Another thing that the Turris gets right is how its electronics are configured; it's amazing how different two e-bikes with identical hardware can feel if they're tuned differently. For starters, even though the Turris is rocking a basic cadence sensor for pedal assist, it's tuned very aggressively and kicks in after about a half a revolution of pedaling! For comparison, most cadence sensors require you to pedal 2-3 revolutions before they kick in. It's still not as responsive as a good torque sensor, but it's close enough for my enjoyment.
Another nice touch is how pedal assist levels are consistent for the entire speed range, meaning that level one will give you a little bit of help all the way up to 28mph, level two gives you a little bit more, and so on with level five giving maximum assist all the way from 0 to 28mph. The throttle is not linked to PAS level which means you have full power available anytime, very handy if you need to pass someone or accelerate to avoid a collision. I love this setup because it minimizes the amount of times I have to interact with the display; I can just set the PAS level based on how much exercise I want to get for this ride, and then occasionally use the throttle as needed. I'm still amazed by how many e-bike manufacturers get this wrong, with janky PAS configuration that gives uneven, jolting power and has the lower levels cut both the PAS and the throttle at varying speeds. It's a frustrating ride experience that requires a lot of fiddling with display controls as your speed and terrain changes, so kudos to Ride1Up for nailing the configuration of the Turris!
As an adventure bike the Turris is a solid city and off-road hybrid
The tires on the Turris definitely suggest trail use; they have great traction thanks to the knobby tread and 2.4" width, and they're equipped with basic puncture resistance. They have great traction on pavement too, of course, even if that knobby tread isn't as efficient as city slicks. The Turris feels awesome on rougher trails too thanks to the 100mm of travel in the suspension fork, but it's probably not a good fit for true MTB trails. It weighs about 60 pounds which makes it less agile, and the powerful motor and throttle mean it won't be allowed on a lot of trails. But for multi-use trails, jeep roads, and the like? That's where the Turris can really shine in adventure mode.
City riders will enjoy the upright-ish riding position, and tall city riders will enjoy the almost ridiculously long seatpost. The maximum height was actually too high for me, a problem my lanky 6'3" frame has never had on any bike ever before! Sturdy aluminum alloy fenders are also included by default along with a nice bright integrated headlight, but you'll have to spend a bit more if you want to add on a rear rack, and maybe an independent taillight for better visibility. There's also no turn signals, horn, or brake light activation... but hey, for $1,095 it's hard to complain about that.
Direct to consumer e-bikes tend to be "one size fits all" and the Turris is no exception. However, you can choose between the high-step frame (dubbed the XR), and an approachable step-through (called the ST). The ST reportedly comes with more cruiser-esque swept back handlebars, but I haven't seen that version in person so I can't comment on how they compare.
My verdict: My favorite budget e-bike of 2023
That's high praise, but take it with a grain of salt; part of why I like the Turris so much is because I love adventure bikes in general. I'm an active rider who does a blend of city and trail riding so the Turris is a perfect fit for my lifestyle. With that said, I think the Turris is simply very well designed and built, with high quality components and excellent electronics configuration. While there are some considerations to make regarding Ride1Up's lack of dealers and lackluster warranty... I think it's pretty hard to argue with a price tag of only $1,095.
What Other Experts Are Saying
"The Ride1Up Turris will cost you around $1,295 USD, but trust me, this thing is jam-packed with value, so don’t think this is some low-quality Ebike. The Turris is starting 2023 off with a bang, and in our opinion, Ride1Up may be the forerunner for the best-value Ebike on the market! Now, we’re an unbiased review channel over here, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that this is seriously an affordable E..."
"Looking at the Turris’ core components, we can see examples of how this seems like an above -$1500 e-bike: 12 amp-hour (Ah) battery to take you 45 miles. The powerful Bafang 750-watt rear hub motor – not something you normally find on a $1300 e-bike – generates 60 Newton meters (Nm) of torque, good for hill climbing and getting us past walkers and slower bikes. If the Turris only had rigid suspension and mecha..."
"Before any adventure touring can commence, the Turris needs to be assembled and it’s a bit more involved than most of the ebikes I receive. It arrived in an unusually small box for an ebike, even though it’s a regular-sized bike (step over frame size “large” for me) with 27.5-inch wheels. How’d they do that? Simple: You have to build the bike to a certain extent, including attaching the fork, front brake ca..."
"I took the Turris immediately to a moderately steep hill near my house to see how it performs starting from a dead stop on an incline. It did well, getting going with the help of both the throttle and the pedal-assist, with the gear shifter set to one of the easiest gears. But the throttle did get bogged down on its own when I tried to start without using the pedal assist. That held true on longer but less steep clim..."
"The Ride1Up Turris proved to be comfortable riding not only around town but offroad as well, on bike trails and gravel roads. The design and components of the bike are suited for multisport style riding allowing it to be a relatively universal bike great for beginners or those on a budget. Having ridden the Core 5 from Ride1Up, the Turris seems like the playful sporty version that is more capable on rougher terrain. ..."
"Considering its design and style, it's no surprise the Turris provides a posh and comfortable ride. The positioning is upright with very little pressure on the hands, while the suspension fork and larger wheels insulate the rider from the nuances of the road. The handling is predictable with slow steering, and the gel saddle sits over the top of the pedals enabling good power transfer and good posture. Overall, the p..."
"The Ride1Up Turris is a step up from the Core-5 offering a few key features worth mentioning. The front suspension that the Turris offers will simply be a more comfortable ride than the Core-5 if you are on bumpy roads. The brakes of the Turris are also a step up. The Turris’ hydraulic disc brakes will perform better and typically need less maintenance than mechanical disc brakes. Street tires come on the Core-5 w..."
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