Ride1Up Prodigy V2–Feature-Packed Commuter for Road + Trail
Mitchell Anderson
Mitchell has been fascinated by electric scooters since 2019. He began sharing his enthusiasm on his YouTube channel, “RK9 Rides,” in 2020. He joined Rider Guide in 2023, and between the two channels, he spends seven days a week riding, testing, and writing about electric scooters. He has tested dozens of models from dozens of brands and is always on the lookout for the newest and greatest scooters. His current favorite models are the Nami Klima and the NIU KQi3 Max.
The Ride1Up Prodigy V2 has one of the most intuitive, natural feeling mid-drive motors I’ve ever tested on an e-bike. It’s also loaded with name-brand features and comes in under $2500.
Find out in our review if the Prodigy V2 lives up to Ride1Up’s claim of being the most comfortable electric bike you can buy.
Ride1Up Prodigy V2
The Prodigy V2 is Ride1Up’s premium commuter bike, and it’s deceptively positioned as a ride-to-work daily cruiser when it’s actually (or also) a pretty capable hardtail MTB that can take on gravel roads and moderate trails with ease.
The Prodigy V2 comes in two different drivetrains. The standard drive is a 9-speed Shimano Alivio and the upgraded CVT drive gives you a CDX Gates Carbon Belt for an additional $300.
This bike is packed with additional high-end features made by other big names like Brose, Samsung and Selle Royale. The star of the whole show, as you’ll see, is the Brose TF Sprinter mid-drive motor and the Brose integrated torque sensor.
The motor’s natural, and almost totally silent, operation lets you get a good workout without getting to the office sweaty and out of breath.
Ride1Up Prodigy V2 Specs
| MSRP | $2,295 |
| Range | 30–50 mi |
| Top Speed | 28 mph w/ pedal assist (no throttle) |
| Battery | 504Wh Samsung, Smart BMS |
| Sensor | Brose Integrated Torque Sensor |
| Motor | 750W Brose TF Sprinter mid-drive w/ 90nm of torque |
| Frame type | Step thru / Step over |
| Warranty | 1 Year |
| Lighting | 80 Lux front light / 6V rear LED |
| Brakes | Hydraulic Brakes |
| Shifting | 9 speed Shimano Alivo (standard) / CDX Gates Carbon Belt (CVT) |
| Weight Limit | 300 lbs |
| Suspens. | 100mm air fork front fork |
| Add. Feat. | 40 lb cargo rack, Selle Royal Viento saddle, 15″ Brose Color Display |
Our Full Video Review
Powerful Mid-Drive Motor and Tons of Features
The Ride1Up is a Class 3 bike with a top speed of 28 mph, but there’s no throttle, and this is clearly not a bike designed for speed
I did see 28 on the speedometer at my hardest pedaling, and about 500W of output. While Ride1Up only provides the torque specs: 90 Nm, this does appear to have a 350W motor.
This Brose mid-drive motor is really incredible, especially for the price of this bike. It’s dead silent; no matter how hard it’s working, it gets drowned out by tire noise.
There are four riding modes, but I’d recommend just leaving the Prodigy V2 in Boost mode, unless you’re riding with a child or around heavy pedestrian traffic and need to take it especially easy.
The bike has a shift sensor, so it knows what gear it’s in and can distribute power accordingly. This smart tech + the mid-drive motor and torque sensor makes the Prodigy V2 feel like it’s working with you as an active partner, instead of robotically pushing you forward.
The Prodigy V2 won’t startle people as you ride by, and its fast-rolling Maxxis Recon tires feel great on the road, with plenty of traction all the way to the edge. These are great for corning, and this brand is also the standard for mountain bikes, so these do very well on the trail as well.
Ultra-Silent Commuter and Trail-Worthy Offroad Ebike
Overall, the bike occupies a nice middle ground between road and mild off-road or gravel, with 180mm rotors giving its hydraulic brakes plenty of stopping power, and a nice 100mm air fork that you can adjust to your weight and preference.The handlebars have a nice minimalist look and feel, with no center display or crowded controls. You can't tell this is an electric bike just by looking at it, and they've done a great job of integrating the battery and motor into the frame for a sleek look.
While the Ride1Up Prodigy V2 doesn't have the plushness to iron out every small bump on the trail, I didn't really expect it to. But I was surprised by the bike's mountain-bike feel, despite narrower handlebars and a lack of rear suspension.
The great thing an air fork is that you can fine tune it by adjusting the air pressure to exactly your preference. So if you're doing more street riding, you might like it a bit more firm, and vice versa.
This kind of versatility is really nice to see in a commuter ebike, since it can also double as your weekend fun ride.
Get a Natural-Feeling Workout or Upgrade to CVT for a Smoother Feeling Drivetrain
I tested the version of the Prodigy V2 with a 9-speed Shimano drivetrain. The bike came pretty well set-up out of the box, and its got a nice, wide range of gears.
The shifting is smooth, and since there’s no throttle, you’ll do a lot of it, and get a good workout on a bike with a really natural feeling electric motor that will never overwhelm you.
You do have the option, however, to upgrade to a CVT drivetrain with a Gates Carbon belt that will basically last forever, for an additional $300. You can think of this like an automatic transmission – it does all the shifting for you for the smoothest ride possible.
Ride1Up Prodigy V2: Who is This Bike For?
There are four variants of this bike based on the frame style and drive train that you want. This is the step over with the standard bike drive train, but they also have a step through version with this drive train and then they have a step over and step through version with the CVT and Belt Drive, which is the top tier of trim levels.
There are a lot of options at this price and you can get some pretty powerful e-bikes, but this is not what this is designed to be. This is very much a bike for finesse and feel, and for someone who wants a very natural riding experience.
For the commuter or say, the cycling purist who really wants a natural riding experience and doesn’t want the bike pushing them along, who wants to control the bike, this is one of the best bikes on the market. It’s absolutely loaded with amazing components. It feels so great to ride and it has a sleek, well-integrated look.
It would take someone a second to look at this and realize it was even an e-bike. This is an e-bike that has a lot of class and elegance and if you’re in the market for a bike like that, then this would be perfect for you.
