Ride1Up
Portola
$846 ride-away$995
In Stock- 750W Geared Hub motor
- 65 Nm of torque
- 64 km real-world range
- 500 Wh battery
- Assist up to 28 mph
The Ride1Up Portola
A folding electric bike trades a little range and a little stiffness for fitting in a hallway cupboard, a car boot or a train vestibule. These run from $799 to $1,899. The thing worth understanding first is that folding solves storage, not carrying, and the two get confused more than any other point in this category. The best folding electric bike here is whichever one you can carry up your own stairs, which is a different question from which one folds smallest. This one runs 750W Geared Hub, paired with a 500 Wh battery for up to 64 km of real-world range.
Base $995 model has 48V 10.4Ah/500Wh battery (UL 2271); $1,195 model upgrades to 48V 13.4Ah/643Wh; foldable 20x3in tires; current base price is $995, up from $895 previously recorded
Not sure this is the right one? Read what actually makes an e-bike light before you commit.
The Ride1Up Portola is the cheapest bike we sell, at $995 ride-away. It is a folding ebike with a 750 W geared hub, 65 Nm of torque, a 500 Wh battery and a 26.8 kg weight.
At this price the useful question is not what it has. It is what it gives up, and whether any of that matters to you.
What $995 gets you that a marketplace bike doesn't
The gap between this and a mystery-brand bike at the same money is not the spec sheet. It is that this one has a company behind it, certified cells in the battery, and spare parts that exist.
Nine out of ten stories that start with my ebike died after a year are the same bike: an unbranded import with an uncertified pack and nobody to call. When the battery goes, there is no replacement to buy, and a dead ebike is a very heavy normal bike.
The Portola is the point where a real bike starts. That is the whole argument for it.
500 Wh and 64 km, which is honest for the money
The battery is 500 Wh and Ride1Up quotes up to 64 km. Expect 35 to 50 km in normal riding. That is a genuinely modest number and it is the main thing you are giving up at this price.
For a short commute or errands it is fine. For anything longer you will be charging often, and the Lectric XP4 at $1,299 carries 840 Wh for the difference.
It folds, and it weighs 26.8 kg
The fold makes it storable in a flat, a boot or an office corner. It is not the lightest folder we sell, though. The Lectric XP Lite 2 is 18.6 kg and $196 cheaper, so if weight is what you are solving for, buy that one instead.
As with every folder, the fold solves storage rather than carrying. Plan for wheeling it.
Is this the right bike?
Buy it if
- First-time ebike buyers who want to find out whether they will actually use one
- Short commutes and errands where 35 to 50 km of real range is plenty
- Anyone who needs the bike to fold and store in a small space on a tight budget
Buy something else if
- Longer trips. A 500 Wh battery is the compromise that makes this price possible.
- Riders who want to carry it upstairs daily. At 26.8 kg it is 8.2 kg heavier than the Lectric XP Lite 2, which also costs less.
- Anyone expecting the finish of a $2,000 bike. The components are honest for the money and no better than that.
Full specs
- Motor
- 750W Geared Hub
- Battery
- 500 Wh
- Range
- 64 km
- Weight
- 26.8
- Torque
- 65 Nm
- Top assist
- 28 mph
- Warranty
- 1-Year
- Availability
- In Stock
- 1-year warranty
- 14-day returns
- Dispatched within 2 business days
- Workshop-checked before dispatch
Straight answers
Is the Ride1Up Portola good for a first ebike?
It is the one we most often suggest for that. At $995 it is cheap enough to find out whether an ebike fits your life, and unlike a marketplace bike it has certified cells, real spare parts and a company behind it.
What is the real range on the Portola?
Ride1Up quotes up to 64 km from the 500 Wh battery. Plan for 35 to 50 km in normal riding. If that sounds tight for your trip, spend the extra on a bigger battery rather than hoping.
What's the range on the Portola?
64 km on a single charge under normal conditions. Real-world range varies with rider weight, terrain and assist level.
Is the Ride1Up Portola in stock?
Current availability: In Stock.
What warranty does it come with?
1-Year, plus our standard 1-year cover on frame, motor and battery.
Does it arrive assembled?
Every bike is workshop-checked before dispatch and arrives 95% assembled — pedals and bars only left for you.
What if it's not the right bike?
14-day ride-it-and-see return window, with a free return label if it's not the one.
More folding bikes
Same category, so these are the honest alternatives rather than an upsell. Compare the range, the weight and the assist limit before the price.
Or give us a shout.